IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES AND HARNESS FOR HORSES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO BUCKLES AND STRAPS FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firin of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES AND HARNESS FOR HORSES, PARTS OF WHICH
ARE APPLICABLE TO BUCKLES AND STRAPS FOR OTHER
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Baron Richard Walterskirchen,
of Pressburg, Kingdom of Hungary.
IMPROVEMENTS
aled the 8th September 1877, and dated the 10th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES AND HARNESS
FOR HORSES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO BUCKLES AND
STRAPS FOR OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Baron Richard
Walterskirchen, of Pressburg, Kingdom of Hungary.
The object of these improvements as regards saddles and harness is to make the
saddle girths and harness buckles as well as the stirrups more or less elastic, and to
facilitate the disengagement of the rider's foot from the stirrup in case of his being
thrown from the horse. That part of these improvements which relates to making
the buckles and straps elastic is applicable to buckles and straps for other purposes.
Buckles constructed according to this Invention are fitted at each side with an
arrangement for carrying a volute or spiral spring so that the connection with the
strap will be an elastic one. The said volute or spiral spring may be enclosed in a
tubular casc, in such a manner as to rest at one end against the top of the case and
at the other end against a piece fixed to the buckle, so that it can slide in the said
case against the pressure of the spring. It is evident that the form and size of the
buckle and buckle tongues may be varied without departing from the substance of
this Invention. Instead of the said arrangement, or together with it, the buckle
may be provided with one or more elastic attachments. These elastic buckle attach-
ments are preferably made in one of the following manners: Two or more volute
band springs are attached to a frame sliding in and guided in another frame in such

page_text: a manner that the resistance of the springs tends to hold the first frame in the
second; or the clastic attachment may consist of a tubular case in which a bolt
slides against the pressure of a volute or spiral spring arranged around the said bolt
between one end of the case and the head of the bolt.
Another part of these improvements consists in making the foot plate of the
stirrup elastic by attaching it in such a manner to the stirrup as to yield more or
less to the pressure of the foot. For this purpose a volute spring may be attached
to the outer part of each of the two corners of the stirrup, and the foot plate may
be arranged so as to be capable of sliding up and down in the stirrup while resting
on these springs.
Another part of these improvements consists in making the stirrup bar so that
should the rider be thrown from the horse with the foot remaining in the stirrup,
and be dragged along by the horse, the said stirrup bar will be detached from the
saddle. This is effected by making the connection of the stirrup bar with the
saddle in such a manner that as soon as the stirrup strap and with it the stirrup
bar is pulled back to an angle of about forty five degrees, the said stirrup bar will
separate from the saddle. This result may be obtained as follows:-The stirrup bar
is made to be moveable in two short segmental guides each of suitable length, the
front guide having a stop at the top and the hinder one having a stop at the
bottom. As long as the stirrup strap and with it the stirrup bar is pulled vertically
downwards it will remain locked by one end resting against the top stop and the
other against the bottom stop; but as soon as the stirrup is pulled back so that the
stirrup bar is at an angle exceeding the length of these guides, it will come out of
them and fall from the saddle; or a moveable stirrup bar may be provided at the
top with a bar sliding in a segmental groove, and having a hook resting on a sickle-
shaped piece pivoted in such a manner that when the stirrup bar is pulled vertically
downwards, the front end of the sickle will rest against a stop, but when the stirrup
bar is pulled backwards beyond an angle of about forty degrees, the stirrup bar will
press against the other half of the said pivoted sickle-shaped piece, and this half not
being supported by a stop will give way and release the said stirrup bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
September 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES AND HARNESS
FOR HORSES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO BUCKLES
AND STRAPS FOR OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Baron
Richard Walterskirchen, of Pressburg, Kingdom of Hungary.
The object of these improvements as regards saddles and harness is to make the
saddle girths and harness buckles as well as the stirrups more or less elastic,
and to facilitate the disengagement of the rider's foot from the stirrup in case of his
being thrown from the horse. The part of these improvements which relates to
making the buckles and straps elastic is applicable to buckles and straps for other
purposes.
Buckles constructed according to this Invention are fitted at each side with an
arrangement for carrying a volute or spiral spring so that the connection with the
strap will be an elastic one. The said volute or spiral spring may be enclosed in a
tubular case in such a manner as to rest at one end against the top of the case and
at the other end against a piece fixed to the buckle, so that it can slide in the said
case against the pressure of the spring. It is evident that the form and size of the
buckle and buckle tongues may be varied without departing from the substance of
this Invention. Instead of the said arrangement, or together with it, the buckle

page_text: may be provided with one or more elastic attachments. These clastic buckle attach-
ments are preferably made in one of the following manners:-Two or more volute
band springs are attached to a frame sliding in and guided in another frame in such
a manner that the resistance of the springs tends to hold the first frame in the
second; or the elastic attachment may consist of a tubular case in which a bolt
slides against the pressure of a volute or spiral spring arranged around the said bolt
between one end of the case and the head of the bolt.
Another part of theso improvements consists in making the foot plate of the
stirrup elastic by attaching it in such a manner to the stirrup as to yield more or
less to the pressure of the foot. For this purpose a volute or spiral spring may be
attached to the outer part of each of the two corners of the stirrup, and the foot
plate may be so arranged as to be capable of sliding up and down in the stirrup
while resting on the springs.
Another part of these improvements consists in so making the stirrup bar that
should the rider be thrown from the horse with the foot remaining in the stirrup,
and be dragged along by the horse, the said stirrup bar will be detached from the
saddle. For this purpose I make the connection of the stirrup bar with the saddle
in such a manner that as soon as the stirrup strap and with it the stirrup bar is
pulled back to an angle of about forty five degrees, the said stirrup bar will
separate from the saddle. This result may be obtained as follows:-The top of the
stirrup bar slides in a segmental groove, and has a hook resting on a sickle-shaped
piece pivoted in such a manner that when the stirrup bar is pulled vertically
downwards the front end of the sickle will rest against a stop, but when the stirrup
bar is pulled backward beyond an angle of about forty degrees, the stirrup bar will
press against the other half of the pivoted sickle, and this half not being supported
by a stop will give way and release the said stirrup bar.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents parts of a military saddle
with a detachable frame containing the springs and connected with the buckle ;
Figure 2 is a separate view of the said frame from the inside.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate modified forms of my Invention.
The rods b
a, a, are volute springs which are arranged on rods in the frame c.
are connected at one end with the buckle p, and at the other end with the cross
piece d. When the buckle is pulled the rods b, b, are drawn out against the
pressure of the springs a, a; e, e, are hooks which engage with the cross bar f, and
enable the entire frame to be easily attached to or detached from the saddle. In
Figures 1 and 2 the springs are arranged on rods g fixed in the frame, whereas in
Figures 3 and 4 the springs are arranged on the movable rods b, b; c¹, c¹, are studs
with excentric heads so arranged that on turning them the frame c will be released
so that it can be unhooked and removed.
Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement in which a tubular case containing a volute
or spiral spring is attached to each side of a buckle in such a manner that when the
buckle is pulled the springs in the tubular case h may be compressed between the
discs i and the ends of the cases h.
Figure 6 illustrates a modification in which such a tubular case is so fitted to the
end of a buckle as to form part of the strap.
Figure 7 shows a stirrup, the foot platej of which is made elastic by arranging a
volute or spiral spring a at each of the two corners, the foot plate being guided so
that it can slide up and down in the stirrup while resting on these springs. The
piece through which the strap is to be passed is connected by a swivel to the
stirrup.
Figure 8 shows an arrangement for automatically disengaging the stirrup with
the stirrup strap and stirrup bar from the saddle in case the rider should be thrown
from the horse with the foot remaining in the stirrup. The stirrup strap is con-
nected to the bar k, which slides in a segmental groove and is provided with a
hook ¹ resting on a sickle-shaped piece m, so pivoted that when the stirrup bar kis
pulled vertically downward, the front end m³ of the sickle will rest on a stop n, but
when the stirrup bar is pulled backwards beyond an angle of about forty degrees,

page_text: the stirrup bar will press against the other end m², and this end not being sup-
ported by a stop, will give way and release the said stirrup bar ke and with it the
stirrup strap and stirrup.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to mo by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. The improvements relating to buckles and buckle attachments, as above
described.
Second. The improvements relating to stirrups shewn in Figure 7 of the
Drawing, and as above described.
Third. The devices for disengaging stirrups, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ATM DADA T