IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SADDLES AND HARNESS AND IN MATERIALS FOR AND IN ORNAMENTING THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR PARTS OF CARRIAGES, DRESS, AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Charles Clarkson, Manufacturer, of 56,
Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SADDLES AND HARNESS
AND IN MATERIALS FOR AND IN ORNAMENTING THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE APPLICABLE FOR PARTS OF CARRIAGES, DRESS, AND COVERINGS FOR THE
HEAD, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 12th April 1864, and dated the 21st October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Charles Clarkson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1863.
I, THOMAS CHARLES CLARKSON, Manufacturer, of 56, Stamford Street,
Blackfriars, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SADDLES AND HARNESS,
AND IN MATERIALS FOR AND IN ORNAMENTING THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE FOR PARTS OF CARRIAGES, DRESS, AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND
OTHER ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to the improved method of forming military,
pack, and other saddles and parts thereof for the purpose of making them
nuch lighter and stronger, and for avoiding the liability of injuring the horse
or rider, as is the case with the ordinary saddles now in use. I make a mould
the shape of the back of a horse, and commence by placing alternate layers
of canvas, sheet cork, thin wood, felt, and thin leather, and when certain
parts are required to be thin and pliant, I use a woven wood, such as manilla,
similar to leghorn, or such like vegetable substance, in lieu of the wood in its
natural state, and adhere such layers with the india-rubber and gutta percha

page_text: solution mixed with or without sulphur, chloride of lime, or antimony, and as
the work proceeds I cut or form the said material into what is called saddles,
and in shaping I leave certain spaces slightly cellular and slightly concave
in certain parts of the seat of the saddle, so that I can form a water or air
cushion, also in the pad or rolls, which I make hollow, which can be used for
receptacles for carrying liquids, or valuable property, at the same time acting
as a pad. By this improved process I am enabled to do away with the
ordinary wool stuffing and the rigid wood or iron saddle tray; I am enabled
by the toughness and elasticity of the materials when in combination to give
to the parts or ends of the fork of the saddle an elasticity which in ordinary
wood saddle trees are rigid and bard.-I-also have the flaps of the saddle
independent of the roll or knee pad in front of the saddle flap, which obviates
I leave also a small recess to
the pad being bent up when girthing the horse;
allow the strap and buckles of the girths, so that they cause no projection as
in the ordinary saddle; I also do away with the double thickness of the
stirrup leathers by either screwing them into the solid part of the saddle, or by
forming a loop in the end of the leather, so that it can be slipped on to the
órdinary spring bar; or, if preferred, I form a long flat socket and pin so that
the stirrup leather can be taken up or let out. The bottom of the strap is
either buckled on a strap on the stirrup, or the stirrup buckled or otherwise
secured to the stirrup leather; the socket and pin is also applicable for securing
the traces of harness and other parts which does away with the ordinary
buckles, avoiding the injury which the buckle tongue causes to the holes in
the traces, and also if the horse falls in harness by withdrawing the pin the
horse is let at liberty. After the canvas, sheet cork; leather, wood,, or manilla
has been firmly combined and put into shape, I adhere, with the aforesaid
india-rubber solution a thin leather of hogskin or an imitation thereof, or other
covering; I then take it off the mould and adhere a felt on the inside, which
forms the padding. By this process it will be seen that I produce a solid,
firm, soft, and elastic saddle or pack saddle, both water and sweat proof, which
avoids all the disadvantages attending ordinary saddles.
!
The 2nd part of this Invention is in using and applying the manilla, or such
like vegetable substances, a woven wood or thin wood in its natural state, and
when coated with and adhered with india-rubber and gutta percha solution on
or to a calico, thin leather, cloth, or a woven or felted material. I am enabled
by this Invention to form or shape, without the aid of machinery or heat, hats,
shakos, helmets, caps, head. shields for the military, also for cap peakes and
brims of hats, whereby I economise leather and other expensive materials, at
the same time giving a firm and pliable material when covered with cloth,

page_text: leather, felt, silk, or cotton; it is also applicable for covering of carriages,
and parts thereof, and forming all kinds of useful domestic articles where
leather or wood is used, and also for stiffening coats, trousers, leggings, boots
and shoes, ladies' skirts and other parts of wearing apparel. In the head dress
of the military I replace the metal socket with a leather socket for the plume,
and adhere the peak and lining to the body of the head dress instead of sewing,
which prevents the rain passing down on the face.
The 3rd part of my Invention is in giving the aforesaid articles an orna-
mental appearance, as if they were sewn, particularly when the outer surfaces
are japaned or enamelled leather or cloth, and such as the ordinary golosh, by
piercing with a toothed or embossed wheel, making certain holes or indents
in the said japaned cloth or leather covering, and by filling the said holes or
indents up with a cement of a colour as fancy may suggest, which gives the
appearance as if sewn, but which has the advantage of sewing, as the colour
of the cement does not wear or become discoloured as if sewn by ordinary
stitches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Charles Clarkson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CHARLES CLARKSON, Manufacturer, of 56, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road,
in the County of Surrey, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the 21st day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and 63, in the 27th year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto the said Thomas Charles
Clarkson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Charles Clarkson,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Charles Clarkson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree. with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SADDLES AND HARNESS, AND IN MATERIALS FOR AND IN
ORNAMENTING THE SAME, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR PARTS OF
CARRIAGES, DRESS, AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Charles Clarkson, my

page_text: executors or administrators, by a an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the sanie was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Charles Clarkson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the improvement in pack and other
saddles for making them lighter and stronger, and for avoiding the liability of
injuring the horse or rider, as is the case with the ordinary saddles now in use.
To commence, I make a mould the shape of the back of the horse, but to get
over the difficulty which at present exists in getting the form of the back of
the horse, I make a skeleton saddle tree with several parallel ribs with screw
bolts, which work in screw nuts, by which means I can raise or lower the
under blocks and leather strap which is attached to the bolts as shown in
Figs. 9 & 10. I then place a strong canvas which I cause to stick to the
mould, this gives me the foundation upon which I proceed to build my saddle.
I then coat over the canvas with a solution of india-rubber mixed with or without
sulphur, chloride of lime, or antimony. When sufficiently dry I cause to be
adhered thereon a layer of sheet cork about a quarter of an inch thick; I then
coat over the cork with the above-mentioned solution, and when dry adhere a
layer of thick felt, which has also received a coat of solution. I then adhere
in like manner another layer of cork on the seat of the saddle which requires
to be thicker. I then proceed to fit on the spring bow and stirrup bars,
likewise the cantle iron at the back of the saddle, as shown in Figs. 7 & 8.
When these are secured I adhere a thin leather over the back of the saddle,
as before described. Here I must observe that I do not always confine myself
to the use of the steel spring bow, or cantle plate, as a wood bow and cantle
with a leather or canvas covering, adhered with my solution, answers as well
and gives the necessary spring at the points of the fork which cannot be
attained in the ordinary saddles; I secure the spring bars to the wood and
leather bow; I then continue to adhere alternate layers of cork and felt with
(occasionally) leather and thin wood, or woven willow wood, in different parts of
the saddle to form the necessary shape as taste may suggest. I leave certain spaces
slightly cellular and concave in certain parts of the seat of the saddle, vide Fig. 4,
so that if desired form a water or air cushion. Also in the knee-pads or rolls I

page_text: make hollow, vide Fig. 4 & 5, which allows receptacles for carrying liquids
or valuable property, at the same time forming a comfortable pad.
To
accomplish this I make a mould the shape required, making a leather or calico
foundation, and then adhering unto a layer of cork; I then take it off the
mould and adhere it to the fore part of the saddle. When the cork, leather,
and cloth is thoroughly adhered it keeps the shape of the mould from which
it has been formed, consequently no wool or other stuffing is required. By
adhering the pad on the saddle (instead as in ordinary on the flap) it obviates
its being bent up when girthing the horse. The flap of the saddle is independent.
of the pad, as shown in Fig. 4 by the dotted line on the flap. I also do away
with double stirrup leathers (but I am aware single stirrups have been in use
for time unknown) but not on my principle, vide Fig. 11); I make a hole
in the direction of the width of the strap, and by my arrangement in the
spring bar (vide Fig. 11 & 12) of the saddle I can secure the leather firmly,
at the same time allowing for its immediate detachment in case of the rider
falling. But I find if I form a loop in the end of the stirrup leather to slip
on to the spring bar, there would be no provision for taking up or letting
down the stirrup leather except at the stirrup iron, which is in many cases objec-
tionable. By my principle I entirely remove this difficulty and also secure
the leather at the stirrup iron similar to that of the spring bar, Fig. 11 &
12, but with this exception, that I secure to the stirrup iron a loop similar
to what is shown at Fig. 14.
Fig. 1 shows my improvements in making waterproof pack saddles or
receptacles for carrying water or other liquids and military stores. In making
these articles I commence, as before described, by first making the mould, and
working alternate layers of canvas and sheet cork adhered by my india-rubber
solution. I then cover the exterior with leather or woven material, whichever
the purchaser may wish for. When the work is finished I cut an opening
and take out the mould, and then fit to the said opening a screw plug or
other waterproof securing. These receptacles (vide Fig. 1) can be used in
cases of emergency without the saddle, as I make a provision by leaving
certain tubes on the part pressing on the back of the horse which can be filled
with water, which when so filled forms a very soft cushion to the back of the
horse. I place a pump in the pack receptacle for the purpose of filling it.
My military and other saddles are covered with leather adhered with my
india-rubber solution. It will be seen by referring to Figs. 13 & 14 that by
forming a hole in the traces and harness straps in the direction of their width,
and having a hole made in the end of the socket in which the strap enters,
and by passing a spring pin through the holes, the trace is securely held; and

page_text: in the event of the horse falling when in harness by withdrawing the pin the
horse is set at liberty. This principle does away with the ordinary buckle,
avoiding the injury which the buckle tongue causes to the holes in traces and
other parts of the harness. In harness requiring great strength I place in the
centre a wire cord imbedded in cork, and then adhered between webs and
leather. The great advantages to be derived by my improvements in the
afore-named saddles and harness made as described are numerous and
economical. They require no sewing, and the cork and web can be covered
with any description of leather, and by indenting with a toothed wheel or
other pricking machine making small holes. I then fill in. to the said holes a
white or coloured cement, which has the appearance of sewing, but of a
more ornamental character. This method is applicable for ornamenting
and imitating sewing upon all sorts of enamelled leather, likewise enamelled
and japanned cloth. I make the toothed wheel or prickers hot when applied
to india-rubber shoes or golloshes. By referring to Figs. 15 & 17 will be
seen my plan and improvements over the ordinary harness tug. By my: method
it will be seen that the shaft can be removed without removing the belly-band.
Fig. 18 shows. my method of relieving horses when in harness, doing away
with the present plan of looping the trace bar pin. Fig. 19 shows the trace
with the stop attached to it. Figs. 5 & 6 shows the principle of alternate
layers and construction; Fig. 16 shows the construction of a cart saddle;
Figs. 26 & 27 exhibits my improvements in knapsacks; Figs. 28 & 29 show
the improvement and application of the combination with reference to port-
manteaus, powder cases, and all such materials that are now made of leather,
gutta percha, and cloth. :
The second part of my improvements are in using and applying cork,
manilla, or woven wood, or thin wood, in its natural state, and when coated
with and adhered by my india-rubber solution on or to calico, thin leather, cloth,
or felt. I am enabled by this Invention to form or shape, without the aid of
heat or machinery, hats, shakos, helmets, head 'shields, hat brims, and peaks,
by first taking a mould and pulling over it a stocking-netting or other cover, and
coating it with the aforesaid india-rubber solution, and when dry I stick on a
small leather tube in front of the shako to hold a ball tuft. By this method
I keep the head dress waterproof. I then adhere a thin wood, sheet of cork,
or a sheet of woven wood, which has has been already coated with the said solu-
tion, to the foundation on the mould. I then remove any uneveness from the
surface and again coat it over with my solution for its final covering. I then
adhere calico, cloth, leather, felt, or a covering of woven willow, or other
woven materials, but prior to putting on the last cover I stick on the peak, if

page_text: it be to a shako or cap, in lieu of sewing. I then remove the shako, hat, or
whatever head dress may be on the block, and brush over that portion of the
interior that presses against the head with a solution of glue and isinglass
dissolved in vinegar. This process is to prevent the grease passing through
the hat or head dress; I then adhere the head leather in two parts,
that in front forms a covering for the under side of the peak, vide Figs. 22
& 23. When the shako or head dress is to be sewn I use the woven wood
placed between the two cloths for stiffening. If they are required to be
waterproof I coat over the woven wood with my solution and the body of the
shako or head dress can be thoroughly adhered. My improvements are also
applicable for stiffening coats, trousers, legging, boots & shoes, ladies' skirts,
and various parts of wearing apparel.
The third part of my Invention consists in ornamenting various articles
made of japanned & enamelled leather and cloth to imitate sewing as described,
with my leather articles in the first part of my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details given, which may be somewhat
modified, but still without departing from the principle of the Invention, I
wish it to be understood that I claim under the above Letters Patent,—
First, I claim the method of measuring moulds to enable me to fit the
different sized horses, as described in Drawing, Figs. 9 & 10.
Secondly, I claim the principle, method, and combination of the aforesaid
materials for making and forming pack and other saddles and harness, also
for securing and detaching traces, stirrups, and other straps.
Thirdly, I claim the fixing and using a pump to fill the pack or water
receptacle while on the back of the horse, also for making portmanteaus, cases,
and knapsacks, as shewn in Drawings, and otherwise described.
Fourthly, I claim the improved method of making and applying the materials
as described for military and other head dresses.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Charles Clarkson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our
THO. CHAS. CLARKSON. (Ls.)