Patent Publication Number: US-2006016161-A1

Title: Saddle fender bender

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention pertains to riding saddles and in particular to an arrangement for bending and maintaining a saddle fender leading edge outwardly, maintaining the saddle stirrup positioned at a right angle outwardly from a horse that the saddle is mounted onto.  
      2. Prior Art  
      Saddles and components thereof are very well know in the art and generally include a saddle fender that is maintained to a stirrup leather, mounting a stirrup to its lower end. Such saddle fender provides for positioning of the stirrup relative to the horse, with optimally, the stirrup to extend approximately perpendicularly outwardly from the horse. To provide for desired stirrup positioning, the fender leading edge portion has, in the past, been bent during saddle construction to curve outwardly across a forward portion of a rider&#39;s lower leg. So arranged, the fender bent portion rotates a lower portion of the saddle stirrup leather that the stirrup hangs from to extend essentially perpendicular to the horse&#39;s body. In practice, however, over time, and with the saddle exposed to water, the curve in the fender softens, with the leather of the fender straightening, to where the stirrup is essentially parallel to the horse.  
      For a rider to mount a horse whereof the saddle is mounted, the rider positions their left foot in the left stirrup and swings their right leg over the horse. With the right stirrup parallel to the horse, the rider will find it difficult to locate and position their foot in the stirrup. Further, during riding, should a rider lose their foot out of a stirrup, it is difficult to reposition their foot in that stirrup with the stirrups positioned parallel to the horse. The invention provides for forming and maintaining the saddle fenders lower leading edge portions in a bent attitude, insuring proper stirrup positioning, over the life of the saddle.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention is in a saddle fender bender that is a curved bar arranged for attachment to a saddle fender surface away from a rider seated in the saddle and is to maintain an outward curve along the lower fender leading edge. Which outward bend in the fender tends, in turn, to maintain the attached stirrup leather extending outwardly, at approximately a right angle, from a body of a horse whereon the saddle is fitted. The saddle has right and left stirrups that each fit to the stirrup leather maintained to each saddle fender that is bent at its leading portion, with the attached stirrup thereby maintained at approximately a right angle outwardly from the horse. So arranged, the stirrup opening is convenient for a rider to fit their foot in, in both mounting and during riding the horse. The curved bar has approximately a ninety degree arc formed therein and, for mounting to the fender, includes posts that are internally threaded or is drilled and tapped to receive threaded ends of broad headed bolts turned therein. The posts can be soldered, brazed, or otherwise connected to, to extend outwardly, at spaced intervals from along the back or inner curved surface of the curved bar and are for fitting through holes punched in, or otherwise formed through the leather fender. Whereafter, broad headed bolts are fitted into the fender holes and turned into tight fitting engagement within the posts or into the tapped holes, such that the bolt broad head ends are turned into the leather surface, locking the curved bar in place. To facilitate which bolt tightening, the bolt heads preferably include slots formed across their outer surfaces or tool recessed to receive a flat or keystone type bit end of a conventional screw driver, or Alan wrench, to turn the bolt into tight fitting engagement with the fender surface. So arranged fender bender of the invention will maintain the saddle fender leading edge portion in a bent attitude over the saddle life.  
      It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an appliance for bending and permanently maintaining a bend formed in each of two saddle fenders that is back from the fender leading edge, extending up from near the stirrup.  
      Another object of the present invention is to provide a curved bar as the fender bender appliance having an arc of approximately ninety degrees around the bar inner surface that includes internally threaded posts or tapped holes, with the posts or tapped holes arranged, at spaced interval along the bar inner surface, and with the posts extending at approximately right angles therefrom to receive threaded ends of broad headed bolts turned therein that have been fitted through holes formed through the leather fender, locking each curved bar to the fender lower portion to maintain a fender leading edge at approximately a right angle outwardly.  
      Still another object of the present invention is to provide, for turning the bolts head ends under surfaces into tight fitting engagement with the leather fender surface, screw driver receiving slots formed in and extending across each bolt head end, or providing a sided tool receiving opening formed into the center of the head end to receive a tool, such as an Alan wrench.  
      Still another object of the present invention is to provide heads for each bolt that have attractively decorated outer surfaces. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in which the invention is described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a mid-section of a horse taken from the left side of the horse whereon a saddle is mounted, showing the left side of the saddle as including a leather fender whose lower forward edge portion is bent outwardly, with the fender shown as maintaining a stirrup hung therefrom at, approximately, a right angle with the side of the horse, showing bolt head ends at spaced intervals across a lower portion of the fender, and showing, in broken lines, a curved bar that is the fender bender of the invention wherein threaded ends of the bolts are turned;  
       FIG. 2  shows a side elevation view of the leather fender, stirrup leather and stirrup of  FIG. 1  with the curved surface of the fender bender shown in broken lines bent at an angle alpha and with the broad head bolts, after passage through spaced holes formed through the fender, as having been turning into tight fitting engagement with the holes edges;  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged top plan view of the fender bender of the invention removed from the saddle leather fender;  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 , showing the fender bender of the invention mounted to the saddle leather fender;  
       FIG. 5  is a view like that of  FIG. 3  only showing the fender bender bolt head ends as including transverse slots that are for receiving a flat keystone type screw driver end fitted therein to turn the bolts threaded ends into spaced holes formed and tapped into the fender bender; and  
       FIG. 6  shows a sectional view like that of  FIG. 4  showing the fender bender of  FIG. 5  mounted to the saddle leather fender. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The invention, as is hereinafter described, relates to leather saddles and in particular to an arrangement of a fender bender for bending and maintaining a bend in a lower forward portion of a saddle fender. Shown in  FIG. 1  is a mid-section of a horse  11  that has had a saddle blanket  12  fitted across its back, with a saddle  13  positioned thereon. The saddle  13  is shown as a western saddle having a saddle horn  14  extending upwardly from a forward or swell fork end of a seat  15 , and includes a leather tie strap  18  that is shown connected, by a forward buckle  17 , to a cinch  16 . The leather tie strap has spaced holes  18   a  formed therealong, with a strap end  19  shown passed through a rigging ring  20  that is formed through a saddle skirt  21  forward portion. The saddle  13  position on a horse&#39;s back is mounted thereto utilizing a leather tie strap upper end  19   a  that is attached to the saddle skirt  21  at rigging ring  20 . The strap end is fitted through the forward buckle  17  and, when tight, a buckle tongue or prong  22  is fitted into a selected cinch strap hole  18   a . This holds the buckle to the leather tie strap  16 , and the tie strap end is then passed through the rigging ring  20 .  
      The saddle  13 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , includes stirrups  26  that are each for maintaining a riders foot to the saddle  13 , with each stirrup suspended from each of two saddle stirrup leathers  23  that each connect, on its upper end, to the saddle skirt  21 , not shown. Each stirrup leather is also connected, as with rivets, not shown, to a lower portion of a saddle fender  25 , hanging from the saddle fender lower end. Each stirrup  26  is formed as a rigid U-shaped section that receives a pin  24  fitted across the U open ends that one of the stirrup leathers is passed under, suspending the stirrup. A pivot mounting of the stirrup to the stirrup leather loop is thereby provided. Each stirrup is for receiving a rider&#39;s shoe or boot fitted into the stirrup during mounting and riding. In practice, a rider, to mount the horse, fits their left foot in the left stirrup, pivots their right leg over the horse&#39;s back and fits their right foot in the right stirrup. Where, in mounting, the rider can see the left stirrup they cannot see the right stirrup until they are seated in the saddle  13 . Accordingly, to facilitate finding the right stirrup to fit their foot in, it is desirable that the right stirrup extend at essentially a right angle outwardly from the horse. To provide which stirrup  26  positioning, fender benders  29  of the invention, as set out below, are fitted to each of the fenders  25 , lower portion and provide for maintaining the two stirrups each at a right angle attitude to the side of the horse  11 .  
       FIG. 1  shows the fender bender  29  of the invention in broken lines as including a bar wherein has been formed an arch that is for fitting to the fender undersurface away from the horse, of each of the pair of the fenders  25 . The bar  30  is shown as extending across the fender  25  though, it should be understood, can extend partially across the fender  25 , within the scope of this disclosure. Shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the bar is attached to the horse side of the fender along its arched surface  31  by bolts that are shown as having heads  33  wherefrom threaded shafts  33   a  extend from each head undersurface. The threaded shafts  33   a  are each to turn into a straight post  32  that, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , are each secured at its end  32   a , at spaced intervals, to the arched inner surface  31  of the bar  30 . Which attachment of the post  32  ends  32   a  is preferably by soldering or brazing, but, in should be understood, can be by any appropriate process or procedure. The posts  32 , as shown best in  FIG. 4 , are for fitting through individual spaced holes  25   a  that have been punched or otherwise formed, at spaced intervals, through the leather fender  25 , across a lower portion thereof, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Thereafter, the bolts threaded shafts  33   a  are fitted into the posts  32  open ends and are turned into the post threaded interior to where the broad heads  33  undersurface engage and are turned into the fender  25  surface. The fender bender is thereby mounted onto a forward surface of the fender  25  and maintains a bend in the fender  25  lower forward portion, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
      The bent lower forward portion of the fender  25  maintains the stirrup strap  23  alongside the horse&#39;s mid-section, positioning the stirrup suspended from the stirrup leather end at a right angle to the horse&#39;s mid-section, facilitating a riders positioning and maintaining their foot in the saddle both in mounting the horse and during riding.  
      The fender bender  29  bar  30  is preferably formed from a section of square or rectangular metal bar stock, such as steel, that has a length to extend across or nearly across the fender  25  lower portion. The bar  30  is bent across its longest parallel sides into an arc of approximately ninety (90) degrees. So arranged, the bar arched surface is formed to fit against the inner surface of the fender  25 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . To provide a tight coupling of the bar  30  onto the fender  25 , an operator turns the bolts threaded portions  33   a  into the threaded posts  32  as by gripping the edge of each broad head  33  between their fingers. Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , each bolt head end  33  can include a sided recess for receiving an end of a tool, such as an Allan wrench, fitted therein for turning the head end into tight fitting engagement with the fender outer surface that is contacted by a riders lower leg.  
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show another configuration of the fender bender  29  where, shown in  FIG. 6 , the bar  30  is tapped and threaded at  37  at intervals along its arched fender engaging surface to receive bolts threaded ends  35 , and with the bolt heads  38  are each shown as including a lateral slot  36  formed thereacross that is to receive, and be turned by, a keystone type bit end of a conventional screw driver, not shown.  
      While the bolt heads  33  and  38  have been set out as having arrangements for receiving turning tools to allow for their tightening against the fender surface, it should be understood that such are not required and the bolt broad heads can be finger tightened into engagement with the fender surface, within the scope of this disclosure. Also, the bolt head ends  33  and  38  can receive a decorative pattern, or the like, scribed, etched, or otherwise formed, therein to accompany and complement other saddle decorations, within the scope of this disclosure.  
      Hereinabove has been set out a description of a preferred saddle fender bender of the invention. It should however, be understood that the present invention can be varied within the scope of this disclosure without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims  1  regard as my invention.