Improved Safety Stirrup
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1889
I LOTHIAN KERR SCOTT Lieut. Colonel in Her Majestys Royal Engineers of the
Junior United Service Club Charles Street Saint James' London in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The Improved Safety Stirrup consists of an ordinary stirrup cut into two parts
midway or below between the tread and the curved top or intrados, of the Stirrup and
connected together again by a hinge at each side which admits of a back and forward
free swinging movement towards the horses' tail and head, when the foot is in the
stirrup.
This swinging movement imparted to the lower half, or tread of the stirrup has
the advantage of preventing the Riders foot, from going through a proper sized
stirrup, and from being caught up in the stirrup and dragged in the event of his
being thrown.
There are many kinds of Patent Safety Stirrups and the principle of them is that
they will release the foot if caught up, but the principle of the Scott Improved
Safety Stirrup" is that the foot cannot be caught up in it, and prevention being better
than cure the above mentioned stirrup ought to be a success.
1
1
' 1000

page_text: 1 LOTHIAN KERR SCOTT Lieut.-Col. in Her Majestys Royal Engineers of the
Junior United Service Club, Charles Street Saint James London 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 :-
The object of my Invention is to provide, without altering the general appearance
of the ordinary stirrup, a simple safety stirrup, which has not the complications of
other patented stirrups, and which possesses in itself elements of safety which are
brought into play automatically by a pendulous action.
This principle is mechanically embodied in my "Improved Safety Stirrup " by
having made in two parts as shewn in fig. (2) (a a) and (sts) and by having
them hinged together as shewn in fig. (1) by the pin (p) or otherwise.
The Hinge may be of any form provided it be midway or thereabouts between the
upper surface of the tread (t) fig. 1, and intrados of the arch (a a) of the stirrup and
provided also that it admits of the lower half (sts), figs. (1) and (2), having a free
swinging movement like a pendulum.
Fig. (1) shews the front elevation of the stirrup.
Fig. (2) shews the front elevation of the two parts (a a) and (sts) of the stirrup
disconnected, together with the hinge pin (t) in (sts).
Fig. (3) shews the plan of fig. (1)..
Fig. shews the hinge pin as a rivet.
Fig. ( shews the Hinge pin with a screw head, which is intended to retain it in
its place in the sides of the hinge without rivetting.
The advantages derivable from the pendulous action of the free swinging lower half
of my "Improved Safety Stirrup" are the following.
1. That it prevents the foot of a Horseman from getting jammed in the stirrup.
2. That it assists in preventing a Horseman from accidentally getting his foot
wholly through the stirrup, because as the foot is in the act of going through, the
heel of the boot catches the Tread of the stirrup, and thereby partly closes the opening
of the stirrup.
3. It makes it easier for a soldier to retain the toe in the stirrup when riding in
military fashion.
4. That it makes the action of trotting less tiring for the ankle.

page_text: 5. That it renders the act of mounting easier, because the whole tread instead of
its edge is presented to the foot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The method of making stirrups with a hinge midway between the upper surface
of the tread and the intrados of the arch, of such a nature that the lower half of
the stirrup shall have a free, pendulous, and swinging movement.