Improvements in and connected with Riding Saddles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Riding Saddles.
We, JAMES TREES, of Goodall Street, Walsall, Staffordshire, Director, and
BRACE WINDLE BLYTH & COMPANY, LIMITED, of Goodall Street, Walsall,
aforesaid, Saddlers Ironmongers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
-
This invention has reference to riding saddles and consists firstly of improvements
in the manufacture of the saddle tree from sheet steel or other metal and secondly
in the riding saddle complete made up on the improved sheet metal sad lle tree.
In the Specification of a previous Patent No. 4725 of A.D. 1892 granted to
James Trees, one of the present applicants, and Henry Brace and Company, Limited,
a method of making saddle trees from sheet steel or other sheet metal is described
on which our present invention forms several improvements whereby the cost of
manufacture is considerably reduced and we are able to make the saddle trees much
lighter than heretofore without materially reducing the strength, and to facilitate,
and lessen the cost of, the making up of the complete saddle on the tree.
In carrying out this invention the seat plate of the saddle tree is shaped by dies
or otherwise made from one piece of sheet steel or other sheet metal either perforated
or plain and rivetted or otherwise secured to the underpart of the saddle tree herein-
after described. The cantle edge of the seat plate is strengthened and rounded by
being turned down and wired round the edge. The said underpart of the saddle
tree is made in one piece of steel or other sheet metal shaped in dies or otherwise
formed with the edges turned up and wired all round so as to strengthen and impart
a good finish to the same. The said underpart of the saddle tree includes:-
1st. Portions which answer to the two bearing pads which are disposed to fit
on the horse's back at each side of his spine and bear the seat plate up
therefrom;
2nd. The waist of the saddle tree which is the portion reaching from the said
bearing pads at the back to the fore-piece in the front of the saddle tree; and,
3rd. The fore piece which forms the points and gullett and carries the weight
thrown on the front part of the saddle and bears up the saddle tree from the horse's
withers.
The underside of the said fore piece of the saddle tree which forms the points
and gullett is strengthened by means of a strong steel or other metal strengthening
plate which extends from point to point all round the gullett and is rivetted or
otherwise fixed to the said underpart so as to secure the necessary rigidity and
strength which the front part of the tree requires.
The bars for the stirrup leathers are rivetted or otherwise secured on to the waist
of the saddle tree and also to the fore piece the said rivets passing through both the
sheet steel or other sheet metal of which the underpart of the tree is composed and
through the steel or other metal gullett plate.
When the saddle tree is required to be extra strong a steel or other metal bar
may be rivetted or otherwise fixed on each side of the saddle tree running from the
forepiece along the waist above the stirrup bars and extending along the upper side
of the bearing pads to the cantle end of the tree.
In making up the saddle on the metallic saddle tree above described, the seat
plate of the said tree is covered with felt, cork, horsehair, or other soft material to
give to the seat the necessary elasticity. The leather seat and skirts are by
preference blocked in one piece from hogskin or other leather and are drawn over

page_text: the felt or other soft covered seat plate. The blocked leather tops of the saddle
are drawn on to the saddle tree and by preference secured by being sewn at the
back to material which lines the gullett and which is fastened to the cantle and head
of the seat.
The flaps of the saddle are securely attached to the tree by screws and nuts or
by other means. The panel is also fixed with screws in the front of the forepiece
of the tree and at the back is also fixed with screws or otherwise secured to the
metallic saddle tree.
By making the saddle tree from sheet metal as above described we obtain
strength and lightness combined, and the saddle made up upon the tree is more
easily made and forms a better saddle than such as are made on wooden trees of the
old kind.
Dated this 7th day of May 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with Riding Saddles.
We, JAMES TREES, of Goodall Street, Walsall, Staffordshire, Director, and
BRACE WINDLE BLYTH & COMPANY, LIMITED, of Goodall Street, Walsall,
aforesaid, Saddlers Ironmongers, 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 has reference to riding saddles and consists firstly of improvements
in the manufacture of the saddle tree from sheet steel or other metal and secondly
in the riding saddle complete made up on the improved sheet metal saddle tree.
In the Specification of a previous Patent No. 4725 of A.D. 1892 granted to
James Trees, one of the present applicants, and Henry Brace and Company, Limited,
a method of making saddle trees from sheet steel or other sheet metal is described
on which our present invention forms several improvements whereby the cost of
manufacture is considerably reduced and we are able to make the saddle trecs much
lighter than heretofore without materially reducing the strength, and to facilitate,
and lessen the cost of, the making up of the complete saddle on the tree.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a metallic saddle tree made
according to this invention; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the same; Fig. 4 is a
longitudinal sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 5 is a cross section through the
seat plate of the same;
Fig. 6 is an inverted plan of the back part of a modified form of the said saddle
tree ;'
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the saddle complete but with the skirt broken away
to show how the flaps are fixed;
Fig. 8 is an inverted view of the saddle shewing a method of securing the leather
cover to the metallic tree.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
In carrying out this invention the seat plate A of the saddle tree is shaped by
dies or otherwise made from one piece of sheet steel or other sheet metal (either
perforated or plain) and is rivetted or otherwise secured to the metal underpart B
of the saddle tree hereinafter described. The cautle edge a² of the seat plate is
strengthened and rounded by being turned down and wired round the edge. The
underpart of the saddie tree is made in one piece of sheet steel or other sheet metal

page_text: shaped in dies or otherwise formed with the edges turned up and wired all round
so as to strengthen and impart a good finish to the sanie. The said underpart of
the saddle tree includes:-
First. Portions 61 62 which answer to the two bearing pads which are disposed
to fit on a horse's back at each side of his spine and bear the seat plate A up
therefrom;
Second. The waist 63 of the saddle tree which is the portion reaching from the
said bearing pads 616 at the back to the forepiece of the saddle tree; and
Third. The forepiece which forms the points 66 and the gullet 6° and carries
the weight thrown on the forepiece 6 6 6 of the saddle and bears up the saddle tree
from the horse's withers.
The underside of the said forepiece of the saddle tree which forms the points 6* b³
and the gullet 18 is strengthened by means of a strong steel or other metal
strengthening plate C which extends from the point 6 to the point 6 all round the
gullet 6 and is rivetted or otherwise fixed to the said underpart B so as to secure
the necessary rigidity and strength which the forepart of the tree requires.
The bars D' D for the stirrup leathers are rivetted or otherwise secured on to
the waist and forepiece of the saddle tree as shewn the rivets d' passing through both
the sheet steel or other sheet metal of which the underpart of the tree is composed
and through the steel or other metal gullet plate C.
When the said saddle tree is required to be extra strong a steel or other metal
bar may be rivetted or otherwise fixed on each side of the saddle tree running from
the forepiece along the edges of the waist 63 above the stirrup bars and extending
along the upper side of the bearing pads to the cantle end of the tree.
In making up the saddle on the metallic saddle tree above described the seat plate
of the said tree is covered with felt, cork, horse hair or other soft material to give
to the seat the necessary elasticity. The leather seat and skirts may be blocked in
one piece from hogskin or other leather as usual and be drawn over the felt or other
soft covered seat plate and secured to the saddle tree preferably by the said leather
top having a piece of soft leather E sewn partly round it underneath as shewn by
Fig. 8 so as to embrace the cantle edge of the tree. The edge of this leather
piece E is turned inwardly so as to take a lace such as f which is threaded there-
through and drawn up tightly and secured by any convenient means as by being
tied to the metal loops G₁ G' by which the flapз are secured as herein-described.
The flaps H may be secured to the saddle tree by any convenient means as shewn
for instance by Fig. 7 where it will be seen that the flap H is screwed or rivetted
to the saddle tree at i and is provided with a metal loop G' fixed to the Hap and
passed through a hole in the underpart of the saddle tree and there secured by a
cross wire peg k threaded through the same. The panel may be fixed to the saddle
tree by any convenient means such for instance as described in the Specification
of our prior Letters Patent No. 4725 of A.D. 1892 herein before referred to.
When the bearing pads are required to project beyond the seat plate as in saddles
for some markets, this can be done as shewn for instance by Fig. 6 where the
portions of the underpart B which form the bearing pads are extended
backwardly as described.
By making the saddle tree from sheet metal in the improved manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings we obtain strength and
lightness combined and the saddle tree is less costly to manufacture and lighter
than are those made under the prior Letters Patent No. 4725 of A.D. 1892 herein-
before referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The hereindescribed improved riding saddle tree constructed of steel or other
metal in the manner substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. A riding saddle made up on the improved metallic saddle tree hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In a metallic riding saddle tree the employment of the sheet metal seat plate
such as A in combination with the sheet metal underpart B fixed thereto which
forms the bearing pads b' 63, waist 63, points 66, and gullet all substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. In a metallic riding saddle tree the combination of the sheet metal seat plate
such as A and the underpart B forming the bearing pads, waist, points, and gullet
as set forth, strengthened by means of the strengthening plate C all substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of February 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.