CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON OR ADDITIONS TO SADDLES FOR HORSES
Year: 1834

page_text: BOWER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
GEORGE BLYTH, of the same Place, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-second day of October, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Manoah Bower and George Blyth, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said Manoah Bower and George Blyth,
our exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Manoah Bower
and George Blyth, our exors, adññiors, 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, our
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON OR ADDITIONS TO SADDLES FOR HORSES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the said Manoah
Bower and George Blyth, or one of us, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in His 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, we, the said Manoah
Bower and George Blyth, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in applying a curtain or cover, hereafter described,
which when not in use shall lie within the saddletree and be concealed from
view, but capable of being drawn in out with facility.
Having thus described the object of our Invention, we will describe the
Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a saddle for a gig or single-horse saddle where shafts
are used, the curtain or cover being within the saddle; Figure 2, a plan of
Figure 1, the curtain or cover being extended. Figure 3 is a plan of the
iron framing which constitutes the saddletree. Figure 4 is a back or edge
view of such iron framing. Figure 5 represents a side view of a riding saddle
constructed according to our Invention, and Figure 6 is a plan thereof. In
cach of these Figures the same letters of reference indicate similar parts. But
first of Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. a represents the curtain or cover for the
horse's loins. This cover is made of waterproof leather or other suitable
material, and is bent into folds in such manner that when drawn into the
saddle it will lie closely within the same and be entirely hid from view. In
cach fold is placed a bent wire b, which keeps the curtain or cover distended
to the proper figure; and it will be seen that the wires are so bent as to pro-
trude through the leather and form loops for the passage of the straps c,
which straps c are made fast to the outer end of the curtain or cover. At the
outer end of the curtain or cover is a frame of metal d, which also aids to
keep the cover into shape; this frame is made of thin metal in order to obtain
lightness, but is pressed hollow in order to give stiffness to the same. e are
the straps for drawing out the cover or curtain; f is the metal framing which
constitutes the saddletree, and at the same time an open framing to receive
the curtain or cover a. This framing is to be made as light as possible, duly
considering the strength requisite for the particular purpose to which it is to
be applied, and it may be remarked that its construction may be varied from
that shewn in the Drawing. This framing f is to be lined on the inside with
leather, and the exterior, both as to the upper surface, as well as the padding
which comes on the horse's back, is to be made to assume as much as possible
the appearance of saddles of the present construction, intended for the same
purposes, and as shewn in the Drawing, whether it be for a pair or single-

page_text: horse saddle. g, g, are friction pulleys or rollers over which the straps c pass,
and then return and are made fast to the splashing board, or other convenient
place, to be within reach of the driver.
Having thus described the manner of carrying our Invention into effect, so
far as relates to the application thereof to the saddles of draft horses, I will
describe the manner of using the same, first remarking, that when not in use
the curtain or cover a lies within the saddle, but when it is desired to cover
the loins of the horse, then all that will be necessary is to pull the straps e
and the curtain or cover will be drawn out, and thus will the same offer every
advantage of a horsecloth, or what is known by the name of a deck, with this
other advantage, that the horse can never go out without having it ready for use.
When it is desired to uncover the horse, the same will be effected by draw-
ing the straps c, and the cover or curtain will be returned within the saddle.
In applying our Invention to a riding saddle, see Figure 5 and 6, we form the
pummel or fore part of the saddletree hollow, in like manner to that above
described, but in place of having the curtain or cover to draw in and out, we
prefer that the same should be rolled up and laid within the open framing
when not in use.
Figures 5 and 6 show such an application of our Invention, a being the
curtain or cover, which in this instance is made of patent waterproof fabric
(manufactured by Messieurs Mackintosh), one end being affixed within the
space formed for it in the framing of the fore part of the saddletree, and when
out and unrolled the curtain or cover a may either be used for covering the
seat of the saddle and the loins of the horse when the rider is off, or else the
cover may be used by the rider when in his seat, in order to cover his thighs
and stomach, and when out of use it is to be rolled up and placed within the
recess, and there are short straps with buckles in order to keep the same to
its place.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that we lay no claim
to the various parts of saddles already known and in use, but we do confine
our claim of Invention to the constructing of saddles in such manner as to
allow of the application of the curtain or cover as above described, and
whereby such curtain or cover shall when not in use lie within the saddle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Manoah Bower, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
MANOAH (L.s.) BOWER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1835, the aforesaid Manoah Bower came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.