Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1887
Complete Left, 6th Mar., 1888.
Complete Accepted, 6th Apr.; 1888
1, JAMES WILLIAMS, L.D.S., R.C.S., Eng., of Belsize House, Walsall in the County
of Stafford, Dental Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
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The object of this invention is the construction and employment of means by which
a stirrup will be securely connected with its leather when in ordinary use, but upon
the foot of the rider being turned up backwards in relation to the stirrup so as to be
caught thereby, as frequently happens when a rider slips or is thrown from his horse,
or when the horse starts suddenly forwards as the rider is attempting to mount, the
stirrup will immediately become detached from the leather and thus render it
impossible for the rider to be dragged.
According to this invention, a secondary bow is pivoted at its lower end on each
side to the inside of a stirrup bow of the ordinary character, hereinafter termed the
ordinary" bow. The sides of the secondary bow are carried up for some distance
inside the ordinary bow and are curved out somewhat backwards as they round over
to meet one another to complete the top of the bow, so as to bring the rounded or
arched top of the secondary bow immediately behind the corresponding top of the
ordinary bow. A forwardly projecting stud is formed with or fixed to the top of the
secondary bow and closes into a corresponding opening in the top of the ordinary
bow as the secondary bow is pushed up against or nearly against the ordinary bow.
A metal loop or link is carried by the stirrup leather, and the stirrup is connected
with such link by passing the stud aforesaid therethrough and closing in the secondary
bow, with the link between the secondary and ordinary bows.
It will be seen that, in ordinary use, the weight of the stirrup, and more especially
the pressure of the rider's foot on the tread thereof, tends to keep the bows closed

page_text: together with the link between them; but if desired, for greater security against the
stirrup becoming accidentally detached, the stud may be, made to fit a little tightly in
the hole therefor in the ordinary bow, or may close in with a slight spring, or other
means may be adopted to give such greater security. It will be seen, also, that if
from any cause the foot of the rider is turned back in relation to the stirrup, the sides
of the foot will press backwards against the sides of the secondary bow and thus open
out such bow from the ordinary bow and release the stirrup from the link carried by
the leather.
The stud may, of course, be formed to project from the ordinary bow and close into
an opening therefor in the secondary bow, if desired.
A seconday bow and stud may be applied to an existing stirrup, in which case the
ordinary stirrup leather eye may be used to receive the forward end of the stud as the
secondary bow is closed in, the stud being in such case suitably shaped therefor.
Dated this Sixth day of June 1887.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Walsall and Wolverhampton,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES WILLIAMS, L.D.S., R.C.S., Eng., of Belsize House, Walsall in the County
of Stafford, Dental Surgeon, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, (that is to say) :—
This invention has for its object means by which a stirrup will be securely
connected with its leather when in ordinary use, but upon the foot of the rider being
turned backwards in relation to the stirrup, so as to be caught thereby, as frequently
happens when a rider slips or is thrown from his horse, the stirrup will immediately
become detached from the leather and thus render it impossible for the rider to be
dragged.
I will proceed to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which figure 1 is an elevation of the forward side of a stirrup constructed
according to, and for the purpose of, this invention, the front of the stirrup being
considered as the side from which the toe of the rider's boot projects. Figure 2 is a
side elevation of figure 1 looking from the direction of the arrow a¹, and figure 3 a
vertical section taken on line of figure 1. but shewing the bows of the stirrup open
as hereinafter described. The remaining figures refer to certain details and will be
presently described. To the sides of the main or ordinary bow A A are pivoted the
lower ends of a secondary bow B B which may be closed up against the front of
the ordinary bow, as shewn by figure 2, or be opened back therefrom, as shewn
by figure 3, and it is preferred for the sake of neatness of appearance to 50 shape
the bow B and the upper parts of the ordinary bow A as that when the bow B
is closed thereagainst the combined bows will be of the shape and configuration of
an ordinary plain bow. The crown of the bow A A is shaped to project, as shown
at a a a, below the crown of the bow B B and somewhat within the sides thereof,
for a purpose which will be shortly explained. A long horizontal stud 6 projects
forwards from the face of the upper part of the bow A against which the corresponding
part of the bow B closes, and an opening &¹ is formed through such part of the bow B
and corresponds in shape to the stud b, and is in such position in relation thereto
that when the bow B is closed up against the bow A the hole 61 passes over the stud b
which is, preferably, made to fit just fairly tightly within the hole b', and to enable
this to be the more readily accomplished the upper edge of the stud b is slightly

page_text: raised, as shewn at c, so that it may be accurately fitted to occasion a slight
pressure against the upper sido of the hole as the bow B is closed in and thus
slightly spring up the crown of the bow B to cause just sufficient friction to prevent
its coming accidentally open. A link C, which is carried by the stirrup leather,
carries the stirrup by first passing it under the stud b when the bows are open and
then closing up the bows, and to enable the bows to be closed up together when the
link is placed between then the inner faces of their upper ends are suitably recessed
to receive the link. Figures 4 and 5 are views of the inner faces of the parts of the
bows A and B, respectively, which receive the link C, and figure 6 is a view of the
back of the link. Recesses d d aro sunk in the faces of the bows to receive the sides
of the link, and recesses d'are sunk in such faces to receive the bottom part of the
link which passes under the stud/b. In order to give greater security in fixing the
link, short studs ee are formed upon the back of the lower part of the link, and
shallow sinkings e¹e are formed in the recess d' of the bow A to receive the
studs e e.
It will readily be seen that when the stirrup is suspended from the link, with the
bow B closed against the bow A, as shown by figure 2, the ordinary pressure of
the foot upon the tread-plate D will have no tendency to open the bows, but on the
contrary will tend rather to keep them together as the frictional bearing of the stud b
in the link will securely prevent it being drawn out therefrom, but that if the foot is
turned back, as happens when a rider slips or is thrown from his horse without
disengaging his foot from the stirrup, it will press against the part a of the bow A
which projects below the crown of the bow B or within the sides thereof and will thus
open back the bow A from the bow B and draw the stud bout of the link C, upon
which the stirrup will immediately become disengaged from the link and thus fall
clear from the leather; and the operation of opening the bows will be facilitated by
the pressure of the foot along the back edge of the tread plate. When the stirrup is
hanging loosely from the leather there is no tendency for the bows to open out, and
the frictional hold of the stud within the hole & securely prevents any chance of this
happening accidentally..
In figure 3 the bow B is shewn as if opened out from the bow A, for convenience
of illustration and of description in the earlier part of the specification; but when the
bows are opened, in case of an accident as described, the bow A is tilted back on the
pivots by which the bow B is pivoted thereto and the stud is in fact drawn out from
the link C.
The pivoting of the bow B to the bow A may be conveniently performed by forming
bosses ff as projections from the sides of the bow A and forming pivots to
project outwards from the bow B, the bow B being sprung inwards sufficiently to
allow the pivots to be passed into corresponding holes through the bosses and the
outer ends of the pivots then slightly riveted into countersunk parts of the holes.
In lieu of pivoting the bow B to the forward side of the bow A and tilting back the.
how A to release the stirrup from the link C, the bow B may, be pivoted to the
back of the bow A, with its crown projecting below the crown of the bow A and its
sides. projecting somewhat within the sides of the bow A, and with a stud corre-
sponding to, and for the purpose of, the stud b, projecting from the bow B into a
corresponding opening in the bow A when the bows are closed together; in which
case the stirrup is released from the link by the pressure of the foot against the
downwardly or inwardly projecting part of the bow B acting to open back the bow B
from the bow A. The previously described modification, however, is very much.
preferred.
It is not essential that either of the bows shall project within the other, as the
pressure of the foot along the back edge of the tread..plate when the foot is turned
back tends to open the bows, and the twisting of the leather which usually takes place
when a rider is thrown with his foot caught in the stirrup tends also to twist the link
and thus open the bows. It is much preferred however, for greater security, to form
the hinder bow projecting within tlie forward bow as described. :

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The improved means, substantially as described, for preventing a rider from
being dragged in a stirrup, that is to say, a stirrup in which a secondary bow is
pivoted to a main or ordinary bow, and which is suspended from the stirrup leather
by means of a link which passes below a stud projecting from the inner face of one
of the bows, such link being held in place between the bows when the same are
closed together, and in which (preferably) a part of one of the bows projects in such
a manner within the other as to be caught by the foot as the same is turned back,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
2. The improved safety stirrup in combination with a link for connecting the same
with the leather, substantially as described with reference to the drawings herewith.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Walsall and Wolverhampton,
Agent for the Applicant.