Year: 1898

page_text: I, PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, a Managing Director of Martins-Birmingham
Limited, of Granville Street, in the City of Birmingham, Leather Goods Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to riding saddles, principally of that type known as
the "semi-military," in which shifting or attachable and detachable panels are
employed, and my said invention has for one of its objects, to prevent the loss
of the screws which connect the panels to those parts of the saddle coming at
the junctions of the skirts with the pummel, and for a further object, to provide
the pummel or front of the saddle with a hand-hold or grip which a rider may
grasp by one hand whilst using a weapon in his other hand.
In carrying out my improvements, each side of the fore part of the panel,
which is adjacent to the pummel, is fitted with an inside screwed socket or
sleeve passed through corresponding holes in the overlapping edges of the flap
and skirt, whilst the fan, which is a tail and extension of the saddle tree, fits
into sockets in the after ends of the panel, so that when swivelly attachment
screws are wormed home into the socket, the connection of the panels to the
saddle is made.
"
The attachment screws on the opposite side of the saddle are connected
together by a curb or other pattern chain or strap with the middle part attached
by means of a link or D or other loop to a fixed ring or equivalent on the summit
of the pummel. This chain thus lies around the pummel and between the panel
attachment screws, whose heads may be hinged so as to lie flat when required,
whilst the shank of each screw-inwards of the head-may have a collar which
takes at the back of the eye of a long key-hole-shaped loop attachment to one
end of the grip chain. This arrangement admits of the head clearing the chain
when being rotated or turned.
When in action or drill a cavalry man may with one hand, lay hold of the
grip chain on the pummel (instead of laying hold of the pummel itself as is now
usual) and thus obtains a better purchase or hold in using his sword or weapon
in the other hand, whilst the said chain also provides a means for preventing
the attachment screws of the saddle panels from becoming lost, although the
said grip chain may be used solely to provide a better hold for the rider on
military, hunting and other saddles having either fixed or detachable panels.
Dated this 4th day of October 1898

page_text: Improvements in Riding Saddles.
I, PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, a Managing Director of Martins-Birmingham
Limited, of Granville Street, in the City of Birmingham, Leather Goods Manu-
facturers, 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:-
This invention relates to riding saddles, principally of that type known as
the "semi-military," in which shifting or attachable and detachable panels are
employed, and my said invention has for one of its objects, to prevent the loss
of the screws which connect the panels to those parts of the saddles coming at
the junctions of the skirts with the pummel, and for a further object, to provide
the pummel or front of the saddle with a hand-hold or grip which a rider may
grasp by one hand whilst using a weapon in his other hand.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a view, partly in section,
of the pummel end of a semi-military" riding saddle, in which the loss of the
screws which secure the detachable panels in position is prevented by a chain
attached at the middle to the pummel and to whose ends, the said screws are
swivelly connected, whilst the chain itself may constitute a hand grip for the
rider when using a weapon, in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a plan of the pummel end of the
said saddle, showing more clearly the connections between the grip chain, the
pummel and the panel screws.
Figure 3 is a plan of the connection between the chain and one of the panel
screws and Figure 4 is an elevation thereof.
Figure 5 is a view showing the connection link in section.
Figure 6 is a section of Figure 4 upon the dotted line a.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawing.
In carrying out my improvements, the fore part of each panel a, adjacent to
the pummel b, is fitted with an inside screwed socket or sleeve c, passed through
corresponding holes in the overlapping edges of the flap d, and skirt e, whilst
the fan, which is a tail end extension of the saddle tree, fits into sockets in the
after ends of the panel, so that when the swivelly attached screws f, are wormed
home into the sockets c, the connection of the panels to the saddle is made.
g.
The attachment screws f on the opposite side of the saddle are connected
together by a curb or other pattern chain g, with the middle part g', attached
by means of a link h, and D-loop h¹, to the summit of the pummel or other
suitable connections may be employed. This chain thus lies around the
pummel b, and between the panel attachment screws whose heads f', may be
-hinged so as to lie flat when required, whilst the shank f, of each screw inwards
of the head f, may have a collar f, which takes at the back of the eye g² of
a long key-holed shaped loop g, attached to one end of the grip chain This
arrangement admits of the head clearing the chain when being rotated or turned.
When in action or drill a cavalry man may with one hand, lay hold of the
grip chain on the pummel (instead of laying hold of the pummel itself as is now
usual) and thus obtains a better purchase or hold in using his sword or weapon
in the other hand, whilst the said chain also provides a means for preventing
the attachment screws of the saddle panels from becoming lost, although the
said grip chain may be used solely to provide a better hold for the rider on
military, hunting and other saddles having either fixed or detachable panels.

page_text: Instead of using a length of chain as the handle grip, I may employ a strap
or other length, suitably connected at its middle to the pummel, or to a suitable
fitting thereon, and at its ends either to the panel attachment screws or to the
saddle itself.
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:
First In riding saddles for military, hunting and other purposes, pro-
viding the pummel, or the pummel end, of the same, with an attached chain,
strap or equivalent grip, adapted to be grasped by the hand of a rider, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Secondly: In riding saddles having detachable panels, preventing the loss
of the panel attachment screws by swivelly connecting them to a chain, strap or
equivalent attached to the pummel end of a saddle and which may form a hand
grip, substantially as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1899.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.