An Improved Safety Stirrup.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Stirrup.
We, JOHN COPE, Chairman of Directors of Benjamin Cope and Sons Limited,
Bloxwich in the County of Staffordshire, Stirrup Manufacturers and HARRY
TAYLOR of Bloxwich aforesaid, Stirrup Filer, 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 :-
Our invention relates to an improved safety stirrup and it consists essentially in
hinging one end of the foot-plate to an inner bow pivotted on the stirrup legs,
and also in providing means for supporting the other or free end of the foot-plate
on the opposite leg of the stirrup in such a manner that in case the rider is
thrown, the inner bow will be turned to an angle which will release the detachable
end of the foot-plate from its engagement with the leg of the stirrup, and thus
allow it to fall or open upon its hinge thereby liberating the foot of the rider.
Upon the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating our invention,
Figure 1 is a front view or elevation of our improved stirrup with inner bow of
foot-plate in the closed position.
Figure 2 being a perspective view of the same, but showing the inner bow
partly turned and the foot-plate released.
A represents the legs of the stirrup,
B, the inner bow,
C, the foot-plate,
D, projecting tongue on foot-plate,
E, the fork of inner bow,
F, key or projecting lug,
G, slot in tongue and fork,
H, stop on key,
I, hinge of foot-plate, and
K, K, are the pivots upon which the inner bow revolves.
As will be seen from the accompanying drawings our improved safety stirrup
consists of an inner and an outer bow, the inner bow B being capable of revolving
in one or both directions as desired, upon pivots K arranged within the legs of
the outer bow A. The foot-plate C is hinged at 1 to the lower end of one side
of this inner bow. Upon the other or free end of the plate C is a tongue D
arranged to engage within a fork E formed upon the corresponding end of the
inner bow. Upon the inner face of the outer bow or stirrup A we form or attach
a projecting lug or key F, which when the stirrup or inner bow B is turned to the
position shewn on Figure 1, enters a slot G extending across the outer face of the
fork E on the inner bow, and the tongue D upon the foot-plate C and thus firmly
secures it in position.
If desired we may form upon the back end of this projecting lug or key F, a
stop H so as to restrict the rotation of the inner bow to one direction only.
In its normal or closed position the foot-plate C of our improved stirrup is
secured at one end to the inner bow B by the hinge I at the lower end of the
inuer leg of the bow B, and at the further end it is detachably secured by the
introduction of the tongue D within the fork E of the inner bar B, and by
the engagement of the projecting lug or key F, provided upon the inner face of
the outer leg of the stirrup A, in the slot G, formed across the outer side of the
fork E and end of tongue D. The lug or key F thus supports the detachable
end of the plate in its normal position against the downward pressure of the foot
as shewn on Figure 1, but should the rider be thrown the pressure of the foot will

page_text: cause the inner bow B to turn upon its pivots K to an angle which will bring the
slot G and projecting lug F out of engagement, whereupon the detachable end of
the foot-plate Ċ will fall free as shewn on Figure 2, thus releasing the foot of the
rider.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In safety stirrups having an inner bow and hinged foot-plate, the combination
of a projecting tongue D and a fork E with a key F, substantially as described.
2. Safety stirrups constructed, combined, and arranged for the purposes and as
specified.
100