An Improved Safety Stirrup-bar.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Stirrup-bar.
We RICHARD JAMES KENRICK and WILLIAM SCILLEY both of Katunga in the
Colony of Victoria Agriculturalists 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:-
This invention relates to those attachments to riding saddles from which the
stirrup leathers are suspended and its object is to provide a simple contrivance which
will automatically release said stirrup leathers in the event of the rider being thrown
but which will remain closed under ordinary circumstances.
It consists essentially in the employment of a horizontal bar which is pivotted to a
bracket fixed to the tree of the saddle and is passed through a loop in the lower end
of a downwardly extending arm or short bar which is pivotted at its upper end
to the said bracket and is normally held in its vertical position by a flat spring
secured along the top of said bracket and arranged to bear upon the upper end of said
bar or arm so as to keep the loop on its lower end always in engagement with the
horizontal pivotted bar above referred to. A thin cross bar or guard is. secured
behind the lower end of this vertical pivotted looped arm and bears against the
surface of the saddle flap, the stirrup leather being passed between said guard and
the horizontal pivotted bar above referred to. The different parts of our improved
safety stirrup bar are so arranged as that in the event of the rider being thrown
with one of his feet entangled in a stirrup his weight will pull backward the vertical
pivotted looped bar above mentioned and so release the stirrup strap thus disengaging
the rider and preventing his being dragged along the ground, as will be well under-
stood on reference to the accompanying drawing wherein,
Figure 1 is side elevation of our improved safety stirrup bar showing same in its
normal or closed position.
Figure 2, is a similar view with the parts in their open positions and the stirrup
strap in the act of being released, whilst,
Figure 3, is a horizontal section on line 3, 3, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a saddle fitted with one of our improved safety
stirrup bars showing same with the stirrup and strap in their normal positions and
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 but showing the stirrup and strap as if
they had just been released by our improved safety stirrup bar.
A represents the horizontal bar which according to our invention is pivotted at
its forward end as illustrated at a, to the bracket B fixed to the saddle tree in any
convenient manner whilst c', represents the loop formed in the lower end of the
arm or short bar C, which latter is pivotted at its upper end to the bracket Bas
illustrated at c². D represents a fat metal spring which is secured along the
top of the bracket B and is arranged to bear upon the end of the pivotted arm or
bar C so as to hold same in its normal position that is with the loop c', on its lower
end over the end of the horizontal pivotted bar A. E represents the thin cross-bar
or guard which is secured behind the lower end of the pivotted arm so that
it bears against the surface of the saddle flap, whilst F represents the stirrup
strap which is passed around the pivotted horizontal stirrup bar A in front of the
guard E.
Under ordinary circumstances the different parts of our improved safety stirrup
bar occupy the positions indicated in Figure 1, that is the outer end of the pivotted
horizontal bar A, rests within the loop c' on the arm thus enabling it to support
the weight of the rider as will be obvious. In the event of the horseman being
thrown with one of his feet entangled in one of the stirrups, the strap attache
to said stirrup will be pulled backwards and downwards as indicated in Figures 2

page_text: and 5 and the result will be that the pivotted arm C will be forced back and will
release the end of the pivotted horizontal bar A which latter will then be free to turn
into the position indicated in said Figures 2 and 5 and will thereby release said strap
and disengage the rider as will be well understood by all persons skilled in the art
to which this invention relates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is,
The improved safety stirrup bar herein described consisting essentially of a hori-
zontal bar such as A-pivotted at its forward end to a bracket--such as B-fixed
to-the-tree of the saddle in combination with a looped pendant arm-such as C-
pivotted at its upper end to said bracket and kept in engagement with said bar
preferably by means of a spring-such as D-the whole being constructed and
arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in our drawings.
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1 him Thind low of Novamber One thousand eight hundred and ninety.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants