IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS JAMES MORTIN of Woking in the County of Surrey Farmer do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the production of a bar which while retaining
all the advantages of the old fashioned bar will allow the stirrup leather to quit
freely should it be dragged across the saddle as well as when dragged in other
directions. All hinged bars at present in use that are in one piece are made so
that they can turn upwards at their forward end around a pin which projects
outwards at right angles from a plate fixed to the saddle tree.
Usually this plate is at an angle of about 30 degrees from the vertical and when
the bar is turned upwards it keeps close to the plate. When the stirrup leather is
dragged across the saddle it doubles back the small leather flap by which the saddle
bar is ordinarily covered over consequently the pull of the stirrup leather upon the
bar is not fairly in a direction to turn the bar around its pin joint but a cross
strain is put upon the bar and hinders it from allowing the stirrup leather to
slip off.
To remedy this evil I set the pin upon which the bar turns at such an angle to
the plate that the bar when turned upwards shall move vertically or nearly_so
instead of as heretofore in a direction parallel with the plate so as to permit it to
deliver the stirrup leather freely. I also place a stop in front of the pin for the
forward end of the bar to abut against when the bar is held down by the stirrup
leather. I also cut a slot down the face of this stop for the front end of the bar or
a projection from it to lie in and thereby prevent the bar being turned sidewise by
lateral strain.
The rear end of the bar may be plain or it may be fitted with a spring stop such
as now commonly used.

page_text: I THOMAS JAMES MORTIN of Woking in the County of Surrey Farmer do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE BARS"
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention has for its object the production of a bar which while retaining all
the advantages of the old fashioned bar will allow the stirrup leather to quit freely
should it be dragged across the saddle as well as when dragged in other directions.
All hinged bars at present in use that are in one piece are made so that they can
turn upwards at their forward end around a pin which projects outwards at right
angles from a plate fixed to the saddle tree.
Usually this plate is at an angle of about 30 degrees from the vertical and when
the bar is turned upwards it keeps close to the plate. When the stirrup leather is
dragged across the saddle it doubles back the small leather flap by which the saddle
bar is ordinarily covered over, consequently the pull of the stirrup leather upon the
bar is not fairly in a direction to turn the bar around its pin joint but a cross
strain is put upon the bar and hinders it from allowing the stirrup leather to
Blip off.
To remedy this evil I set the pin upon which the bar turns at such an angle to
the plate that the bar when turned upwards shall move vertically or nearly so
instead of as heretofore in a direction parallel with the plate so as to permit it to
deliver the stirrup leather freely. I also place a stop in front of the pin for the
forward end of the bar to abut against when the bar is held down by the stirrup
leather. I also cut a slot down the face of this stop for the front end of the bar or
a projection from it to lie in and thereby prevent the bar being turned sidewise by
lateral strain.
The rear end of the bar may be plain or it may be fitted with a spring stop
such as now commonly used.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a saddle bar constructed in accordance with my
Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is an end elevation, and in this Figure also the outline of the saddle
tree and of the leather flap which covers the saddle bar are also shown, the latter
being in the position it will occupy when the bar upon which the stirrup leather
hangs turns upwards to allow the stirrup leather to escape from it.
In these Figures A is a plate or block which is firmly fixed to the saddle tree.
A' is a pin fixed into this plate or block. B is a bar to receive the stirrup leather;
it is connected with the plate or block A by the pin A¹ and it is capable of turning
around the pin. C is the stirrup leather; it is seen in position in Figure 1. D is
a spring stop to prevent the stirrup leather slipping off at the rear end of the bar.
The bar B when in the position in which it is shown in Figure 1 engages by
means of the projecting ribs B¹ B2 with the stop A² which is fixed upon or made
part of the plate or block A.
The dotted lines in Figure 1 show the bar B in a nearly upright position; this is,
the position which it will assume in case the rider should be thrown in a manner to
L

page_text: cross the stirrup leather over the seat of the saddle-the bar is represented in a like
position in Figure 3.
The bar B is then nearly vertical but it need not be quite vertical, it may be
inclined more or less so long as in turning upwards the hinder end of the bar
becomes so far removed from the surface of the saddle as to give a free delivery to
the stirrup leather and sufficiently far to insure that the movement of the bar shall
not be impeded by the cover flap which is marked E in Figure 3.
When the bar B
is thus arranged the strain of the stirrup leather upon it when thrown over the
seat of the saddle will come in such a direction as to insure the bar turning upon
the pin A¹ and delivering the stirrup leather freely over the flap E.
From this arrangement it results that if the rider be thrown in such a manner
as to cross the stirrup leather over the saddle the detachment of the stirrup leather
in case the rider's foot should hang in the stirrup is insured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Constructing saddle bars with the pin A¹ set at an angle such that the bar B
when turned upwards assumes a vertical or nearly vertical position and such that
the hinder end of the bar as it moves upwards increases its distance from the
surface of the saddle tree, by which means this movement is caused to take place
more nearly in the direction of the strain and a freer clearance is obtained for the
stirrup leather.
Dated this oth
1001