AN IMPROVED STIRRUP
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nelson Hutchinson, of Wellesbourne,
near Bideford, in the County of Devon, General in Her Majesty's
Army, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED STIRRUP.”
Sealed the 6th August 1875, and dated the 11th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Nelson.
Hutchinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th February 1875.
I, WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON, of Wellesbourne, near Bideford,
in the County of Devon, General in Her Majesty's Army, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STIRRUP," to
be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved stirrup, by means of which a
rider is enabled to more casily mount the back of a high horse without
requiring the aid of a mounting block. For this purpose I make the

page_text: stirrup legs tubular to receive the limbs of an extensible step, which
This
fits snugly beneath the foot plate of the stirrup when not in use.
step when drawn out is retained in its extended position by spring lever
catches (one on either side) fitted in recesses in the foot plate of the
stirrup, and taking into notches made in the limbs of the step. The
step is prevented from being drawn out too far by forming the top end
of each limb with a head to rest upon the foot plate when the step is
pulled down. A stud or pin at the extremity of one of the spring catches
in the foot plate of the stirrup projects through the same so as to be
depressed by the rider on placing his foot in the stirrup, thereby releasing
the catches, the step being returned to its normal position by means of
rubber or other springs contained within the tubular legs of the stirrup,
and attached at their lower ends to the sliding limbs of the step.
The mode of using the stirrup is as follows:-The rider immediately
before mounting pulls down the step so as to put the springs in tension,
the spring catches retaining it in this position, and places his foot
thereon to assist him in getting into the saddle. On being seated he
shifts his foot into the stirrup, when the pressure on the stud releases
the catches and the step is immediately returned by its springs to the
closed position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Nelson Hutchinson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NELSON HUTCHINSON, of Wellesbourne, near Bideford, in the County of 2
Devon, General in Her Majesty's Army, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year;
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and 3
grant unto me, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, Her special licence
that I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, my

page_text: of the stirrup with the extension drawn out for mounting. The same.
letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures wherever
they recur.
a is the foot plate or tread of the stirrup proper. Instead of being
made of a solid plate as usual it is made hollow or box like, as shown,
to contain spring catches, which retain the extension when drawn out.
The foot plate a is firmly attached to the legs 6 of the stirrup, which
are made hollow to receive the legs c of the second or extensible foot
plate d. This second foot plate d fits snugly in a recess in the under
side of the foot plate a when not in use, or it might be made thin and of
the same breadth as the foot plate a, and shut against the under side of
the same. It is firmly attached to the legs c, which slide telescopically
within the legs b. The movable legs c are also made hollow to contain
india-rubber or spiral springs e attached at their lower ends to the lower
part of the legs c and at their upper ends to the upper part of the legs b,
as shown at f. The legs c are each provided with a shoulder g at the
upper end, which when the extension is drawn out rest upon corre-
sponding shoulders at the bottom of the legs b, by which the extension.
is supported under the weight of the rider in mounting. h, h, are.
spring catches pivoting on pins i fixed transversely in plate a. The
nose of each catch h projects through a slot in the leg b, and when the
extension is drawn out and the springs put in tension, as shown in
Figure 3, engages with the upper end of the leg c, as shown, or engages
with notches therein, and prevents it rising until released by pressure
on a stud k, which rises through the foot plate a and is attached to the
tail end of one of the catches, which in turn bears upon the tail end of
the other catch. Immediately the catches are thus disengaged from the
legs o by the pressure of the rider's foot on the stud k the extension is
drawn up again by the action of the springs into the first position (shown
in Figure 1), and is completely concealed within the stirrup.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the combination with a stirrup constructed with hollow legs of
an extension consisting of a second or movable foot plate attached to legs
fitted and sliding within the legs of the stirrup, and provided with

page_text: springs and spring catches, all substantially as and for the purpose
herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.