Improvements in Saddles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 28th Sept.,
1895
Improvements in Saddles.
I, ALPHONSO DE THIERRY, residing at No. 722 Seventeenth Street, N.W.,
in the City of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America,
Saddler, 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 :-
It is the object of my invention to construct a saddle which shall be shapely in
its configuration, and which shall be readily conformable to the animal to which it
is applied; and with this object in view, it consists of a saddle tree having a shape
or configuration, upon its under surface or side, to cause it to approximately fit or
conform to the animal to which it is applied, and having its opposite side or surface
shaped to give the proper configuration to the saddle, thereby insuring that the
saddle shall have the desired appearance, and shall also conduce to the greatest
comfort of the rider, this shaping of the saddle requiring it to have different
thickness in its different parts. In the carrying out of my invention the saddle is
so constructed that it will not stretch, when the rider throws his weight upon the
stirrups, while at the same time it is of a uniform flexibility throughout its entire
extent, its flexibility being sufficient to permit it to yield readily both transversely
and longitudinally so that it will fit to the back of the animal when the saddle
girth is drawn tight. While the saddle tree is flexible, as set forth, it yet has
sufficient rigidity to give shape to the saddle as above set forth, and to maintain
such shape while the saddle is in use. The invention further consists of certain
features of construction in a saddle such as I have described as will be hereinafter
pointed out.
Such a saddle tree as I have described I construct out of a material or fabric
composed of vulcanized india rubber, or its equivalent, and sheets or pieces of
suitable woven or textile fabric, these materials being combined together and
intermittently united during the process of molding or shaping the saddle tree and
the vulcanizing of the rubber; the resulting compound fabric being, as before
stated, of homogeneous texture and uniform flexibility throughout, that is to say,
the proportions of vulcanized rubber and textile fabric relative to each other
being maintained in the different parts of the tree, so that where the tree is of
greater thickness the number of superposed sheets or pieces of fabric is greater
than where the tree is of less thickness. This construction necessitates the forming
or construction of the fabric of which the tree is composed at the same time that
the tree itself is made and shaped.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I have illustrated one
form thereof in the accompanying drawings, without however wishing thereby to
limit my invention to the particular form of saddle, which, for the sake of
illustration, I have shown as embodying the invention; for the reason that my
invention is applicable to any of the usual forms of saddles whether constructed
for riding purposes, or as gig or harness saddles.
In the said drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side view of a saddle tree and cantle secured thereto, made
according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tree without the cantle.
Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the fabric or material of which the saddle tree

page_text: In the said drawings, A, represents the saddle tree which is made of material
such as I have herein before described and according to the process set forth.
I prefer that the two side bars, a, of the tree should be in one piece, connected
together at their forward ends, leaving an open space, B, between them.
The cantle, C, which is preferably made separable from the side bars, is made of
a material similar to that used in constructing the other parts of the tree, although
I prefer that it should have somewhat greater rigidity or stiffness, and a corre-
sponding less degree of flexibility than such other parts. This difference in
flexibility may be secured by vulcanizing the rubber to such an extent as to be
somewhat harder than is the rubber in the other parts of the tree.
The cantle is, however, of uniform flexibility and is homogeneous throughout,
though it varies in thickness in its different parts, as shown in the drawings. The
cantle may be secured to the side bars by cement or in any other desired way.
The saddle tree has secured to it the pommel, the means for securing the girth,
and a suitable cover which is usually of leather.
The compound fabric or material which I have described, and of which the
saddle tree is composed may be covered with a coating, e, (Figure 4) of pure
vulcanized rubber which serves to protect the textile parts of the fabric from
moisture and the deterioration incident thereto.
The textile portions of the material which I employ prevent the saddle tree
from stretching; and I have also found that tacks, nails or screws which may be
employed for securing the stirrup and girth straps, f, will retain a firm hold in such
material for an indefinite length of time.
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:
1. A saddle tree of varying thickness in its different parts whereby proper shape
is given to the saddle, formed of a compound fabric or material of vulcanized
rubber and sheets or pieces of woven or textile fabric, such compound material
being homogeneous throughout, substantially as set forth.
2. A saddle tree formed of two side bars connected at their forward ends and of
different thickness in their different parts, the said saddle tree being composed of a
single piece of material, and being flexible and of homogeneous texture throughout,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a saddle tree, the combination of the side bars of different thicknesses in
their different parts and of homogeneous texture and uniform flexibility throughout,
and a cantle secured to the side bars, the cantle being of homogeneous texture and
uniform flexibility throughout, but the degree of flexibility of the cantle being less
than that of the side bars, substantially as set forth.
4. A saddle tree composed of a fabric or material of varying thickness in its
different parts, but at the same time having uniform flexibility and a homogeneous
texture throughout, the said fabric being composed of pieces of textile fabric
intimately united by vulcanized rubber, and covered with a coating of puré
vulcanized rubber, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of August 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.