An Improved Safety Appliance for Attaching Stirrup Leathers to Riding Saddles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1893--Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Appliance for Attaching Stirrup Leathers to
Riding Saddles.
I, HERBERT Clifford, of 11 Clare Street, Dublin, Ireland, Dental Surgeon,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to devise means whereby the stirrup leathers
may be secured to riding saddles in such a manner as to enable same to become
detached from the saddle in the event of the rider being thrown off, and thus
obviating the danger of the rider being dragged along the ground.
The invention consists essentially of two parts called for convenience the "bar
plate," and the "front plate."
The bar plate is provided with a suitable flange, tube, or hook for attachment
to the ordinary saddle bar, and also with an eccentric stud or button surmounted
by a horizontal groove and flanked by a vertical groove for the purpose presently
described.
The front plate is provided with a hook (composed partly of leather or other
suitable material and metal) which carries the stirrup leather. It is also provided
with an eccentric aperture which fits loosely and readily on to the eccentric stud
or button just described.
The action of my said invention is briefly as follows:-
The appliance is attached to the ordinary saddle bar in the most convenient
manner.
While in its normal position the "front plate" is attached to, and hangs from
the "bar plate" by means of the eccentric stud or button, and it is held rigidly
by the wedging of its edges under the stud or button, and in the horizontal and
vertical grooves formed on the bar plate.
As thus arranged, so long as the weight or pull is exercised in any direction
usual in the ordinary course of riding, the rigidity of the appliance is not disturbed,
but immediately the weight or pull is exercised in a manner contrary to the
normal-that is to say, in a backward and outward direction (as may be caused
by a fallen rider) then the front plate becomes detached from the bar plate,
whereupon the stirrup leathers are absolutely free of the saddle.
Again, should the rider be thrown over the animal's head or across the back
then the buckle of the stirrup leather slips over the above described hook formed
in the front plate, and the rider is free.
Dated this 8th day of November 1892.
J. K. FAHIE & SON,
9, Westland Row, Dublin, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Appliance for Attaching Stirrup Leathers to
Riding Saddles.
I, HERBERT CLIFFORD, of 11 Clare Street, Dublin, Ireland, Dental Surgeon,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the
following statement:―
My invention relates to an improved appliance for attaching stirrup leathers to

page_text: riding saddles, and has for its object to provide a connector for securing the said
leathers to a saddle which will release the leathers in the event of the rider being
thrown.
My improved connector consists essentially of two parts one of which I will call
for convenience the "bar plate," and the other the "front plate." The bar plate
is provided with a suitable flange, tube, or hook by which it may be attached to
the ordinary saddle bar, the stirrup leather being hung on a suitable hook provided
on the front plate.
The two parts of my connector are secured together by means of a stud having a
head of peculiar form. The stud is attached to or forms part of the bar plate, and
the head thereof is adapted to pass through a similarly shaped aperture in the front
plate and engage with said front plate as will hereinafter he more particularly
explained. The front plate is maintained in engagement with the head of the stud
by means of a spring pivoted to the bar plate which spring however allows the
front plate to turn on the stud for a purpose hereinafter described, when a stress
in an abnormal direction is applied thereto.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which a
connector for use on the near side of the horse is shewn.
Figure 1 is a front view of the bar plate.
Figure 2. is a side view of the same looking in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar view, the spring which is pivoted thereto being shewn
partly raised.
Figure 4 is a back view of the said bar plate.
Figure 5 is a front view of the front plate.
Figure 6 is a side view of the same.
Figure 7 is a front view shewing one stage in the operation of connecting the
two plates.
Figure 8 is a similar view showing the parts of the connector joined ready for
use.
Like letters of reference denote similar parts in all the drawings.
A is the bar plate; B is a stud attached to or forming part of the same, and
having an eccentric shaped head at a sufficient distance from the bar plate so as
to allow the front plate to pass under it as shown; C is a tube secured to the
back of the bar plate by which the said plate is attached to the saddle bar. D is
a spring pivoted at D¹ to the turned up edge A' of the bar plate. The said
spring D is provided with a turned down portion D' by means of which it may be
raised and turned on its pivot D₁ as hereinafter described. E is a second spring
secured to the back of the bar plate and adapted to press on the upper corner of
the spring D as shewn in Figure 3 so as to maintain the same in the position shewn
in Figures 1, 2, and 8. F is a spring secured to the top of the tube Ċ and adapted
to be wedged between the said tube and the saddle bar so as to prevent the
connector from shaking about. The edges A', A of the bar plate are turned over
so as to engage with the corresponding edges of the front plate as shewn in
Figures 7 and 8. The front plate G is shewn in detail in Figures 5 and 6; it is
perforated at G' with an aperture of the same shape and size as the head of the
stud B. The lower edge of the said aperture is thickened as shewn at G' and acts
as a check to prevent the said edge slipping under the head of the stud B and
engaging therewith and thereby preventing the spring D from being acted upon.
The lower edge G of the front plate is turned up to form a hook on which the
buckle at the end of the stirrup leather is hooked, the said hook is padded in any
suitable fashion with wool, india-rubber or the like and then covered with leather
tapering to a point. I prefer to provide the hook with two pins G, G₁ on which
the piece of leather H is fixed so that it may be taken off and replaced when worn.
I is a bar supported on pins l' at a little distance above the hook, under which bar

page_text: the pointed end of the leather may be slipped. I sometimes however dispense with
the said bar I altogether.
The front plate is connected to the bar plate in the manner following, that is to
say; the spring D is first turned about its pivot by means of the part D' to some
position such as that shown in Figures 3 and 7, the front plate is then applied to
the bar plate so that its top edge engages in the groove formed by the turned down
edge A of the bar plate, and its aperture G¹ passes over the stud B on the bar
plate. This position is shewn in Figure 7. The front plate is now rotated on the
stud so that its edge G³ engages with the groove formed by the turned over edge A*
of the bar plate, and the upper edge of the aperture G in the front plate passes
under the pointed head of the stud B. The spring D is now pressed down so as to
engage with the pin or support I', or with the edge G of the front plate and keep
the said plate in the position shewn in Figure 8.
When the connector is thus arranged it will be rigid as long as the pull on the .
stirrup leather is exercised in the ordinary manner, that is to say, downward or
forward. But if from any cause, such as the throwing of the rider, the pull on the
leather is directed backward and outward the front plate is rotated on the stud
against the pressure of the spring D to the position shown in Figure 7, that is to
say, until the front plate is no longer engaged with the hook-like head of the stud B,
the outward pull on the stirrup leather then raises the spring D by reason of the
pin I of the front plate acting on the part D' and the front plate then easily drops
off the stud B and disconnects the stirrup leather from the saddle.
Should the rider be thrown over the animal's head or across the back, the buckle
of the stirrup leather will slip over the hook G on which it hangs and thus free
the rider.
Although I have herein described a very convenient form of my appliance, I
wish it understood that I reserve the right of varying the details thereof, especially
as regards the means for connecting the bar plate to the saddle bar, and for con-
necting the stirrup leather to the front plate, for instance, in the case of a lady's
saddle, I prefer to replace the tube C at the back of the bar plate by a flat hook
or by a strap secured thereto. In making a new saddle the bar plate can be
secured thereto instead of the ordinary saddle bar.
I sometimes form a groove at the back of the hook on the front plate in which
the pin of the buckle on the end of the stirrup leather may be placed when the
latter is hung on the hook.
The appliance for use on the off side of the saddle will of course be similar to the
above but the shape and positions of the parts will be reversed.
By the use of my invention I obviate all risk of the rider being dragged along
by the animal after having been thrown, the stirrup leather being disconnected
from the saddle bar as soon as any force is applied to the said leather in an unusual
direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved safety device for connecting the stirrup leather to the saddle,
constructed in two parts, one of which parts is provided with a stud having an
eccentric head adapted to engage with an aperture of similar shape formed in the
other of the said parts, and with turned over edges to engage the edges of the other
part, the two parts being normally maintained in connection by a spring, and
adapted to be disengaged by a rearward and outward pull on the stirrup leather,
for the purpose specified.
2. The combination, with the two parts of the safety device mentioned in the
preceding claiming clause, of a spring which is pivoted on one of said parts and
presses upon the other part, substantially as, and for the purpose specified.
3. The improved device for connecting the stirrup leather to the saddle,

page_text: constructed substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
and operating as specified.
Dated this 10th day of March 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.