IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY SADDLE BARS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SAINT AUBIN of Bloxwich in the County of Stafford,
Mechanician and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY SADDLE BARS" to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the construction of safety saddle bars which shall-in
cases of accident-prevent the riders of horses from being dragged, in consequence
of their not being able to extricate their feet from the stirrups, or the stirrup
leathers from the saddle bars.
Now my invention has a threefold advantage, namely should a rider be thrown
backward by his hor-e rearing, or in any other way-forward, or sideways, by his
suddenly halting or swerving, as is frequently the case, in either of the three cases
the stirrup leathers are instantly released from the saddle bars.
In constructing a safety saddle bar according to my improvements, that part of
the bar upon which the stirrup leathers hang I form in two halves, one half at the
back or nearest the saddletree and the body of the same which is fixed to the
saddle tree being in one and the same piece.
At any suitable distance from the upper part of this half upon which the stirrup
leathers are intended to hang, and in or about the centre of the width of the
bearing for the stirrup leathers I form a round hole from the centre of which I form
a circular recess in the front of the bar to the depth of the other half of the bar,
and in this recess I place a plate or piece of metal, circular at one end and
coinciding with the front of circular recess, and at the back of the other end
adjoining the upper part upon which the stirrup leathers are intended to hang
there is an angular or semicircular projection. This plate or piece of metal forms
the other half of the bar, and has a pin or stud at the back which turns and works'
in the round hole in the other half.
This half, having the round hole therein may or may not be shorter than the
width of the stirrup leathers and he rounded or suitably shaped at the back end.
Now by virtue of the front half of the bar turning and working upon a centre
pin or stud in the round hole in the other half of the bar, upon which the stirrup
leathers hang as well as upon this, so long as the stirrup leathers are well to the
front and over the centre of the pin or stud, the front half turning upon its centre
pin or stud, is held firmly in position, but the instant the leathers are beyond the
centre the back way, that instant the leathers are released from the bars.

page_text: So in like manner should a rider. be thrown forward or sideways, by virtue
of the front half turning upon its centre pin or stud either way, the stirrup
leathers are instantly released from the bars."
I do not however strictly confine myself to the exact details herein before
mentioned as the same may be variously modified without departing from the
principle.
•
1004
I WILLIAM HENRY SAINT AUBIN of Bloxwich in the County of Stafford
Mechanician and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
** IMPROVEMENTS IN-SAFETY SADDLE BARS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
'statement:-
In constructing Safety Saddle Bars according to my improvements I form the
bars in two halves, one half A being fixed to the saddle tree in the usual way that
all bars are fixed, and the other half B turning and working in a circular ended
recess C in the front or side of the bars, upon a pin or stud, D in about the middle
of the width of the stirrup leathers, and at a suitable distance below the upper
part of the same upon which the stirrup leathers hang.
It will thus be seen that the stirrup leathers though actually hanging upon both
halves, the half of the bars which are fixed to the saddle tree really supports the
weight or pressure of the rider, whilst so soon as a horse rears the other halves
turn upon their centre pins or studs in a downward direction and the stirrup
leathers slip off back wards, so in like manner should a rider be thrown forward or
sideways the stirrup leathers would pull theso latter halves in an upward direction
and come off with the rider instantly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1-The improved construction of safety saddle bars in two halves substantially
as herein before described.
2-The improved method of releasing the stirrup leathers in cases of accidents
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 30th day of December 1884.
WILLIAM HENRY SAINT AUBIN.