Improvements in or relating to the Secure Fastening of Spurs.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Secure Fastening of Spurs.
I, WILLIAM WALTER LEAN, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding the 5th Bengal
Cavalry, now stationed at Cawnpore, North Western Provinces of India, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and the manner in which the same is to be pei-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
It consists substantially of the following, 12., Two pear-shaped slots of metal or
other suitable rigid material or cut in pliant material such as leather strengthened
with a thin metal lining or border to give rigidity and definition to their edges
attached as hereinafter mentioned, to spurs, which slots fit or catch on to and
confine projections such as studs buttons or hooks fixed one on each side of any kind
of boot (be it riding Wellington or ankle) gaiter legging or tube, or as an alternative
measure (in the case of " uppers" being used such as gaiters leggings or tubes)
protruding each through a hole punched on each side of the gaiter legging or tube
while the projections themselves remain attached to the Wellington or other boot
partially covered by the abovementioned " uppers In the event of such gaiter,
legging or tube not naturally covering the spots on the boot where the projections
exist, their bottom edge on both sides in part or whole is extended perpendicularly
downwards till it well dovers such spots by the addition of tongues of leather metal
or other suitable material in which the necessary holes are made to permit of the
abovenamed studs buttons or hooks passing through and thereby forming
projections externally.
"
These slots vary in construction according to the material of which they are
composed, or the method employed in attaching them to the spui, as now to be
described.
(A) When composed entirely of some naturally rigid material, such as metal,
one of these slots has a buckle made up in one piece with it (see Figure I) to receive
and buckle the strap that goes under the foot (hereinafter called the under strap)
and the other slot a loop or mouth made up in one piece with it (see Figure II)
to attack such understrap to Each slot is fastened with a hinge of the same
material to a ring (see Figures I and II) which is fitted on to the shank of the stud
which is to be found at the end of each arm of an ordinary spur, such stud being
at right angles to such arm and being ordinarily intended to button
or fasten the spur straps and buckles to Such stud will not be
riveted on to the spur-arm till after the ring has been fitted on to the
shank and the ring must be so fitted on as to enable the slot to turn completely
1ound the shank either backwards or forwards
(B) When the shanks of the studs on the spur arms above described are
sufficiently long to allow of enough vertical play being obtainable to permit the
slots being placed with case over the projections, the two slots can be constructed
without any hinges, but in every other respect they are identical with the two slots
described in (A) above (see Figure IV).
(C) When cut in any pliant material like leather with a plate of thin metal
or other suitable material riveted on the under side surrounding the slot holes

page_text: to give rigidity to the slots and clearly define their pear-shaped_edges,
the two slots will take the forms depicted in Figures V and VI re-
spectively In this case the buckle is not made up with and as part of the slot
but is attached thereto by means of sewing or other convenient method as shewn
in Figure V and there is no loop or mouth piece made up with and as a part
of the other slot (see Figure VI) Both the slots are fixed to the spur by being
each buttoned on to the stud head at the extremity of its own spur arm (see
Figure VI)
In the case of spurs without shanks at right angles to the extremities of their
arms all the various slots described above under (1), (B) o (C) can be attached
to the spur by the employment of any phant material like leather as shewn in
Figure instead of using rings or button holes
The object in all cases, is, however, to give both lateral and vertical movement
to the slots to facilitate their being put on over the projections, and this can
best be afforded by using the hinged slots with 1ngs as shewn in Figures I
and II
The understrap may be an ordinary stiap of leather or plant material In the
case of (C) above described it 18 simply a prolongation of the strap in which one of
the slots has been cut as shewn in Figure VI, but in the case of (A) and (B)
previously described it is made with a loop at the thick end so that it can be attached
to the mouth of the slot (see Figures II and III) by passing the pointed end of
the strap through the mouth of the slot then through the loop at the other end
of the strap and finally pulling it tight. This is to be done in place of sewing the
strap onto the mouth of the slot because it enables the strap to be quickly removed
for cleaning and put on again or to be changed for a fresh one when necessary
It is immaterial whether the under-strap should buckle on the outside or inside
of the foot, but it is best to buckle it on the inside
The slots are to be used with any kind of spur and any two straps of leather or
other plant material, one, the understrap, referred to above, going under the foot,
and the other (hereinafter called the "upper strap") going over the instep.
The upper strap 18 intended to be fitted with the ordinary guard to save the boot,
gaiter, legging or tube from the friction of the top of the stirrup-iron and to hide
the unsightly appearance of laces and eyelet holes in laced ankle boots.
The attachment and fastening of the under-strap has been described above, and
the upper strap is intended to be attached by sewing or in any other convenient
way to the stud of either the inside or outside spur-arm, but to the inside one for
preference if the under-strap is to buckle on the inside; and on the corresponding
stud on the spur-arm on the other side will be affixed by a ring or otherwise
the usual buckle to receive and fasten the upper-strap
In using the said invention the slots are fitted on to the projections, the upper
strap is first fanly loosely buckled and then sufficient tension 18 applied to the
under-strap to cause the projections to slide up to the top of the slots and (the spur
being in its proper position and resting on the spur-rest at the back of the foot
next hereinafter referred to) the under-strap is buckled
The boot, gaiter, legging or tube should be fitted with a leather spur-reat which
need not differ from the ordinary leather spur rest universally applied to the
back of boots or gaiters, leggings or tubes over which spurs are worn but must
be placed in the position as next described
In this invention the leather spur-rest at the back, in the case of all boots and
gaiters, leggings and tubes whose general bottom edge is above the normal spur
line, should be so adjusted that the spur, when resting lightly on it shall he
parellel to the general ground line, that is, in horizontal position, but in the case
of gaiters, leggings or tubes whose bottom edge at the back extends below the
normal spur line, the leather spur rest is so applied that the spur, when resting
lightly on it, lies in a position slightly pointing downwards towards the back to
such extent that when the foot is bent into the riding position (that is, the heel
depressed forwards and the toe raised) it shall be parallel to the general line of the

page_text: sole of the Wellington or ankle boot which alone moves while the "upper" and
spur remain practically immoveable (see Figures III and IV).
In the event of boots or tubes gaiters or leggings being worn without the pro-
jections, then, by previously closing the under strap the slots and arrangement
of straps hereinbefore detailed can be used like an ordinary spur with straps and
will serve to keep any tube gaiter or legging worn with a Wellington or ankle boot
in position and prevent it working round
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES ACCOMPANYING THIS SPECIFICATION
Figure I depicts (full size) a metal hinged slot with buckle made up in one
piece with it recommended to be worn on the inside of the leg.
Figure II depicts (full size) a metal hinged slot with mouth piece recommended
to be worn on the outside of the leg
Figure III depicts (% of full size) an outside profile view of a laced ankle boot
(without any spur-guard) worn with a tube The arrangement of slots and straps
described in (A) and elsewhere in the specification is depicted as it would appear
prior to tension being applied to the under-strap, and the method of attaching the
under strap to the slot with mouth piece without sewing is also shewn
Figure IV depicts (% of full size) an inside profile view of a laced ankle boot
with a
srur guard hiding the lacing worn with a tube The arrangement
of slots and straps described in (B) and elsewhere in the specification is depicted as
it would appear after tension has been applied to the under strap.
Figure V depicts (full size) an inner profile view of the slot and buckle described
in (C) attached to a spur worn without any stud standing out at right angles at its
extremity A fragment of the ordinary spur strap which goes over the instep is
also shewn
Figure VI depicts (full size) an outer profile view of the slot described in (C)
attached to a spur arm provided with a stud and shank standing out at right angles
at its extremity The buckle which is universally fixed to the outer arm of ordinary
spurs is also shewn
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim 18
The slots either hinged or without hinges and either constructed of rigid material
or cut in pliant material locally strengthened by the addition of a thin metal or
other 11gid lining and with or without rings as described and the use thereof in
conjunction with projections: spur-straps spur, and a spur rest, as described and in
conjunction with riding boots or Wellington, ankle or any other form of boot
worn with tubes gaiters or leggings
Dated thie Thute-first day of October 1808