IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE SADDLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Graham Smith of Easton Grey in the County
of Wilts Gentleman and Benjamin Brook of Sheraton Magna in the County
of Wilts Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE SADDLES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Graham Smith
and Benjamin Brook at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
20th April 1883.
+
THOMAS GRAHAM SMITH of Easton Grey in the County of Wilts Gentleman
and BENJAMIN BROOK of Sherston Magna in the County of Wilts Engineer
* IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE SADDLES "
This Invention relates to improvements in side saddles and has for its object to
provide a crutch which in the event of the rider being thrown from the horse and
the Habit or dress being entangled in the crutch it shall fall down and release the
Habit or dress and free the rider
In carrying our Invention into effect we provide a plate or casting which is
connected with or forms the bridge of the saddle which said casting is bored out
to form a recess to receive the first part of a universal joint to which first part is
attached the second part of the joint to which second part the crutch is attached
by a hinge joint the said second part being provided with a flat surface which is
acted upon by a spring to which spring is attached a block with a groove or
recess in it to receive the aforesaid flat surface to retain the crutch in the upright
position
The strength of the spring may be regulated by a screw in accordance with the
weight of the rider
We also place at the underside of the spring a bent lever working on a joint pin
which lever when the crutch is in its normal position retains the cross bar over
which the stirrup leather is passed. When the crutch is turned down as described
the spring bears upon one end of this lever so as to cause its other end to release
the said cross bar and free the leather
By the herein before described improvements if the rider be thrown from the
horse and the Habit or dress becomes entangled with the crutch the said crutch is.
forcibly pulled down against the tension of the spring and the universal joint
revolves in its socket either to the right or left and releases the Habit or dress.
At the same time the spring acts on the bent lever and releases the stirrup
trap and frees the rider from the saddle The arrangement of the crutch may
either be used alone or in combination with the stirrup releaser as desired

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Graham Smith and Benjamin Brook in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th October 1883.
1.
THOMAS GRAHAM SMITH of Easton Grey in the County of Wilts Gentleman
and BENJAMIN BROOK of Sherston Magna in the County of Wilts Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE-SADDLES,"
Our Invention has for its object to provide a "crutch" (that is the projection
over which the leg of the rider is passed) which, in the event of the rider being
thrown from the horse and the habit or dress being entangled in the crutch, shall
fall or turn down and release the habit or dress and free the rider.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
The said drawing represents a crutch arranged according to our Invention. The
one crutch only and not the whole of the saddle is shewn, as it is not necessary for
the explanation of our Invention to shew any other parts.
P
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 is a plan shewing the crutch in its
normal position:. Figure 3 is a vertical Section and Figure 4 is a plan shewing
the crutch in the position it assumes when turned down to release the rider
and Figure 5 is a plan of the socket and spring with the crutch and other parts
removed;
A is a plate or casting which is connected to, or may form the bridge of, the
saddle, the said casting being bored out to form an undercut recess or socket a for
the reception of the part B of a universal joint; the said part B being provided
with ear pieces b, between which is received the part C, which carries the
crutch D. A pin c, passes through the ear pieces b, and the part C. The said
part C, is provided with a flat surface o at its under part: A spring E is secured
to the part A by a screw e, the said spring having at its end a block or raised
part e with a groove e³ in it to receive the flat surface to retain the crutch D,
in its normal ör raised position by the pressure of the said spring E. The pressure
of the said spring may be regulated by the screw e, and the recess in the said
spring may be in any convenient position. If the fider be thrown from the horse
and the dress become entangled with the crutch, the said crutch (owing to the
abnormal strain brought upon it) is turned down against the force of the spring. E
into the position shewn in Figures 3 and 4, and the part C, and the crutch D are
then at liberty to revolve in the socket á, and the rider is released. If desired, the
stirrup, leather or strap may be released at the same time as the crutch -by
supporting the pin or cross-bar (upon which the stirrup leather or strap is hung)
in a recess or on a projection at the end of a lever so that the spring. E on being
depressed when the crutch is forced down bears upon the one end of this lever so
as to cause its other end to release the said pin or cross-bar and free the stirrup
leather or Strap. But this arrangement of Stirrup leather releaser forms no part
of our Invention and may or may not be used as desired.
>
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect we would observé in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention scared to us by the herein before
in part recited Letters Patent is :—
The Improvements in side Saddles, consisting in the employment of a "crutch,"
1

page_text: which is retained in position when not subjected to abnormal strain, but which,
when submitted to such strain, is capable of yielding and turning to free the
rider, substantially as hereinbefore explained with reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Graham Smith on behalf of the said
Benjamin Brook and myself. have to this our Specification set my hand and Seal
this Seventeenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
m ADAL