IMPROVEMENTS IN RIDING SADDLES.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harvey, of Bishop's Stortford, in the
County of Herts, Saddler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RIDING SADDLES.".
Sealed the 17th March 1871, and dated the 21st September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harvey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1870.
I, WILLIAM HARVEY, of Bishop's Stortford, in the County of Herts,
Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN RIDING SADDLES," to be as follows :-
-
This Invention consists of an improved method of forming, combining
together, and fixing certain parts of riding saddles in their manufacture,
of which the following is an example :-
2
First. The tree is made quite level by filling between the iron straps,
flaps, and other parts, and then covering them with leather, which makes

page_text: a perfectly smooth surface for the panel; the webbs are also covered with
leather.
Secondly. The panel is made in two halves and is so fitted in the
saddle as to allow a free current of air to pass from front to back thereof
and leave the backbone of the horse quite free, taking all the bearing
on the fleshy part of the back of the horse. The panel is fitted in by
eight plates let into the top of the panel perfectly level with a key hole
which fits upon eight small studs fixed in the tree securely, thereby
dispensing altogether with nails as commonly practised and which so
often cause sore backs to horses. The whole is fixed in with a small
plate front and back making a very neat finish, and the above improved
method is much more secure than the whole fashion of nailing in the
panel.
Thirdly. The bearings of the panels are made of two layers of felt
with india-rubber placed between them to prevent the panel becoming
absorbed with perspiration, which has hitherto been found a great evil in
saddles as heretofore manufactured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Harvey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HARVEY, of Bishop's Stortford, in the County of Herts, Saddler, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Harvey, Her special licence
that I, the said William Harvey, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Harvey, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RIDING SADDLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Harvey, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Harvey, 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, that is to say:
This Invention relates more particularly to hunting and side saddles,
and consists of an improved method of forming, combining together, and
fixing certain parts thereof in their manufacture, of which the following
is an example:
First. The tree is made quite level by filling between the iron straps,
flaps, and other parts, and then covering them with leather, which makes
a perfectly smooth surface for the panel; the webbs are also covered
with leather.
Secondly. The panel is made in two halves, and is so fitted in the
saddle as to allow a free current of air to pass from front to back thereof
and leave the backbone of the horse quite free, taking all the bearing on
the fleshy part of the back of the horse. The panel is fitted in by plates
let into the top of the panel perfectly level with a key hole which fits
upon small studs fixed in the tree securely, thereby dispensing altogether
with nails as commonly practised, and which so often cause sore backs
to horses.
Thirdly. The bearings of the panels may be made of two layers of felt
with india-rubber placed between them, but I prefer to stuff them in the
usual way.
And in order to explain my said Invention more fully I will now
proceed to describe the means by which it may be accomplished in
practice, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively as follows:-

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the under surface of a saddle constructed
according to my said Invention, and as it would appear when spread out
and with one of the panels removed. Figure 2 is a cross section
through the line A, B, at Figure 1; Figure 3 shews one of the panels
detached from the saddle, and that side of the said panel at which the
the stuffing thereof is introduced; Figure 4 is a side view of the saddle.
At each of the above figures the same letters of reference denote
corresponding parts.
A marks one half of the saddle tree made quite level as before stated
and covered with leather, as also the webbs thereof; B are projecting
studs fixed securely in the tree; C, C, the flaps of the saddle made in
the ordinary way at Figure 1. D shews one of the panels fixed to the
tree of the saddle by means of plates a, a, shewn at Figure 3 fixed to
the panel by sewing. In making these panels the top of the panel
should be lined with strong canvass to prevent the leather stretching.
The plates a, a, are formed with a key hole 6 in each, the round part of
the key holes passes over the head of cach of the studs or pins B, and
by pushing the long part of the key holes over the shank of each stud
the heads of the studs will be securely held, as also the panel which is
further secured to the saddle by the fork E of the tree taking into the
pocket G of the panel, and by the small straps straps c, c, the holes
whereof pass over studs fixed to the saddle at 1, 2, of Figure 4. H
marks the flap for the girth straps; I marks a slit in the panel sewn up
as shewn, and by undoing which persons may stuff their own panels
without sending them to a saddler's for that purpose.
By the above method of connecting the panels of hunting and side
saddles they may be removed when required to be dried or restuffed.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of
my said Invention for "Improvements in Riding Saddles," together
with the means by which such improvements may be effected, I would
remark in conclusion that what I claim as my Invention intended to be
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is as
follows:-
I claim, first, making the tree of a hunting and side saddle level and
then covering it and the webb with leather to make a smooth surface
for the panel.

page_text: Secondly. Making the panels of hunting and side saddles in two
halves and connecting them to the saddle by studs taking into keyhole
plates and straps as above described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Harvey, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.