Abstract:
A saddletree ( 2 ) intended for producing a saddle, notably for horses, which has at least one single-piece part ( 13 ) forming a pommel ( 14 ), a cantle ( 15 ), a base ( 16 ) and a support for constituent parts of the saddle, this single-piece part being produced from materials, such as composite materials, chosen for their suitability for being shaped to the required shape for the saddletree, for conferring on the saddletree the necessary qualities of strength and elasticity and for allowing the incorporation in the saddletree of members ( 21 ) for the removable positioning and fixing of other constituent parts of the saddle, in order to adapt the saddle to the requirements expressed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to saddles for horses and concerns a saddletree and a saddle having such a saddletree. 
     A saddle for a horse conventionally has, connected together, a strength piece known as the saddletree, a seat, two stirrup oars or stirrup carriers, two panels, two flaps and knee rolls, and girth leathers; and attached removable components, girths, surcingles, stirrup leathers and 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     In conventional designs, the saddletree is composed of several pieces connected together, namely two longitudinal wooden pieces, two curved pieces forming respectively the pommel and the cantle, generally in the form of a flat metallic bar, connecting the longitudinal wooden pieces and rigidly fixed to them; girths placed on the above pieces; and finally a cloth fixed over the girths. The other constituent parts of the saddle are fixed to the saddletree by studding, stitching or the like, that is to say by permanent fixing means. 
     The document DE 37 02 011 describes a saddletree which comprises a piece made of plastics material arid a kind of frame fixed to the plastic piece removably, supporting the other parts making up the saddle. 
     The document DE 2 329 436 concerns a cellular plastics material. The document GB 2 227 638 concerns a saddle of the conventional type, part of which is produced from plastics material. 
     The need has been felt to be able to replace constituent parts of the saddle easily whilst avoiding this being made complicated because of the permanent fixing of the part. 
     The need has also been felt to be able to assemble a saddle from its constituent parts more simply, avoiding operations of studding or stitching which are lengthy, tricky and expensive. 
     Finally, the need has been felt to reduce the weight of a saddle of traditional appearance in order to adapt it to sports riding activities. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To this end, a first object of the invention is a saddletree intended for producing a saddle, notably for a horse, having a single-piece strength part forming a pommel, a cantle, a base and a support for the other constituent parts of the saddle. 
     According to the invention, the saddletree comprises essentially the single-piece part, which is produced from materials, such as composite materials, chosen for their suitability for being shaped to the required form for the saddletree, to confer on the saddletree the required qualities of strength and flexibility and to provide the incorporation in the peripheral pact of the strength piece a plurality of removable positioning and fixing members, for the other constituent parts of the saddle (panels, flaps, knee rolls, girth leathers, padding, seat, skirts, pommel and cantle backplates etc) in the form of holes, spikes, hollow recesses, reliefs, screwing inserts, buckles or the like, so that the said constituent parts of the saddle are positioned and fixed to the part by virtue of the members. 
     Another object of the invention is a saddle, notably for a horse, comprising a saddletree comprising essentially the single-piece strength piece provided with any removable positioning and fixing members as well as two stirrup bars, incorporated or not into the single-piece part of the saddletree, two panels fixed against the internal face of the saddletree, where applicable, one or more pieces for padding the external face of the saddletree, two flaps and two knee rolls disposed laterally, two girth leathers disposed laterally towards the pommel and a piece forming a seat covering the external face of the saddletree, the panels, the padding piece or pieces, the flaps and knee rolls, the girth leathers and the piece forming a sear being provided with removable fixing members complementary to the positioning and fixing members incorporated in the saddletree piece. 
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS 
     The other characteristics of the saddletree and saddle will emerge from the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal elevation of a saddle, constituent parts of the saddle being depicted in broken lines; 
     FIG. 2 is a view in exploded perspective of the constituent parts of a saddle according to a first embodiment, where the stirrup bars are made in one piece with the saddletree; 
     FIG. 3 is a view in exploder perspective of constituent parts of a saddle according to a second embodiment, where the stirrup bars are separate from the saddletree and attached; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view from above of a saddletree and a closure plate forming a stirrup bar; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of a saddletree from below; 
     FIG. 6 is a longitudinal elevation view of a saddletree; 
     FIG. 7 is a transverse elevation view from the front, of a saddletree; 
     FIG. 8 is a transverse elevation view from behind, of a saddletree with a panel depicted in hatching, in an embodiment where the protrusions are attached to the saddletree; 
     FIG. 9 is a partial plan view from below of a saddletree; 
     FIG. 10 is a view, similar to FIG. 8, in an embodiment where the protrusions are made in one piece with the saddletree; 
     FIG. 11 is a longitudinal elevation view in partial section of constituent parts of a saddle, including a saddletree, a panel and a cantle backplate; 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view from below of a saddle padding piece; 
     FIG. 13 is a view in longitudinal elevation of a saddle padding piece; 
     FIG. 14 is a plan view from below of a saddle seat; 
     FIGS. 15 to  17  are views in longitudinal elevation of elements making up a saddle and representing successive steps of making up such a saddle; and 
     FIG. 18 is a longitudinal elevation vies of a saddle. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, a saddle according to the invention is described in its normal position of use, where it rests on the back of a horse. A “longitudinal” direction is substantially merged with the direction of the backbone of the horse. With respect to this direction, substantially horizontal, the “front” designates a location towards the head of the horse, and the “rear” a location towards the rump. A “transverse” direction is substantially horizontal and at right angles to the longitudinal direction. The term “laterally” is defined with respect to this direction. An elevation direction is substantially vertical and perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions. The terms “top” and “bottom” are defined with respect to this direction. The inside designates a location close to the body of the horse and the outside a location further away. A saddle  1 , as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 18, comprises an internal saddletree  2 , which is the main strength part of the saddle, and a certain number of pares supported by the saddletree  2 , namely notably: 
     two stirrup-leacher carriers or stirrup bars  3 ; 
     at least one panel  4 , notably two; 
     two flaps  5  and knee rolls  6 ; 
     girth leathers  7 ; 
     at least one, and for example two stuffing pieces known as padding  8 ; 
     a seat  9 ; 
     two skirts  10  made in one piece with the seat; and 
     two backplates  11  and  12  respectively for the pommel and cantle. 
     The skirts  10 , the flaps  5  and knee rolls  6 , all lateral, are placed one against the other from the outside of the saddle  1  towards the inside, that is to say towards the saddletree  2 . The seat  9  covers the saddletree  2 , being maintained on the latter notably by means of the backplates for the pommel  11  and cantle  12 . The saddle  1  rests on the back of the horse through the panels  4  fixed laterally to the inside of the saddletree  2 . 
     The configuration of the saddle  1  provides a longitudinal passage for the backbone of the horse, under the saddletree  2  and between the panels  4 , so that no component making up the saddle  1  comes into contact with the backbone. This also distributes the force due to the weight of the rider on the back of the horse, whilst attenuating it. 
     The saddletree  2  (FIGS. 4 to  8 ) consists essentially of a single-piece part  13  forming the pommel  14 , the cantle  15 , the base  16  and a support for the other constituent parts of the saddle  1 . 
     This single-piece part  13  is produced from a composite material such as a resin with a carbon fiber and/or glass fiber filler, a material comprising polyamide fibers, or the like. 
     According to one design, the part  13  also incorporates stiffening elements, such as a structure made from yarn, a cloth, a lattice of metal or the like, aimed at forming a reinforcing frame. 
     In one embodiment (FIG.  3 ), the stirrup bars  3  are parts separate from the single-piece part, and are fixed to the latter removably, towards the pommel  14 . 
     The stirrup bars  3  are then produced from a strong rigid material, for example metal. Each stirrup bar  3  is intended to support an end part of the stirrup leather, each stirrup leather itself supporting a stirrup. The stirrup bars  3  have in elevation a general longitudinal L shape. 
     In another embodiment (FIG.  2 ), the piece  13  incorporates, at the time of manufacture, the stirrup bars  3 , whose general shape is the same as that described above. 
     According to one embodiment, the saddletree comprises essentially the piece  13 . 
     The general contour of the saddletree  2  is roughly close to the contour of a conventional saddletree. Transversely, the saddletree  2  has substantially the shape of a channel whose concavity is turned downwards. Longitudinally, its profile has a general curved shape, with its concavity turned upwards. These shapes are aimed at matching on the one hand the back of the horse and on the other hand the buttocks of a rider sitting on the saddle  1 . 
     Close to its front end, the saddletree  2  comprises a pommel arch  17 , extending substantially in a transverse elevation plane and extended by two saddletree tips  18  forming protrusions on the saddletree  2 , from top to bottom, substantially in a longitudinal elevation plane. These tips  18  are intended to cooperate with the panel  4 , in order to ensure their positioning on the saddletree  2 . Close to its rear end, the saddletree  2  comprises a cantle  15  lying substantially in a transverse elevation plane, and projecting upwards from the saddletree  2 . In one embodiment, the cantle  15  is substantially rectangular in shape. 
     The arch  17  and cantle  15  aim to wedge the rider in the seated position, by limiting the movements of his pelvis respectively forwards and backwards. They are connected together by a base  16  splayed in shape from front to rear, this base therefore being less broad transversely at the front than at the rear (FIG.  4 ). This shape makes the distribution of the weight of the rider uniform on the back of the horse, whilst providing a space for the legs of the rider at the front of the saddletree  2 . 
     The arch  17 , cantle  15  and base  16  can take shapes other than those described without departing from the context of the intention, provided that they fulfil notably the functions described above. 
     The arch backplate  11  and cantle backplate  12  (FIG. 2) are parts made of synthetic material, for example composite or the like, whose shapes are complementary respectively to the arch  17  and cantle  15 . 
     On its internal face, the saddletree  2  has at least one protrusion  19 , notably two, extending longitudinally along the longitudinal edges  20  of the saddletree and/or base, and with a transverse section substantially in the shape of a T. 
     In one embodiment (FIG.  5 ), the protrusions  19  extend substantially over the entire length of the saddletree  2 . Their top edges  19 A are substantially rectilinear and parallel to each other, whilst their bottom edges  19 B follow substantially the contours of the saddletree. 
     In another embodiment (FIG.  10 ), the protrusions  19  are made in one piece with the single-piece part  13 . 
     In a variant, the protrusions  19  are distinct from the single-piece part  13 . The protrusions  19  are then attached below the single-piece part  13  and fixed to the latter by screwing, snapping on or the like. The materials used for producing the protrusions  19  can then be identical, or different from those used for producing the single-piece part  13 . 
     For example, the protrusions  19  can be produced from rigid, semi-rigid or flexible materials, such as polymers, elastomers, metal, composite materials or the like, or from a combination of such materials. 
     The purpose of the protrusions  19  is to cooperate with the panels  4 , to provide, along the internal face of the saddletree  2 , and in its central part, a passage  19 C for the backbone of the horse. It also provides for the positioning of the panels  4  on the saddletree  2 . 
     Each panel  4  is a piece made of moulded rubber, polymer foam or the like, clad in leather, substantially in an S-shape longitudinally, and whose front part is reinforced by a frame made of wood or equivalent. 
     In one embodiment, two panels  4  are provided, each being intended to cooperate with a protrusion  19 . These panels  4  are fixed to the saddletree  2  removably, by screwing, snapping on or the like. As is clear in FIGS. 10 and 11, the top face of a panel  4  has a shape complementary to the corresponding protrusion  19  of the saddletree  2 . 
     Each panel  4  also comprises longitudinal lips, respectively upper  4 A and lower  4 B, whose shape is substantially complementary respectively to the top  19 A and bottom  19 B edges of the protrusions, in order to provide the positioning and holding of the panel  4  on the saddletree  2 . 
     Each panel  4  defines, at the front of the saddle  1 , an overhang in line with the saddletree  2 , in order to provide, between the saddle  1  and the horse, a maximum internal contact surface. 
     Another function of the protrusions  19  is to enable the saddletree  2 —namely the part  13 —to incorporate removable positing and fixing members  21  for the other parts making up the saddle  1 . These members  21  confer on the saddletree  2 —namely the part  13 —a “common trunk” function for adapting the saddle  1  to different types of horseriding, using the same saddletree  2 . 
     It is thus possible to exchange on a saddle the flaps  5  and knee rolls  6 , the girth leathers  7 , the panels  4  and the seat  9 , according co the wear on them, the morphology of the horse or its rider, or the requirements of the latter notably. 
     For example, it is possible to convert an English saddle into a saddle of the “Danloux” type, more suitable for jumping, by fitting to the saddle knee rolls  6  provided with protrusions known as “catches” for the front and rear holding of the leg of the rider. 
     For positioning and fixing the stirrup bars  3 , girth leathers  7 , flaps  5  and knee rolls  6  notably, the positioning and fixing members  21  are in the form of at least one hollow recess  22 ,  22 A,  22 B,  22 C. 
     Such a hollow recess  22 A, substantially rectangular in shape, is provided in the thickness of each longitudinal edge  20  of the base  16 , notably towards the front of the saddletree  2  and on its external face. In addition, a housing  23  in the shape of a vertical T is hollowed out at the bottom of the recess  22 A. The top end of the housing  23  is situated substantially half-way up the hollow recess  22 A, whilst its bottom end is merged with the longitudinal edge  20  of the saddletree. The shape of the housing  23  is substantially complementary to a top end part of the girth leathers  7 . 
     The mounting of the girth leathers  7  in such a hollow recess  22 A is effected as follows. 
     A top end part of the girth leathers  7  and an attachment rod  24  passing through this end part are inserted in the housing  23 . The recess  22 A is closed and the girth leathers  7  held in position by a plate  25  complementary to the recess  22 A, fixed to the latter by removable fixing means such as screwing, snapping on or the like. 
     In an embodiment where the stirrup bars  3  are distinct from the saddletree  2  and attached, another hollow recess  22 B is provided in each tip  18  of the saddletree  2 , in order to cooperate with an end part of the stirrup bar. The stirrup bars  3  are then fixed to the saddletree  2  in this recess  22 B by removable fixing means such as screwing or the like. 
     Another hollow recess  22 C is provided in the thickness of each longitudinal edge  20  of the base  16 , notably in its middle part, in order to cooperate with an end part of the flaps  5  and knee rolls  6 . This recess  22 C has also a substantially rectangular shape longitudinally. The flaps  5  and knee rolls  6  comprise top end parts whose shape is substantially complementary to such a recess  22 C (FIGS. 16,  17 ). The flaps  5  and knee rolls  6  are fixed in this hollow recess  22 C by removable fixing means, such as screwing, mutual attachment strips known by the registered trademark Velcro®, or the like. 
     In one possible embodiment, the sane recess  22  is intended to cooperate with an end part of a girth leather  7  and an attachment rod  24  for the latter, with an end part of a flap  5  and a knee roll  6  and/or an end part of a stirrup bar  3 , this recess  22  then being closed by a single plate  25 , by removable fixing means such as screwing, snapping on or the like. 
     In a variant (FIG.  4 ), the plate  25  forms a stirrup bar. It is then substantially in a U shape, one leg of which serves as a stirrup bar. 
     The depth of the recess or recesses  22 ,  22 A,  22 B,  22 C, measured in the thickness of the saddletree  2 , is such that, once mounted, the stirrup bars  3 , the flaps  5  and knee rolls  6 , the girth leathers  7  and the plate or plates  25 , the external surfaces of these parts are flush with the top surface of the saddletree  2 . This is aimed at guaranteeing optimum comfort for the rider, whilst avoiding the superimposition of the constituent parts of the saddle  1  causing uncomfortable and unattractive protrusions on the latter. 
     The comfort of the saddle  1  is improved by the addition to the saddletree  2  of at least one, notably two stuffing pieces known as “padding”  8  (FIGS. 2,  12  and  13 ). These padding pieces  8  are produced from foam, rubber or the like. They have a contour with a shape which is generally substantially rectangular, and lie in a substantially horizontal plane. Their thickness is not uniform: their bottom face in fact conforms to the top face of the base  16 . The shape of the padding pieces in such that, once they are in position on the saddletree  2 , their top surface is substantially continuous with the top surface of the saddletree  2 . Their external contour substantially conforms to the shape of the longitudinal edge  20  of the adjacent saddletree  2 . The shape and material of the padding  8  can be adapted to the morphology and requirements of the rider. 
     For their positioning on the saddletree  2 , the padding pieces  8  comprise three rigid pins  26  made of wood, plastics material or the like, substantially cylindrical in shape, protecting from the bottom face of the padding piece or pieces  8 . The saddletree  2  is provided, close to its longitudinal edges  20 , towards the rear of the base  16 , with three holes in each longitudinal edge, each hole  27  being substantially complementary to a pin  26 . 
     In another embodiment, the padding pieces  8  are held in position on the saddletree  2  by means of strips of the Velcro® type. 
     In one embodiment (FIG. 1) the padding pieces  8  are held on the saddletree  2  notably by the seat  9 , where the latter is fixed to the saddletree over the padding pieces  8 . 
     For positioning and fixing the seat  9  on the saddletree  2 , the latter is provided, on its bottom face and along the periphery of the arch  17 , with a plurality of spikes  28 A, here cylindrical and metallic, projecting from and substantially perpendicular to this face. 
     In addition, the cantle  15  is also provided, on its external face, and along its top periphery at least, with such spikes  28 B, projecting from and substantially perpendicular to this face. 
     Moreover, the saddletree  2  is provided, on its internal face, substantially on each of its longitudinal edges and towards the rear of the base  16 , with at least one buckle  29 , notably three buckles. The buckles  29  are fixed to the saddletree  2 , for example screwed thereto, the principal direction of each buckle then being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal edge  20  of the saddletree  2 . 
     The buckle or buckles  29  are articulated about a shaft  30  substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge  20 , this shaft enabling the buckle  29  to adopt two positions, a closed position and an open position. 
     Each buckle  29  is inserted in a hollow  31  provided in the corresponding protrusion  19  on the saddletree  2 , so that, once closed, the buckle does not project from the hollow  31  towards the inside. 
     The seat  9  is a piece of leather whose shape is such that it entirely covers the saddletree  2 , once positioned on the latter, the front  9 A and rear  98  parts of the seat being broader than its middle part  9 C. 
     The front part  9 A of the seat  9  defines on each side laterally two skirts  10  forming protrusions. 
     When the seat  9  is in position on the saddle  1 , the skirts  10  fall freely on each side of the front of the saddle, covering the stirrup bars  3 , which they thus isolate from the legs of the rider. 
     A padding  32  made of foam, rubber or equivalent is fixed to the bottom face of the seat  9 , by stitching, gluing or the like. This padding  32 , splayed in shape form front to rear, improves the comfort of the saddle. It covers substantially all the rear part  9 B of the seat  9 , whilst it covers, on the front part  9 A of the seat  9 , a localised surface between the skirts  10 . 
     At least one (notably three) hooks  33  are fixed to the seat  9  by riveting or the like, in its rear part  9 B, on its bottom face and close to each of its longitudinal edges. The hook or hooks  33  are complementary to a buckle  29 . The front end  34  of the seat of the saddle  1 , corresponding in shape to the arch, is provided with holes  35 A complementary to the spikes  28 A on the saddletree  2 . The rear end  36  of the seat  9  of the saddle  1  is also provided with such holes  35 B, corresponding to the spikes  28 B on the cantle  15  of the saddletree  2 . In addition, the seat  9  can have, in its middle part, for example close to each of its longitudinal edges, snapping-on means  37  able to cooperate with holes  38  provided opposite in the base of the saddletree  2 , in order notably to optimise the positioning and fixing of the seat  9  on the saddletree  2 . Mounting of the seat  9  on the saddletree  2  is effected as follows. 
     The seat  9  is positioned on the saddletree  2 , the holes  35 A,  35 B and the hooks  33  being respectively placed opposite the spikes  28 A,  28 B and the open buckles  29  of the saddletree. The front end  34  of the seat  9  is folded under the arch  17 , each spike  28 A Being inserted in a hole  35 A. The rear end  36  of the seat  9  is folded behind the saddletree A, each spike  28 B being inserted in a hole  35 B. 
     The seat  9  is fixed to the arch  17  and to the cantle  15  respectively by a pommel backplate or arch backplate  11  and a cantle backplate  12 . The arch backplate  11  and cantle backplate  12  cover the respectively front and rear ends of the seat, and are removably fixed to the saddletree  2 , by screwing, snapping on or the like. 
     Each buckle  29  is inserted in a hook  33  and then closed. The seat  9  is thus fixed to the base  16 . 
     The saddle  1  of the invention can be fully assembled or disassembled as required around its master piece, the saddletree  2 , consisting essentially of the single-piece or integral part  13 . 
     The progressive making up of the saddle  1 , illustrated in FIGS. 15 to  18 , is effected as follows. 
     Where the stirrup bars  3  are separate from the saddletree  2 , they are fixed to the latter by screwing or the like. 
     The panels  4  are fixed inside the bare saddletree  2 , the saddletree tips  18  being inserted in positioning receptacles  39  provided in each panel. 
     The knee rolls  6  are then positioned and then fixed, for example by screwing at lest one of their top end parts, on the one hand to the arch in the hollow recesses  22 C, and on the other hand to a corresponding panel  4 , for example on an overhang on this panel. 
     The girth leathers  7  are then fixed in the corresponding hollow recesses  22 A, which are closed by their respective plates  25 . 
     The flaps  5  are then fixed to the arch in the same way as the knee rolls  6 , in the hollow recesses  22 C, so that the stirrup bars  3  then appear outside the flaps. 
     The padding pieces  8  are positioned on the base  16 , their pins  26  being inserted in the corresponding holes  27 . 
     The seat  9  is then positioned or, the saddletree  2 , and then fixed to the base  16  by means of buckles  29 . 
     Finally, the pommel backplate  11  and cantle backplate  12  cover the arch  27  and cantle  15 , trapping the ends of the seat  9  in and/or on the latter. 
     Although this description has been given in consideration of parts (panel, girth leathers, flaps and knee rolls, seat) made of leather, these can be made of leather substitute or the like.