IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Huckvale, of 21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Huckvale at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th January 1871.
I, THOMAS HUCKVALE, of 21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the
City of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare.
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES," to be:
as follows:-
These improvements refer to a safety stirrup bar for prevention of
accidents, and to the adoption of moveable pads on the flaps of saddles.
The stirrup bar is fixed in its place by a screw pin or axis free to
work in an upward direction, a catch being fixed beneath it to hold
it in its proper position when in use.

page_text: Instead of the stirrup bar being free to work the bar may be rigidly
fixed and a moving connector for the stirrup leather may work on
the bar.
Should the rider fall from his horse, if on the same side as the foot
is entangled, then the leather slips off in the same way as with the old
arrangement. If on the opposite side, then the bar or connector carry-
ing the leather works upwards and allows the stirrup leather to come off.
The pads are made with a step or piece at the bottom, which may
be moved into different bearings, higher or lower to suit the length of
the leg of the rider. The details of the above arrangements may how-
ever be modified to suit the circumstances of each case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Huckvale in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUCKVALE, of 21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the City of West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Huckvale, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas Huckvale, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Huckvale, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN SADDLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, do hereby declare
the nature of my said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon and herein referred to,
that is to say :—
These improvements refer to a safety stirrup bar for prevention of
accidents and to the adoption of moveable pads on the flaps of saddles,
and are herein referred to as No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5.
:
(No..1.) The stirrup bar is fixed in its place by a screw pin or axis
free to work in an upward direction, a catch being fixed beneath it
to hold it in its proper position when in use (see Fig. 1 of the
accompanying Drawings hereafter described. (No. 2.) Instead of the
stirrup bar being free to work, this bar may be rigidly fixed and a
connector for the stirrup leather moving with the said stirrup leather
may work as hereafter described (see Fig. 2 of the Drawings). When
No. 1 is adopted, should the rider fall from his horse, if on the same
side as the foot is entangled, then the leather slips off. as with the old
arrangement, and when No. 2. and No. 3 are adopted, then the leather
slips off carrying the connector with it.. If on the opposite side, then..
the bar as in No. 1, or connector as in No. 2 and No. 3, carrying.
the leather works upwards and. allows the stirrup leather to come off.
Nos. 4 and 5 act in a very similar manner as will be understood by.
the description thereof hercafter set forth (see Figs. 4 and 5 of the
Drawings.
The pads are made with a step or piece at the bottom which may
bc moved into different bearings higher or lower to suit the length.of
the leg of the rider (see Fig. 6 of the Drawings)..
In some of the arrangements referred to I. use a stirrup leather
formed with orifices and appliances such as hereafter described. (sec.

page_text: Fig. 1, a, a, metal plate fixed on to the saddle-tree; b, rest or catch
to retain the bar in its proper place; c, the bar; d, pin, screw, or axle
for fixing the bar to the saddle-tree, allowing it to turn up and over
when the rider is thrown on the opposite side and the foot is entangled
in the stirrup iron; e, spring that gives way and allows the stirrup
leather to slip off when the rider is thrown.
5
Fig. 2, a, a, a, the rigid or fixed bar; b, b, the moving connector,
with hook on which a D ring (c) to carry the stirrup leather is fixed
on, the leather may be attached by holes being punched through the
upper end of the leather and slipped on the hook; Fig. 2*, edge view 1
of moving connector b.
Fig. 3, a, a, a, fixed bar; b, b, the moving connector; c, stirrup
leather which is made with several orifices through the top part so as
to enable it to be hooked on to the hook of the connector b.
Fig. 4, a, a, a, the bar; b, the connector with a slot in which works 1
a double-headed pin to which the stirrup leather is attached as shown
by means of a stud c* which fits into one of the before-mentioned
orifices formed in the top of the stirrup leather.
Fig. 5, a, the bar which is of the peculiar form shown, on which a
connector in form of a double-headed pin works so that the stirrup 2
leather when attached to the double-headed pin connector slides off
either at top or bottom of the bar as the exigencies of the case may
demand.
Fig. 6, view of my moveable pad enabling a rider to obtain a firm
seat; a, the saddle; b, 6, adjusting supports for the moveable pad c. 2
These adjusting supports are straight pieces of leather or other
material having orifices therein, into which studs or buttons fixed on
the pad arc secured (though the orifices may be in the pad and
buttons on the adjusting supports).
These arrangements admit of the position of the pad (within the 3
limits of the supports) being raised or lowered to suit the rider. The
pad is shown as concaved at the lower part and is sloped off at the top
part, this. being the form I prefer to adopt though I do not confine
myself to this particular form.
In order to obtain the full benefit of this my arrangement of adjus- 3
table pad, I should recommend that a small pad or projection be secured

page_text: to the rider's boots, leggings, or trousers, so as to afford facility to the
rider to grip underneath the moveable pad and thus obtain a firm seat.
Whenever required the pad arrangements and any of the other arrange-
ments herein-before described may be adopted and used in one and the
same saddle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the
herein-before described "Improvements in Saddles" wherein the follow-
ing are important and novel features, namely, the adoption of a bar or
a connector or both for allowing the stirrup leather to be suddenly
released as the circumstances of the case may demand, and the adoption
of an adjustable pad for affording a firm seat to the rider.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Huckvale, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
THOMAS HUCKVALE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street.