Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept, 1887
Complete Left, 17th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
1, ALFRED DOUGLAS-HAMILTON OI Swainston Park, Isle of wight, Darrister at Law,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to improvements in saddle bars and the attachment of stirrup
leathers thereto so that the stirrup leathers shall be securely held when riding but shall
become readily disengaged from the saddle when the rider is thrown.
For this purpose I construct the saddle bar as a loop open at one end, the lower
limb of the loop having the loop of the stirrup leather passed over it, while the upper
limb has attached to it, by a flexible or hinged joint, a tongue of stiff or rigid material
which is passed in a downward direction through a slot in the saddle or in a plate
fixed thereto, so that the saddle bar is suspended in a horizontal or slightly inclined
position from such tongue. Thus when the saddle bar is subjected to the ordinary
downward pull of the stirrup leather in riding, it effectually supports the same, as the
tongue, being rigid, cannot be drawn out of its slot by such pull, while if the rider is
thrown on the same side of the horse as the stirrup by which his foot is held, the
stirrup leather on that side will readily slip off its bar, and if he is thrown on the
opposite side so as to carry the stirrup over the saddle with him, then the stirrup
leather being pulled in an upward direction will first turn the saddle bar upwards on
its pliable or hinged connection with the tongue, and will then readily draw this in an
upward direction out of its slot.
I prefer to make the said tongue of stiff leather or of metal and leather combined,
and to connect it to the upper limb of the saddle bar by a piece of thin pliable leather.
The tongue may however also be made entirely of metal and may be connected to the
stiriup bar by a metal hinge.
As the lower limb of the saddle bar is so formed that the stirrup leather will readily
slip off it when subjected to a lateral drag, on the rider being thrown as described, I
provide means whereby it is prevented from slipping off accidentally such as when
subiect to a certain rearward pull in jumping.
"

page_text: For this purpose 1 attach to the saddle, at a point on the front side of the stirrup
leather, one end of a strap or strip of stiff material, by preference leather, india rubber
or gutta percha or either one of these combined with metal, so arranged as to pass
across the stirrup leather and having at its other end, extending beyond the latter, a
projecting knob or cushion which may be conveniently formed by tightly rolling up
the end of the leather, india rubber or gutta percha, so that when this strap or strip
is covered by the saddle flap, and the pressure of the rider's leg is put upon the latter,
the knob or cushion on the free end of the strap will be pressed against the saddle
with sufficient force to prevent the stirrup leather from being drawn off the bar, while
when the rider is thrown and consequently the knob is relieved of pressure, it will
offer no resistance to the drawing off of the stirrup leather.
Instead of forming the knob or cushion on the end of a strap or strip as described,
it may be fixed on the inner face of the saddle flap, and if desired it may be made to
fit into a slight recess in the saddle leather.
According to another arrangement, the strap or strip attached as above described, is
passed underneath the stirrup leather and is then bent over so as to pass back over the
same, the free end being inserted into a loop or slit on the saddle leather or plate, so
that the stirrup leather is ordinarily securely held by the loop of the strap, but when
the
pressure on the latter ceases on the rider being thrown, the lateral or upward pull
on the stirrup leather will at once release it from the strap.
The above described arrangements for securing the stirrup leathers by means of a
strap or strip may be used in combination with any arrangements of saddle bars of
known construction as well as with that above described.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: leathers thereto.
I, ALFRED DOUGLAS-HAMILTON, of Swainston Park, Isle of Wight, Barrister at Law,
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:-
My invention relates to improvements in saddle-bars, and the attachment of stirrup-
leathers thereto so that the stirrup-leathers shall be securely held when riding but shall
become readily disengaged from the saddle when the rider is thrown with his foot held
fast in a stirrup-iron.
For this purpose, I construct the saddle-bar as a loop, open at one end, the lower
limb of the loop having the loop of the stirrup-leather passed over it, while the upper
limb has attached to it, by a flexible or hinged joint, a tongue of stiff or rigid material
which is passed in a downward direction through a slot in the saddle or in a plate fixed
thereto, so that the saddle-bar is suspended in a horizontal or slightly inclined position
from such tongue. Then, when the saddle-bar is subjected to the ordinary downward
pull of the stirrup-leather in riding, it effectually supports the same as the tongue,
being rigid, cannot be drawn out of its slot by such pull, while if the rider is thrown
on the same side of the horse as the stirrup by which his foot is held, the stirrup-
leather on that side will readily slip off its bar, and if he is thrown on the opposite
side so as to carry the stirrup over the saddle with him, then the stirrup-leather, being
pulled in an upward direction will first turn the saddle-har upwards on its pliable or
hinged connection with the tongue, and will then readily draw this in an upward
direction out of its slot.
I prefer to make the said tongue of metal and to connect it to the stirrup-bar by a
metal hinge. It may however be made of stiff leather or of metal and leather
combined and be connected to the upper limb of the saddle-bar by a piece of pliable
leather.
As the lower limb of the saddle-bar is so formed that the stirrup-leather will readily
slip off it when subjected to a lateral and downward drag on the rider being thrown
as described, I provide means whereby it is prevented from slipping off accidentally
such as when subject to a certain rearward pull in jumping, or riding up steep
ascents.
For this purpose, I attach to the saddle at a point on the front side of the stirrup-
leather, one end of a strap or strip of stiff material by preference leather, india-rubber,
gutta percha, or metal, or a combination of any two or more of these materials, so
arranged as to pass across the stirrup-leather and having at its other end extending
beyond the stirrup-leather a projecting knob or cushion which may be conveniently
formed by tightly rolling up the end of the leather, india-rubber or gutta percha, so
that when this strap or strip is covered by the saddle skirt, and the pressure of the
rider's leg is put upon the latter, the knob or cushion on the free end of the strap

page_text: will be pressed against or into a recess in the saddle with sufficient force to prevent
the stirrup-leather from being drawn off the bar, while when the rider is thrown and
consequently the knob is relieved of pressure it will offer no resistance to the drawing
off of the stirrup-leather.
Instead of forming the knob or cushion on the end of a strap or strip as described
it may be fixed on the inner face of the saddle skirt, and, if desired, may be made to
fit into a recess in the saddle.
According to another arrangement the strap or strip above described is attached
to the saddle underneath or behind the stirrup-leather, so that the free end of it points
towards the rear of the saddle, and is then bent back so as to pass over the same, the
free end being either unconfined or inserted into a loop or slit on the saddle flap, so
that the stirrup-leather is ordinarily securely held by the loop of the strap but when
the pressure on the latter ceases on the rider being thrown, the lateral or upward pull
on the stirrup-leather, when the foot of the rider remains in the stirrup, will at once
release it from the strap.
The above described arrangements for securing the stirrup-leathers by means of a
strap or strip may be used in combination with any arrangements of saddle-bars of
known construction as well as with that above described.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shews the before described detachable saddle-
bar A in position on the saddle with its tongue B inserted in a slot F in the latter,
the stirrup-leather C being held securely in position on the bar by the strap or strip D
fixed to the saddle at d, and passing across the stirrup-leather as shewn, in which
position it is held by the pressure on the saddle-skirt exerted by the riders leg
or knee.
Fig. 2 shews the bar A detached with its tongue B extended, the tongue being in
this case supposed to be entirely of metal and connected to the saddle-bar by a
hinge-joint.
Fig. 3 shews the position of the parts when the rider is thrown on the opposite side
of the horse having his foot held in the stirrup as before described; the stirrup-
leather C, being drawn upward, throws back the strap or strip D and after turning
up the saddle-bar A on its hinge, pulls the tongue B out of the slot, thus freeing the
stirrup-leather.
Fig. 4 shows the position of the parts when the rider is thrown on the same side
of the horse as the stirrup in which his foot is held as before mentioned, the pressure
on the saddle skirt being removed there is nothing to hold the strap I) in its former
position, and consequently the lateral drag exercised by the weight of the rider
hanging on the stirrup-leather causes it to be drawn off the saddle-bar as shewn.
Fig. 5 shows a modification of the foregoing construction in which the strap D is
attached to the saddle at d on the front side of the stirrup-leather, the free end being
directed to the rear side, where it is provided with a knob or cushion K on its inner
face that fits into a recess R in the saddle when the strap is pressed inwards by the
pressure of the riders leg, and thus confines the stirrup leather C as before. On the
rider being thrown, the strap is free to be pushed open by the stirrup leather as shown
at Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 shews a modified arrangement in which the hinged or flexibly attached
tongue B is formed on the stirrup leather C itself, as shewn detached at Fig. 8
instead of upon the saddle bar A before described, and which in this case is fixed to
the saddle in the present usual way. The stirrup-leather is held securely in position
by a strap D as before.
The strap may have its end passed through a loop on the saddle as shewn or it may
simply be held by the pressure of the saddle skirt as in the former case. On the
stirrup-leather being pulled up over the saddle in consequence of the rider being
thrown on the side opposite to that of the stirrup in which his foot is held, it will
release itself from the strap D and its tongue B will then be drawn out of the space
between the bar A and the saddle.
On the other hand, on being subjected to a backward drag caused by the rider
falling on the same side of the horse as that of the stirrup in which his foot is held,

page_text: it will pull open the strap D and will then be drawn off the bar A as in the case of
the loop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A stirrup-leather attachment for saddles wherein the connection of the stirrup-
leather to the saddle is effected by a flexibly jointed or hinged tongue, the stirrup
leather being at the same time held by a strap or strip passing across it, which strap
or strip is released on the rider being thrown (having his foot held in the stirrup) so
as either to allow the said tongue to be drawn out of its attachment or to allow the
stirrup leather to slip off the saddle bar, substantially as herein described.
2. The use for saddles, of a saddle bar having a rigid tongue connected thereto by
a flexible joint or hinge and adapted to slide in and out of a slot in the saddle,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
3. The use, in combination with an open ended saddle-bar, of a strap or strip
attached at one end to the saddle and arranged to pass across the stirrup-leather just
below or on a level with the saddle-bar so as to prevent the former from slipping off
the latter except when the rider is thrown, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 17th day of May 1888
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.