Improvements in the Construction of Ladies' Riding Saddles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 13th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ladies' Riding Saddles.
I JOHN MORE MARTIN, of No. 11 North Crescent, Bedford Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Saddler and Harness Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of ladies' riding saddles,
and consists in a simple method by which the stirrup, stirrup-leather and girth, can
be adjusted at the will of the rider, without any outside aid whatsoever.
In carrying my invention into practice, I proceed as follows:
In the first place, in order to render the stirrup, stirrup-leather and girth self-
adjusting, the off-flap will be arranged so as to be disconnected by means of a steel or
other spring that may be determined upon, and connected by a hook, eye, stud, plate
or any other suitable device that will permit the flaps to be detached from the girth,
and such a girth to be fastened under the flap to the saddle-tree in a manner most
simple or convenient to the rider.
I attach the stirrup-leather to the stirrup-bar by means of a loop, catch, stud, or
the like, and pass the end of said leather through the stirrup-iron and return it
under the saddle-flap and then pass it through, under, over, or beside, the gullet-
plate of the saddle, which crosses the horses' withers, the said leather passing
through a tube or over a plate or runner or runners, and coming out on the opposite
side of the saddle, where it is adjusted by means of a buckle, spring, or other
suitable means, which will be hidden from view by the off-flap, which is disconnected
as before-described.
Dated this 11th day of Webruary 1802
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ladies' Riding Saddles.
I JOHN MORE MARTIN, of No. 11, North Crescent, Bedford Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Saddler and 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of ladies riding saddles,
and consists in a simple method by which the stirrup, stirrup-leather, and girths can
be adjusted at the will of the rider, without any outside aid whatsoever.
Hitherto the outer flaps of ladies saddles were secured in position on the off' side
by means of a strap and buckle so that in order to detach the same for the purpose
of altering the height of the stirrup, or tightening the girth the rider bad either to
dismount or to call for outside aid. Now according to my invention the rider will
be able to readily raise the flap and adjust the stirrup-leather or girth without
dismounting or requiring any assistance.
In carrying my invention into practice, I proceed as follows:
In the first place in order to render the stirrup, stirrup-leather and girths easily
adjusted the off flap is arranged so as to be kept in its position by means of a steel
or other spring which the rider can raise or lower at discretion for altering the
girths or stirrup leather without any trouble of buckling or unbuckling as at
present. I attach the stirrup-leather to the stirrup-bar by means of a loop, catch,

page_text: stud or the like, and pass the end of said leather through the stirrup-iron and
return it under the saddle-flap and then pass it through a tube at the side of
the gullet plate of the saddle which crosses the horses withers, the said leather
passing through the tube in which may be placed rollers or runners, and coming
out of the opposite side of the saddle where it is adjusted by means of a
hook which will be hidden from view by the off flap, which is disconnected as
before described.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings wherein like letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures,
Fig. 1 is a plan of a saddle-tree provided with my improvements,
Fig. 2 is an underside and detached view of a portion of the steel blade and
spring attachment supporting the saddle.
Figs. 3 and 4 are a side and a plan view respectively of a modification of the
blade attachment.
According to my invention I fix across the saddle-tree T near the top thereof a
channel-piece or guide 9 of brass or other suitable material terminated in the
off side of the tree with a flat, rounded, portion carrying a stud a'.
The stirrup-strap a is attached at one end to the iron e in the ordinary way and
forms a loop whereto the stirrup is suspended, the other end passing along the
recessed part of the guide g and under a roller r mounted on an axis secured at
both ends to the flanges of the said guide, in order to be hooked on to the stud a¹
by one of the holes a² a series of which are provided for the purpose of adjust-
ment. The strap a descends below the saddle-flap on the off side and this saddle
flap bears upon the long steel blade 6 the end of which enters a pocket q attached
to the inside of the said flap S (Fig. 3). This steel blade b is pivoted within a
frame or casting rivetted to the saddle-tree as shown in Fig. 1, and upon its
inner end which is rounded, bear two short superposed spring blades rivetted to
the inner end of the frame or casting and bearing underneath the steel blades b as
clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As the rider raises the flap with her hand the
blade follows and comes up with a click and she can have ready access to the
strap a or the girth strap for the purpose of adjustment while by depressing
the flap the same is held down against the side of the saddle by the steel bar b
controlled by the spring s.
According to a modification of my invention I rivet the blade 6 aforesaid to the
outer end of a tongue D, the other end of which turns on the pin o fixed in
the frame and is cut or formed in such a manner as to be locked by the
enlarged end of a spring bolt d¹ placed in the central recess of the frame or
casting which is rivetted by its tail end to the saddle tree in lieu of the frame f
shown in Fig. 1; the end passing under a guiding pin p. A spring blade o' is
fixed at one end to the forward extremity of the frame and bears at the other
against the underside of the steel b.
The upright end of the finger-piece d passes through an opening formed in the
saddle so that the rider can pull this piece up in order to unlock the tongue D and
with it the steel blade b and the saddle flap $ which is ordinarily held down by the
said blade when the tongue D is locked, the spring of slightly raising the blade bas
the bolt d' is withdrawn and thus enabling the rider to readily seize hold of the
saddle-flap S for the purpose above set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be described, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In ladies saddles the means whereby the saddle-flap on the off-side can be
readily raised in order to gain access to the stirrup-strap or girth-straps for the
purpose of adjusting them without dismounting or outside aid, arranged, constructed
and operating substantially as herein described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. In ladies saddles the modified means for locking the saddle-flap on the off side
in the norinal position and for unlocking the same when the said flap is required to
be raised substantially as above described and shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 13th day of November 1893.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicaut.