Year: 1897

page_text: I, DAVID ALOYSIUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of Granville
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to cycle saddles, and has for its objects in one part, to
render the same noiseless, and in another part, to render the tension device more
simple and efficient in use.
The first part of my invention consists in covering the springs, rods and other
members of the underframing or under carriage with leather or some other pliant
material.
In carrying out one form of this part of my invention in connection with pillar
coiled springs supporting the seat or coming between the base framing or under
carriage and the seat, which may have stretcher rods directed from end to end
thereunder, I take a long length of piped leather, of an internal diameter adapted
to fit closely over the springs and then by introducing an end of the coil into one
of the open ends of the tubular length and then rotating the coil, the one will be
wormed into the other and a leather covered spring produced. Other kinds of
springs may be covered in like manner. In covering other component parts
of framing, plain, or without coils, such as seat stretcher rods, base framing wires
or sides, then the same are threaded into piped or previously prepared tubular
leather or like coverings, where such coverings cannot be applied by running such
coverings one into the other or one over the other, then I propose to cover the
same with leather or other material in the flat and in a wet condition the edges of
which are then brought together or stretched round the wire by dies and pressure
and then stitched.
I propose that the bases of the pillar coiled springs should stand or rest upon
shallow trays or cups having turned over cleats or ears directed from the edges so
that when the springs are in their seats, the turning over of the cleats around the
foot coil retains the springs in position. The trays or cups are attached to the
framing by bolts, and instead of cleats, I may employ a top plate or cross piece,
which is drawn down upon the lowest coil of the spring by a bolt, screw pin or the
like..
In the case of coils, made in the middles or parts of wire lengths, the coils are
left sufficiently open to admit of the leather covering being passed thereon.
The improved tension consists of a nose bracket secured to the underside of the
peak with a cleft or divided and depending after part partially embracing and
sliding upon a rib or bar projecting forwardly from a part of the framing and
terminated by a plain eye, through which the plain shank of a tension bolt, having
the head at its fore end and coming at the back of the eye, pass, with its wormed
end taking into a wormed eye in the tail end of the movable bracket.

page_text: On rotating the tension bolt, the gapped or forked part of the peak plate slides
to and fro along the rib of the fixed part and slackens or tightens the seat
accordingly.
Dated this 28th day of October 1897.
Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
I, DAVID ALOYSIUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of Granville
Street, in the City of Birmingham, 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 :-
This invention relates to cycle saddles and has for its objects, in one part, to
render the same noiseless, and in another part to provide an improved tension
device which is more simple and efficient in use than those now ordinarily
employed.
According to the first part of my invention, I propose to cover the springs,
rods and other members of the underframing or under-carriage with leather or
some other pliant material, which both improves the appearance of the saddle
and renders the same "silent" or noiseless when in use by preventing metallic
contact between the several members or parts of the framing.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a cycle saddle, in which
the coiled springs disposed between the rear parts of the seat and base framing,
the hook of the tension pin and the loop-ended front spring engaged thereby
are covered
Or encased with leather in accordance with this part of my
invention.
Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line x showing the means
employed for the connection of the leather covered pillar coiled spring to the
base framing. This method of connection I prefer to employ in order to allow
of the bottom coil of the spring being made of the same diameter as the body
coils to facilitate the threading of the leather or like covering, as hereinafter
described, into or over the same.
Figure 3 represents an edge view and underside plan of the bottom plate or
tray on which the spring rests.
Figure 4 represents a section, edge view and plan of the top cross plate or
fastening of the said spring connection.
Figure 5 is a separate view of the naked spring, before being encased with
leather.
Figure 6 represents a length of leather tubing into which the spring adapted
to be wormed in order to cover or encase the latter.
Figure 7 represents two different elevations and a section of the said leather
coverings.
Figure 8 represents the leather-covered front spring of the saddle separately,
and
Figure 9 is a separate view of the leather covering of the hook end of the tension
screw.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 9.
a is the saddle seat, b the under framing and c the attachment boss, whilst d are
a pair of pillar-coiled springs, directed between the cantle plate a¹, and the rear

page_text: The
ends 61, of the framing member 62, which said springs are encased with a covering e,
of leather or like material in accordance with my invention and are secured to the
said cantle plate by means of the bolt d¹, passing through the eye d², whilst the
foot end d³, of each said spring lies within a tray or concave-seated bottom plate f,
which is fixedly secured to the framing and prevented from rotating by the square
shank, of the bolt f2, taking through a square central hole f, in the same.
foot coil of the spring lies within the seating f³, of the tray with its end d4, abutting
against a stop or ear f, formed on the tray at the end of the said seating for
preventing the rotation of the spring, which is retained or held down in place by
the bottom coil being embraced between the concavities of the said tray and the
hook ends g¹, of a top fastening plate or cross piece 9, having a square or like
sectioned hole g2, adapted to receive the shank f¹, of the bolt f2, and to be thereby
incapable of rotation.
may,
Instead of the foot or rest ends of the springs being supported upon trays, they
after being faced and covered with leather have their extreme ends coiled
or closed into loops or eyes through which the ordinary bolts or pins pass for
connecting the springs to the under framing.
h is the front spring of the saddle, which is in the form of a hooked loop and is
encased with leather or the like h¹, whilst its naked ends h2, are secured to the base
framing by the connection h³. The peak plate a², carries a tension a³, which may
be of any suitable construction, with the forward hooked end at, provided with a
leather covering a³, and engaging with the return end of the leather covered
front h.
In order to cover a spring or framing member with leather in accordance with
my invention, I propose, in the case of a pillar coiled spring such as d, to take a
long length of leather and join together the edges, preferably by stitching so as to
form leather piping or tubing, of an internal diameter adapted to fit closely over
the springs and then by introducing an end of the coil into one of the open ends of
the tubular length and rotating the coil, the one will be wormed into the other and
a leather covered spring produced. Other kinds of springs may be covered in
like manner. In covering other component parts of framing, plain or without
coils, such as seat stretcher rods, base framing wires or sides, then the same are
threaded into piped or previously prepared tubular leather or like coverings, and in
cases where such coverings cannot be applied by running them onto or over the
springs or members then I propose to cover the same with leather or other
material in the flat and in a wet condition the edges of which are then brought
together or stretched round the wire by dies and pressure and then stitched.
Instead of connecting the bases of the pillar coiled springs to the framings as
described, the shallow trays or cups upon which the springs stand may have
turned-over cleats or ears directed from the edges so that when the springs are in
their seats, the turning over of the cleats around the foot coil retains the springs in
position. The tray supports or cups are then attached to the framing by bolts
as before.
In the case of coils made in the middles or parts of wire lengths, the coils
may be left sufficiently open to admit of the leather covering being passed
thereon, after which the sides of the spring may be closed together with the leather
coverings preventing metallic contact between the coils and rendering the springs
silent in action.
Instead of encasing or facing the springs and framing members with leather, I
may employ paper or celluloid, for the same purpose and which may be moulded-on
or compressed on or otherwise served and thus secured without stitching or the
like.
Figure 10 represents the front part of a bicycle saddle fitted with my
improved seat-tensioning device, which is shown partly in elevation and partly in
section.
Figure 11 is an underside plan of Figure 10.

page_text: Figure 13 is a transverse vertical section of the said tension, upon the dotted
line x', Figure 10.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figures 10
to 13.
The improved tension device, as represented in the said figures, consists of a nose
bracket or peak plate a², secured to the underside of the peak a¹, of the saddle seat a,
and having the depending after part a', cleft or divided at a, and adapted to partially
embrace and slide upon a rib or bar b1, projecting forwardly from the end fitting b,
of the framing c, and terminated by a plain eye 62, through which the shank of a
tension bolt d, having the head d', at its fore end coming at the back of the eye,
passes, with its wormed end d², taking into a wormed eye a³, in the tail end a³, of the
movable bracket a².
On rotating the tension bolt the gapped or forked part of the peak plate
slides to and fro along the rib of the fixed part and slackens or tightens the
seat accordingly, whilst by the said gap on the tail end of the peak plate taking
over and partially embracing the rib on the framing attachment, the twisting of
the peak end of the saddle when in use is prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature
my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First In cycle saddles, covering the springs and members of the underframings
with soft material such as leather, for the purpose of rendering the saddle noiseless
and improving the appearance of the members or springs so covered, substantially
in the way herein described and set forth.
Secondly-In cycle saddles, supporting the foot ends of leather or like covered
springs upon dished trays or bottom plates having a crossing clamping bar, or turned
over ears, and a stop for the end of the spring, substantially as and for the purpose
described and set forth.
:-
Thirdly An improved construction of tension device for cycle saddles, consisting
of an eyed peak bracket, having a cleft or divided after part, partially embracing
and sliding upon a rib or bar fitted to or carried by the framing and having a plain
hole, through which the tension pin passes and takes into the screwed eye of the
peak bracket, substantially as described and set forth in Figures 10 to 13.
Dated this 94th day of June 1898.