An Improved Stirrup Bar for Saddles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Stirrup Bar for Saddles.
I JOHN EDGAR HEAD of 67 Ebury Street London in the County of Middlesex
Saddler and Harness Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of stirrup bars known as "safety" stirrup
bars which should the rider be thrown automatically release the stirrup and is
particularly applicable to lady's side-saddles.
Now according to this invention I take a metal plate and turn up a portion of
the lower edge thereof to form a shallow hook or catch.
To this plate I attach a hinged metal flap having its lower edge formed in such a
manner as to cover the hook on the plate the said flap being attached to the plate
by a screw or rivet so as to allow it to move in two directions at right angles to
each other namely round the rivet or screw and away from the saddle by means of
the hinge.
The stirrup leather passes through a square metal eye or buckle which rests in
the hook or catch on the plate.
The plate is rivetted or otherwise secured to the saddle tree and a piece of
leather is attached to the saddle to cover the stirrup bar a tab on the said leather
passing through a runner or loop on the stirrup leather keeps it down whilst the
rider is mounting.
The metal flap is prevented from moving by the pressure of the rider's thigh.
on the said piece of feather but should he or she be thrown the eye or buckle
aforesaid presses against the metal flap and pulls it backward or turns it upwards
and the stirrup leather is released from the hook no matter in what direction the
rider falls.
1
11 1. of Act 1809
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Stirrup Bar for Saddles.
I, JOHN EDGAR HEAD, of 67 Ebury Street, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Saddler and Harness Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
66 safety stirrup
This invention relates to that class of stirrup bars known as
bars" (which, should the rider be thrown, automatically release the stirrup) and is.
particularly applicable to ladys side saddles.
Now according to this invention I take a metal plate and turn up a portion of
the lower edge thereof to form a shallow hook or catch.
To this plate I attach a binged metal flap having its lower edge formed in such
a manner as to cover the hook on the plate the said flap being attached to the
plate by a screw or rivet and capable of movement in two directions at right angles
to each other namely rotation round the rivet or screw and away from the saddle by
means of the hinge.
The stirrup leather passes through a square metal eye or buckle which rests in
the hook or catch on the plate.
The plate is riveted or otherwise secured to the saddle tree and a piece of

page_text: leather is attached to the saddle to cover the stirrup bar a tab on the said leather
passing through a runner or loop on the stirrup leather keeps it down whilst the
rider is mounting.
The metal flap is prevented from moving by the pressure of the riders thigh
on the said piece of leather but should he or she be thrown the eye or buckle
aforesaid presses against the metal flap and pulls it backwards or turns it upwards
and the stirrup leather is released from the hook no matter in what direction the
rider falls.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will proceed
to explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings in
which:-
Figure 1 represents front view of a safety stirrup bar constructed according to
this invention ready for attaching to a saddle.
Figure 2 is side view of same.
Figure 3 is view of same shewing eye for attaching to stirrup leather in the act
of being released.
Figure 4 is view of underside of flap attached to the saddle.
Figures 5 and 6 shew my invention fitted to a lady's saddle.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is a piece or plate of steel, brass, or other suitable metal having the lower
portion thereof formed into a hook or catch b, attached to the plate a by means of
the rivet c is a metal flap made in two portions de hinged together at f. The free
end of the portion e is bent as shewn at g Figure 2 as to form a cover for the hook
or catch b.
h is an eye to which is attached the stirrup leather i and to prevent the said eye
from turning round in the stirrup leather I form thereon a projection or lug j
which is placed between the two thicknesses of leather to which the stirrup is
attached and held firmly in place by the stitching by which the two thicknesses of
leather are attached to each other.
The eye or buckle / normally rests in the hook or catch as shewn at Figure 1.
The plate a is secured to the saddle tree by rivets or screws passing through the
holes kkk. m is a pin or stud riveted or otherwise secured to the plate a to prevent
the hinged piece de from moving too far forward a slot n being formed in the
piece e to enable the pieces de to rotate round the rivet c as a pivot.
The piece e is also capable of motion away from the saddle on the hingef as a
pivot as shewn by dotted lines Figure 2. In order to keep the pieces de in the
normal position I cover the whole with a leather flap o see Fig. 4 to which is
attached a piece of metal or leather p having a hole g therein which drops over the
projecting portion of the piu or stud 'm and the portion pl of the piece p rests against
the hinder edge of the piece e and prevents its rotation the thigh of the rider when
Beated presses the flap down and keeps the whole of the apparatus in its normal
position.
0
In case the rider is thrown backwards or sideways the eye or buckle / and the
pieces de would move in the direction of the arrows as shewn in Figure 3 and
release the stirrup leather from the hook b the portion of the said eye or buckle
being formed as shewn at Figure 2 to allow it to pass over the hook or catch b.
If the rider is thrown forwards the piece e would rotate on the hinge pin as shewn
in dotted lines Figure 2 and release the eye and the stirrup leather from the
catch or hook b.
To prevent the stirrup leather from becoming detached from the saddle when the
rider is mounting or at other times when the rider is not unseated I form a tab
(see Figures 5 and 6) on the flap o which passes through a loop s or runner on
the stirrup leather and holds the said flap down while the rider mounts or in
case the horse shies or swerves when the rider is seated.
According to a modification of my invention the tab and runner are dispensed
with and the picce e', shewn at Figure 1 is attached to or formed integral with the
piece e for the same purpose.

page_text: According to another modification I dispense with the tab and runner and form
the lower portion of the piece e with a tail piece ell as shewn in Figure 3.
In both of these modified forms of my invention the pressure of the riders foot
on the stirrup prevents the same from becoming detached from the saddle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
I. In a stirrup bar for saddles the combination of a plate a having a hook or
catch 6 at the lower portion thereof with a hinged flap d e pivoted thereto,
substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose stated.
II. In a stirrup bar for saddles the combination of a plate a having a hook or
catch 6 at the lower portion thereof and a hinged flap pivoted thereto with an eye
or buckle h substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose stated.
III. In a stirrup bar the piece p attached to the flap o substantially as herein-
before described and for the purpose stated.
IV. The modifications of the piece e shewn at Figures 1 and 3 substantially as
hereinbefore described and for the purpose stated.
V. The improved stirrup bar for saddles substantially as hereinbefore described
and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of June 1893.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.