IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING STIRRUP LEATHERS WITH SADDLES."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Staines Wilton, of 261, Oxford Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES
FOR CONNECTING STIRRUP LEATHERS WITH SADDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Staines Wilton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th December 1879.
HENRY STAINES WILTON, of 261, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING STIRRUP LEATHERS WITH
SADDLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in appliances for connecting
stirrup leathers with saddles.
At the present time appliances of various kinds have been adopted to permit the
stirrup leather to become disconnected from the saddle if the rider is thrown and
his foot remains in the stirrup, whether the fall takes place on the same side as
that at which the stirrup hangs or on the opposite side, but these appliances have
all some attendant disadvantages.
According to my Invention, I pass the stirrup leather where it is to be connected
to the saddle into a buckle, the tongue of which hangs downwards or otherwise.
The back or top bar of this buckle has formed above it a spring bar or loop of
metal to hook on to a hook projection on the bar of the tree where the spring bar
of the saddle has been usually placed. One end of the loop is capable of turning
down on a pin joint, but is ordinarily held in position to keep the loop closed by a
spring in the way in which the usual spring bars for stirrup leathers are ordinarily
made.
When the fall takes place on the same side as the stirrup, the end of the loop
being drawn against the hook projection on the stirrup plate above mentioned
turns down, and the loop slips off from the projection. When the fall takes place
on the opposite side and the stirrup leather is drawn over the saddle, the buckle
with its loop turns upwards, and the loop is lifted off from the hook projection, and
so gets free.

page_text: A spring flap is jointed to the extremity of the projection, and ordinarily comes
above the top bar of the loop by which the buckle is carried, and so keeps the loop
from rising and getting off from the projection; but when the buckle is turned and
drawn upwards, this flap readily yields and allows the loop and buckle to escape.
The stirrup may be carried by a single instead of a double strap, as is for the
most part usual; the upper end of the strap may be drawn through the buckle, and
the point of the tongue of the buckle inserted into one or other of the holes formed
in it, and the end of the strap be turned over the cross bar of the buckle which
carries the tongue and double back to lie behind the portion of the strap which
carries the stirrup.
For ladies' saddles, the stirrup leather is sewn on to the spring hook, and a
buckle is provided lower down.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Staines Wilton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th June 1880.
HENRY STAINES WILTON, of 261, Oxford Street in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING STIRRUP LEATHERS WITH
SADDLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in appliances for connecting
stirrup leathers with saddles.
At the present time appliances of various kinds have been adopted to permit the
stirrup leather to become disconnected from the saddle if the rider is thrown and
his foot remains in the stirrup, whether the fall takes place on the same side as that
at which the stirrup hangs or on the opposite side, but these appliances have all
some attendant disadvantages.
According to my Invention, I pass the stirrup leather where it is to be connected
to the saddle into a buckle, the tongue of which hangs downwards or otherwise.
The back or top bar of this buckle has formed above it a spring bar or loop of
metal to hook on to a hook projection on the bar of the tree where the spring bar
of the saddle has been usually placed. One end of the loop is capable of turning
down on a pin joint, but is ordinarily held in position to keep the loop closed by a
spring in the way in which the usual spring bars for stirrup leathers are ordinarily
made.
When the fall takes place on the same side as the stirrup, the end of the loop
being drawn against the hook projection on the stirrup plate above mentioned turns
down, and the loop slips off from the projection. Whon the full takes place on the
opposite side, and the stirrup leather is drawn over the saddle, the buckle with its
loop turns upwards, and the loop is lifted off from the hook projection, and so gets
free.
A spring flap is jointed to the extremity of the projection, and ordinarily comes
above the top bar of the loop by which the buckle is carried, and so keeps the loop
from rising and getting off from the projection, but when the buckle is turned and
drawn upwards, this flap readily yields and allows the loop and buckle to escape.
The stirrup may be carried by a single instead of a double strap, as is for the
most part usual; the upper end of the strap may be drawn through the buckle, and
the point of the tongue of the buckle inserted into one or other of the holes formed
in it, and the end of the strap be turned over the cross bar of the buckle which
carries the tongue and double back to lie behind the portion of the strap which
carries the stirrup.
For ladies saddles the stirrup leather is sewn on to the spring hook, and a
buckle is provided lower, down.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn various views of appliances
constructed as above described for connecting stirrup leathers with saddles.
In Figure 1 a is a portion of the front part of the tree or frame of a saddle;
b is a plate rivetted to this tree; c is a hook or projection standing out from this
plate; d is a flap jointed to the projection, and e is a spring to keep the flap closed
over the top of the hook. This plate and the parts carried by it are shewn
separately at Figure 2, a cross section of the same is shewn at Figure 3, and a
similar cross section with the flap turned so as no longer to come above or cover the
hook c. is a buckle in which is held the stirrup leather g; h is a loop or spring
bar formed above the top bar of the buckle; one end i of this loop is capable of
turning on a pink, but is ordinarily held in the position shewn by a spring / which
bears against its lower end. Figure 4 shews separately the stirrup, stirrup leather,
and buckle with its spring bar. Figure 5 shews an edge view of the same. In
these Figures the stirrup is shewn to be carried by a single strap, the upper end of

page_text: which is passed through the buckle, and its end turned down so as to lie behind
the part of the strap which carries the stirrup. In place of this one end of the
stirrup leather might be sewn to the lower bar of the buckle, as shewn at Figure 6,
and the stirrup leather after being passed through the eye of the stirrup be doubled
back and passed through the buckle.
With stirrup leathers attached to the saddle in the manner above described, the
end of the spring bar h will yield and set the spring bar and stirrup free if a fall
takes place on the same side as the stirrup, and the rider's foot remains in the
stirrup. If the fall takes place on the opposite side, the stirrup leather is drawn
over the top of the saddle, and the spring bar or loop h is pulled upwards against
the spring Hap d, which then yields and the stirrup leather so gets free.
For ladies saddles the stirrup leather might be sewn on to the spring hook, as
shewn at Figure 7, and the stirrup leather be made in two parts connected by a
buckle at m. For ladies, this gives greater convenience for lengthening or
shortening the stirrup leather. In place of the upper end of the stirrup leather
being sewn on to a spring hook, as shown, it is generally preferable to sew it on to
a solid ring or loop to hook over the projection c on the saddle, as ladies when
riding frequently bear heavily upon the stirrup and press it backwards behind
then, and if a spring bar were provided the spring flap of this bar might yield, and
the stirrup leather so become detached from the saddle.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim the appliances, substantially as
herein before described, for connecting stirrup leathers with saddles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Staines Wilton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.