IMPROVEMENTS IN SADLERY AND HARNESS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HAYTHORNE REED, late of the 17th Lancers, of the Harrow Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing
date at Westminster, the Tenth day of February, in the fourteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Haythorne Reed, my exors, adññors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph Hay-
thorne Reed, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
Joseph Haythorne Reed, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the
Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SADLERY AND HARNESS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso requiring that I, the said Joseph Haythorne Reed, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed and carried into practical effect, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the

page_text: date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being had
thereto, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Haythorne Reed, do hereby declare the nature of this my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed and carried
into practical effect, is as the same is described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed (and forming part of this my said Specification),
and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
The principal object of my Invention is to give an equestrian the facility of
tightening the saddle girths, or loosening the same at pleasure, without the
necessity of dismounting or placing himself in an inconvenient position. The
endeavours to effect this object have, I believe, hitherto been bounded to a
mode or modes of permanently continuing, by means of elastic combinations,
the pressure of the girths, and consequently the security of the saddle in its
usual position. But it is evident that the attainment of security by these
means occasions considerable suffering and annoyance to the animal, causing,
by continual elastic pressure, a degree of irritability in the horse which has
produced serious consequences. By my Invention the pressure is continuous
but not elastic, and is increased or diminished at the pleasure of the rider.
Thus, in cavalry movements after a charge, or in hunting after a sharp burst,
the horse is usually brought to a stand, it is then in the power of the rider, by
the use of my apparatus, to give the animal perfect freedom in the play of its
lungs by loosening the girths to any requisite extent; and on putting the
animal again in motion he can tighten, by the great power of the said appa-
ratus, the girths in any degree he pleases, whatever may be the resistance of
the horse. My apparatus, although powerful, is of small size, and in nowise
obtrudes. on the view when affixed to the saddle.
P
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawing, drawn to a reduced geometrical scale,
represents a general view of the apparatus as fixed on a saddle, and the
mode of communicating power from the handle of the mechanical arrangement
to the girths.
.
Figures 2 and 3, enlarged views of the Invention of the mechanism to
the full size of construction, Figure 2 being an elevation, and Figure 3
an end view thereof; Figure 4, a longitudinal section of the pinion. In
all of these similar letters of reference denote similar parts where such
parts can be seen. A, A, represents an axle, allowed to rotate with the
three fixed bearings B, B, B, and terminating at D, with a pinion whose
motion is prevented from being reversed by the catch G. A second bent

page_text: lever catch E is used, with which the pinion is worked by means of the
handle T. The fulcrum of this second lever is placed in the same straight
line with the centres of motion, and the first catch G thus obtaining the
maximum amount of power afforded by the diameter of the pinion, the point
of application of the force being at right angles with the direction of the
handle. The pressure of the catch G is kept constant by the elasticity of a
piece of india rubber or other elastic material I secured to the saddle tree,
and exerting its force on the handle or off side of the fulcrum of the catch.
The main axle A, A, is perforated so as to allow of the fastening of the girths
H, J, H, which passes at J through the upper part of the ordinary strap K,
of the girths (M), and buckle L. The bearings B, B, B, support the whole
of the arrangement, and are adjusted to a main plate P, P, fastened by screws
C, C, C, C, to the tree of the saddle. The mode of action is extremely simple.
In the working of the handle F and lever E causes the pinion to rotate in the
direction of the catch G, and to wind up the girth fastened to its axis, thus
tightening the girth, the whole force caused by the tension of their falling on
the axle of the catch G. When, on the contrary, it is found desirable to
slacken them, the lever end of the catch G is raised, and their tension acting
without opposition unwinds the girth. The parts above described may be
slightly varied to suit the size of the saddle and the purpose for which it is
intended, without interfering with the principle of the Invention, which may
be defined as the application of mechanical power for the purpose of tightening
and slackening the girths of a saddle by means of a simple and at the same
time powerful system of leverage. The arrangement, with a slight mechanical
alteration, is applicable to either side of the saddle, or may be used on both
sides at once if desired, or may be applied to the part of harness termed the
saddle in a different position when desirable. The apparatus may also be
used without a continuous main plate P, that is to say, the axle can rest on
disconnected bearings, or the catch may be made with a point instead of a
tooth, and corresponding holes made to receive the said point, as shewn at
Figure 4; but I prefer the arrangement first shewn, as by constant use the
receiving holes (Figure 4) might lose their perfect form, and running into
each other fail to stop the catch as required.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
mauner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I do not clam the exclusive use of the seperate parts above mentioned
and referred to, except in so far as the same may be employed in combination
and for the purposes of my said Invention. And I further declare that I have
described and shewn the modes and manner of applying my said Invention in

page_text: what I consider the most practicable manner, although it is evident that such
mode or modes may be varied in their minute details (without in any way
departing from the principle of my said Invention) to suit various forms of
saddle or side saddles. I claim, as of my Invention, an apparatus whereby
the girths of saddles may be tightened or slackened at pleasure without the
rider.dismounting or drawing the foot from the stirrup, in the manner
herein-before described and illustrated in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth
Enrolled the Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.