AN IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS PADS FOR HORSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Postlethwaite, of Liverpool, in the County:
of Lancaster, Saddler, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS
PADS FOR HORSES."
Sealed the 12th August 1859, and dated the 7th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Postlethwaite at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th April 1859.
I, ROBERT POSTLETHWAITE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS PADS FOR HORSES," to be as follows:-
Hitherto such pads have invariably been made rigid, and in consequence,
each pad would only fit a horse of a certain size, and an imperfectly fitting
pad, pressing more on one part than another, was liable to gall the horse's
back.
My improvement consists in fitting such pads with hinges, so as to make
them flexible, and allow of their expansion or contraction when required.
By thus rendering the pads flexible, they will fit much better than the rigid,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Postlethwaite in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ROBERT
POSTLETHWAITE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Saddler, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Postlethwaite, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Postlethwaite, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as [, the
said Robert Postlethwaite, my my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all; times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United, Kingdoin of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS PADS FOR HORSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Postlethwaite, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Postlethwaite, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, in writing, and on reference to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to render such harness pads capable of
fitting any horse, equally well, whatever may be the variation of size or form,
and also to make such pads sit much, easier and fit better to the horse's or
other: animal's back, than the ordinary pads beretofore in use.

page_text: Hitherto these pads have invariably been made on a rigid metal frame, and
in consequence each pad would only fit a horse or other animal of a certain
size and form, and an imperfectly fitting pad, pressing more on one part than
on another, was consequently extremely liable to gall or otherwise injure the
horse's or other animal's back.
My improvement consists in fitting such pads with hinges made of one.
piece with or firmly fixed to the metal frame on which the said pads are made,
in order to render them flexible, and thus allow of their expansion or contrac-
tion when required for a different sized animal. By thus rendering the pads
flexible, they will fit much better than the rigid pads hitherto in use, and will
be much easier for the animal's back; and a further advantage to be gained
by the use of this improvement is that each pad will fit a horse or other
animal of any reasonable variation in size or form. Such being the nature
and object of my said Invention of "An Improvement in Harness Pads for
Horses," in order that the same may be perfectly understood, I will proceed to
describe the Sheet of illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed, reference being
had to the figures and letters, marked thereon corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
Figure 1 represents an ordinary harness pad. These pads are usually made
to fit each particular horse, otherwise as they are made on a rigid iron frame,
they are liable to press unequally either on the withers at «, or else at the
points b, b, and consequently to gall or otherwise hurt or injure the horse's or
other animal's back.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 represent various views of my improved harness pad,
Figure 2 being a view of the pad as extended for a broad-backed animal,
Figure 3 a similar view of the pad contracted for a narrow back, and Figure 4
a side view of the same.
The iron frames upon which my improved harness pads are made, are
provided with hinges at c, c, either made in one piece with the frame or
securely attached or connected thereto.
It will be readily understood that by making the frames of the pads with
binges in this manner, the pads will be rendered flexible and may be expanded
as shown at Figure 2, or contracted as shown at Figure 3, in order to accom-
modate them to any size or form of animal, and will consequently fit much
better and sit much steadier than pads of the ordinary construction, thus
adding greatly to the comfort of the horse or other animal by which they are
worn, and entirely preventing the galling of the withers or back of the animal,
consequent upon the use of a badly fitting pad of the ordinary construction.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of ".An
Improvement in Harness Pads for Horses," together with the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I
claim as my Invention the construction of the frames of such harness pads
with hinges in the manner and for the purposes above set forth and described,
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I the said Robert Postlethwaite, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
JAMES B. REAY,
Patent Agent,
ROBERT POSTLETHWAITE. (L.S.)
Commerce Court, Lord Street,
Liverpool.