IMPROVEMENTS IN « * RIDING AND PACK SADDLES
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLEIE DI PULICATION,
I THEODORE JONATHAN WINT, Captain of Cavalry, United States Army, at
present stationed at Fort Leavenworth, in the County of Leavenworth, and State
of Kansas, in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN « * RIDING AND PACK SADDLES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in Riding saddles and it consists in a
saddle having the side bars connected at the pommel and cantle, by means of curved
arms forming an are of a circle and that slide in a line with each other, so that the
side bars of the saddle may be adjusted to any desired angle and thereby adapted
to fit the horses back; and means for securing the curved arms together, when the
requisite adjustment has been attained, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawings,—
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a MoClellan saddle with my improved adjusting
device applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of modified forms of my adjusting arms.
A represents the saddle tree, of which, B, represents the side bars, C, the pommel
and D, the cantle.
The portions of the pommel and cantle above the space between the upper edges
of the side bars are cut away, as shown, and the side bars are connected together by
semi-circular arms, a, that are formed with foot plates, b, and secured to the side
bars of the saddle tree by means of bolts, rivets or screws.
Two pairs of these curved arms are used for each saddle, one pair being secured
to the side bars at the pommel and the other pair being secured to the side bars at
the cantle.
These curved arms bear against and slide upon each other, and are provided
with slots, a¹, in the ends.
A bolt or stud, a³, projects from each of the arms, and enters the slot of the
opposing arm.
Nuts, a³, are secured on the projecting ends of the bolts or studs, and serve to
clamp the arms together, so as to render them immovable when the proper adjust-
ment of the side bars has been attained.

page_text: By means of the semi-circular side arms it will be understood that the side bars
while being adjusted, will move from the axis at, s, changing the angle of the
bearing surfaces of the bars, to each other from their axis, each of the side bars
having a turning motion, from or on the upper edge of its bearing surface, by this
means causing the angles of the bearing surfaces of the side bars to correspond with
those of the horses back, without materially opening or closing the space between
the upper edges of the side bars.
My improved adjusting devices are well adapted to be applied to pack saddles
and effect the same result and operate in the same way.
By my construction I am enabled to adjust the side bars of my saddle to any
desired angle without materially widening or narrowing the space between the
inner upper edges of the side bars, and thus adapt the bearing surfaces of the side
bars to the angles of the animals back, which is necessary in order to fit the saddle
to the back.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A saddle having side bars hinged together at the pommel and cantle by curved
arms forming an arc of a circle and that slide in a line with each other, to enable
the side bars to be adjusted to any requisite angle, the pivotal points or axis being
on a line with the upper.edges of the bearing surfaces of the side bars, and means
for clamping the curved arms together, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the side bars, B, and the curved arms, a, forming an aro of
a circle and adapted to work in a line with each other and adjust the side bars,
substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of June 1885