IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Huckvale, of No. 19, Huntingdon Street,
Barnsbury, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SADDLES."
Scaled the 6th September 1878, and dated the 19th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Huckvale at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1878.
THOMAS HUCKVALE, of No. 19, Huntingdon Street, Barnsbury, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in saddles.
The arrangement at present in use to permit the stirrup leather to escape when
the rider is thrown is only effective when the fall takes place on the same side as
the stirrup in which the foot hangs.
In order to permit the escape of the stirrup leather when the fall takes place on
the other side, and yet securely to hold the stirrup leather at other times, I place
upon the stirrup bar a spring hook, which when the rider is thrown across so that
the strain comes upon it in an outward and upward direction is able to yield to
allow the stirrup buckle to slip from off it.
When the fall is on the same side as the stirrup the hook itself is delivered in
the ordinary way from off the stirrup bar; or I arrange to slide on to the stirrup
bar a buckle, with a tongue by which the stirrup leather is retained jointed by its
upper end.
When the rider is thrown, so as to bring the stirrup over the saddle, the tongue
of the buckle lifts and allows the stirrup leather to pass off it; or I mount the
stirrup bar at the fore end upon a pin about which it is able to turn, and at its
hinder end I fix a blade spring pressing against or closely approaching the saddle
flap to keep the stirrup leather in its place, but capable of yielding to let the leather
pass off when the fall occurs on the stirrup side.
When the fall occurs, so that the leather is drawn over the saddle, the stirrup
bar lifts like a latch and lets the stirrup leather off.

page_text: To connect the stirrup with the leather I rivit a metal hook to the end of the
leather on one side, and on the other I rivit a blade spring, the end of which serves
to prevent the stirrup lifting from the hook.
Sometimes I split the leather and introduce the stem of the hook in such manner
that it is hidden when the leather is closed down upon it.
Buckles may be fixed by means of a metal loop rivetted on in a similar
manner.
In order to give a rider a firmer grip of the saddle I perforate the saddle flap to
receive small studs, by which, when required, I attach to the flaps cross ridges of
leather, beneath which the top of the boot passes. The studs pass through the
cross ridges and through the saddle flaps, and are secured at the back by split pins
or rings passed into holes in the ends of the studs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Huckvale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
September 1878.
THOMAS HUCKVALE, of No. 19, Huntingdon Street, Barnsbury, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in saddles.
The arrangements at present generally used to permit the stirrup leather to
escape when the rider is thrown are only effective when the fall takes place on
the same side as the stirrup in which the foot hangs, and although arrangements
have been suggested to permit of the escape of the stirrup leather when the fall
takes place on the other side, yet hitherto no satisfactory arrangements have been
suggested for this purpose.
In order to permit the escape of the stirrup leather when the fall takes place on
the other side, and yet securely to hold the stirrup leather at other times, I place
upon the stirrup bar a spring hook, which, when the rider is thrown across so that
the strain comes upon it in an outward and upward direction, is able to yield to
allow the stirrup buckle to slip from off. it..
When the fall is on the same side as the stirrup the hook itself is delivered in
the ordinary way from off the stirrup bar; or I arrange to slide on to the stirrup
bar a buckle, with a tongue by which the stirrup leather is retained jointed by its
upper end.
When the rider is thrown, so as to bring the stirrup over the saddle, the tongue
of the buckle lifts and allows the stirrup leather to pass off it; or I mount the
stirrup bar at its fore end upon a pin about which it is able to turn, and at its
hinder end I fix a blade spring, pressing against or closely approaching the saddle
flap to keep the stirrup leather in its place, but capable of yielding to let the leather
pass off when the fall occurs on the stirrup side.

page_text: When the fall occurs so that the leather is drawn over the saddle, the stirrup
bar lifts like a latch and lets the stirrup leather off.
To connect the stirrup with the leather I rivet a metal hook to the end of the
leather on one side, and to prevent the stirrup lifting from the hook I use a blade
spring or sliding clip.
Buckles may be fixed by means of a metal loop rivetted on in a similar
manner.
.
In order to give a rider a firmer grip of the saddle I perforate the saddle flap to
receive small studs, by which, when required, I attach to the flaps cross ridges of
leather, beneath which the top of the boot passes. The studs pass through the
cross ridges and through the saddle flaps, and are secured at the back by split pins
or rings passed into holes in the ends of the studs.
The Drawings hereunto annexed illustrate the several improvements above
described.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a cross section of the arrangement herein-
before first described. A is a hook by which the stirrup buckle B is hooked on to
the stirrup bar C that is attached to the saddle. When the fall is on the same side
as the stirrup the hook A is drawn backwards along the bar, and escapes from its
end in the ordinary manner as the spring catch D yields and allows it to escape.
When the fall takes place on the other side, and the stirrup leather is drawn over
across the top of the saddle the stirrup buckle is drawn upwards, and escapes from
the book as the spring front A' of the hook then yields and allows it to escape.
Figure 3 shews a side view, and Figure 4 a transverse section of the arrangement
next described. A is a buckle formed to hook on to and slide on the stirrup bar C;
B is tongue of the buckle turning on a joint at its upper end, and which
ordinarily retains the stirrup leather E. When the fall takes place on the same
side as the stirrup the spring catch D yields, and allows the buckle to slip off from
the stirrup bar in the ordinary manner. When the fall takes place on the opposite
side and the stirrup leather is drawn over the top of the saddle, the tongue of the
buckle lifts and allows the stirrup leather to go free.
Figure 5 shews a side view, and Figure 6 an end view of the arrangement in
which the stirrup leather is passed on to a stirrup bar C, which at its fore end is
free to turn upon a pin F, and at the hinder end carries a spring G, which springs
inwards towards the saddle flap and keeps the stirrup leather in its place. When
the fall occurs on the stirrup side this spring yields, and allows the stirrup leather
to slip off backwards. When the fall is on the opposite side the stirrup bar turns
up like a latch and lets the stirrup leather escape; H is a stop for the stirrup bar C
to rest on when in its ordinary position.
Figure 7 shews a side view of a similar arrangement to that above described,
except that the stirrup bar C in place of carrying a spring G at its rear end carries
a jointed catch D, held by a spring I in the position shewn in the Drawing, to
ordinarily retain the stirrup leather and yet allow it to escape if a fall takes place
on the stirrup side in the ordinary manner, and in addition also allow it to escape
if the fall takes place on the opposite side.
At Figures 8 I have shewn the way in which I attach the stirrup to a stirrup
leather; I rivet to one side of the end of the leather a metal hook K; the stirrup
hooks on to this hook, and to prevent the stirrup from getting off the hook I place
on to the leather a small sliding clip loop L, carrying a small piece of leather L' to
give a certain amount of friction and prevent the clip loop moving too easily.
When the stirrup is on the hook the clip loop is slid down into the position shewn
to retain it. When the stirrup is to be removed the loop is slid up, and the stirrup
can then be unhooked.
At Figures 9 I have shewn a buckle fixed to the end of a leather strap by a
metal loop rivetted on to it.
Figure 11 shews a side view of a saddle with the flaps perforated, to allow cross
ridges R of leather to be secured to them by studs O passed through the flaps and

page_text: cross ridges, as shewn at Figure 10, the studs being secured by split pins or rings
passed through the ends of the studs.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim the several improvements, sub-
stantially as herein-before described, in the fittings of saddles..
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Huckvale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
THOMAS HUCKVALE. (L.S.)