Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1896
Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
I, THEODORE ERNEST BECK, of 21 Lincoln Park, in the City of Newark and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a saddle which can be expanded or
contracted in width at will and thereby be accommodated to the needs of the rider;
to enable the sections of said seat to be turned pivotally so as to widen or contract
the pommel ends, and thus change the shape of the seat a whole and vary the
bearings thereof on the legs to suit the ease or needs of the rider; to reduce the
cost of construction and simplify the device, and to secure other advantages
and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the
description of the working parts.
The invention consists in the improved seat for bicycles, and in the arrangements
and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth.
In the construction ordinarily preferred, I provide the ordinary L-shaped rod
or other portion of the frame of a velocipede with a spring clamped upon said
L-shaped rod by a clamp of any desired construction. The said spring is bent
double; the lower portion being curved so that the seat may be adjusted in
inclination to suit the rider. The upper portion of the spring is preferably straight
or approximately so and upon the same is riveted a transverse plate extending
horizontally and laterally from the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle or the
frame portion thereof.
The said plate is slotted at or near its opposite ends, and on the same is seated
seat pads or sections which are independent one of the other and are separably
secured upon the plate by bolts and nuts, the bolts being preferably secured rigidly
upon the pad plates and extending through the slots and fastened beneath the plate
by nuts. The slots extend lengthwise of the transverse plate or are otherwise
disposed at right angles to the longitudinal centre line of the rod, and thus, by
loosening the clamping nuts the pads or seat sections may be easily turned pivotally
to bring the pommel or cantel ends nearer to or farther from one another, or said
pads or seat sections may be brought nearer to or moved farther from one another
on the plate, and then be clamped rigidly upon the plate. The pad sections
comprise saucer shaped plates in which are secured cushions filled with hair,
although, said sections may be otherwise constructed.
In the construction where the spring is dispensed with, the carrier, with a
vertical flange and the horizontal plate, are in sections having downward
extensions which are clamped to said flange by a bolt and nut which allow the
seat pads to be changed in inclination at will. Here, the slots are opened and
admit of a lateral withdrawal of the pads without entirely removing the clamping
screws.
The upper part of the doubled spring in the preferred construction is extended
forward beyond the point where it is riveted to the transverse bar, so that it
serves as a stop to engage the lower end of said spring, the ends meeting so as to

page_text: limit vertical play in riding. One of these ends may be cushioned by a block
or cap of rubber or other elastic material.
am aware that various other modifications may be made in the construction
of the saddle without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and,
consequently, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by the positive
terms employed in the foregoing description excepting as the state of the art may
require.
3000
THEODORE ERNEST BECK,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, THEODORE ERNEST BECK, of 21 Lincoln Park, in the City of Newark and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:--
The object of this invention is to provide a saddle which can be expanded or
contracted in width at will and thereby be accommodated to the needs of the rider;
to enable the sections of said seat to he turned pivotally so as to widen or contract
the pommel ends, and thus change the shape of the seat as a whole and vary the
bearings thereof on the legs to suit the wishes or needs of the rider; to reduce the
cost of construction and simplify the device; and to secure other advantages
and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the
description of the working parts.
The invention consists in the improved seat for bicycles and in the arrangements
and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and
finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure 1 is a front elevation
of the improved saddle; Figure 2 is a side view of the same, and Figure 3 is
a reversed plan showing the underside of the device; Figure 4 is a section on
line X.
In the construction ordinarily preferred and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4,
a indicates an ordinary L-shaped rod or other portion of the frame of a velocipede;
1, is a spring clamped upon said L shaped rod by a clamp b', of any desired
construction. The said spring is bent double as indicated clearly in Figure 2,
the lower portion 1, being curved, as at 6, so that the seat may be adjusted in
inclination to suit the rider. The ends of said spring being adapted to meet to
prevent undue vertical play. The upper portion, of the spring is preferably
straight in edge view or approximately so and upon the same is riveted a transverse
plate, d, extending horizontally and laterally from the longitudinal centre line
of the vehicle or the frame portion a, thereof.
The said plated, is slotted at or near its opposite ends as at e, and on the same
is seated seat pads or sections g, which are independent one of the other and are
separably and adjustably secured upon the plate d, by bolts and nuts the bolts t,
being preferably secured rigidly upon the pad plates ei, and extending through the
slots, and fastened beneath the plate d, by the nuts j. The slots, extend
lengthwise of the transverse plate or are otherwise disposed at right angles to the

page_text: longitudinal centre line of the rod a, and thus by loosening the clamping nuts, j,
the pads or seat sections may be easily turned pivotally to bring the pommel or
cantle ends nearer to or farther from one another, or said pads or seat sections may
be brought nearer to or moved farther from one another on the plate d, and then
again, be clamped rigidly upon the plate d. Said bolts and the transverse bar
are arranged at points approximately midway between the pommel and cantle
extremities of the seat sections, so that the weight of the rider will be balanced
more or less perfectly upon the one transverse bar through which said bolts
extend, and the pommel and cantle extremities of the pad sections are disconnected,
the horn or pommel of one section from the horn or pommel of the other section and,
likewise, the cantles of the sections from one another, and thus, the bolts t, serving
as pivots, are free either to slide in the slots e, or to turn pivotally therein, enabling
the horns or pommel extremities to be turned to or from one another or the
sections by a straight movement may be bodily moved to or from one another,
thus enabling the rider to obtain a greater variety of adjustments to suit various
conditions.
The pad sections comprise saucer shaped plates e, in which are secured cushions
filled with hair, although, said sections may be otherwise constructed. In plan
they are triangular in general outline.
I am aware that various modifications may be made in the construction
of the saddle without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and,
consequently, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by the positive
terms employed in the foregoing description excepting as the state of the art may
require.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved saddle for bicycles, and the like, comprising a supporting
spring, seat sections arranged laterally side by side, an opening extending between
said sections from the pommel to the cantle of said saddle, said sections each having
pivotal bolts projecting downward from beneath at points about midway between
the pommel and cantle extremities, longitudinally slotted plate seated. 'upon said
spring and supporting the said seat sections, the bolts of said sections lying in
said slots and movable therein hoth pivotally and laterally with respect to the
longer axis of the saddle, whereby the seat sections may be turned on their
bearings pivotally to change the width of the pommel without affecting the cantle
or may be moved bodily sidewise to increase or diminish the width of the seat as
a whole, substantially as set forth.
2. The improved saddle for bicycles, comprising a, supporting spring adapted to
be clamped upon the frame of the bicycle, a transverse plate extending laterally
from and crossing the longitudinal axis of the spring and at its opposite ends
being longitudinally slotted, and seat sections arranged side by side on the opposite
sides of the vertical plane of said longitudinal axis, said sections each having a
pivot extending downward through said end slots, and nuts for holding said parts
rigidly in position, substantially as set forth.
3. The improved saddle for bicycles, etc., in which is combined a spring, a
transverse plate riveted upon said spring and having slots at or near its opposite
ends and seat sections having bolts arranged in said slots and means for holding
said bolts in place, substantially as set forth.
4. The improved saddle, comprising the doubled spring, the lower part of which
is curved and the upper part of which provides a scat for a transverse plate and
seat sections adjustably secured on said plate, all arranged and combined, substan-
tially as set forth.
5. The improved saddle, comprising a doubled spring the lower part of which
provides bearings for a clamp and the upper part bearings for a transversely
extending plate, the ends of said spring being adapted to meet to prevent undue

page_text: vertical play, the said transversely extending plate, and adjustable seat sections
secured thereon, all arranged and combined, substantially as set forth.
6. The improved saddle, comprising a doubled spring having a curved lower
part permitting of a change of inclination of the seat and upper part having a
transverse plate rigidly riveted thereto, the ends of which transverse plate extend
laterally ana oppositely from said spring and are open to receive the seat pivots
and permit an opposite movement thereof therein and separable seat sections
having said pivots, substantially as set forth.
Doted this first day of June 1897
THEODORE ERNEST BECK,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.