Improvements in Adjustable Pack Saddles for Mountain Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Pack Saddles for Mountain Guns.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp, of Essen,
in the German Empire, Cast Steel Manufacturers), to be as follows:-
The differences in size of animals, such as mules and horses, employed in the
transportation of the guns of mountain artillery, render it desirable to construct
the pack saddles in an adjustable manner, so as not to be compelled to keep several
patterns of saddles in stock, but so as to allow of transferring the load with the
saddle from any animal that may become unserviceable, to another animal kept as a
reserve. The arrangement for rendering the saddle adjustable must not diminish its
durability to any appreciable extent, also, the adjustment must be capable of being
effected easily, quickly and with certainty, so as to enable the transferring of
the saddle to be safely effected even in proximity to the enemy. Furthermore, the
saddle bows must not comprise any outwardly projecting parts against which the
load could rub.
This effect is attained according to this invention in the manner hereinafter
described.
The saddle bows, which are usually made in one piece, are constructed in three.
parts, namely, the centre piece and the end pieces. Now the adjustment is not
effected by screwing up screw bolts more or less, as in other arrangements, but
said adjustment is effected by means of fine teeth hereinafter described. These
teeth afford the advantage of great strength, and obviate or do away with parts
which project outwardly beyond the saddle bows, and which are frequently not
admissible in pack saddles.
The centre piece is formed at its ends with teeth which in one arrangement are
formed at the actual ends, and in another arrangement are formed on the sides
near the ends. In the last mentioned arrangement the teeth have a radial direction
relatively to the axis on which the end piece turns in the adjustment of the saddle.
The end pieces are formed with corresponding teeth, which by engaging with
the teeth of the centre piece, serve to connect it rigidly with the end pieces, but
allow of the adjustment of the end pieces when they are moved out of engagement.
In this movement the end pieces turn on a bolt or the axis of its seat.
The moving of the teeth into and out of engagement, is or may be effected in
various ways.
According to one construction, the end-pieces are connected to the middle piece,
by means of a bolt, and also in addition by means of another bolt, in such
manner that after the removal of the first bolt, the end piece can be shifted in
the direction of its length for a distance slightly greater than the depth of the
teeth. A hole in the middle piece for the second bolt is made of slightly elon-

page_text: gated shape for this purpose. When the teeth have been moved out of engagement
with each other, the end piece can be shifted relatively to middle piece, for which
purpose the hole for the second bolt, in the end piece is made of curved shape con-
centric to the axis of the other bolt. After the adjustment has been effected, the
teeth are brought again into engagement with each other by shifting the end
piece, and they are locked in this position by the insertion of the first bolt.
In another construction, the teeth are not rigidly fixed to the end piece, but
are formed on a flap which is pivotted on a bolt. The teeth are kept in engage-
ment with each other by means of another bolt. On removing the latter, the flap
can be pushed back far enough to allow of the teeth coming out of engagement.
Then the end piece can be turned about its bolt, that is to say, can be shifted
relatively to the middle piece. This bolt is not removed in this arrangement.
In another arrangement, the bolt is provided directly with the teeth which are
separated from the first teeth by removing this bolt, whereupon the end piece can
be rotated.
In another construction, the nuts of the bolts are slacked sufficiently to allow
the teeth to be lifted out of the other teeth, whereupon the end piece can be
rotated about its bolt.
After the adjustment is effected, the two nuts are then tightened up again.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The difference in size of animals, such as mules and horses, employed in the
transportation of the guns of mountain artillery, render it desirable to construct
the pack saddles in an adjustable manner, so as not to be compelled to keep several
patterns of saddles in stock, but so as to allow of transferring the load with the saddle
from any animal that may become unserviceable, to another animal kept as a reserve.
The arrangement for rendering the saddle adjustable must not diminish its dura-
bility to any appreciable extent, also, the adjustment must be capable of being
effected easily, quickly, and with certainty, so as to enable the transferring of
the saddle to be safely effected even in proximity to the enemy. Furthermore, the
saddle bows must not comprise any outwardly projecting parts against which the
load could rub.
This effect is attained according to this invention in the manner hereinafter
described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon Figs. 1, 2, 3
and 4 each illustrate a saddle bow and shew several mechanical arrangements for
fixing the adjustable parts, and Figs. 5 and 6 shew an application of the invention.
The saddle bows, which are usually made in one piece, are constructed in three
parts namely, the centre piece A, and the end pieces B (Figs. 1 to 4). Now the

page_text: adjustment is not effected by screwing up screw bolts more or less as in other
arrangements, but said adjustment is effected by means of the fine teeth herein-
after described. These teeth afford the advantage of great strength, and obviate
or do away with parts which project outwardly beyond the saddle bows, and which
are frequently not admissible in pack-saddles.
The centre piece A is formed at its ends, with teeth a, which in the arrange-
ments shown in Figs. 1 to 3, are formed at the actual ends, and in the arrangement
shewn in Fig. 4, are formed on the sides near the ends. In the last mentioned
arrangement the teeth have a radial direction relatively to the axis on which the
end piece B turns, in the adjustment of the saddle.
The end pieces B are formed with corresponding teeth which by engaging
with the teeth of the centre piece A, serve to connect it rigidly with the end
pieces, but allow of the adjustment of the end pieces when they are moved out of
engagement. In this movement the end pieces turn on the bolt d or the axis of
its seat (Figs. 1 to 4).
The moving of the teeth into and out of engagement is or may be effected in
various ways.
In the construction shewn in Fig. 1, the end pieces B are connected to the
middle piece A, by means of the bolt d, and also in addition by means of the
bolt f, in such manner that after the removal of the bolt d, the end piece B
can be shifted in the direction of its length for a distance slightly greater than
the depth of the teeth. The hole in the middle piece A for the bolt f is made
of slightly elongated shape for this purpose. When the teeth a and b have been
moved out of engagement with each other, the end piece B can be shifted rela-
tively to A, for which purpose the hole h for the bolt in the end piece is made
of curved shape concentric to the axis of the bolt d. After the adjustment has
been effected, the teeth a and b are brought again into engagement with each
other by shifting the end piece B, and they are locked in this position by the
insertion of the bolt d.
In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the teeth b are not rigidly fixed to the
end piece B, but are formed on a flap m which is pivotted on the bolt o. The
teeth a and bare kept in engagement with each other by means of the bolt k.
On removing the latter, the flap m can be pushed back far enough to allow of
the teeth coming out of engagement. Then the end piece B can be turned
about the bolt d, that is to say, can be shifted relatively to the middle piece A.
The bolt is not removed in this arrangement.
In the arrangement shewn in Fig. 3, the bolt k is provided directly with the
teeth b which are separated from the teeth a by removing this bolt, whereupon
the end piece B can be rotated.
In the construction shewn in Fig. 4, the nuts of the bolts d and k are slacked
sufficiently to allow the teeth b to be lifted out of the teeth a, whereupon the end
piece B can be rotated about the bolt d. After the adjustment is effected, the
two nuts are then tightened up again.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation and Fig. 6 an end view shewing the complete saddle
applied to a beast of burden in accordance with the construction shewn in Fig. 4,
illustrating the manner of adjusting the saddle to the size of the animal by shift-
ing the end pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
―;
1. An adjustable pack saddle having saddle bows composed of a middle piece
and of end pieces pivotted to the latter, characterized by the fact that the ends
of the middle piece A are formed as toothed segments a or are provided with
lateral teeth a, and are adapted to engage with toothed bolts b (which are fixed
to the end pieces) or with correspondingly toothed surfaces of the end pieces B,

page_text: for the purpose of allowing of the adjustment of the end pieces B B relatively to
the middle piece A.
2. The general arrangement and construction of parts comprising the improve-
ments in adjustable pack saddles for mountain guns all constructed and acting
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.