IMPROVE- MENTS IN SAFETY SADDLE-BARS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Spring Garden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th June 1882
ROBERT SPRING GARDEN, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SAFETY SADDLE-BARS"
The objects of this Invention, which has reference to certain improvements in
safety saddle-bars, are; to render the action of these contrivances more certain in
preventing a thrown or fallen rider from being dragged by the horse or animal,
by so mounting the usual safety-bars in bearings affixed to the saddle-tree as that
the bars together with the usual stirrup-leathers and stirrup-irons depending from
them, can, upon such a contingency happening, freely escape from the said bearings,
and thus entirely free the rider from all connection with the animal.
The usual safety saddle-bar is itself a fixture to the saddle-tree, but its lower
limb is provided with a spring-catch, which when the stirrup-leather is in its
normal depending position with the rider's foot in it, keeps it in such position,
but which, when the rider is thrown or falls, is opened by the sliding of the stirrup-
leather, and moved into such a position as to permit of the escape of the latter, and
of the freeing of the stirrup from all connection with the saddle.
This is the theory of their action, but the result in practice is often not
everything which the rider would desire, as owing to the saddle-bar being itself a
fixture to the saddle-tree, the sliding of the stirrup-leather free thereof does not
always occur, and hence accidents and fatalities occur from the rider being dragged
along the ground by the animal, and unable to free himself.
I am aware that it has been attempted to obviate this disadvantage and to
render the desired disconnection surer by adding an upper additional bar to the
usual safety-bar with suitable cross connections, and by inserting such additional
bar in slotted journals which rotate within hook-like bearings projecting bodily
from the saddle-tree, the said rotating journals being provided with certain
Din Q37

page_text: stopping, frictional, and connecting details, and other contrivances. Such an
arrangement to which I now refer is described in the Specification (and illustrated
in the Drawings annexed theroto) of certain Letters Patent, No. 4522/”. bearing
date the 15th day of April, A.D. 1881, and granted to Robert Spenco, junr.
Now while this arrangement to a great extent attains the desired object it is
yet objectionable on many points, in that, owing to the provision of the said
stopping and frictional details, and other unnecessary contrivances, the apparatus
is too numerous in its parts, too complex in its combination, and faulty in
construction for its intended purpose, and is thus liable to get out of order and
fail in its action at the critical moment; it is also too costly in manufacture;
very much heavier than it need be to attain every desired advantage, and this by
itself is a great disadvantage owing to the provision of so much unnecessary dead-
weight; and further, the said hook-like bearings project unduly from a plate affixed
to the saddle-tree, and are thus liable to incommode the rider.
and
According to my Invention, I dispense entirely with the stopping, frictional,
and other details necessary in the above referred to contrivance, and with the said
slotted rotating journals, and with any necessity for an additional bar with cross
connections to the usual safety-bar;-and in lieu of such a complicated arrangement,
I make the upper limb of the usual safety-bar of a greater depth than transverse
thickness, preferring to make it of a circular section, with one flat sido at the sido
furthest from the saddle-tree when in its normal position; or, of an oval section:
or, according to another modification, I longitudinally slot the said upper limb of
the safety-bar, and form that part of the limb above the slot according to the
formation of the upper limb hereinbefore immediately described. By thus shaping,
or slotting and shaping, the upper limb of the said saddle-bar, I dispense with all
necessity for adding any additional upper bar thereto, and provide a means of
hanging the said safety-bar in such a way as that by being simply inverted in
position it can freely escape out of position clear of the saddle-tree and all
connection therewith.
The means I provide for supporting the improved safety saddle-bar when thus
formed, consist of a recessed bearing which has two or more projecting parts by
which it is secured to the saddle-treo in alignment therewith, or nearly so. The
bearing is recessed as from a tube, the inner side of the lower jaw or exit opening
of the recess being tangential to the inner bore, and the upper side of the said
exit opening being made parallel with or in angular relation to this tangent, but 3
at a distance therefrom somewhat less than the diameter of the inner bore, this
has the effect of forming a shoulder at tho upper part of the inner bore, and of
thus preventing the withdrawal of the safety saddle-bar until it is in the proper
position for being withdrawn, this being the position it would assume upon the
rider falling or being thrown. The bearing is continuous, and preferably of the 4
same length as the slot in the upper limb of the safety saddle-bar, the ends of the
latter working against its ends, any endway movement of the saddle-bar is thus
prevented. The metal at the side of the bearing adjacent to the saddle-tree, is or
may be at the bottom left abruptly of a greater thickness than the outer part or
lower jaw of the bearing to form a stop against which the saddle-bar when in its 4
normal dopending position bears, lying about flush or in alignment with the
saddle-tree; and, as above mentioned, the general formation of the bearing end of
its projecting parts is such as to lie close to or in alignment with the saddle-tree,
and not to project thorefrom as in the above referred to arrangement.
Thus, when the improved safety saddle-bar depends from its bearing, the shoulder 5
within the same formed by the narrowed exit prevents any vertical shifting of the
saddle-bar. The relative shaping of the bearing, and of its narrowed exit, and of
the upper limb, or upper part of the upper slotted limb, also prevents any escape of
the saddle-bar from the said bearing until it assumes such an elevated inclination
as brings its flattened side against the upper side of the exit from the bearing, 5
which acts as a stop, and arrests it in such a position as that the narrowed width
of the upper limb can pass freely out of the narrowed exit of the said opening,

page_text: this being the position the parts would naturally assume upon the rider falling or
being thrown.
I further provide the lower limb of the safety saddle-bar with a tipping lever
provided with an under wing which is centred within a recess or slot in the said
limb so as to prevent the possibility of any lateral movement of the tipping lever,
and greatly strengthen this part of the contrivance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Spring Garden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th December 1882.
ROBERT SPRING GARDEN, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SAFETY SADDLE-BARS
The objects of this Invention, which has reference to certain improvements in
safety saddle-bars, are, to render the action of these contrivances more certain in
preventing a thrown or fallen rider from being dragged by the horse or animal, by
so mounting the usual safety bars in bearings affixed to the saddle tree as that the
bars together with the usual stirrup leathers and stirrup-irons depending from
them, can upon such a contingency happening, freely escape from the said bearings,
and thus entirely free the rider from all connection with the animal.
The usual safety saddle-bar is itself a fixture to the saddle-treo, but its lower.
limb is provided with a spring-catch, which, when the stirrup-leather is in its
normal depending position with the rider's foot in it keeps it in such position; but
which when the rider is thrown or falls, is opened by the sliding of the stirrup-
leather, and moved into such a position as to permit of the escape of the latter,
and of the freeing of the stirrup from all connection with the saddle.
This is the theory of its action, but the result in practice is often not everything
which the rider would desire, as, owing to the saddle-bar being itself a fixture to
the saddle-tree, the sliding of the stirrup-leather free thereof does not always
occur, and hence accidents and fatalities occur from the rider being dragged along
the ground by the animal, and unable to free himself.
I am aware that it has been attempted to obviate this disadvantage, and to
render the desired disconnection surer by adding an upper additional bar to the
usual safety-bar with suitable cross connections, and by inserting such additional
bar in slotted journals which rotate within hook-like bearings projecting bodily
from the saddle-tree, the said rotating journals being provided with certain
stopping, frictional, and connecting details, and other contrivances. Such an
arrangement to which I now refer is described in the Specification (and illustrated
in the Drawings annexed thereto) of certain Letters Patent No. 45221 bearing
date the 15th day of April A.D. 1881 and granted to Robert Spence Jun.
Now, while this arrangement to a great extent attains the desired object, it is yet

page_text: objectionable on many points, in that, owing to the provision of the said stopping
and frictional details, and other unnecessary contrivances, the apparatus is too
numerous in its parts, too complex in its combination, and faulty in con-
struction for its intended purpose, and is thus liable to get out of order and
fail in its action at the critical moment, it is also too costly in manufacture
and much heavier than it need be to attain every desired advantage, and this
by itself is a great disadvantage owing to the provision of so much unnecessary
dead-weight and further the said hook-like bearings project unduly from a plate
affixed to the saddle-tree, and are thus liable to incommode the rider.
According to my Invention, I dispense entirely with the stopping, frictional, and
other details necessary in the above referred to contrivance, and with the said
slotted rotating journals, and with any necessity for an additional bar with cross
connections to the usual safety-bar.
My improved safety-saddle bar is illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in
Figs 1 to 7, of which Fig 1 represents it in side view, and Fig 2 in end view,
both these views showing the normal position of the contrivance, Fig 3 is an end
view showing the saddle bar in the position which it assumes on a rider being
thrown, and in which position it can be freely withdrawn from or inserted into its
bearing in the part affixed to the saddle-tree. Fig; 4. is a side view of the bearing
part which is affixed to the saddle tree, and Fig 5 is a cross section thereof through
the line ab. Fig 6 is a side view of the saddle bar showing the tipping lever
hereinafter mentioned opened; and Fig 7 is a cross section thereof through the
line c-d.
In carrying my Invention into effect, I make in the upper limb 1. of an ordinary
safety bar, a longitudinal slot 2. leaving that part of the limb above the slot of a
greater depth than transverse thickness, preferring to make it of a circular section
with one flat side 3. at the side furthest from the saddle tree when in its normal
position, as best seen in Fig 7. or of an oval section Or in lieu of thus slotting
and shaping the upper limb of the said saddle bar, I can simply shape it to such a
formation as herein before immediately described. By thus slotting and shaping,
or shaping the limb 1 of an ordinary saddle bar, I dispense with all necessity for
adding any additional upper bar thereto, and provide a means of hanging the said
safety-bar, as shown in Figs 1 and 2 so that by being simply inverted in position
as shown in Fig 3. it can freely escape out of position clear of the saddle tree and
all connection therewith.
The means I provide for supporting the improved safety saddle-bar thus formed,
consist of a recessed bearing 4. which is made with or brazed, rivetted or soldered to
two or more projecting parts 5, by which the contrivance is secured to the saddle-
tree in alignment or nearly so. This bearing is recessed as from a tube, and is made
with an opening 6, one side of which (preferably the inner side 7 of the lower
jaw 8) is made tangential to the recess or bore as best seen in Fig 5. and the other
side 9 of the said opening is made parallel with or in angular relation to this
tangent, but at a distance therefrom at its narrowest part somewhat less than the
diameter of the bore of the recess; this has the effect of forming a shoulder 10. at
a part of the bore, and of thus preventing the escape or withdrawal of the safety
saddle bar, until it is in the proper position (shown in Fig 3) for being withdrawn,
when its narrowed diameter is in line with the narrowed exit or opening from
the said bearing, and which position it assumes upon the rider falling or being
tbrown.
The bearing surface of the jaw 8. is continuous, and preferably of the same length
as the slot 2. in the limb 1, of the saddle-bar, the ends of the latter working against
its ends as shown in Fig 1, and any endway movement of the saddle bar is thus
prevented. The metal of the bearing 4. at the side thereof adjacent to the saddle-
tree is or may be at the bottom left abruptly of a greater thickness than the outer
part of the said jaw to form a stop against which the saddle bar when in its
normal depending position bears. Or the bearing may be left at parts beyond
the jaw 8, of such a formation as shown at 11 Figs 2, 3, and 4, as to form stops

page_text: for the end parts 12 of the slotted limb to bear against as shown in Fig 2
lying about flush or in alignment with the saddle-tree and as above mentioned
the general formation of the bearing and of its projecting parts is such as to lie
close to or in alignment with the saddle-tree, and not to project therefrom as
in the above referred to contrivance.
Thus, when the improved safety saddle-bar depends from its bearing, the
shoulder 10, prevents any vertical shifting of the saddle bar. The relative
shaping of the bearing, and of its narrowed exit, and of the upper limb, or upper
part of the upper slotted limb, also prevents any escape of the saddle-bar from
the bearing until it assumes such an elevated inclination as brings its flattened
side 3. against the upper side 0 of the exit from the bearing, which acting as a stop,
arrests it in such a position as that the narrowed width of the limb 1 can pass
freely out of the narrowed exit of the bearing thus being (as aforesaid) the position
the parts would naturally assume upon the rider falling or being thrown.
I further provide the lower limb 13 of the safety sadde-bar with a tipping
lever 14. provided with an under wing 15. which is centred at 16, within a recess
or slot in the limb 13, so as to prevent the possibility of any lateral movement of
the tipping lever, and to greatly strengthen this part of the contrivance, and I fit
such lever with an under spring 17 so that upon the safety saddle-bar escaping,
upon any emergency, from the said bearing the tipping lever shall retain its
usual position when the stirrup leather depends from it and shall thus prevent
loss of the saddle bar.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that what I believe to be novel and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me under the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is:-
1. The method herein before described of converting a saddle-bar of the ordinary
construction into a safety saddle-bar, which in times of emergency can freely escape,
together with its stirrup leather, and stirrup-iron, from all connection with the
saddle-tree.
2. The combination of a saddle bar of this improved construction with a bearing
formed as hereinbefore described so as to retain the safety saddle-bar until it
assumes such a position as that its escape is desirable and is freely effected :—tho
peculiar features of the saddle bar being the shaping of its upper limb with a
greater depth than transverse thickness preferably as hereinbefore described, and
of the bearing being the shaping of one side of its exit opening tangentially to its
bore, and of the other side of the exit opening parallel with or in angular relation
to this tangent, but at a distance therefrom at its narrowest part somewhat less
than the diameter of the inner bore so as to leave a retaining shoulder which
prevents any withdrawal of the safety saddle-bar until it is in the proper position
for being withdrawn.
In witness whereof, I the said Robert Spring Garden, have hereunto set my
Witness.
CHARLES AUbrey. Day.
Patent Agent,
321. High Holborn.
W.O.
ROBT S GARDEN (L.S.)