An Improvement in Bicycle-seats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 17th 4pr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug.. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Bicycle-seats.
I SEYMOUR Doss VAN METER of 229-14th Street, Denver, Arapahoe
County, in the State of Colorado, U.S.A., Physician and Surgeon 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 bicycle-seats; and the objects of my invention are,
first, to provide a solid seat for supporting the body, having an independent air or
fluid containing reservoir arranged in the seat to receive the tuber ischii of the
rider's body; second, to provide a bicycle-seat having a horn of medium length so
arranged in relation to the plane of the seat that in the operating positions of the
rider's body it will not bear against the perineum, thereby avoiding injury to this
part of the rider, but will project between the rider's limbs and form solely a rigid-
abutment against lateral movement and displacement of the rider from the seat ;
third, to provide a solid bicycle-seat having an independent removable air-reservoir
or chamber arranged in the seat portions of the seat flush with their surfaces in
apertures therein which are adapted to receive the tuber ischii of the rider,
whereby the said tuber ischii are almost entirely relieved from the weight of the
rider's body, which is then supported largely by the solid portions of the seat
which engage the buttocks of the rider. I attain these objects by the mechanism
illustrated and described in the accompanying drawings and specification, in
which-
Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved bicycle-seat. Fig. 2 represents
a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 represents a section, through Fig. 1 on line A, of a little more than one-
half of the saddle.
Fig. 4 represents a bottom plan view of the base of the outer casing of the
removable air chamber or reservoir.
Fig. 5 represents a section of the air-chamber through Fig. 4 on line B.
Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the air-chamber.
Fig. 7 represents a plan view of a bridge-piece which is removably secured to
the under side of the seat and is adapted to support the central portion of the
inner casing of the air-chamber.
Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The principle which I have embodied in my bicycle-seat is directly reverse to
those which underlie the construction of all bicycle-saddles or seats which seek
to form for the rider's body a cushion, pad or elastic or pliable surface, either
upon some portion of a rigid or flexible supporting-frame, or which wholly

page_text: constitutes the seat or saddle itself, and upon which the whole of the seat-engaging
portion of the body finds a soft surface.
The principle of my invention consists in providing a seat with a rigid unyielding
surface which conforms to the natural curves of the body while in riding position
upon the bicycle for the buttocks to rest upon 'and against, and a rigid horn
blending out from said surfaces centrally between them and projecting forward
between the rider's limbs in a plane horizontal to the axis of the bicycle's wheels
and having a solid point curved downward adapted to form a lateral abutment for
the limbs of the body a short distance below the perineum; a high cantle blending
upward from the horn and said rigid buttock-supporting surfaces adapted to support
the upper portion of the buttocks, and perforations through the seat portions
directly under the tuber ischii, in which is secured in suitable casings a body of
fluid, preferably air or water. The tuber ischii sink into these fluid reservoirs or
chambers and are relieved from a great portion of the weight of the body, which
now comes on the fleshy portions of the buttocks and on the rigid surfaces of the
seat, the conditions being directly opposite to those seats in which the tuber ischii
carry all the weight of the body, as in cushions, pais, and elastic devices. This
arrangement allows a firm and easy seat for the rider, and the tuber ischii are
greatly relieved from the pressure of the body.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, C designates the horn of the seat, D and E the seat
portions, the cantle, and G the fluid reservoir or chamber.
As curves form an important part of my seat I will first describe their direction.
The top of the horn is straight and rounded-downward at its point and also inward
from its sides and is also convexed or oval in cross-section. It is of sufficient
length to extend between the rider's limbs to form a lateral abutment. It is
arranged and formed to project from the seat portions at such an angle to the
seat portions as will prevent its bearing against the perineum.
It extends back into the seat in a horizontal line and blends into an upward
curve, which forms the cantle. This rises from one and one-half to three inches
above its level. The top of the horn is flat at the union with the cantle curve, and
a long slot H is made in it to reduce the amount of metal in the seat and for
ventilation. The front end of the horn and the back end of the seat on their under
sides are arranged to receive and be secured to a spring bar I, by which it is secured
to a bicycle. The horn at from two to three inches from its end curves outward
at oblique opposite angles. The side edges, 1 I, and the cantle are then curved
concentric to a central point in the horn.
The seat is of ample breadth transversely of the born to receive the full width
of the buttocks, and its depth from the cantle to its inner elges, K, is made, to
receive only the buttocks, which arrangement leaves the limbs perfectly free to act
on the pedals. From the center J of the horn the seat portions curve downward
toward the sides II and toward the inner edges, K, thereby forming a curved
valley at L and a curved surface from the air-reservoir to the extreme edge of the
seat, thus making a seat entirely free from sharp corners. I cast the saddle preferably
of aluminium, but can use any suitable material in its construction. In each seat
portion cast a perforation M, (see Fig. 3,) the bottom of which is provided with
an introverted lip N. I preferably make these perforations either approximately
round or oval in outline.
O designates an independent metal cup-shaped casting adapted to fit into said
perforations and rest on the lip N. A bottom plan view of this cup-piece is shown
in Fig. 4.
Through its center a perforation OO is made. The top edge of the cup-
piece is projected outward all around to form a step O', and around the lower
portion of the sides a row of holes P is made. Over the top of the cup-piece
(see Fig. 5, which is a cross-section of Fig. 4) I place a piece of leather P,
securing it by carrying it down the sides and around the step of the cup, and then
lacing it to the cup-piece with a cord Q, which I intertwine through holes in it
formed to register, with those in the cup-piece, as shown in Fig. 4, and then tie the

page_text: ends of the cord together. This cup-piece and the leather cap form the outer
casing of the fluid chamber or reservoir. In this outer casing I place a flexible
rubber sack QQ, inserting it through the aperture in the bottom of the cup-piece.
A tube R containing a valve R₁ depends from the rubber sack. I secure the
cup-piece to the lip N by screws S at each end, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) and to the
said lip I also secure with screws S a bridge-piece T, which is formed with an
aperture T¹ through it, through which the air tube and valve depend, and with a.
projecting portion T' concentric to its air-valve-containing aperture which fits into
the aperture in the bottom of the cup-piece, as shown in Fig. 3, a plan view of the
bridge being shown in Fig. 7, in which view it is adapted to the form of the
aperture T. (Shown in Fig. 4.) This bridge supports the fluid-reservoir at this.
point and prevents its working out of the outer casing through the aperture in the
bottom of the cup-piece. I then fill the reservoir with air or water, but do not
inflate it above a slight pressure, the object being to place under and around the
tuber ischii a fluid medium, in which they sink and which will support them laterally
on all sides, and which will move or surge with them without friction when the
body rocks slightly when riding fast, and which would relieve them of a portion of
the rider's weight and bring the fleshy portions of the buttocks in supporting-
contact with the rigid portion of the seat. For this reason I do not carry the
outer casing of the reservoirs above the surfaces of the seats, and when the reservoirs.
are full of air and unoccupied by the rider the top of the reservoir is level with
the contour of the seats, although its center would be convexed slightly above it.
This saddle is light, durable, and inexpensive to make, and makes an easy and
firm seat.
Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by
Letters Patent, is-
1. A bicycle-seat comprising a cast frame having two seat portions, a horn
extending in a horizontal line forward from between the seat portions having a
slot in its top and a downward-curved point, a high cantle blending upward from
said seat and horn portions, perforations in said seat portions having an introverted
lip at their bottom edge, and an air-reservoir comprising a rubber sack with an
inlet tube and valve, a suitable casing for said sack adapted to said perforations,
and means for removably securing said casing in said perforations.
2. A cast bicycle-seat having rigid seat portions curving upward and forming a
cantle, a horn blending forward by curved lines from said seat portions in a straight.
line, a slot projecting through the top of said horn intermediate of its point, and
the said cantle, perforations through the said seat portion adapted to register with
the tuber ischii of the rider, an air-holding-sack having a valve-controlled inlet, a
casing substantially as herein described surrounding said sack and adapted to fit
said perforations even with the surfaces of said scat portions, a perforation in the
bottom of said casing through which said sack is introduced into said casing, means
for detachably securing said air-sack and casing in said perforations, and an
independent bridge-piece secured to said seat and arranged and adapted to close
the said aperture in the bottom of said casing, substantially as described.
3. The combination in a bicycle-seat of a cast frame having the solid seat, an
upward curved cantle blending therefrom, a horn having a central top slot in its
central portion, and a solid downward-curved point, a perforation cast through the
center of each seat portion having an introverted lip at its lower end, with an
air-reservoir comprising an air-containing sack, a casing surrounding said sack
adapted to fit in each seat and having a metal base and a pliable top detachably
secured thereto, means for securing said reservoir in said perforations, means for
introducing said air-sack into said casing, the several parts being arranged and
combined substantially as herein set forth and described.
4. The combination in a bicycle-seat of the rigid seats the upward-curved
cantle-support, the horn, the perforation through said seats, the rubber air-sacks,
the metal cup-piece adapted to fit said perforations, the leather covering, means

page_text: for detachably securing said covering to said cup-piece and the bridge-piece, as
set forth.
5. The combination in a rigid bicycle-seat, of a cast seat having a contour
substantially as herein set forth, and having perforations through its seat portions
provided with an introverted lip, independent cup-shaped-pieces, of metal fitting in
said perforations, means for securing said cup-pieces to said introverted lips, a row
of holes in the side of said cup-pieces, leather coverings over said cup-pieces
having holes registering with those in said cup-pieces, a cord adapted to pass
through said holes and gather and secure by tying said leather covers to said
cup-pieces, perforations in the bottoin of said cup-pieces, a rubber sack having an
air-inlet tube and valve adapted to be passed through said apertures in said cup
pieces and fit the chamber formed by said cup-pieces and said leather covers, and
a bridge-piece having an aperture through which said air-valves depend and a
projection extending into said aperture in the bottom of said cup-pieces, and means
for securing said bridge-piece to said introverted lip of said seat apertures,
substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of April 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.