AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STIRRUP BAR FOR SADDLES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pink, of Fareham, in the County of
Hants, Saddler, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
OF STIRRUP BAR FOR SADDLES."
Sealed the 9th February 1853, and dated the 29th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Pink at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th November 1852.
I, WILLIAM PINK, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STIRRUP BAR FOR SADDLES " to be
as follows:-
This Invention refers to a novel construction of bar for support-
ing the stirrup leather, the object being to permit of the disengage-
ment of the stirrup leather from the bar, in case the rider is thrown
with one of his feet still remaining in the stirrup, by which means
the possibility of the rider being dragged along the ground by his
horse will be entirely obviated. Instead of using a fixed bar, stand-
ing out at right angles from the stirrup leather bar plate, and form-
ing
one piece therewith, I form a shoulder on the plate, which is
rivetted to the saddle tree, and attach the bar thereto by a centre

page_text: pin; thus forming a kind of hinge joint, which will admit of the bar
moving upwards, but will not allow of its moving below the proper
line for retaining the stirrup leather upon it. The shoulder which
stands out from the plate is so formed that it will cause the bar as it
moves upwards to move also obliquely or further from the plate, and
thus prevent the possibility of the stirrup leather being jamined
between the plate and the bar. At the end of this bar there is a
stop piece as usual, which is capable of turning on its fulcrum pin,
but is kept in its retaining position by a spring attached to the bar,
and bearing against the lower flattened edge of the stop. This spring
is simply an elastic lever, which is capable of rocking on its sup-
porting pin, but when the bar is in position, a stud pin projecting
from the strap bar plate abuts against the inner end of the lever,
and thereby causes the opposite end of the spring to bear tightly
against the stop. In case a rider using this construction of bar
should be thrown across the saddle, and one of his fect get entan-
gled in a stirrup, the upward drag of the stirrup leather will cause
the bar to rise on its centre pin, and thereby release the spring which
keeps the stop in position from the pressure of the projecting stud;
the stop will then give way to the drag of the stirrup leather, allow-
ing the same to slide off laterally, and disengaging the dismounted
rider from the saddle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said William Pink in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM PINK, of Fareham, in the County of Hants, Saddler, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in
the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
in the sixteenth year of ler reign, did, for Ilerself, Her heirs and

page_text: successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Pink, Her spe-
cial licence that I, the said William Pink, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Pink, my exe-
cutors, 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 "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STIRRUP BAR FOR SADDLES," upon the condi-
tion (amongst others), that I, the said William Pink, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly des-
cribe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, 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 William Pink, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 Draw-
ings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
This Invention refers to a novel construction of bar for support-
ing the stirrup leather, the object being to permit of the disengage-
ment of the stirrup leather from the bar, in case the rider is thrown
from his horse with one foot still remaining in a stirrup, and
thereby to prevent the possibility of the rider being dragged along
the ground by his horse. Instead of using a fixed bar, standing
out at right angles from the stirrup leather bar plate, and forming
one piece therewith, I form a shoulder on the plate, which is rivetted
to the saddle tree, and attach the bar thereto by a fulcrum pin; thus
forming a kind of hinge point, which will admit of the bar moving
upwards, but will not allow of its moving below the proper line for
retaining the stirrup leather upon it. The shoulder which stands
out from the plate is so formed that it will cause the bar as it rises
on its hinge joint to move also obliquely or further from the plate,

page_text: and thus prevent the possibility of the stirrup leather being jammed
between the plate and the bar. At the end of this bar there is a stop
piece as usual, which is capable of turning on its fulcrum pin, but is
kept in its retaining position by a spring lever attached to the bar,
and bearing against the lower flattened edge of the stop. This
spring lever is capable of rocking on its supporting pin, but when
the bar is in position, a stud pin projecting from the strap bar plate
abuts against the inner or rear end of the lever, and thereby causes
the opposite end of the lever to bear tightly against the stop. In
case a rider using this construction of bar should be thrown across
the saddle, and get one of his feet entangled in a stirrup, the upward
drag of the stirrup leather will cause the bar to rise on its fulcrum
pin, and thereby release the spring lever, which keeps the stop in
position from the pressure of the projecting stud; the stop will then
give way to the drag of the stirrup leather, and allow the same
to slide off laterally, and disengage the dismounted rider from
the saddle.
In order the better to explain my Invention, I have shown in the
accompanying Drawing several views of my improved saddle bar.
Fig. 1, shews the saddle bar attached to the saddle tree; Fig. 2,
shews the bar and plate to which it is jointed, detached from the
saddle tree, and on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3, is an edge view thereof;
and Fig. 4, is a view shewing the saddle bar in its elevated position;
a, a, is the stirrup bar plate, forined with a raised part or shoulder
a*, (see Fig. 3,) from which projects a pin b, that forms the ful-
crum for the stirrup bar c. The shoulder a*, acts as an abutting piccc,
against which the inner end of the bar c, bears when it is in the proper
position for carrying the stirrup leather. Projecting from the
shoulder a*, is a stud pin d, which when the bar c, is in position bears
against the rear end of the spring lever c, carried by the bar, and
prevents the spring lever yielding to any slight pressure that may be
put upon its other end. By this means, therefore, the ordinary
yielding stopf, at the outer extremity of the stirrup bar is retained
in its erect position, and the stirrup strap is prevented from sliding
off its bearings; but in case the rider is thrown from his horse and

page_text: one of his feet is retained in a stirrup, the drag of the strap will
cause the bar c, to rise to the position shewn at Fig. 4. The
spring lever e, being now moved out of contact with the stud pin d,
will no longer present any resistance to the movement of the stop f,
and if therefore it is pressed upon by the stirrup leather, it will
readily yield and allow of the strap sliding off the bar, and effecting
the disengagement of the stirrup from the saddle.
It will be seen by inspecting the edge view, Fig. 3, that the bar
is set at an angle to the plane of the plate a. This is for the purpose
of increasing the distance between the under surface of the bar and
the plate which carries it, and preventing, as before stated, the possi-
bility of the stirrup leather being jammed between the plate and
the bar.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim as of my Invention the general
arrangement and construction of saddle bar, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pink, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lanc.
WILLIAM PINK. (L.S.)