Improved Means of Lowering Stirrups to Facilitate Mounting.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Lowering Stirrups to Facilitate Mounting.
IWALTER HIRST HILLIER of Nailsworth in the County of Gloucester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has reference to means for lowering stirrups for the purpose of
enabling a rider to mount his horse more readily.
With this object in view it has already been proposed to construct stirrups with a
step either permanently fixed below the tread of the ordinary stirrup or hinged or
otherwise attached to the stirrup iron so as to be capable of being lowered to a position
some five or six inches below the ordinary tread; then, when the rider has mounted
by means of the step the pressure of his foot upon a releasing device has allowed of
the step being raised by means of a spring with which it has been provided. The use
of a step as referred to is however objectionable because it is not always an easy
matter for the rider to transfer his foot from the step to the stirrup proper when his
horse is restive besides the step, even when in the raised position, is very noticeable
and this is disliked by many horsemen.
Now according to my invention instead of fitting the stirrup with a step or
supplementary stirrup to he temporarily lowered at the time of mounting, I provide
the stirrup leather with means whereby it together with the stirrup can be readily
lowered to the exteni of about six inches or to such distance as may be arranged, and
then after the rider has mounted can be readily returned or drawn up to the normal
position either by means of a strap or cord pulled by the rider or by means of a spring
released by the rider or in any other suitable manner.
My invention can be carried into effect in various ways. For example instead of
connecting the upper end of the stirrup leather to a metal hook or loop on the saddle
as usual, attach it to a lever one end of which is pivotted to the saddle tree.
This lever in the normal position of the stirrup is held up by a hook or retaining
device. in order to lower the stirrup this hook is released, when the lever falls
together with the stirrup leather and stirrup, which latter consequently descends the
prearranged distance, say six inches. When the rider is mounted he has simply to
pull up the lever until it is again caught by the retaining book; the stirrup will then
again be in the normal position. The pulling up of the lever can be effected by means
of a strap or cord or directly by hand."
According to another way I fasten to the saddle preferably to the metal hook which
usually supports the leather, a plate having a vertical slot with a catch at its upper
end. I attach the leather to a hook having a boss or button which moves in the slot,
In the normal position of the stirrup the boss is retained by the catch at the top of
the slot. When it is desired to lower the stirrup for mounting the boss is moved out
of the catch and then runs down the slot thus allowing the leather and stirrup to
descend. After the rider has mounted the parts are returned to their normal position,
and this can be effected either by pulling them up by a strap or cord or by means of
a spring which was set by the pulling down of the leather. A flat spring is fitted in
the slot to throw the boss into the catch when it reaches the top.
Dated this 16th day of Jannary 1889
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Lowering Stirrups to Facilitate Mounting.
1, WALTER HIRST HILLIER of Nailsworth in the County of Gloucester, Engineer,
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
My invention has reference to means for lowering stirrups for the purpose of
enabling a rider to mount his horse more readily.
With this object in view it has already been proposed to construct stirrups with a
step either permanently fixed below the tread of the ordinary stirrup or hinged or
otherwise-attached to the stirrap iron so as to be capable of being lowered to a
position some five or six inches below the ordinary-tread; then when the rider has
mounted by means of the step the pressure of his foot upon a releasing device-has-
allowed of the step being raised by means of a spring with which it has been provided.
The use of a step as referred to is, however, objectionable because it is not always an
easy matter for the rider to transfer his foot from the step to the stirrup proper when
his horse is restive; besides the step even when in the raised position is very
noticeable and this is disliked by many horseinen.
Now according to my invention instead of fitting the stirrup with a step or
supplementary stirrup to be temporarily lowered at the time of mounting, I provide
the stirrup leather with means whereby it together with the stirrup can be readily
lowered to the extent of about six inches or to such a distance as may be arranged,
and then after the rider-has-mounted can be readily returned or drawn up to the
normal position either by means of a strap or cord pulled by the-rider-or by means of
a spring released by the rider, or in any other suitable manner.
The annexed drawings illustrate various ways in which my invention can be carried
into effect. The first of these ways is shown in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 1 being an
elevation and Figure 2 a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 1 of a device whereby the
stirrup leather and stirrup can be lowered, the parts being shown in the raised or
normal position, while Figure 3 is an elevation of the device when the parts are in
the lowered position to facilitate mounting. The upper end of the stirrup leather (not
shown) is attached to a loop a carried by one end of a plate the other end of which
is hinged to the lower end of another plate c; the upper end of this plate c has a
transverse pin e to which is hinged a hook d by means of which the device is attached
to the saddle bar (sometimes called the stirrup-bar). In the normal or raised position
(Figures 1 and 2) the plate with the loop a and stirrup leather is held by a catch f
which is pivoted on the pine and is fitted with a spring g acting against its tail h to
keep it in position. When it is required to lower the stirrup the catch fis lifted by
hand clear of the plate and this plate then drops into the position seen in Figure 3.
When the rider has mounted he lifts the plate by hand and presses it against the
plate e until it is caught by the spring catch f.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent a device similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3
except that the plate e has a part i at top which is rivetted or fixed to the saddle-tree,
while instead of the loup a to which the stirrup leather is secured the ordinary
saddle bar or stirrup bar k is carried by the plate b and has the stirrup leather
attached to it.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 represent a modification which differs from that shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 in that the separate spring catch is dispensed with and the
hook d is formed at its lower end with a catch which in the norinal or raised
position of the parts passes through a slot or aperture m in the plate b and catches
under the top part n of this plate. To lower the stirrup the plates b and c are moved
outwards on the pin e as a centre sufficiently to lift the part n clear of the catch !;
the plate 6 with the leather and stirrup will then drop into the position seen in
Figure 9. When the rider has mounted he lifts the plate by hand so as to engage
the part n with the catch l.

page_text: Figure 10 illustrates a way of carrying out my invention in which there is fastened
to the saddle bar or stirrup bar k by means of a hook da plate having a vertical
slot p with a catch 9 at its upper end. The stirrup leather is attached to a loop a
having a boss or button r which moves in the slot p. In the normal position of the
stirrup the boss r is retained in the catchy at the top of the slot. When it is desired
to lower the stirrup for mounting, the boss is moved out of the catch and then runs
down the slot to the position seen in the figure; the leather and stirrup are thus lowered..
After the rider has mounted the parts are returned to their normal position, and this
can be readily effected by pulling them up by means of a strap or cord connected to
the loop a or to the boss 1. s is a flat spring fitted in the slot p to throw the boss r
into the catch when it reaches the top.
Figure 11 illustrates a way of carrying out the invention in which the stirrup
leather is attached to one part a of a double loop a a' fixed to a thong u which is
attached to a hook d on the saddle bar k. The hook d is formed in a piece with a
catch or hook f. In the normal position of the stirrup the part a' of the double loop
is hooked on to the catch fand is kept in place by the spring 8. In order to lower
the stirrup the loop a' is unhooked and the parts then drop into the position seen in
the Figure.
Figure 12 is a side view of a saddle showing the device illustrated in Figures 1, 2
and 3 fitted thereto, the stirrup being in the lowered position for mounting.
Figure 13 is a similar view but showing the stirrup in its normal position.
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
1. The combination with a stirrup leather, of means whereby it together with the
stirrup can be readily lowered to facilitate mounting, and then after the rider has
mounted be readily returned to the normal position, substantially as set forth.
2. The several devices or means substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the annexed drawings for lowering stirrups to facilitate mounting.
Dated this 14th day of October 1980
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.