US605051A - Bicycle-saddle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets'-Sheet 1.

H. A. CHRISTY. BICYCLE SADDLE.

No.60 5,051. Patented. May 31,v 1898.

UNirnn STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

V HENRY A. CHRISTY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lette'rs Patent No. 605,051, dated May 31, 1898.

' Application filed April 1'7, 1897. Serial No. 632,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;- I

Be it known that I, HENRY A. CHRISTY, a

Q citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Saddles; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

' bicycle-saddles, but more particularly to sad lar parts in the different views, Figure 1 repre-.

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in die seats or tops provided with cushions or pads, and is designed as an improvement upon the bicycle-saddle illustrated and described in a patent issued to me on January 15 1895, No. 532,444, for bicycle-saddles.

' The primary object of the invention is to provide a bicycle-saddle of the same general character as that illustrated in my aforesaid patent, but which shall be so constructed as to possess great strength and durability and at the same time be comparatively Very light and capable of being manufactured at a very small cost. r

. The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this "specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of thedescription.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference are used to denote simisents an inverted plan or bottom view of'a saddle constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line II II ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the saddle seat or top with a part of the sides thereof broken away. Fig. 4 represents an inverted plan or bottom view of a modified form of the device designed for a womans-saddle, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the saddle shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings, A denotesthe main body portion of the saddle seat or top, and -B the shortened-up or truncated horn thereof, the

said seat portion A being formed with a centrally-disposed raised portion or bar a and a recessed or sunken portion a at each side of said seat portion to receive a cushion or pad.- The rear portion or side A of the saddle-seat is preferably slightly curved, as shown,while the sides A thereof are convex or substantially semicylindrical in form and merge at "the front into the truncated or shortened-up horn'B, which forms with said sides a continuation of the centrally-disposed bar a. The horn B is formed or provided on its upper surface with a depression or recess 1),

forming a continuation of a recess a in the upper surface of the bar a, but preferably somewhat wider than the recess a as shown in Fig. 3. The marginal portion or edge of the seat is crimped or formed with an integral pendent skirt or flange a the lower edge a of which is turned up against itself, so as to form a seam and provide a smooth edge without rough or sharp points to contact with the clothing or hands of the rider of the bicycle, said seam or upturned edge also servan entirety out of a single piece of sheet metal or steel, preferably the latter, so as to render the seat as light as possible and at the same time give strength and rigidity thereto, and this increased strength is obtained by the crimping of the metal of which the seat is formed into the peculiar shape shown in the drawings, wherein it will be seen by reference to the several figures that a groove a is formed between the side walls of the depressions or recesses a and the pendent or overhanging flange or skirt 0. the latter extending, preferably, in one continuous length entirely around the seat.

0 denotes cushions or pads which are fitted in the recesses or depressions a a. and are preferably secured therein in such manner that they may be retained under any and all conditions of use, but may be removed when desired. These cushions may be constructed to suit the wishes or desires of the manufacturer or user, and air or other cushioning means may be employed, and any suitable fastening devices may be used for securing them in the recessed seat or saddle-top.

By the described construction I secure all the advantages of the saddle described in my aforesaid patent, with the additional advan tage of increased strength, rigidity, and lightness and at the same time very materially reduce the cost of production by stamping the same out of sheet-steel, though sheet metal or aluminium might be employed.

The saddle seat or top thus constructed is also preferably provided with a reinforcingplate D under the horn B, shaped to conform to the contour of the under surface of said horn. E denotes a spring, preferably flat, which is secured at one end by means of a bolt (1 to the under side of the horn B, the said spring E extending rearwardly and down wardly from said horn, and thence rearwardly in substantially a horizontal plane or with a slight upward bend for a portion of its length and having its free end passed through a slot in a cross-bar or bridge-piece l The bar F has its ends secured to coiled or other suitable springs G G,which are interposed between the ends of the bar and the bottoms or under sides of the depressions (t a, the said springs G being bolted or otherwise secured to said bar and seat, as shown, and forming a direct connection between the same. This arrangement provides a T-shaped spring-support for the saddle seat or top, affording a yielding support therefor at three points, said. spring-support being adapted to be secured to the sad dle-post in any proper manner, as by means of a suitable clamp on the spring-barE, adapted to clamp the same to the saddle-post or other suitable part of the frame in the usual manner of securing such devices to the frame of a bicycle.

In Figs. 4: and 5 the construction of the saddle is substantially the same as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, except that the horn 13 is shortened up considerably or practically dispensed with; but the two constructions are otherwise identical and the springsupport for attachment to the saddle-post is the same in both cases.

In connection with the advantagehereinbefore alluded to respecting increased strength attained by the present invention it is to be observed that by providing a saddle-seat of the type speeiliednamel v, one having sunken portions or depressions at each side of the center, with a central longitudinal recess or depressiona double ridge is produced in the central portion of the saddle-seat, and the latter is thereby greatly strengthened at this location, where it is subjected to great strain. Moreover, the construction of the truncated horn is to be particularlynoted, the said horn having a downturned marginal flange orskirt which not only extends along each side but also around the end of the horn and a central longitudinal recess or depression extending well into the horn, but terminating short of the end thereof, so that the same will be provided with double side and end walls. This formation of the horn obviously results in greatly strengthening the same, while at the same time enhancing its appearance.

Respecting the spring-support for the saddle, it is to be observed that the bridge-piece extends well under the depressed portions of the saddle-seat which hold the pads, so that the spiral springs which are inserted between the bridge-piece and the saddle-seat mayhave their points of bearing against those parts in vertical alinement, whereby contraction and expansion of the springs can take place without twisting the same laterally.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a metallic saddle seat or top consisting of a main body portion formed with a sunken portion or recess in its upper surface at each side of its seat portion to receive a cushion or pad, and having its marginal portion or outer edge turned down so as to form an integral pendent marginal flange extending around and overhanging the edge of the seat, and having also a centrally-disposed recess or depression in its upper surface extending longitudinally thereof from a point between said sunken portions to near its front pendent edge, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a solid metallic saddle seat or top formed in a single piece having convex sides which merge into a shortened-up or truncated horn and a sunken portion or recess at each side,and having a cen trally-disposed recess or depression formed in its upper surface extending longitudinally thereof from a point between said sunken portions to a point adjacent to the terminus of said horn, together with an integral pendent flange or skirt extending around and overhanging the outer edge of the scat, substantially as described.

As a new article of manufacture, a solid metallic saddle seat or top formed in a single piece having convex sides which merge into a shortened or truncated horn, and a sunken portion or recess at each side, andhaving a contrally-disposed recess or depression formed in its upper surface extending longitudinally thereof from a point between said sunken portions to a point adjacent to the terminus of said horn, together with an integral pendent flange orskirt extending around and overhanging the outer edge of the seat and the sides and end of the horn, substantially as described.

4. A metallic saddle seat or top formed of a single piece of metal having convex sides which merge into a shortened-up or truncated horn and having its upper surface formed with a sunken portion or recess at each side of its seat portion to receive a cushion or pad and with a centrally-disposed recess or depression extending longitudinally thereof from a point between said sunken portions In testimony whereofI affix my signature in to a point adjacent to the terminus of said presence of two Witnesses. horn, together with an integral pendent -fiange or skirt extending around and over- 5 hanging the edge of the seat, said flange hav- Witnesses:

ing its pendent edge turned up against itself W. S. COBB, 0r seamed, substantially as described. THOMAS A. WRENN.

HENRY A. OHRISTY.

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