Improvements in Safety Attachments for Connecting Stirrups to . Saddles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 181.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Attachments for Connecting Stirrups to
. Saddles.
I, GEORGE CONRAD ROLLER, of Tadley, Basingstoke, in the County of Hants,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to my invention the stirrups are connected together and to the saddle
by a leather or strap that passes over the top of the saddle, hangs down at the
respective sides and is retained in place by fastening devices so contrived that in
the event of a rider being thrown the pull due to his feet or one of them being
in the stirrups or one stirrup will cause the stirrup leather or strap and both
stirrups to be readily and quickly released thus obviating the risk of dragging of
the rider on the ground. The fastening devices may be variously constructed.
In one arrangement a slight projection or projections on the saddle serves or serve
to prevent the stirrup leather or strap slipping towards the back of the saddle,
and studs on the saddle enter spring recesses or clips in the stirrup leather or
strap.
Dated this 7th day of August 1906
Improvements in Safety Attachments for Connecting Stirrups to
Saddles.
I, GEORGE CONRAD ROLLER, of Tadley, Basingstoke, in the County of Hants,
Esquire, 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 :-
According to my invention the stirrups are connected together and to the saddle
by a leather or strap that passes over the top of the saddle, hangs down at the
respective sides, and is retained in place by fastening devices so contrived that in
the event of a rider being thrown the pull due to his feet or one of them being
in the stirrups or one stirrup will cause the stirrup leather or strap and both
stirrups to be readily and quickly released, thus obviating the risk of dragging of
the rider on the ground. The fastening devices may be variously constructed.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying illustrative drawings are respectively a plan
and an end view partly in section on the line xx of Fig. 1, of a saddle provided
with one example of means according to this invention for connecting the stirrups
thereto, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail-views of the fastening devices used
therein.

page_text: Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 of a saddle provided with another
example of safety-attachments according to this invention.
In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the leather or strap 1 connecting together
the two stirrups 1" is normally retained in place on the saddle by two metal studs 2
(shown in end view in Fig. 2 and in back elevation in Fig. 5) having perforated
bases, by which they are riveted to the leather or strap 1, and peculiarly shaped
heads 3 which engage in recesses 4 in metal fittings 5 (shown in front elevation in
Fig. 3 and in plan in Fig. 4) provided with perforated lugs 6 by means of which
they are riveted to the side-bars 7 of the saddle tree. It will be seen that the
recesses 4 and the studs 2 are so formed that the greater the downward pressure
-on either stirrup the firmer will-be the engagement of the corresponding stud 2 in
its recess 4; whereas an upward and forward pull on the studs 2 such as would
occur if the rider were thrown, would easily and quickly disengage the studs from
the recesses.
In order normally to prevent the stirrup leather or strap 1 from slipping back-
wards on the saddle there may be a slight projection or projections on the saddle
immediately behind the leather or strap, but I prefer to embed the strap in a
groove 8 in the saddle, as shown. In the example now being described the rear
walls of the recesses 4 serve to assist in preventing backward movement of the
Jeather or strap.
In the example shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the stirrup leather or strap 1 is made in
two parts which are secured by riveting or otherwise to two metal strips or plates 9
which are hinged together at 10 and are provided at their outer ends with
projections 11 that spring into engagement with the lower edges of the side-bars 7
of the saddle when the plates 9 are pressed down into position, so as to firmly hold
the leather or strap in position whichever stirrup be stepped upon in the acting
upon the saddle. In order to assist the side-bars in supporting the weight of the
rider when mounting and also when it is unevenly distributed between the stirrups,
there are preferably secured to the plates 9 pins 12 which project from the under-
sides of the plates and fit in corresponding holes made in a metal or other plate or
bridge piece 13 that connects together the two side-bars 7. The strips or plates 9
fit into a recess or groove 8 to prevent them and the leathers or straps 1 slipping
backward on the saddle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
-claim is :-
1. Connecting a pair of stirrups together and to a saddle by a leather or strap
that passes over the top of the saddle, hangs down at the respective sides, and is
retained in place by fastening devices so contrived that in the event of a rider
being thrown the pull due to his feet or one of them being in the stirrups or one
stirrup will cause the stirrup leather or strap and both stirrups to be readily and
quickly released.
2. Safety-attachments for connecting stirrups to saddles, constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as herein before described with reference to and shown
in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and in Figs. 6 and 7, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of May 1807
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent..