Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 21st Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
I, LUCIEN PÉRISSÉ of 94, Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris, France, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved bicycle saddle for lady's or gentleman's use
specially designed with a view to obviate the objections to which on physiological
grounds the saddles in ordinary use for road riding are open.
In ordinary saddles for road riding, the leather covering is strained upon a metal
frame in such manner that by means of adjusting screws the tension of the leather
may be varied to suit the rider as may be necessary to prevent violent shock by
contact with the metal frame in travelling over a rough road. The strain being
exerted in the fore and aft direction between the tip of the horn and the cantle of
the seat the longitudinal median portion of the saddle forms an excessively
unyielding ridge notwithstanding that it may be perforated or slitted for purposes
of elasticity and ventilation whilst the edges of the leather are free and unsupported.
This rigidity is most excessive towards the anterior part or horn of the saddle
upon which bear those parts of the body which should not hear upon an unyielding
support.
To obviate this objection it has been proposed to use a bornless saddle but this
is unsafe as it affords no means of preventing the rider slipping sideways or pitching
forward on to the machine frame in case of sudden and unexpected stoppage-to
guard against which induces a constant and prejudicial muscular effort on the part
of the rider producing a curvature of the lumbar region and no means have
heretofore been proposed whereby the objections hereinbefore indicated have been
wholly and effectually remedied.
To attain this end it is necessary that the saddle should combine the two
following essential features viz. :-
(2) Sufficient breadth of seat to enable the tuberosities of the ischii to rest
normally thereon;
(b) A horu allowing full freedom of motion of the lower members without
liability of compression of the perineum and sexual organs.
A saddle combining these features is illustrated in the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification wherein
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved saddle.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof and
Figure 3 is a cross section through the seat shewing the depression to receive
the ischial tuberosities.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

page_text: The saddle is formed of the seat A and the horn B both of which are of special
construction. The frame or foundation of the seat, represented by a, is formed
preferably of sheet steel stamped or cut out of the required shape and stiffened by
ribs embossed in it if required and by the edges of the metal being flanged or
turned down as shewn at b particularly at the front so that the form of the seat
will be such as not to limit the free extension of the lower members and so cause
any painful pressure to the rider. With a view to avoid this the metal is not only
curved as shewn but the configuration at the front part is so incurved that the
padding is extended beyond the curved part as shewn at c so as to render this part
of the seat soft and yielding.
At the middle of the back edge the seat foundation plate is hollowed as shewn
at p so that the seat pad and cover which is not similarly hollowed but stretches
across the notch p will be specially soft and yielding at the point corresponding to
the os coccyx in order to avoid painful pressure on this part of the human frame.
The metal foundation plate is covered with a thick pad d which may be formed of
two or more thicknesses of felt or of indiarubber whether solid, hollow, spongy, or
pneumatic. The pad is covered with leather e which is cemented or rivetted to
the foundation plate or stitched around the edges to an under covering e also of
leather or equivalent material cemented to. the under. side of the foundation. plate
in order to prevent the padded upper part of the covering working loose or becoming
displaced.
fare slight depressions in the padded cover corresponding to the average
position of the ischial tuberosities of the adult human frame, these depressions being
about five inches apart from centre to centre and formed in any suitable way for
instance by aperturing at these points, the undermost thin layer of the felt forming
the pad or otherwise, the object being to afford a soft and comfortable support for
the parts upon which the greater part of the pressure due to the weight of the
rider is supported.
At the front the foundation plate is formed with a comparatively deep and broad
notch g and at this part the padded covering is of the same shape as the plate so
that a through aperture is formed at this part of the seat both for purposes of
ventilation and for avoidance of pressure on the organs which are in the central
plane of the body. At either side of the notch the foundation plate is formed
with or has attached to it a downwardly projecting lug h these lugs constituting
the posterior points of attachment or suspension of the flexible strip constituting
the horn of the saddle.
This horn of the saddle is indispensable to assist in steering, to prevent the rider
slipping laterally off the seat in the operation of pedalling, to give the rider a
feeling of security, and also to prevent falling forwards by limiting the forward
motion of the rider's body in case of sudden stoppage, and it is a special object of
the construction of this part of the saddle to avoid all pressure on the perineum
and sexual organs. For the purpose of obtaining the requisite flexibility the horn
of the saddle is formed of a bifurcated or Y-shaped strip i of leather, webbing,
rubber, fabric, or any other flexible but strong material the front end of the said
strip terminating in a metal hook j rivetted to it or other means of attachment to a
support whilst the divergent rear members are rivetted or otherwise attached
to the downwardly projecting lugs h of the seat foundation plate so as to hold the
parts at the required divergence and give them the required inclination both
in the longitudinal and lateral directions the leather strip receiving a gradual twist
as shewn in passing from the flat position at the forward end to the nearly on-edge
or oppositely inclined position of the rearward ends i².
It will be seen that the rearward point of attachment of the suspended leather
strip is wholly below the seat portion A of the saddle and that the leather strip
has an upward inclination towards the front point of support k which is situated at
the same level as or higher than the seat portion A so that between the seat and
the anterior portion of the horn the latter is depressed or lowered just at the part
where the perineal organs will come so that the latter will not bear upon the horn

page_text: of the saddle at all in normal circumstances. Moreover there will be perfect
freedom of motion for the thighs of the rider, although the horn may be felt by
the rider just sufficiently to give him the necessary confidence in the stability of
his position on the saddle. The hook j although shewn bare may be covered with
a soft pad or be replaced by a rubber ring to guard against any involuntary forward
movement of the rider.
This point of support k for the leather strip is formed by the cross member at
the upwardly curved forward extension of the main spring supporting frame K of
the saddle which is of approximately narrow U-shape in plan the divergent and
bowed or looped rear ends being secured by nuts in the usual way to screw
studs projecting from the underside of the foundation plate of the seat at points
in rear of the central transverse plane of the seat A. This spring frame K is
reinforced by springs L L also secured to screw studs at the underside of the
seat, these springs being formed with loops to give them the necessary elasticity
and their forwardly extending members being substantially parallel to and above
the horizontal portions of the spring K and both being clamped in grooves between
the clamping discs m of the seat pillar clip. The studs are some distance in
advance of the central transverse plane of the seat A and therefore at such distance
in advance of the studs that the springs K. and L being firmly secured together
by the clamping discs m and their bows or loops and being in advance the
one of the other the springs mutually brace each other and so the stiffness necessary
to support the weight of the rider and the resilient action required to prevent
shocks are combined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described velocipede saddle, consisting of a padded seat having a
deep and wide recess at the front and soft and elastic forward edges at either side
of such notch substantially as described in combination with a flexible horn formed
by a separate strip suspended between points of attachment at the underside of the
seat at either side of the recess therein and a forward support formed by an
extension of the seat spring substantially as specified.
2. In a velocipede saddle the combination, with a seat portion, of a horn or
forward extension formed of a flexible or suspended Y-shaped strip attached at its
front end to a forward extension of the saddle supporting frame and at its bifurcated
rear ends to downward projections at the underside of the seat, the points of
attachment being so disposed as to give to the strip the required transverse
curvature and upward inclination substantially as specified.
Dated this 21st day of March 1896.
A. M. & W M. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.