Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec 1806
Complete Specification Left 21st Sent 1897-Accented 31st Dec. 1897
Complete Specification Left 21st Sept. 1897-Accented 31st Dec. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
We, GEORGE HERBERT FOLLOWs, Mechanical Engineer, and CARL GUSTAV
SMEDBERG, Gentleman; both of 211 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio, in the
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The invention relates particularly to that class of cycle saddles in which the
seat or saddle proper is composed of one or more pads, and the object of the in-
vention is to provide a saddle of this type in which the pad or pads are capable,
first of a rocking motion whereby they will readily yield in any direction to the
pressure brought to bear upon them by the rider to adjust themselves to his shape
and movement; second, of a rotary mction; and third, of a variety of adjustments
that will permit the saddle to accomodate any rider.
A further object of this invention is to have the saddle mounted upon the frame
in such a manner that it may be arranged at any desired angle with respect to
said frame.
A still further object is to construct the saddle in such manner that while
capable of the adjustments and movements before mentioned, it will permit of
greater ventilation than heretofore has been secured.
With these objects in view this invention consists in mounting one or more
pads upon a support arranged upon the cycle frame, and in coupling the pad or
pads to the support in such manner that the said pads will be capable of the several
motions.before referred to.
The invention further consists in the novel' construction of the pad or saddle
seat, and in the particular combination and arrangement of the various parts of
the saddle, all as more fully hereinafter described and set forth.
It is desirable to have the saddle constructed in such manner that it may be
capable of an adjustment that will throw the saddle either forward at an angle
with the cycle frame, or rearwardly so that the saddle and frame will be in parallel
planes. To accomplish this a clamp is employed, preferably of metal, which can
be adjustably secured to the saddle-post in the ordinary manner so as to allow of
lateral adjustment and the lower portion of the clamp is provided with a bearing
through which the support for the saddle-seat is adapted' to pass and be adjustably
secured therein.
The clamp proper comprises two members. One member has an apertured head
which is sleeved over the horizontal portion of the saddle-post, and is held in
proper position by means of a set-screw At the rear of this member is an exten-
sion or lug provided with inclined faces which form a retaining piece for one end
of the lower member. The lower portion of the first member is provided with a
recess preferably semi-circular, corresponding to a similar recess in the second'
member. The recessed portions of the clamp are preferably corrugated. By this
construction of a clamp the pad support will be gripped between the members in
any position desired and will be prevented from slipping; the corrugated' portions

page_text: .
of the clamp being adapted to engage with corresponding corrugations upon the
portion of the pad support that passes therethrough.
A
The second member is provided at its rear end with an upwardly projecting
hook-shaped piece adapted to hook over the retaining piece on the first member
and to be held securely thereto by means of an inclined face. The front portions
of each member are secured together by means of a securing bolt or screw.
clamping device of this construction is simple; effective, and cheap, requiring,
when adjustment is to be made, only the partial loosening of one bolt which is
advantageous as it saves considerable time and insures an equal adjustment of the
pads. The support for the pads comprises a spring bar the centre portion of which
is horizontal, adapted to extend through the clamp, and is provided with flanges
upon either side thereof and with the corrugations before mentioned.. The bar
terminates at each end in a curved spring supporting arm the free ends of which
arms are slotted. These slots are in a horizontal plane transverse to the plane of
the machine and are adapted to receive and hold adjustably secured therein the
couplings which connect the pads to the support.
It has been customary heretofore to construct cycle-saddles in two parts, the
seat portions or pads of which saddles have been capable of an independent up and
down notion adapted to follow the movement of the leg of the rider. One of the
objects of this invention however, is to form such a connection between the pads
and their support that the said seat will not be restricted in its movements to an
up and down motion alone but shall have a rocking motion whereby the pads will
adjust themselves automatically to the shape of the rider as well as to all his
movements.
It has been found by experiment that a alight rotary movement takes place
between the body of the rider and the bicycle seat To take up this motion and to
obtain the results mentioned above each pad is swivelled to the support there being
employed for this purpose a coupling in the form of a universal joint which will
permit of not only a rocking movement but also a rotary motion.
The couplings that are preferably employed are formed of shaped bars, the
upright portions of which are provided with cono-shaped heads, while the hori-
zontal portions are adapted to extend through the slots and are provided with
flanges and securing nuts. To insure perfect adjustment and to prevent slipping
washers are interposed between the slotted portions of the spring supporting arms
and the nuts and flanges.
The pads which form the seat or saddle proper comprise plates preferably cir-
cular in form, which have stamped therein, near the periphery, annular grooves,
and at the centre small cone-shaped sockets. The apices of the cones of the
couplings are adapted to project into the sockets and to be held in such position
by means of the thimbles secured to the under sides of the plates in any suitable
manner. The rocking movement and rotary notion of the plates is thus obtained.
Ring-shaped cushions, preferably tubular and formed of India-rubber, are
mounted upon the plates in the grooves therein and the plates are preferably per-
forated to provide ventilation. A solid ring of rubber or any yielding material
may be employed, and additional ventilation provided in such cases, and also in
the case of tubular rings by means of a series of perforations through the cushions.
In the construction of the saddle therein described, the swivelled pads, which
have a rotary motion upon their couplings, take up the rotary movements of the
rider and prevent friction between the body of the said rider and the pads which
heretofore necessarily existed. Also the pads being capable of the several motions
mentioned, it is possible to employ a cushion made of material which will not
permit of a sliding movement, such as rubber, the use of which is desirable, as it
provides an exceedingly easy seat for the rider. Further, by constructing the pads
so that they will be capable of a rotary movement, upon their couplings, any
dragging or friction is prevented in mounting or dismounting.
It is further noticed that by constructing the saddle so that the points of sus-
pension of the pads come directly under and in close proximity to the body of the

page_text: rider, no lateral movement of the body and pads takes place. If such a movement
were permissable the saddle would be very unsteady and insecure and could not
be used with safety or with any degree of comfort. This would be especially true
of this saddle as the rider is seated between the pads; a portion of the rider's body
resting upon the inner part of each pad. The tendenoy here is to force the pads
away from each other and the only way in which this can be overcome is by
placing the points of suspension of the pads as near as possible to the body.
It will be observed that this invention thus provides for a wobbling and
rotatable seat. In some cases, a rider may prefer or wish a seat that will wobble
only, or which will be rotatable orly. This invention compehends these two
things, both separately and jointly. We consider the invention is not limited to
this one form of joint, since it is a joint with these characteristics and not a special
form of joint that is an element of this invention, or combination in its broadest
sense.
Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
We, GEORGE HERBERT FOLLOWs, Mechanical Engineer, and CARL GUSTAV
SMEDBERG, Gentleman, both of 211 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, in the
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates particularly to that class of bicycle saddles in which the
seat or saddle proper is composed of a plurality of pads, and the object of this
invention is to provide a saddle of this type in which the pads are capable, first,
of a rocking motion whereby they will readily yield in any direction to the
pressure brought to bear upon them by the rider, adjusting themselves auto-
matically to his shape and movements, second, of a rotary motion, and third, of a
variety of adjustments that will permit the saddle to accomodate any rider.
A further object of our invention is to so construct the saddle that while capable
of the adjustments and movements before mentioned, it will permit of greater
ventilation than heretofore has been secured.
With these objects in view our invention consists in mounting a plurality of
pads upon a support arranged upon the bicycle frame, and in coupling the pads to
the support in such manner that the said pads will be capable of the several
motions before referred to.
The invention further consists in the novel construction of the saddle seat; in
the means employed for restricting the rocking movement of the pads; and in the
peculiar combination and arrangement of the various parts of the saddle, all as
more fully hereinafter described and shown.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 represents a bottom plan view of our saddle.
Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same showing the position of the saddle when
in use, and
Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of the pads and its coupling, showing a vertical
central section therethrough.
The letter A in the drawings designates the clamp by means of which the saddle
is secured to the saddle-post B. Through the lower portion of the clamp a
sup-

page_text: porting bar C'extends and is held in proper position within the clamp by means of
the set scrow a while similar set screws or securing bolts are employed to hold
the clamp to the saddle post over which said clamp is sleeved.
Any type of a support may be employed for the pads, but the preferable form
used is a straight bar, as shown, made either square or with one. flat face only, by
which construction it may readily be secured within the clamp. Upon this bar
aro adjustably secured. uprights D and D', upon which are arranged the
pads E and F.
In construction each upright comprises a squared body portion such as G
(Fig. 3) apertured at c to permit of its being sleeved over the supporting bar C.
and is provided with a set screw H for securing the same to the support. The
upright terminates at its free end in a tubular portion. slotted on either side at J,
which is adapted to receive a headed pin K. The pin in turn is provided with a
eross pin d which is adapted to travel in the slot The ball L, forming the head
of the pin, constitutes the ball member of the ball and socket joint employed to
connect the pads to their support.
By the construction of upright thus set forth, a lateral adjustment may be had
to and from tho centre, and when the proper adjustment is made, the saddle will
fit any rider.
The pads supported upon the upright or couplings just described are of the
following construction The letter M designates a cupped plate, preferably spun
in the form shown, in which is secured a circular base piece h provided with a flat
top, such as i. Secured to this base piece is a cushion N, preferably circular in
configuration, extended above the plate at some considerable distance, and pro-
vided with a central depression as at 0.
Secured to the under face of the flat circular portion P of the plate, by means of
suitable rivets, is a re-in-forcing plate R. This plate, in turn, is provided at its
centre with a semi-circular recess S in which the ball L is adapted to bear. To
complete the socket for the ball, and to prevent the parts from becoming detached,
semi-circular blocks or plates U, provided with curved faces adapted to bear
against the ball, are secured, by means of screws, to the re-enforcing plate. The
coupling thus formed between the pad and the support permits the former to yield
in any direction to the pressure brought to bear upon it by the body. of the rider.
To restrict the rocking movement of the pads, I preferably introduce, in the
construction of the saddle, a spring support for each pad. This device, while
restricting the rotary and rocking movement of the pads, likewise forms an spring
support during such action, thus producing an exceedingly easy saddle for the
rider.
The spring support referred to consists essentially of a spiral spring Q, which is
interposed between the squared portion G of the upright and the re-inforcing
plate, the spring bearing upon curved faces e on the upright, and against the semi-
circular blocks or plates U.
It has been customary heretofore to construct bicycle saddles in two parts, the
pads or seat portions of which saddles have been capable of an independent up
and down motion adapted to follow the movement of the leg of the rider.
One of the objects of this invention, however, is to form such a connection
between the pads and their support that the former will not be restricted in their
movements to an up and down motion alone, but will have, in addition, a rocking
motion, whereby the pads will adjust themselves automatically to the shape of the
rider as well as to all of his movements. It has been found, by experiment, that
a slight rotary movement takes place between the body of the rider and the bicycle
seat. To take up this motion, and to obtain the results mentioned above, I employ
the style of coupling described to connect the pads to their support. This coupling
permits not only of a rocking motion of the pads but also a rotary motion, whereby
any dragging or friction is prevented in mounting or dismounting.
It is further to be noticed that by constructing the saddle so that the points of
suspension of the pads come directly under and in close proximity to the body of

page_text: the rider. no lateral movement of the body and pads takes place. If such a move-
ment were permissable the saddle would be very unsteady and insecure and could
not be used with safety or with any degree of comfort.
It will be thus observed that our invention provides for a wobbling and rotatable
seat and that said invention further provides for mechanism which will restrict
the wobbling and rotatable movements thereof. In some cases a rider may prefer
a seat which will wobble only, or which will be rotatable only. Our invention
comprehends these two things both separately and jointly. We consider ourselves
the first to organize a bicycle saddle in which a wobbling and a rotatable movement
are provided, and where the said wobbling and rotary movements are suitably
restricted, and we have shown one means or form of joint permitting both or
We wish to be
either of these movements, and a device for restricting the same.
understood, however, as not limiting ourselves to the particular type of restricting
device shown, nor to the special form of joint employed, since in the latter case it
is a joint with the characteristics mentioned, and not a special form, that is an
element of our invention or combination in its broadest sense.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed We declare that what We
claim is:-
a
1. In a bicycle saddle, plurality of pads, a support therefor, and a wobbling
oint connecting each pad with the support, whereby the pads adjust themselves
automatically to the shape of the rider as well as to his movements.
2. In a bicycle saddle, the combination with a pad support, and independent
pads rotatably mounted upon said support, whereby said pads conform to the
movements of the body and shift to prevent dragging or friction as the rider
mounts or dismounts.
.
3. In a bicycle saddle, a plurality of pads, a support therefor, and a universal
joint connecting each pad with the support, whereby the pads adjust themselves
automatically to the shape of the rider as well as to his movements.
4. In a bicycle saddle, the combination with the pad support of independent
pads, and a universal joint centrally connecting each pad with its support, whereby
said pads may universally rock and have independent rotary motion.
5. A bicycle saddle comprising a supporting clip a transversely disposed
horizontal bar held by said clip, and two independent saddle pads mounted
respectively on the opposite ends of said bar.
6. In a bicycle saddle, the combination with a support, of a plurality of pads,
a wobbling joint connecting each pad to the support, and devices for restricting
the rocking movement of the pads.
7. In a bicycle saddle, the combination with a plurality of pads, of a pad sup-
port, a wobbling joint connecting each pad with the support, and spring support
for said pads adapted to restrict their rocking movement.
8. In a bicycle saddle, the combination with a plurality of pads, of a support
therefor, a wobbling joint connecting each pad with the support, and a spiral
spring interposed between each pad and the support substantially as described.
ד
11: 17th day of Sontember 1897
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.
Agents to Applicants, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand W.C., London.