Cushion for saddles.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1897.)

Sheets—Sheet I.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO-. PHOTO-UTHO.. WASHINGTON. 0. C.

Patented May 21, 1901.

No. 674,451.

(No Model.)

W. I. BUNKER.

CUSHION FOR SADDLES.

(Application filed Aug; 2, 1897.)

Sheets—Sheet 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO . PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

United States Patent Office.

WILLIAM I. BUNKER, OF LAGRANGE, ILLINOIS.

CUSHION FOR SADDLES.

SPECIFICATION· forming· part of Letters Patent No. 674,451, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed August 2, 1897. Serial Ho. 646,735. (Ho model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, William I. Bunker, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lagrange, in the count}⁷ of Cook and State of 5 Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cushions for Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of saddles known as “velocipede” or “bicycle” to saddles, and has for its object the providing of a simple, economical, and efficient cushion therefor; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cushion looking at it from the top; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view taken through a completed saddle and cutting the cushion on line

2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top or plan view of a cushion, showing the peripheral band extended, so as to embrace or cover the upper surface of the tissue or cellular resilient material constituting the cushion proper; Fig. 4, a bot25 tom or under side view of the cushion shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of a saddle complete with the cushion of Fig. 3.

In the art to which my invention relates it is well known that there is considerable ob30 jection existing to saddles of the “rigid” type, for the reason that the pneumatic tire of ordinary construction does not take up all the shocks or jars incident to. riding and many forms of saddles not having proper 35 means for ventilation become quickly heated or overheated. My invention is primarily intended to remove these objections and provide a simple, economical, and efficient cushioned saddle.

I prefer to make the cushion for my improved saddle in the form shown in the drawings, molded in shape to conform to a supporting base portion and in that shape which is known as ‘ ‘ hygienic,” this being best adapt45 ed for the purposes of riding. I make a lattice-work A, arranged in a crisscross manner, forming what I call “ vertical open-ended tubes or cells ”:—that is, tubes or cells open at one or both ends, integral with each other, 50 and preferably held or bound together by a circumferential rim or border B and an inner rim &amp;. It will thus be seen that each of these tubes is capable of vertical and lateral compression, forming, as it were, a multiplicity of tubular cushions which yield locally to the 55 rider without distending or contracting other portions of the saddle, and the tubes being filled with air form practically an atmospheric cushion of peculiar construction. This provides for ventilation and when in use 60 makes a cool and comfortable saddle.

While I prefer to use both an outer and inner rim, as shown, it will be understood that either or both of these rims may be omitted, as desired, and while I prefer to have the rims 65 or borders of the same width throughout, as shown, it will be understood that they may be made of varying widths or extended so as to cover parts or surfaces not requiring free ventilation. 7°

The peripheral rim or border, where full and free ventilation is not desired, can be extended so as to overlie or cover the entire upper surface of the resilient material constituting the cushion proper, and such construe- 75 tion is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where the peripheral rim or border B is continued arid forms a top or cover B' over the entire surface of the cushion proper, A, formed of the multiplicity of vertically-extended tubes or 80 cells a, corresponding to the cushion proper of Figs. 1 and 2. This construction does not interfere with the combined vertical and lateral movement and the simultaneous vertical and lateral compression of the cushion, so as 85 to have the cushion yield locally to the rider without breaking down or impairing the efficiency of any one tube or cell or any number of contiguous tubes or cells. The cu shion as a whole constitutes an atmospheric cush- 90 ion, and the continuation of the border or rim over the tissue or cellular portion forming the cushion does not impair or affect the cushion, but merely continues the support of the border or rim over a greater area of space. The 95 cushion of Figs. 3, 4, and 5 is of the same formation and construction except as to the continuation of the peripheral border or rim, as the cushion of Figs. 1 and 2, and has a wide seat portion 0, with a narrow projecting pom- 100 mel c, and an elongated central opening o', with a peripheral wall b, comprising in these respects the same parts as in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2.

674,451

The complete saddle is to-have an upper cover or covering of-leather or-some other similar rigid material and a lower cover or covering of similar material to the upper cover, '5 and the tissue of resilient material constituting the cushion proper is-supported on a metal plate e and between the covers D and D', and the covers are united at the edges d, as shown in Fig. 5.

The saddle is preferably made broader transversely at the seat portion C and with a narrow projecting ·pommel c and provided with an elongated central opening c'. As shown, it is formed or molded in the shape of 15 a compound curve to meet scientific and hygienic conditions and afford a safe and comfortable seat for the rider.

In forming the completed saddle the cushion is preferably inclosed in an upper leather 20 covering D and a lower leather covering D', forming a complete closure, the covers being united at the lower edges d by the use of cement, rivets, or threads, as desired. The supporting-plate e is of course between the cush25 ion and the lower leather covering.

The cushion proper, whether provided with, a peripheral band or rim or with an extension over its upper surface, is composed of a tissue of individual cells or tubes, which are 30 arranged in such relation and are so joined and integral one with the other as to cause each individual cell or tube to support, by the union and conjoining of its walls with the walls of the adjoining cells or tubes, the ad35 joining cells and also to cause the adjoining cells or tubes through their walls to support the correlated cells. The arrangement is one by which the continuity of the cells is unbroken both laterallj⁷ and longitudinally, 40 and this construction enables the walls to be made very thin, so as to give the yielding or cushioning effect and at the same time have the continuity of the walls furnish a support against the crushing or breaking down of 45 any one cell or series of cells and to also furnish a support for the cells as a whole which will return anj⁷ one cell or any number of cells back to normal condition after an excess of pressure is released. . It will thus be 50 seen that the cushion is one which yields under pressure as required and which will not break down or crush readily and will return to its normal condition.

The cellular construction of cushion form55 ing the essential feature of the invention is one in which the cells have an integral relation one to the other, with a formation for each cell by which its walls or sides are free to corrugate, curl, or wrinkle under the effect 60 of a local pressure, each wall having the possibility Of corrugating, curling, or wrinkling independently and of flexing, bending, or doubling without breaking the integrity and continuity of the cells as a whole, thereby 65 giving a different effect and a different result and action than is accomplished through the ordinary compression of a resilient body.

The cells each have their surrounding walls or sides of a thickness the nature of which will permit the flexing or doubling or bend- 70 ing of a wall or side for giving a corrugating, curling, or wrinkling of the material which will .produce a resistance without any rending, breaking down, or giving away of the cellular tissue, and for this purpose, in order 75 to enable the flexing, bending, or doubling to be utilized in producing a corrugating, curling, or wrinklirig, the cells should each be of a depth and breadth ’which will allow the walls or sides to corrugate, curl, or wrinkle, 80 and the depth may be greater than the width or breadth, and the width or breadth maybe more than the lateral bend of the corrugation, curl, or wrinkle , to which the cushion would be subject under pressure. The ac- 85 tion of the corrugating, curling, or wrinkling of the walls or sides is one that will permit the cushion to sink down locally under a resistance, drawing the adjoining cells bodily toward the point of greatest depression and 90 placing the walls or sides of the cells adjoining the depression under a stretch or expansion which will operate to return the cushion as a whole to its normal condition when the local .pressure is removed without any de- 95 teriorating or ill effect from the pressure. The thickness Of the walls will depend upon the depth of the cushion; but in any event the walls or sides are to be of a membranous nature, with a sufficient thickness natu- 100 rally to stand by themselves without deflecting and at the same time thin enough to yield without compression under a local pressure, and the degree of thickness can be varied so long as the wall or side is thick enough to 105 stand alone, and yet thin enough not to compress when subjected to a local pressure, but free to flex, double, or bend and have a corrugating, curling, or wrinkling given thereto under the pressure. no

The principal advantages of my invention are that it may be economically made, readily fits the rider, is^-thoroughly ventilated, and yields or gives locally to conform to the anatomy of the rider, and generally to take up 115 the small vibrations or shocks not taken up by the ordinary pneumatic tire.