Improvements in Stirrups.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
Improvements in Stirrups.
We, JAMES CLARKE, Contractor, and FRANK HUMPIRIS, Watch Maker, both
of Cowper Villa, Acton Vale, in the County of Middlesex; do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention which relates to improvements in stirrups has for its objects to
construct stirrups in such a way as, first, to facilitate the easy entering of the
foot thereinto when mounting or when recovering the stirrup in riding, and
secondly to fit the foot plate so that it will be released from both sides of the
stirrup bow simultaneously in the event of the rider being thrown.
on
allow
According to the first part of our invention, we construct the stirrup bow with
a slot for the stirrup leather placed at right angles to the bow, so that the stirrup
when suspended by the leather will always hang at right angles to the leather
instead of parallel therewith and fore and aft of the horse's body as hitherto.
According to the second part of our invention, the sides of the bow near the
foot plate are widened and are constructed with bearing holes to receive pivots
fixed
the ends of the foot plate.
Leading from the bearings
are slots or channels which, when the foot plate is partially rotated
on its pivots to the position of the slots or
channels will
the said pivots and foot plates to slide through and become free.
In the widened part of the bow sides are horizontal channels in which
the edges of the foot plate engage and a projecting piece on the foot plate enters
into these channels and so locks the plate in a horizontal position. These pro-
jecting pieces or the sides or bottom edge of the foot plate are inclined. In un-
locking, these inclines ride on inclined ridges on one or on both sides of the bow
and so expand the bow until the pivots on the foot plate are clear of their
bearings at the point when the said pivots are in line with the grooves or channels
leading therefrom and thus become free. To prevent the losing of the foot plate
after freedom from the bow, a joint or chain or the like may be used and if
necessary to keep the bow from opening too far when the foot plate is being
freed, the ends of the foot plate pivots may be made with a suitably shaped head
or the like.
1000

page_text: formerly both of Cowper Villa, Acton Vale, all in the County of Middlesex, 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:
Our invention which relates to improvements in stirrups has for its object to
construct stirrups in such a way as, first, to facilitate the easy entering of the
foot thereinto when mounting or when recovering the stirrup in riding, and
secondly to fit, the foot plate so that it will be released from both sides of the
stirrup how simultaneously in the event of the rider being thrown.
According to the first part of our invention, we construct the stirrup bow with
a slot for the stirrup leather placed at right angles to the bow, so that the stirrup
when suspended by the leather will always hang at right angles to the leather
instead of parallel therewith and fore and aft of the horse's body as hitherto.
According to the second part of our invention the sides of the bow near the
foot plate are widened and are constructed with bearing holes to receive pivots
fixed on the ends of the foot plate. Leading from the bearings
are slots or channels which, when the foot plate is partially rotated
onl its pivots to the position of the slots or channels will allow
the said pivots and foot plates to slide through and become free.
In the widened part of the bow sides are horizontal channels in which
the edges of the foot plate engage and a projecting piece on the foot plate enters
into these channels and so locks the plate in a horizontal position. The pro-
jecting pieces or the sides or the bottom edge of the foot plate are inclined. In un-
locking, these inclines ride on inclined ridges on one or on both sides of the bow
and so expand the how until the pivots on the foot plate are clear of their
bearings at the point when the said pivots are in line with the grooves or channels
leading therefrom and thus become free. To prevent the losing of the foot plate
after freedom from the bow, a joint or chain or the like may be used and if
necessary to keep the bow from opening too far when the foot plate is being
freed, the ends of the foot plate pivots may be made with a suitably shaped head
or the like.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of our
invention, Fig. 2 is part of a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1:
Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of part of the bow in the releasing position, and
Fig. 4 is a section of the foot plate released from its bearings in the bow.
Figs. 5 to 7 show a modification: Figs. 8 to 12 show another modification; and
Figs. 13 to 10 show a further modification all of which will be more particularly
referred to hereinafter. The same letters of reference where they occur are
used to denote the same or corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4. The stirrup bow is provided at each of its
lower ends with a circular aperture into which a circular hearing piece is so
fitted as to be held in position in the circular aperture while being capable of
rotation therein. d is a locking groove cut horizontally in the inner face of the
bow and diametral to the circular bearing b, and is a corresponding diametral
groove cut in the face of the circular bearing b. The top and bottom edges d' of
the locking groove d are bevelled off as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. e'is a channel
cut in the face of the lower part of the bow w below the groove & and corres-
ponding in depth to the groove and in width not less than that of the groove c
in the circular hearing b.
As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the foot plate f is fitted at each end with an
end guard f¹ fitting the grooves c and d in the bearing and bow a respectively
and carrying an elongated projection # which extends into the interior of and
bears on the bottom of the groove in the bearing as shown in Fig. 2. The
end guard f is bevelled along its upper and lower exterior edges so as when
rotated to take against the interior bevelled edges of the groove d.
The operation of the parts will now be understood.
When the foot plate is in

page_text: proper position, the grooves c and d are in alignment, the projections are in
the grooves e in the bearings b and the end guards f' lie in the grooves and d,
the resiliency of the metal of the bow serving to keep the parts normally in this
position. On undue pressure being put on one of the longitudinal edges of the
foot plate, as would happen when the rider is thrown, the bevelled edges f on
the end guard f¹ would ride over the bevelled edges of the grooves d, and in
doing so, would expand the parts of the bow, whereupon the further pressure on
the foot plate would cause the projections thereon to rotate the bearing piece b
until the grooves therein were in line with the channels e in the parts of the
bow, say in the position shown in Fig. 3, when the foot plate would drop out and
be entirely released from the bow. To replace the foot plate, expand the bow,
rotate the bearings until the grooves are in line with the channels e, pass the
projections into the channels e and grooves e, then rotate the foot plate and
when it is in the horizontal position, the resiliency of the bow will cause the
locking grooves to snap close to the end guards f. It will be seen that the
operation will be the same whichever way the bearings may be rotated, so that
these stirrups may be used indifferently either for the right or for the left foot.
In the form shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the foot plate f is fitted with a projection g
having a semi-circular or segmental underface which acts as a pivot and rotates
in a segmental aperture 1, the channels e in the bow being made so as to allow
the passage of the pivots g therethrough when the foot plate f is rotated to
either of the positions shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. The end guard f¹ is
made in the form of a segmental plate fitting the upper part of the segmental
aperture to keep out dust. and are the bevel faces and the operation is
the same as in the form already described.
In the form shown in Figs. 8 to 12 the bow is shown fitted with a stirrup
leather slots at right angles to the plane of the bow (see Figure 8) for the
purpose already described. In this form also the foot plate f is fitted with
cylindrical projections which act as pivots and are seated in circular bearing
holes The release is effected from only one side by means of a bevelled
ridge acting in conjunction with the bevelled exterior face f of one end
guard f, the other pivot g of the foot plate being secured to the bow by means
of a shackle y pivotted at by its retainer j to the lower part of the bow. This
form may however be fitted with similar releasing means at each side of the
bow if desired.
9
In the form shown in Figs. 13 to 16 the foot plate is provided with vertical
projections which take into a bearing having horizontal top and bottom and
the projections g being retained in the position shown in Fig. 14 by the grooves d
and the end guards fl as in the first form hereinbefore described. The channels c
are at a suitable angle and the projections y slide thereout when they take the
positions shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 14. In this form both sides are
released as in the first described form and the foot plate f is secured to the bow a
by a chain as shown in Fig. 13, by a rod having a retainer and sliding into
a socket fixed to the bow a or in any other suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
(1) A stirrup having a slot for the stirrup leather placed at right angles to
the plane of the how, and a foot plate releasable on both sides of the bow, sub-
stantially as described.
(2) A stirrup having a foot plate releasable on both sides of the bow, -com-
prising a circular bearing piece fitted in a circular aperture in each side of the
bow, a diametral groove in said bearing, a corresponding and horizontal locking
groove in the bow, a releasing channel in the bow beneath said locking groove, a
guard piece and projection on each end of the foot plate adapted to fit the
grooves in the bearing and bow, and bevelled or inclined faces on the foot plate

page_text: -
and on the locking grooves in the bow adapted to expand the bow by the rotation
of the foot plate, substantially as described.
(3) A stirrup having a foot plate releasable on both sides of the bow, comprising
a segmental aperture in each side of the bow, a horizontal groove in the bow,
and a releasing channel beneath said groove, a guard piece and a segmental pivot
on each end of the foot plate adapted to partially rotate in the aperture in the bow,
and bevelled or inclined faces on the foot plate and on the grooves in the bow
adapted to expand the bow by the rotation of the foot plate, substantially as
described.
(4) A stirrup having a foot plate releasable from both sides of the bow, com-
prising a circular bearing hole in each side of the bow, a horizontal locking
groove in the bow and a releasing channel beneath said groove, a guard piece
and a cylindrical pivot on each end of the foot plate adapted to partially rotate
in the aperture in the bow, and bevelled or inclined faces on the foot plate and
on the grooves in the bow adapted to expand the bow by the rotation of the
foot plate, substantially as described.
(5) A stirrup having a foot plate releasable from both sides of the bow, com-
prising a bearing slot having a horizontal top and bottom in each side of the
bow and a horizontal locking groove angular releasing channels beneath said
grooves, a guard piece and a vertical projection on each end of the foot plate
adapted to partially rotate in the bearing in the bow, and bevelled or inclined
faces on the foot plate and on the grooves in the bow adapted to expand the bow
by the rotation of the foot plate, substantially as described.
1
1000
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
Agent for the Applicants.