IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLETREES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Blamiers, of Aldershot, in the County
of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLETREES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Blamiers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th June 1873.
I, THOMAS BLAMIERS, of Aldershot, in the County of Hants, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE-
TREES," to be as follows:-
1
My Invention relates more particularly to saddletrees for military
saddles. It is well known that the saddle is liable to gall the horse
unless it fits properly, and it has been usual hitherto to make military
saddles in several sizes with the object of obtaining as good a fit as
possible, but inasmuch as the condition, and consequently the shape of
the horse is subject to change, recourse has been had to a joint in the
front fork of the saddletree whereby the saddle could be enlarged or
contracted to fit the horse's back. This however did not ensure a
perfect fit owing to the use of a pivot joint, and the saddle was con-

page_text: sequently still liable to gall the horse. Moreover the pivot joint
weakened the saddletree considerably and rendered it very liable to be
broken with the rough usage to which it is subjected on service, when
it would be almost impossible to repair it.
Now by the improvements of my Invention the saddle is rendered
both stronger and lighter than that at present in use, and is more
durable and less expensive than those made with a pivot joint as above
mentioned. Moreover the parts are so constructed and fitted together
and as
that they can be readily taken apart by means of a twin screw,
only one size of saddletree would be required the parts can be made in
large numbers on the same patterns, and therefore interchangeable, so
that any part can be readily replaced when damaged.
My Invention consists, first, in providing a sliding joint in both the
front and rear "forks" so that the saddletree may be expanded or con-
tracted by moving the sides in a direct line towards or away from one
another instead of radially as when a pivot joint is used. The two halves
of each fork are connected together by studs on the one working in slots
in the other, and are rigidly secured in the required position by screw
nuts. By making the slots rather wider than the studs a slight radial
motion is obtained, as well as a sliding motion, which permits the angle
of the side boards to be varied and thus ensures an exact fit.
My Invention also consists in making the forks of saddletrees of angle
iron which may be L, I, or T shaped in cross section to combine
lightness with strength. It also consists in providing an additional stay
at the back of the hind fork at the points where it is attached to the
side boards, to strengthen the saddletree, and to admit of the latter
being repeatedly taken to pieces without weakening it; the side boards.
are attached to the forks by screws countersunk in the side boards and
screwing into holes tapped in the metal forks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Blamiers in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th December 1873.

page_text: broken by the rough usage to which it is subjected on service when it
would be almost impossible to repair it.
Now by the improvements of my Invention the saddle is rendered
both stronger and lighter than that at present in use, and is more
durable and less expensive than those made with a pivot joint as above
mentioned. Moreover the parts are so constructed and fitted together
that they can be readily taken apart by means of a turn screw, and as
only one size of saddletree would be required for broad and narrow
backs the parts can be made in large numbers on the same patterns, and
therefore interchangeable, so that any part can be readily replaced when
damaged.
My Invention consists, first, in providing a sliding joint in both the
front and rear forks so that the saddletree may be expanded or con-
tracted by moving the side bars in a right line towards or away from
one another instead of radially, as when a pivot joint is used. The two
halves of each fork are connected together by studs on the one working
in slots in the other, and are rigidly secured in the required position by
screw nuts, or by bolts and nuts passing through both. By making the
slots rather wider than the studs a slight radial motion is obtained, as
well as a sliding motion, which permits the angle of the side boards to
be slightly varied, and thus ensures an exact fit.
My Invention also consists in making the forks of saddletrees of angle
metal which may be L, I, or T shaped in cross section to combine
lightness with strength, the metal employed being either iron, steel,
bronze, or phosphor bronze. It also consists in providing an additional
stay at the back of the hind fork at the point where it is attached to the
side bars to strengthen the saddletree. This stay also serves to hold the
panels much more securely, the pocket of the panel being passed under
it and screwed down, for which purpose the screw of this stay is put in
from the top side and screws into a nut fitted in a recess on the under
side of the side bar. To admit of the saddletree being repeatedly taken
to pieces without weakening it, the side bars are attached to the forks
by flat headed screws, countersunk in the side boards, and screwing into
holes tapped in the metal forks.

page_text: shown expanded in red lines. Figure 3 is a transverse section of the
front fork on line 1-1, Figure 2; Figure 4 is a front view of the hind
fork; and Figure 5 is a cross section of the same on line 2-2, Figure 4.
a is the front fork; b, the hind fork; and c, c, are the side bars.
The front and rear forks a and b are made in two halves as before
mentioned, connected at the centre by a lap joint secured by two or
more screw studs d, d, fixed to one half of each of the forks a, b, and
passing through slots e, e, in the other half with nuts f, f, by which the
forks may be fixed at any width apart within the limit of movement
permitted by the slots e, so that the side bars c may be adjusted to the
angle as well as to the width required to fit the horse's back. Both
forks a, b, are fastened to the side bars c by screws g, having large flat
heads countersunk in the under surface of the side bars and screwing
into holes tapped in the metal forks. The front fork a is made of angle
iron or other metal, as shown in the cross section, and at the point
where it is attached to the side bar ca part h of the "web" of the metal
is bent up to form staples for the girth tabs i and the stirrup leathers
at k (see Figure 1) instead of the side bars c being slotted, as usual, the
part being secured by a part h¹. The rear fork 6 may either be
made of angle metal or flat metal, as shown. The rear fork b is made
with an additional stay at back to support it, and the front stay is bent
to form a staple for the girth tab i, a split girth being employed. The
girth tabs are simply slipped through their staples without being fastened
in any way, and are retained by a small piece of leather, riveted, or
otherwise fastened to their upper end, as shown, so that in the event of
the girth tabs being damaged they can readily be drawn out without
removing the saddle seat, flaps, or panels, and replaced by others. The
lap joint of the rear fork 6 also serves for fastening the saddle seat by
means of a strip of leather (not shown) sewn to the edge of the seat, and
clamped in the lap joint between the two halves of the fork. The strip
has slots corresponding to those e, and it is held securely by means of
additional narrow strips of leather sewn along its lower edge to increase
its thickness and prevent it being drawn out of the joint..
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the boroin before in next maited Tatt.