IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SADDLE-TREES
Year: 1842

page_text: BENCRAFT, of Barnstaple, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Ninth day of June, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Stephen Bencraft,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
. Stephen Bencraft, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Stephen Bencraft, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SADDLE-TREES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Stephen Bencraft, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Stephen Bencraft, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
My Invention relates to a mode of giving elasticity to the seats of saddles
by applying metal springs. And in order that the Invention may be fully
understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the
Drawing hereunto annexed, in the various Figures of which the same letters
are used to indicate the same parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan of a saddle-tree constructed according to my
improvements; Figure 2 is a side view thereof; Figure 3 shews a side section
of the saddle-tree; and Figure 4 shews various views of the springs used for
obtaining elasticity to the seat of a saddle. Such springs receive the weight
of the rider, and transmit the pressure to the sides of the saddle-tree to which
they are applied, and thus the weight of the rider will not press on the spine
of the horse, but on the ribs, the spine being free and unincumbered, in
addition to the advantage to the rider of an easy elastic seat. a, a, represents
a saddle-tree of the ordinary construction. b is a metal spring which is
screwed on to a plate under the cantel of the saddle at 6', as is shewn. c, d, e,
are three arched springs, which are rivetted to the spring b, the ends of which
rest on the sides of the saddle-tree, as is shewn, the surfaces f, f, being covered
with metal. By this arrangement it will be evident that when the requisite
padding and covering are applied an elastic seat will be obtained to the saddle,
and the weight of the rider, as before stated, will be transferred to the ribs of
the horse. I would remark, that I have only shewn one construction of
saddle-tree; the workman, however, will readily apply my improvements to
ladies' or other saddles. .
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would wor it to be understood that I do not
claim any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise details,
so long as the peculiar character of my improvements be retained. And I wish
it to be understood that what 1 claim is the mode of obtaining elastic seats to
saddles by applying metal springs to saddle-trees, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Bencraft, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
STEPHEN (L.S.) BENCRAFT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of December, in the
year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid Stephen Bencraft came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
5 written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.