Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to pads for riding-saddles and harness-saddles and other
articles used on and about horses and other draught animals.
Heretofore harness and saddle pads and linings have been made with a facing
of india-rubber, or cloth, or leather stretched over some elastic material or filling
behind it. This leather or cloth facing being porous, absorbs the perspiration of
the animal so that when dry the pad becomes hard and stiff, especially at the
points where it absorbs the most perspiration, thus forming lumps or hard spots
more liable to abrade the animal than other parts of the pad, and causing the latter
to bear unequally.
When the india-rubber facing is used with pads as. . heretoforé constructed
endeavours are made to give the pad the form of the animal, on its bearing surface
upon the latter, by stuffing it inside with some elastic material, but this involves'
the stretching of some parts of the india-rubber facing more than others, and
although it does not absorb the perspiration, yet the parts of the facing the most
stretched are not only less elastic in themselves than other parts, but they compress
the elastic filling material behind them harder than at other parts, thus forming
these parts of the pad into lumps which abrade the animal.
By my invention, these difficulties are overcome and an elastic waterproof pad'
is formed, substantially alike in elasticity over its entire surface, which bears
evenly upon those parts of the animal it touches, and does not chafe or abrade the'
skin in one part more than another, thus avoiding all injury to it.
The said invention consists:-
Firstly, in making and forming pads of india-rubber, moulded while in a plastic
state to the form of the animal at the part where it is to bear upon it, and then
vulcanized in such moulded form, substantially as hereinafter described, whereby
an elastic, waterproof pad is produced capable of yielding equally in all parts of
its bearing surface to the pressure upon it and thus preventing chafing or abrading
any particular part of the animal upon which it is used.

page_text: Secondly, in combining the moulded and vulcanized waterproof pad with the
leathern portion of the harness, as hereinafter described.
Thirdly, in combining the moulded and vulcanized waterproof pad with the
leathern portion of the harness, and a backing or filling, of some elastic material
between them which filling allows the opposite sides of the pad to yield so as to
recede from or approach each other, to accommodate such opposite sides to the
varying breadth of the different animals the pad may be used upon, without
interfering with the capacity of any part-of either side of it to yield equally with
every other part as required to adapt itself to the pressure put upon it in use.
The accompanying drawing shows the saddle of a harness to which my invention
is applied.
A is the harness-saddle. provided with straps a a to which the surcingle or girth
is buckled to secure it upon the back of the horse, the surcingle passing around its
body underneath.
B is the improved pad, forming the inside facing of the saddle which bears
against the animal and is formed to fit that portion of its body upon which it
bears, as shown. This pad is moulded to this form out of india-rubber in suitable
moulds, before being vulcanized, and is then vulcanized in the moulds in the
ordinary manner. As the shape of the moulds and the process of vulcanizing are.
well understood they need not be further described. The vulcanization should
only be carried so far, however, as to leave the india-rubber pad somewhat elastic,
while preserving the form given to it in the moulds.
C is a stuffing or filling of hair or other elastic material which may be interposed
between the saddle. A, and pad B. It should be filled in between these so as to
bear substantially evenly upon the inner surface of the pad, and not to stretch one
part of the latter more than another,
The principal function of this filling is to allow the side of the pad B, beneath
which it lies, to move substantially all together to adjust itself to the different
shapes of different animals. The filling may be omitted, if desired.
The pad B is stitched or fastened to the saddle along its edges at b b, as shown..
As each side of the pad B bears upon the animal substantially equally for its
entire length, and cannot. absorb, or permit the filling or leather behind it to,
absorb perspiration and become hardened, it remains substantially in the same
condition until worn out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my Foreign Correspondents I declare that what I claim is:-
First. A harness-pad formed of india-rubber moulded to substantially the shape
of that part of the animal which it is to fit, and vulcanized in that form, sub-
stantially as described.
Second. The combination of the saddle A, and the india-rubber pad or lining B,
to which substantially the form of that part of the animal upon which it is to fit
is permanently given by moulding and vulcanization, substantially as described.
Third. The combination of the saddle A, the filling C, and the india-rubber pad
or lining B, to which substantially the form of that part of the animal upon which
it is to fit is permanently given by moulding and vulcanization substantially as
described.