IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE PRINCIPALLY APPLICABLE TO THE SADDLES OF BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES AND VEHICLES BUT ARE ALSO IN PART APPLICABLE TO SADDLES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS.
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alfred Lamplugh of the firm of Lamplugh and
Brown of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers. for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
PRINCIPALLY APPLICABLE TO THE SADDLES OF BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND
OTHER VELOCIPEDES AND VEHICLES BUT ARE ALSO IN PART APPLICABLE TO
SADDLES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alfred Lamplugh at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1883.
JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH of the firm of Lamplugh and Brown of Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE PRINCIPALLY APPLICABLE TO THE SADDLES OF BICYCLES
TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES AND VEHICLES BUT ARE ALSO IN PART
APPLICABLE TO SADDLES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
"
As my improvements are principally applicable to the saddles of bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes I will describe them in connection with a bicycle
Baddle.
In making a bicycle saddle according to my invention I form the seat without
any internal rigid support the said seat having a foundation of strong leather
between which and the covering or upper leather is stuffing of the ordinary kind.
At the rear of the seat I make an opening extending from the back to about the
middle of the seat. This opening is widest at the back of the seat and diminishes
in width towards the middle of the seat. In consequence of this opening or cut
away part at the rear of the seat all pressure on the rectum and immediately under
the spine of the rider is avoided and the inconvenience and pain sometimes caused
to riders using saddles of the ordinary kind in consequence of pressure on the parts
referred to is prevented. The said opening also permits the saddle to yield on
either side to which the rider may incline more readily than an ordinary saddle.
I support the seat by means of a three branched plate concave on its upperside.
This plate is fixed by its ends to the front and two back portions of the saddle by
.
-

page_text: screws and screw nuts the screws being fixed to foundation plates attached to the
underside of the seat and passing through holes near the ends of the branches of
the plate. As a further and elastic support to the seat I employ three flat bars
fixed at their outer ends to the pins connecting the supporting plate to the seat
their inner ends being connected together by a coiled or other springs.
Or in place of the three bars described I employ three flat springs their outer
ends being fixed to the pins connecting the supporting plate to the seat their inner
free ends pressing on the underside of the seat near its middle.
Instead of fixing the seat rigidly to the supporting plate at three points as
described the front attachment may be made adjustable a screw working longi-
tudinally in the support tightening the seat more or less and affording the means
of producing in it any degree of tension.
I utilize the support sometimes fixed at the rear part of the seat by making it
hollow and fixing at its back front or end a hinged lid or flap. The said support
may when so made be used as a tool box or be used for carrying small and light
articles.
Saddles containing my improvements are applicable to bicycles tricycles and
other velocipedes and vehicles such for example as vehicles resembling velocipedes
but propelled by electricity or steam.
That part of my invention having for its object to prevent pressure on the
rectum under the spine of the rider is applicable to saddles for horses and other
animals as well as to the saddles of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes-and
_ vehicles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Alfred Lamplugh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th August 1883.
JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH of the firm of Lamplugh and Brown of Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE PRINCIPALLY APPLICABLE TO THE SADDLES OF BICYCLES,
TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES AND VEHICLES, BUT ARE ALSO IN PART
APPLICABLE TO SADDLES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
"
As my improvements are principally applicable to the saddles of bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes I will describe them in connection with a bicycle
saddle.
In making a bicycle saddle according to my invention I form the seat without
any internal rigid support the said seat having a foundation of strong leather
between which and the covering or upper leather is stuffing of the ordinary kind.
At the rear of the seat I make an opening extending from the back to about the
middle of the seat. This opening is widest at the back of the seat and diminishes
in width towards the middle of the seat. In consequence of this opening or cut
away part at the rear of the seat, all pressure on the rectum and immediately
under the spine of the rider is avoided and the inconvenience and pain sometimes
caused to riders using saddles of the ordinary kind in consequence of pressure on.
the parts referred to is prevented. The said opening also permits the saddle to
yield on either side to which the rider may incline more readily than an ordinary
saddle. I support the seat by means of a three branched plate concave on its
upperside. This plate is fixed by its ends to the front and two back portions of
the saddle by screws and screw nuts the screws being fixed to foundation plates
attached to the underside of the seat and passing through holes near the ends of
the branches of the plate.
As a further and elastic support to the seat I employ three flat bars fixed at
their outer ends to the pins connecting the supporting plate to the seat their inner
ends being connected together by a coiled or other springs.
Or in place of the three bars described I employ three flat springs their outer
ends being fixed to the pins connecting the supporting plate to the seat, their inner
free ends pressing on the underside of the seat near its middle.
Instead of fixing the seat rigidly to the supporting plate at three points as
described, the front attachment may be made adjustable, a screw working longi-
tudinally in the support tightening the seat more or less and affording the means
of producing in it any degree of tension.
I utilize the support sometimes fixed at the rear part of the seat by making it
hollow and fixing at its back, front or end a hinged lid or flap. The said support
may when so made be used as a tool box or be used for carrying small and light
articles.
Saddles containing my improvements are applicable to bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes and vehicles, such for example as vehicles resembling velocipedes
but propelled by electricity or steam.
That part of my invention having for its object to prevent pressure on the
rectum and under the spine of the rider is applicable to saddles for horses and
other animals as well as to the saddles of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes
and vehicles.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in plan of underside; Figure 2 in plan of upper side and
Figure 3 in side elevation a bicycle saddle constructed according to my invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1. 2 and 3.
a is the seat of the saddle formed of a foundation of strong leather and a
covering or upper leather between which is stuffing of the ordinary kind, the
said seat being without any rigid internal support. The construction of the
seat will be best understood by referring to the sectional views of the saddle
represented in Figures 10. 11. 12 and 13 herein after described; b is an opening,
division or cut away part at the rear of the seat. This opening division or cut
away part is seen in Figures 1 and 2 and extends from the back to nearly the
middle of the seat and is widest at the back of the seat and diminishes in width
towards the middle of the seat.
By constructing the rear of the seat of the saddle in the way described and
represented all pressure on the rectum and immediately under the spine of the
rider is avoided and the rear part of the seat can yield readily on either side to
which the rider may incline.
The seat of the saddle is supported by a support and the said seat made elastic
by the following construction and combination of parts; c. c². c² is a three
branched plate made of sheet metal and concave on its upper side. The expanded
ends of the branches c, c², c² of the said plate are provided with holes which take
upon the fixed screws d, d, d which are secured by their heads between the
foundation and covering of the seat. By means of the screw nuts e, e, e screwed
upon the screws d, d, d, the three branched plate is fixed to the underside of the
seat so as to support the said seat at its front and back. Fixed to the metal
plates h, h at the rear of the seat and passing on either side the opening or cut
away part 6 is a strap or leather connection g, g having the form represented; and
fixed to the middle of the front of the seat is a metallic strip or bar . The said
metallic strip or bar i and leather connection 9 are connected together by the flat
coiled spring which is hooked in a hole in the strip i and in a hole in a metal
plate k rivetted to the leather connection g.
In place of the coiled spring f and connections 9 and i three coiled springs may
be used, their inner ends being connected together and their outer ends being
connected to the pins d, d, d by which the three branched plate c, c², c³ is secured
to the seat.
The seat is connected to the back bone of the bicycle by the screws 1, 1 carried
by the three branched plate c, c³, c³ and the ordinary cross bar m and screw
nuts n, n.
By the combination of the appliances described and represented with the
supporting three branched plate, a very yielding seat is obtained.
In adapting the support and clastic appliances to an ordinary bicycle saddle;
that is, a saddle without the opening, division or cut away part b at the rear of
the seat, I arrange the parts in the manner shown in the underside of the saddle
Figure 4.
In this arrangement the back of the foundation of the seat a is provided with a
curved metal plate p upon which the back arms or branches c³, c³ of the supporting
plate take a bearing. The middle strip or connection i is made of leather and is
longer than the metallic strip i Figures 1 and 3 and the rear end of the flat coiled
spring fis hooked to the middle link or metallic strip q connected by a screw and
nut at r to the curved plate p.
오
Instead of connecting the middle strip to the back part of the seat by a single
flat coiled spring, two (or more) springs may be used. In this case the inner end
of the strip i is made wider or is forked for connecting the springs to it. This
arrangement is represented in Figure 4ª, the three branched plate or support being
omitted.
Figure 5 represents in plan of upperside and Figure 6 in side elevation, another
arrangement for giving elastic support to the seat of the saddle; Figure 7 represents

page_text: in plan and Figure 8 in side elevation the three branched plate in combination
with the springs employed.
In this arrangement I use in combination with the three branched plate c, o³, c²
and curved back plate p, three flat bars 8, 8, 8 their outer ends being fixed to the -
pins d, d, d by which the plate c, c², c² is connected to the seat a and their free
ends pressing on the underside and near the middle of the seat as seen in Figures 5
and 6. When pressure is put upon the seat, the free ends of the spring bars 8, 8, 8
yield and give elasticity to the seat.
The inner ends of the flat bars 8, 8, 8 instead of being unconnected and pressing
against the seat may be connected together by flat coiled springs.
Figure 9 represents in plan of underside and Figure 10 in longitudinal section, a
bicycle saddle containing the arrangement of my invention for producing any
required tension in the leather foundation of the seat and also the arrangement for
utilizing the rear support of the seat; Figures 11. 12 and 13 represent in section
and elevation parts of the seat and tension mechanism drawn to a larger scale and
Figure 14 represents a plan of underside of the three branched supporting plate
drawn to the same scale as Figures 9 and 10.
The front attachment of the three branched plate c, c, c is in this arrangement
made adjustable instead of rigid as hefore described. That is, I fix to the leather
foundation a² of the seat, a plate b. having on its underside the screwed pin d. In
the expanded end of the branch c of the support is a slot c³ in which the plain
part of the pin d works. Over the pin d is a slotted cap c which is fixed by a
screw nut e. In the pin d is a cross screw or screw box fin which the tension
screw g works the said tension screw passing through a plain hole in the lip or
abutment at the front of the three branched plate. The head of the tension
screw g takes a bearing against the lip or abutment h as represented. By turning
the screw g so as to advance it in the screw box f the adjustable attachment d is
drawn upon the said screw g and the foundation as of the seat to which the said
adjustable attachment connected is thereby tightened longitudinally and the
required degree of tension put upon it.
The support p at the back of the seat is made hollow so that it may be used as a
tool box or as a receptacle for holding small and light articles. The hollow back
or support p is fixed to the arm q and the latter is secured to the seat by the
screw pin and nut at rand by the cross bar m by which the saddle is fixed to the
backbone of the bicycle. The hollow support p is provided with a flexible lid, flap
or cover p²; or it may be furnished with a hinged lid or flap either at the back,
front or end for gaining access to the hollow support.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention
First-The improvement in saddles for bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes and
vehicles and for horses and other animals hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings; that is to say, making at the rear
of the seat of the saddle an opening, division or cut away part marked b the said
opening, division or cut away part having the construction and being for the
purposes described and illustrated.
Secondly-The improvements in supporting and giving elasticity to the seats of
saddles for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes and vehicles herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 4. 5. 6. 7 and 8 of the accompanying
Drawings; that is to say, supporting the seat of the saddle by means of the three
branched plate or support described and represented fixed on the underside of the
seat; also the combination with the said three branched plate or support of the
arrangements of coiled and other springs and appliances connected therewith for
giving elasticity to the seat.
Thirdly The Improvements herein before described and illustrated in Figures 9.
10. 11. 12. 13 and 14 of the accompanying Drawings for changing or regulating
the tension of the leather foundation of the seats of saddles for bicycles tricycles
and other velocipedes and vehicles; that is to say, the combination with the three

page_text: branched plate or support described and illustrated, or other analogous supporting
plate of the seat, of an adjustable front attachment and the appliances connected
therewith for tightening the leather foundation of the seat or for producing in the
said foundation the required degree of tension.
Lastly-Making the supports at the rear parts of the seats of saddles for bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes and vehicles hollow for the purpose and substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said James Alfred Lamplugh have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fiftheenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three
Witness,
EDWARD LAWRENCE LEVY
Scarborough.
JAMES ALFRED
PLUGH (L.S.)