Improvements in Saddles for Cycles and the like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Saddles for Cycles and the like Vehicles.
I, MICHAEL JOHN O'FARRELL, of 37, Queen's Road, Wimbledon, in the County
of Surrey, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-
This invention for improvements in saddles for cycles and the like vehicles has
for its object to provide a saddle which while being comfortable in use shall also
be harmless in its effects on the rider, and consists essentially in constructing the
frame of the saddle with an adjustable cantle plate having frontal extensions
which may be raised or lowered and fixed in any desired position in order to
support the ischial tuberosities of the rider in the most favourable manner and
thereby protect the delicate organs situated between those tuberosities:
In one arrangement of saddle constructed according to this invention the seat
or cover, which may be composed of leather or other suitable material, is adjust-
ably connected at its front end or peak, by means of a suitable bracket plate and
adjusting screw, to a longitudinal supporting bar whose rear end is secured in a
stirrup clamp or clip in which the back of the central part of the cantle plate is
also secured, the said cantle being fastened to the back of the seat and having its
ends carried forward and curved inwardly so as to form a supporting frame for
the seat, approximately elliptical in form, and on which the ischial tuberosities of
the rider rest. The cantle can be turned in the stirrup clamp so as to elevate or
depress the frontal extensions thereof the amount required, and is secured in such
position by means of a clamping screw.
The longitudinal supporting bar is connected by inclined front and rear springs
to a second longitudinal bar so shaped, in conjunction with the top bar, as to
allow of the spiral springs being inclined at the required angle and capable of
being adjustably secured to the saddle pillar by means of a suitable screw clip
in which it is free to slide for the purpose of adjusting the position of the saddle.
In a modified arrangement of saddle provision is made for varying the breadth
of the seat within certain limits. To effect this the cantle is formed in two parts
which overlap each other in the clamping stirrup, and the seat is split longitu-
dinally down its centre, and the edges of the opening thus formed are secured to
metal siffening plates hinged together at their front ends and provided with a
tightening screw or bolt to reinforce and hold them in position. The seat having
been adjusted to the breadth desired the two halves of the cantle are securely
clamped together by the beforementioned clamping screw, the stiffening plates of
the open slit being secured together by the aforesaid reinforcing screw or bolt.
Dated this 6th day of December 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Saddles for Cycles and the like Vehicles.
I, MICHAEL JOHN O'FARRELL, of Manor House, Barnes, late of 37, Queen's Road,
Wimbledon, both in the County of Surrey, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention for improvements in saddles for cycles and the like vehicles has
for its object to provide a saddle which while being comfortable in use shall also
be harmless in its effects on the rider, and consists essentially in constructing the
frame of the saddle with a cantle plate having frontal extensions in order to sup-
port the ischial tuberosities of the rider in the most favourable manner and
thereby protect the delicate organs situated between those tuberosities. The cantle
plate may be fixed, in which case the whole saddle must be tilted in the ordinary
way to lower or raise the cantle extensions; or it may be adjustable so that the
cantle extensions may be raised or lowered and fixed in any desired position inde-
pendently of the rest of the saddle.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:-Fig. 1 shows
a vertical longitudinal section of a saddle constructed according to this invention,
and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same with the cross bar m removed. Fig. 3
is an inverted plan of a modified arrangement in which the seat or cover is formed
in one piece. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of an arrangement showing means for
varying the width of seat. Fig. 5 is a plan of a modified arrangement of saddle
frame and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same on the line A-B Fig. 5. Figs. 7
and 8 inclusive are views of details and modifications in construction which will
be hereinafter referred to.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the seat or cover is composed of
two parts ab of leather or other suitable material, the back part a forming the
seat proper and being secured by screws or rivets c to a cantle plate the back
part of which is formed cylindrical and secured in a clip or stirrup e. A support-
ing bar falso passes through the stirrup e in which it, together with the cantle d,
is secured in any desired position by means of a set screw g. The supporting
bar is carried forward and turned up at its front end to receive a tension
screw h and is supported by inclined front and rear springs i themselves sup-
ported on the reduced ends of a cross bar m adapted to be slidden longitudinally
or rotatively in the head n of the pillar in order to adjust the position of the
saddle and being clamped in position by a bolt p in the lugs q. The front end
of the part of the cover which forms the peak of the saddle is secured to a
plate in which the pivoted end of the adjusting screw works while the back
part is secured to the inwardly curved frontal extensions of the cantle plate d.
It will thus be seen that by pulling the front part 6 of the cover by means of the
adjusting screw h the frontal extensions of the cantle plate d are drawn forward
thereby stretching the part of the cover forming the seat proper taut. The
inclination of the seat is adjusted by rotating the cantle plate in the stirrup e until
the desired position is attained in which position it is firmly secured by the clamp-
ing screw 9.
T
In the modified arrangement as shown in Fig. 3, instead of the seat or cover
being composed of two parts it is made in one piece attached by rivets to the
cantle plate a but not attached at the peak to the plate r. In this case the plate r
is connected by wires el to the ends of the curved frontal extensions of the cantle d
the said wires passing through the turned down edges f¹ forming the opening g¹

page_text: of the cover so that while they are free to move in a longitudinal direction with
regard to it they hold it down in position. It will be seen that by pulling the
plater forward by means of the adjusting screw h the frontal extensions of the
cantle plate d are drawn forward thereby stretching the part of the cover forming
the seat proper.
In the arrangement of saddle shown in Fig. 4 provision is made for varying
the breadth of the seat within certain limits. To effect this the cantle is formed
in two parts d' d' which overlap each other in the clamping stirrup and the seat is
split longitudinally down its centre as shown, and the edges of the opening thus
formed are secured to metal stiffening plates hinged together at their front
ends w and provided with a tightening screw or bolt a to reinforce and hold them
in position. The seat having been adjusted to the breadth desired the two halves
of the cantle are securely clamped together by the beforementioned clamping
screw, as in Figs. 1 and 2 the stiffening plates of the open slit being secured
together by the aforesaid reinforcing screw or bolt a.
In the modified arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the cantle is formed
semi-circular in section at its central part. A support t is formed as shown also
semi-circular in section at the centre and having extensions tit. Both the cantle
and the support are inserted in the stirrup e and on the screw g being tightened
the cantle is firmly clamped against the supporting bar f and the support clamped
against the semicircular part of the cantle so that it can be set at any desired
angle and the extensions t t¹ fixed at any degree of elevation.
Figs. and 8 show the central part of a modified form of cantle plate in which
the plate is formed semicircular and inserted in the stirrup e with a semicircular
key y and clamped by the screw g as shown.
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. In a saddle for cycles and the like, a cantle having frontal extensions which
may be raised or lowered and fixed in any desired position substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
2. In a saddle for cycles and the like, the combination with an adjustable or
fixed cantle provided with a cover and having frontal extensions, of a front cover
connected to the said frontal extensions and to an adjusting screw working in a
supporting plate substantially as described.
3. In a saddle for cycles and the like, the combination with an adjustable cantle
plate provided with a cover and having frontal extensions, of a stirrup or clip in
which it is secured in any desired position, a supporting bar secured in the said clip
and to the front cover of the saddle or to straining bands inclined front and rear
springs secured to the said supporting bar and a further supporting bar also secured
to the said springs and adapted to be slidden longitudinally or rotatively in the
saddle pillar head and rigidly secured thereto the whole substantially as described.
4. A saddle for cycles and the like vehicles having an adjustable cantle plate the
whole arranged and constructed substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
5. A saddle for cycles and the like having a cantle with frontal extensions, the
whole arranged and constructed substantially as described and shown in Fig. 3
of the drawings.
6. A saddle for cycles and the like in which the cover is slit longitudinally and
the edges of the slit secured to hinged plates provided with a tightening screw in
combination with an adjustable cantle in two parts adapted to slide on each other
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
7. An adjustable split saddle for cycles and the like having adjustable cantle,
the whole arranged substantially as described with reference to Fig. 4 of the
drawings.

page_text: 8. In a saddle for cycles and the like, an adjustable cantle whose central part
is formed and secured substantially as described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6
of the drawings.
9. In a saddle for cycles and the like, an adjustable cantle whose central part is
formed and secured, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 7 and 85
of the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of September 1898