IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS OR APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE STIRRUP LEATHERS TO SADDLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wyrley Peregrine Birch, of Cranford, in the County of
Northampton, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS OR
APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE STIRRUP LEATHERS TO SADDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wyrley Peregrine Birch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1880.
WYRLEY PEREGRINE BIRCH, of Cranford, in the County of Northampton.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS OR APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE STIRRUP
LEATHERS TO SADDLES."
The object of the Invention is to provide a simple means for allowing the stirrup
leather to detach itself from the saddle in case the rider should be thrown, and his
foot remain entangled in the stirrup, and to ensure that this shall take place
whether the rider be thrown on the same side as the stirrup, or on the opposite
side when the stirrup leather would get drawn over the top of the saddle.
In saddle bars as commonly constructed there is at the rear end of the bar or
piece by which the stirrup leather is carried a hinged stop, held up vertically by a
spring, to prevent the stirrup leather from slipping backwards off this end of the
bar, unless the rider is thrown and remains entangled in the stirrup, when a strong
backward pull comes on the stirrup leather, and the stop yields and allows the
stirrup leather to escape, but this backward pull can only come on the stirrup
leather if the rider is thrown on the same side as the stirrup; the use also of a
spring for holding up the stop has many inconveniences.
According to my Invention I form the hinged stop at the rear end of the bar
with a tail piece extending downwards below its hinge or pivot. Between the two
plates of which the bar is formed I place a lever, one arm of which extends
horizontally or nearly so, and is then brought upwards level with the top surface
of the forward end of the bar, whilst the other comes in front of the tail piece
of the hinged stop, and so long as it remains in front prevents the stop from
turning downward.
When the stirrup leather is resting upon the bar it covers the front end of
the horizontal lever and prevents its rising, and so prevents the opposite arm of
this lever from turning downwards and getting away from in front of the tail of the
catch; but if the strain upon the stirrup leather in place of being vertically

page_text: downwards or approximately so, as it is when the rider is properly seated in the
saddle, is in a backward direction, as it is if the rider is thrown and his foot
remains entangled in the stirrup, the stirrup leather is drawn back along the bar
so that it no longer covers the forward end of the horizontal lever, this end of
the lever is therefore then free to turn upwards. The backward strain of the
stirrup leather upon the catch at the rear end of the bar forces the tail of the
catch against an incline at the rear end of the horizontal lever, and tends to
force this end of the lever downwards, and as the front end of this lever is then
no longer covered and held down by the stirrup leather, but is free to rise up, the
rear end of this lever is permitted to turn downwards out of the way of the catch.
The catch is thus set free and turns downwards, and allows the stirrup leather to
slip off from the rear end of the bar. In order also that the stirrup leather may
be free to slip off from the saddle bar if the fall takes place on the opposite side
of the saddle, and the stirrup leather is so drawn over the top of the saddle,
I make the front end of the bar or part upon which the stirrup leather rests
much deeper at the front than at the back, so that its under side slopes upwards
from front to back; thus, if the leather is drawn over the top of the saddle it
slips backwards along the bar and readily disengages itself from it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Wyrley Peregrine Birch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
August 1880.
WYRLEY PEREGRINE BIRCH, of Cranford, in the County of Northampton.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS OR APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE STIRRUP
LEATHERS TO SADDLES."
The object of the Invention is to provide a simple means for allowing the stirrup
leather to detach itself from the saddle in case the rider should be thrown, and his
foot remain entangled in the stirrup, and to ensure that this shall take place
whether the rider be thrown on the same side as the stirrup, or on the opposite
side when the stirrup leather would get drawn over the top of the saddle.
In saddle bars as commonly constructed there is at the rear end of the bar or
piece by which the stirrup leather is carried a hinged stop held up vertically by a
spring, to prevent the stirrup leather from slipping backwards off this end of the
bar, unless the rider is thrown and remains entangled in the stirrup, when a strong
backward pull comes on the stirrup leather, and the stop yields and allows the
stirrup leather to escape, but this backward pull can only come on the stirrup
leather if the rider is thrown on the same side as the stirrup; the use also of a
spring for holding up the stop has many inconveniences.
According to my Invention I form the hinged stop at the rear end of the bar
with a tail piece extending downwards below its hinge or pivot. Between the two
plates of which the bar is formed or in a slot cut in the bar I place a lever, one arm
of which extends horizontally or nearly so, and is then brought upwards level with
the top surface of the forward end of the bar, whilst the other comes in front of the
tail piece of the hinged stop, and so long as it remains in front prevents the stop
from turning downward.
When the stirrup leather is resting upon the bar it covers the front end of the
horizontal lever and prevents its rising, and so prevents the opposite arm of this
lever from turning downwards and getting away from in front of the tail of the
catch;
but if the strain upon the stirrup leather in place of being vertically down-
wards or approximately so, as it is when the rider is properly seated in the saddle, is
in a backward direction, as it is if the rider is thrown and his foot remains
entangled in the stirrup, the stirrup leather is drawn back along the bar so that it
no longer covers the forward end of the horizontal lever, this end of the lever is
therefore then free to turn upwards. The backward strain of the stirrup leather
upon the catch at the rear end of the bar forces the tail of the catch against an
incline at the rear end of the horizontal lever, and tends to force this end of the
lever downwards, and as the front end of this lever is then no longer covered and
held down by the stirrup leather, but is free to rise up, the rear end of this lever
is permitted to turn downwards out of the way of the catch. The catch is thus set
free and turns downwards, and allows the stirrup leather to slip off from the rear
end of the bar. In order also that the stirrup leather may be free to slip off from
the saddle bar if the fall takes place on the opposite side of the saddle, and the
stirrup leather is so drawn over the top of the saddle, I make the front end of tho
bar or part upon which the stirrup leather rests much deeper at the front than at
the back, so that its underside slopes upwards sufficiently from front to back to
allow the leather if drawn over the top of the saddle to slip backwards along the
bar and readily disengage itself from it."
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I have shewn in the Drawings hereunto annexed a saddle bar constructed
according to my Invention.
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of the bar, and Figure 2 is a back end
view; Figure 3, a section through the line A, B, Figure 1. A is the hinged stop at

page_text: the rear end of the bar with a tail piece extending downwards below the pin on
which it turns; B is a lever turning on a pin at C; one arm of the lever extends
forward and at its end has a projection B¹ upon it, which comes level with the top
surface of that part of the bar which the stirrup leather rests upon. The upper
surface of the other arm of the lever is inclined, as shewn, and comes in front of the
tail end of the hinged stop A, and keeps this stop in a vertical position so long as
the stirrup leather covers over and bears down upon the projection B¹; but if the
stirrup leather is drawn backwards, the front edge of the leather no longer covers
the projection B¹, or not to the same extent as previously, whilst the rear edge of
the leather bears forcibly against the stop A and turns it backwards, so turning the
lever B until the catch is set free and falls down, as shewn by the dotted lines, and
the stirrup leather is so released. If desired a light spring might be applied to act
against the underside of the rear arm of the lever B, so as to tend to keep the
projection B¹ in the position shewn by the full lines in Figure 1.
The side view Figure 1 also shews how the bar is made deeper at the front than
at the back, so that its under side shall slope upwards from front to back, in order
that if the stirrup leather is drawn over the top of the saddle, the loop at its end
may slip freely backwards along the bar and disengage itself from it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The combination with a saddle bar of a hinged stop A and lever B,
arranged to act substantially in the manner herein before described.
Second. The construction of saddle bars with the part of the bar upon which the
stirrup leather rests made much deeper at the front than at the back, so that its
under side may slope upwards sufficiently from front to back, for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wyrley Peregrine Birch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.