Improvements in Girths for Saddles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Girths for Saddles and the like.
I, AUGUSTE EMMANUEL GASPARD GUSTAVE JOSEPH FÉLIX MAIGRET, of Mons,
Belgium, Student, 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:-
In order to keep a saddle in a convenient position on the body of a horse or
other animal, use is made of what is called a girth. By the word girth is to
be understood the object which serves to keep the saddle conveniently on the back
of the horse or other animal, whatever may be the method of attaching the girth
to the saddle. Up to the present these girths have been made of leather, cord
and other inelastic materials. In breathing and especially in uneasy breathing,
the thorax expands to the limit allowed by the girths. An elastic girth, which
does not interfere with the normal action of the thorax, on account of its elas-
ticity, possesses great advantages.
The present invention consists essentially in the application of an elastic
material such as india-rubber to girths producing as a new object an extensible
girth.
The girth made according to my invention is composed of one or more elastic
bands of bare or covered indiarubber, fastened at their ends by any convenient
attachment whatever. It may be composed of elastic or extensible bands com-
bined with inextensible bands or pieces.
It is preferably composed of several bands of bare indiarubber placed between
pieces of leather, &c., those pieces of leather which are fixed to the extremities
of the bands are furnished with attachments for fastening the girth to the saddle.
The accompanying drawing represents this last form of elastic girth.
Figure 1 is a plan of the girth and Figure 2 is a sectional elevation at the
line X-X Figure 1.
a indicates the elastic bands of bare indiarubber, and between them there are
by preference the spaces b. These bands are enclosed along their length in the
double pieces of leather and at their ends in the fastening or attaching pieces
with two extensions d, furnished with buckles or with other fasteners e. The
two parts of the pieces and the two extensions of the pieces d are stitched in
such a way that the bare india-rubber bands are enclosed firmly in the said pieces
without the stitching passing through the indiarubber.
The girth made according to the above-described arrangement, possesses great
elasticity along with great flexibility and is at the same time very light.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
.1. A girth for saddles composed of an elastic material to render the girth
extensible substantially as and for the purposes net forth

page_text: 2. An elastic girth for saddles composed of one or more bands of bare or covered
india-rubber, substantially as described.
3. An elastic girth for saddles composed in part of bare or covered india rubber
bands and in part of inextensible bands, substantially as described.
4th. An elastic ginth for saddles composed of several bands of bare or covered
india rubber held in position in pieces of leather and having their ends enclosed
between pieces of leather furnished with means for attaching the girth to the
saddle, substantially as described.
5th. An elastic girth for saddles substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.