NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING STIRRUP STRAPS TO SADDLES
Year: 1885

page_text: We GREGORY RENTON of N° 16 Burlington Chambers New Street Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Wesleyan Minister and JOSEPH HAMBLET DAVIES of
Burlington Chambers aforesaid Brick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING
STIRRUP STRAPS TO SADDLES" to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to release the stirrups from the saddle of a horse
in case the rider is thrown and thereby to prevent the generally fatal consequences
which result when a rider after having been thrown from his horse is dragged
along the ground.
Instead of connecting the stirrup straps to the saddle by means of the concealed
bars commonly employed we connect the said straps to the pommel of the saddle in
the following manner
On the pommel of the saddle we fix a shallow box preferably of metal and
rectangular in plan. To this shallow box we fit a block or thick plate on two
opposite sides of which are loops through which loops the stirrup straps pass and
to which they are attached. The block or plate to which the stirrup straps are
attached fits closely but not tightly in the box on the pommel and the weight of
the rider holds the said block firmly in its place in the box. If however the rider
is thrown on either side whether backwards or forwards the changed position of
the stirrup strap or straps causes any pressure on the straps not only not to press
the block down to its seat in the box but to draw it out of the box and thereby
liberate both the stirrups from the saddle. That is while vertical pressure on the
stirrups presses the block firmly to its seat in the box oblique pressure on the
stirrups such as arises when the rider is thrown and his feet are engaged in
the stirrups lifts the block from the box and thereby disengages the stirrups from
the saddle.

page_text: In order to prevent the accidental raising of the block from the box by any
violent motion of the horse or rider one or more light spring tongues attached to
the box may be made to press on the block and maintain it in its place in the box.
Or light springs on the flaps of the saddle may press upon the stirrup straps and
prevent their motion excepting under great strain such as is put on them when
the rider is thrown. In this case neither the springs on the box nor those on the
flaps of the saddle prevent the efficient working of the apparatus.
We do not limit ourselves to the shape of the box nor to the making of it in
metal nor do we limit ourselves to the attaching of the stirrup straps to the
opposite sides of one block as each stirrup strap may have a separate block the two
blocks engaging in one box or each may have an independent box.
For greater security the foot or leg of the rider may be connected by a light
strap to the stirrup or stirrup strap.
Our invention is applicable to ladies' saddles as well as to gentlemen's saddles.
Deted this thinks first days of than 100%
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We GREGORY RENTON of No 16 Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham'
in the County of Warwick, Wesleyan Minister and JOSEPH HAMBLET DAVIES of
Burlington Chambers, aforesaid, Brick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of our invention is to release the stirrups from the saddle of a horse,
in case the rider is thrown and thereby to prevent the generally fatal consequences
which result when a rider after having been thrown from his horse is dragged
along the ground.
Instead of connecting the stirrup straps to the saddle by means of the concealed
bars commonly employed we connect the said straps to the pommel of the saddle in
the following manner
On the pommel of the saddle we fix a shallow box preferably of metal and
rectangular in plan. To this shallow box we fit a block or thick plate on two
opposite sides of which are loops through which loops the stirrup straps pass and
to which they are attached. The block or plate to which the stirrup straps are
attached fits closely but not tightly in the box on the pommel and the weight of
the rider holds the said block very firmly in its place in the box. If however the
rider is thrown on either side, whether backwards or forwards, the changed position
of the stirrup strap or straps causes any pressure on the straps not only not to
press the block down to its seat in the box but to draw it out of the box and
thereby liberate both the stirrups from the saddle. That is, while vertical pressure
on the stirrups presses the block firmly to its seat in the box, oblique pressure on
the stirrups such as arises when the rider is thrown and his feet are engaged in the
stirrups lifts the block from the box and thereby disengages the stirrups from the
Baddle.
In order to prevent the accidental raising of the block from the box by any.
violent motion of the horse or rider, one or more light spring tongues attached to
the box may be made to press on the block and maintain it in its place in the box.
Or light springs on the flaps of the saddle may press upon the stirrup straps and
prevent their motion excepting under great strain such as is put on them when the
rider is thrown. In this case neither the springs on the box nor those on the flaps
of the saddle prevent the efficient working of the apparatus.
We do not limit, ourselves to the shape of the box nor to the making of it in
metal, nor do we limit ourselves to the attaching of the stirrup straps to the.
opposite sides of one block as each stirrup strap may have a separate block, the two
blocks engaging in one box; or each may have an independant box.

page_text: For greater security the foot or leg of the rider may be connected by a light
strap to the stirrup or stirrup strap.
Our invention is applicable to ladies' saddles as well as to gentlemen's saddles.
Figure 1 and 2 represent side elevations of a gentleman's saddle to which safety
apparatus constructed according to our invention is applied; Figure 3 represents a
side elevation of a part of the saddle and exhibits the spring tongue used for
holding the stirrup strap in its place; Figure 4 represents in front elevation;
Figure 5 in plan and Figure 6 in section the pommel of the saddle and the safety
apparatus; Figure 7 represents the pommel and the shallow box without the
stirrup strap blocks or plates; Figure 8 represents the box and stirrup strap
blocks engaged together, drawn of the full size; Figure 9 represents a plan of the
box separately and Figure 10 represents in front elevation, side elevation and plan,
one of the stirrup strap blocks and Figure 11 represents in front elevation side
elevation and plan the other stirrup strap block drawn to the same scale as
Figure 8.
In Figure 1 the stirrup straps are represented attached to the saddle and in
Figure 2 disconnected from the saddle on the rider being thrown backwards.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 11.
a is the shallow rectangular box screwed to the pommel of the saddle; b, c are
the blocks or plates which fit closely in the said box a. Or in place of the two
blocks b, c a single block fitting in the box a may be employed. Each block or
plate b, c is furnished with a loop 62, c' to which the two stirrup straps d, e are
respectively attached. Along the meeting face of the block b is a rib and along
the meeting face of the other block c is a groove for the rib described to take into
or engage with,
In fitting the stirrup straps d, e to the saddle, the said straps are first engaged
with the restraining spring tongues hereinafter described and the said blocks
connected together by the engagement of the rib on one of them with the groove
in the other. A single block is thereby virtually formed which is placed in the
box a. The stirrup straps are thus connected to the saddle, the weight of the rider
and the vertical pressure on the said straps combined with the action of the
restraining spring tongues holding the compound block firmly in its place in the
box a
If the rider is thrown on either side, whether backwards or forwards,
the oblique pressure on the stirrup straps d, e lifts the block b, c from the box a
thereby disengaging the stirrup straps, in the stirrups on which the rider's feet are
engaged, from the saddle as illustrated in Figure 2.
To prevent the accidental raising of the blocks b, c from the box a by any
violent motion of the horse or rider, a tongue f is attached to each flap of the
saddle by a pin g on which the said tongue is capable of moving in one or other
direction. The tongue f is kept to its place by the spring h crossing the said
tongue. Before the blocks b, c of the stirrup straps d, e are engaged with the
box a each strap is engaged with its spring tongue f on the flap by means of
the loop i on the strap being slipped upon the free end of the spring tongue in the
manner illustrated in Figure 1. The stirrup straps are thereby prevented from
making a side movement excepting when oblique pressure is put on them such as
arises when the rider is thrown.
When the rider is thrown backwards the spring tongue f takes the position
indicated in dotted lines at f³ Figure 3 and when the rider is thrown forwards the
spring tongue takes the position indicated at f³ Figure 3.
When each stirrup strap has a separate block attached to it an independent box
may be used for each block to take into.
In applying our invention to a lady's saddle in which a single stirrup strap only
is used the box for receiving the block or plate on the end of the single stirrup
strap is fixed on the flap of the saddle over the spring tongue.
Figure 12 represents the said box which is fixed to the flap of the lady's saddle
in conjunction with the block of the stirrup strap and spring tongue. Figure 13

page_text: represents in side elevation, partly in section, the box and block together with the
stirrup strap and Figure 14 a front elevation and side elevation of the block
separately. The box h is carried by the fixing plate which is rivetted to the flap
of the lady's saddle. The said box h is slightly inclined internally; kis the block
for taking into the said box h. On the top of the block k is the loop k* to which
the stirrup strap e is connected. The action of the safety apparatus described and
represented for connecting the stirrup strap to a lady's saddle is the same as that
herein first described. That is to say, oblique pressure in either direction on the
stirrup strap e causes the block k to be lifted from the box h and the stirrup strip
disengaged from the saddle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that
we claim :-
First. The construction and combination of the parts of safety apparatus for
connecting stirrup straps to saddles herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 11, both inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the
combination of a shallow box or boxes on the pommel of the saddle with a block
or thick plate on the end of each stirrup strap for fitting in the said box or boxes;
or connecting both stirrup straps to one block or plate, the said block fitting in a
shallow box on the pommel, the several parts being constructed and acting sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The modification of the parts of the safety apparatus for ladies'
saddles herein before described and illustrated in Figures 12, 13 and 14 of the
accompanying Drawings
Thirdly. The combination with our improved safety apparatus, of the spring
tongue or tongues herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings for preventing the accidental raising of the block from the box on the
pommel or flap of the saddle.