Improvements in Surcingles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct.. 1895
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
Improvements in Surcingles.
I, ANTOINE ZERJAL, of 105 Rue Lauriston, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Harness-maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The object of the present specification is a sarcingle which may suit horses of all
sizes and which is fitted in such a manner as to permit of rapidly regulating the
required length of the girth strap and so as to render change of position of said
surcingle impossible.
With the surcingles now in use, the girth runs generally along the whole length
and has on the inside, on the place where it touches the back of the horse a light
cushioning.
With this arrangement the length of the surcingle is absolutely constant and the
only possible variations that may be obtained result from the number of holes in
the small fixing girth-straps.
This is however very inconvenient, for one surcingle will hardly fit more than
one horse and yet, according to the conditions of keep and of fatigue of horses at
ditlerent periods, the shortening and lengthening of these small fixing girths will
be found very insufficient.
My new surcingle inay be applied to horses of different size, consequently it will
also be adaptable to the changes of condition in any one horse.
Moreover it
always remains in the place it occupied at the moment of fixing, a result which has
been very difficult to obtain with surcingles now in use, which always turn as soon
as the horse gets a little thing ou
in afficiently strapped.
My surcingle consists of two parts absolutely distinct: the cushion or actual
surcingle which is placed on the back of the horse, and the girth, the length of
which may be regulated as will be shown hereinafter.
On one end of the cushion is fixed a metallic attachment into which passes the
girth, and at the other end an attachment where the small strap is attached for
fixing the surcingle on the horse. To the one end of the girth is attached by
means of a leather strap a metallic attachment having three parallel holes and to
the other end the buckles which serve to receive the small straps when fixing the
Burcingle.
The girth is passed into the hole of the attachment at the one end of the cushion
from below upwards after which the free end of this girth is passed successively
into the three holes of the attachment so made as described so as to loop the
girth.
As the total length of the girth is fixed, it will be easily understood, that
according to the place given to the three holed attachment, this girth may be
louped more or less, and thus shortened according to requirement, the surcingle
may therefore be given a variable length.
Besides this chief feature of the surcingle which allows of using it for all
sizes of horses, another arrangement prevents its displacement after it has been
fixed.
For this purpose the attachments fixed to the ends of the cushion are provided
each on the same side with loops through which a strap is passed going round the
chest of the horse, thus when after fixing the surcingle this strap is fitted, the
former cannot shift its position.
For the purpose of preventing any disagreeable friction the attachments and

page_text: buckles are separated from the cover by means of leather fittings, placed flatly
under the metallic parts.
The width of the attachments varies according to the width of the girth used.
That which serves to carry the smaller straps, his one, two, three or more openings
according to the number of smaller straps one wishes to use. The number of
buckles fixed to the free end of the girth is equal to the number of straps.
These smaller straps, instead of being invariably fixed to their attachment may
also be removable that is to say, they may be formed of leather straps fitted with
holes throughout their length and having each a loop at one end.
Thus if one of the smaller girths should break, there may be some kept in
exchange, which can be fitted at once and without the aid of a saddler.
The attachments may also be used without boops where it is not necessary to fix
the surcingle so that it cannot shift.
Straps and girths may be used of any kind and the cushion may be only of
leather and felt, or of heather canvas and felt or the like and the forms, dimensions,
and material of buckles and attachments may also be varied.
Finally I may observe that my sureingle allows of using with the same cushion,
girths of different width and different colours so as to allow of using the
jarticular e dours a lupted by cert in stables.
Datel this 11th day of October 1895.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in Suroingles.
1, ANTOINE ZERIAL, of 105 Rue Lauriston, Paris, in the Republic of France
Harness Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The object of the present specification is a surcingle which may suit horses of all
sizes and which is fitted in such a manner as to permit of rapuilly regulating the
required length of the girth and so as to render change of position of said surcingle
impossible.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the surcingle laid on a plane surface.
Fig. 2 a plan in projection of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 au exterior view of the surcingle as applied to a horse.
Figs. 4 and two variations of the fastening attachment of the small straps.
Fig. 6 shows the attachment which serves to fasten the straps to the cushion of
the surcingle.
Fig. 7 Shows the double attachment serving to regulate the necessary length
of the girth.
Fig. 8 is a section in projection of Fig. 7 showing the passage of the girth.
Fig.
9 shows a counter girth.
With the sureingles now in use, the girth runs generally along the whole length
and has on the inside on the place where it touches the back of the horse, a light|
cushioning.
With this arrangement the length of the surcingle is absolutely constant, and
the only possible variations that may be obtained result from the number of boles
in the small fixing straps.
This is however very inconvenient, for one surcingle will hardly fit more than
one horse, and yet, according to the conditions of keep and of fatigue of horses at
different periods the shortening and lengthening of these small fixing straps will be
found very insuflicient.

page_text: My new surcingle may be applied to horses of different size consequently it will
also be adaptable to the changes of condition in any one horse. Moreover it always
remains in the place it occupied at the moment of fixing, a result which has been
very difficult to obtain with surcingles now in use, which always turn as soon as
the horse gets a little thinner or when it is insufficiently strapped.
My surcingle consists of two parts absolutely distinct: the cushion or actual
surcingle a which is placed on the back of the horse, and the girth c the length of
which may be regulated as will be shown hereinafter.
On one end of the cushion a is fixed a metallic attachment b with one or two
holes into which passes the girth e, and at the other end an attachment d where the
small strap e is attached for fixing the surcingle on the horse.
To the one end of the girth c is attached by means of the leather strap a
metallic attachment g having three parallel holes and to the other end the buckles h
which serve to receive the small straps e when fixing the surcingle.
The girth is passed into the hole of the attachment at the one end of the
cushion from below npwards, after which the free end of this girth is passed
successively into the three holes of the attachment g in the manner indicated in the
drawings.
As the total length of the girth c is fixed it will be easily understood that
according to the place given to the three holed attachment this girth may be looped
more or less and thus shortened according to requirement, the surcingle may there-
fore be given a variable length.
Besides this chief feature of the surcingle which allows of using it for all
sizes of horses, another arrangement prevents its displacement after it has been
fixed.
For this purpose the attachments and d fixed to the ends of the cushion a are
provided each on the same side with loops b' and through which straps are passed
going round the chest of the horse and connected in front so that when (after fixing
the surcingle) these straps are fitted, the former cannot shift its position.
For the purpose of preventing any disagreeable friction the attachments and
buckles are separated from the core by means of leather fittings m,,, placed
Hatly under the metallic parts.
The width of the attachments b, d, and g, varies according to the width of the
girth used. That which serves to carry the smaller straps e has one, two, three or
more openings according to the number of smaller straps one wishes to use.
The number of buckles fixed to the free end of the girth c is equal to the number
of straps e.
These smaller straps e instead of being invariably fixed to their attachment d
nay also be removable that is to say they may be formed of leather straps g fitted
with holes throughout their length and having each a loop at one end (see
Fig. 9).
Thus if one of the straps should break there may be some kept in exchange
which can be fitted at once and without the assistance of a saddler.
The attachments b and d may also be used without loops where it is not necessary
to fix the surcingle so that it cannot shift.
Straps and girths may be used of any kind and the cushion a may be only of
leather and felt or of leather canvas and telt or the like and the forms dimensions
and material of buckles and attachments may also be varied.
Finally may observe that my surcingle allows of using with the same cushion a,
girths of different width and of different colours so as to allow of using the particular
colours adopted by certain stables.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A surcingle serving indistinctly for horses of any size and having essentially
an independent cushion and a girth of adjustable length, the cushion being provided

page_text: with two metallic attachments one for the small fixing straps of the surcingle and
the other receiving the girth, the length of which is varied by means of a third
attachment fixed on one of the ends of this girth and which is displaced in order
to reduce at pleasure its operative length, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with a sureingle with independent cushion and girth of
adjustable length as under Claim 1, the arrangement for preventing this surcingle
from shifting consisting of counter straps with attachments which are fixed with
one end in the holes carried by the attachments of the cushion and which surround
the breast of the horse and are connected together at their free extremities.
3. In a surcingle as shown in Claim 1, a metallic attachment g with three
parallel holes and attached on one of the ends of the girth and through the openings
of which is passed successively the free end of the girth in order to regulate at
pleasure the necessary length of the girth, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a surcingle as shown in Claim 1 the metallic attachment & with one or two
parallel holes with or without the hole fixed on the cushion and in which passes
the girth, substantially as described.
5. In a surcingle as shown in Claim 1 the metallic attachment of having a hole
for its connection with the cushion, one two three or more passages d' intended to
receive the small fixing straps of the surcingle and optionally a side hole d'
substantially as described.
6. In a surcingle as shown in Claim 1 in combination with an independent
cushion and a girth of variable length, counter straps engaged in the passages
of the metallic attachment d fixed on the cushion substantially as described
before.
Dated this 13th day of July 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.