GB2423229A - Method of making a saddle tree - Google Patents

Abstract

The method comprises the steps of forming a saddle tree of the desired shape from reinforcing fibres within a matrix of thermoplastic polymer. The method may include assembling a plurality of sheets made from the above materials into a mould, heating the sheets so the thermoplastic softens, or partially melts and adjacent sheets fuse to form a matrix in which are embedded the fibres. The sheets may be pressed together whilst they are heated. The sheets may be woven and comprise carbon fibres and nylon.

Description

Title: Method of Making a Saddle Tree

Description of Invention

The present invention relates to a method of making a saddle tree.

Conventional saddles include a generally rigid tree about which a leather or imitation leather covering is mounted. The tree assists in maintaining the shape of the saddle and provides the necessary structural rigidity to permit the saddle to support the weight of a rider on the back of an animal such as a horse whilst ensuring that the weight of the rider does not bear on the horse's spine or withers.

Traditionally, saddle trees were made of wood, e.g. beech wood laminate, but in recent years, saddle manufacturers have started to use synthetic composite S.....

materials. In particular, saddle trees made from carbon or Kevlar fibre reinforced resin are known, and such trees are generally manufactured by a conventional wet lay process in which a plurality of reinforcing fibres are laid.:.

up by hand and manually impregnated with a thermosethng resin, typically. :: epoxy resin, and the resulting composite left under the necessary conditions to S...

cure the resin. S... * S S S. *

As this process is carried out by hand, it is extremely time consuming, and therefore expensive, to make a saddle including such a tree in this way.

Moreover, during the manufacture of a saddle it is necessary to stitch, tack or staple components such the saddle covering, stirrup bars etc, to the saddle tree. Fibre reinforced resin composites tend to be relatively hard, and therefore this is difficult to achieve with a tree made of such a material and this further increases the cost of manufacturing the saddle.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a method of making a saddle tree comprising the steps of forming a tree of the desired shape from a reinforcing fibres within a matrix of a thermoplastic polymer.

Thus, by virtue of the invention, a saddle tree may be produced from synthetic composite, the resulting tree providing the required mechanical stability to act as effective reinforcement for a saddle whilst being sufficiently soft to permit components such as a saddle covering or stirrup bars readily to be stitched, tacked or stapled thereto. Moreover the use of thermosetting resins is avoided, which may reduce the time required to produce a finished composite tree, and the time required for curing thermosetting resins is generally longer that the time required to allow a thermoplastic to set. Avoiding use of a thermosefting resin may also be advantageous for environmental reasons as relatively toxic organic solvents tend to be used in manufacturing processes involving thermosetting resins.

Preferably the method includes the steps of assembling a plurality of sheets made from reinforcing fibres and a thermoplastic in a mould of the desired:..:.

shape, and heating the assembly of sheets so that the thermoplastic softens.*:*: or at least partially melts so that adjacent sheets fuse and the thermoplastic polymer forms a matrix in which are embedded the reinforcing fibres. In this case, the assembly of sheets may be pressed together whilst being heated. S...

By virtue of the use of a plurality of pre-combined thermoplastic and... * **S

reinforcing fibre sheets, the time required to make a tree may be significantly.. : reduced compared to the time required to make a tree using a wet-lay process, and hence the cost of the tree significantly reduced.

The sheets may be made from a yarn made from a combination of reinforcing fibres and fibres made from a thermoplastic polymer. In this case, the sheets may be woven from such a yarn.

The reinforcing fibres may be carbon fibres.

The thermoplastic polymer may be nylon.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a saddle tree made using the method of the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a saddle including a tree according to the second aspect of the invention.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only.

In order to manufacture a saddle tree using the method according to the first aspect of the invention, a plurality of appropriately shaped pieces are cut from one or more sheets of material, and the pieces are assembled in a mould of the required configuration to produce a saddle tree of conventional size and shape. The pieces are preferably stacked one on top of another to form an assembly of generally parallel sheets.

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In this example the sheets are woven from a yarn made from carbon fibres and nylon fibres, although it should be appreciated that any thermoplastic I..

fibres and any reinforcing may be used. For example, the reinforcing fibres *:..

may be made from Kevlar or from glass, and the thermoplastic may be S...

polyelthylene terephtalate, polypropylene, or polyamide. Moreover, it should be appreciated that it is not necessary to use a woven fabric, and a fleece or *: felt may be used instead. Such yarns, and woven and nonwoven fabrics made from such yarns are commercially available under the mark Comfil .

Three pieces of composite sheet of the required shape to form the head, side bars and cantle of a saddle tree are placed one on top of another and partially consolidated into a three layer pack by heating to around 190 C. Two further three layer packs are also produced in the same way. Three pieces of composite sheet of the required shape to provide additional bulk and rigidity at the head/pommel area of the tree are also partially consolidated into an additional three layer pack.

The consolidated three layer packs, whilst hot, or having been reheated are then draped, one pack on top of another, over an aluminium mould tool which is configured to produce a saddle tree of the required shape and dimensions according to the size and type of saddle to be produced. In accordance with existing practices, the aluminium mould tool is simply a model of a portion of the back of the animal on which the saddle is to be used, and the composite layers are supported on the mould tool in the position in which the saddle is to be located. The aluminium mould tool differs only from those traditionally used in saddle making in that there are a plurality of apertures provided in the mould tool, and the mould tool also has a perimeter ridge which defines the desired position of the outer edges of the tree.

Once the required number of sheets have been placed on the mould to form a preliminary tree assembly, a vacuum consolidation process is applied to the I.....

assembly. A flexible film is placed over the assembly and engaged with the mould tool to provide a substantially fluid tight seal between the mould tool and the film. The apertures provided in the mould tool are connected to a.:.

vacuum pump and air within and around the assembly is pumped out through. :: the apertures so that the atmospheric air exerts pressure on the assembly and S...

presses the composite sheets together. The mould tool and assembly are.... S...

then placed in a heated oven whilst under vacuum and held at an appropriate.. : temperature and pressure until adjacent sheets fuse together and the assembly consolidates to form a continuous nylon matrix with embedded carbon fibres. The perimeter ridge serves to prevent the composite from creeping outside the desired edges of the tree whilst hot.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the composite is consolidated at a temperature of around 190 C under pressure of around 4 bar for approximately 1 hour. It will be appreciated, however, that the exact pressure, temperature and time required for consolidation will vary principally according to the type thermoplastic in the composite.

The consolidated composite is allowed to cool, the vacuum pump disengaged from the mould tool, the film removed, and the composite tree removed from the mould tool. The tree may then be incorporated into a saddle using conventional methods.

It should be appreciated that whilst vacuum consolidation is the most economical method of achieving consolidation of the composite, hot isostatic pressing may be used instead.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof. S... S...

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Claims (13)

1. A method of making a saddle tree comprising the steps of forming a tree of the desired shape from a reinforcing fibres within a matrix of a thermoplastic polymer.

2. A method according to claim I wherein the method includes the steps of assembling a plurality of sheets made from reinforcing fibres and a thermoplastic in a mould of the desired shape, and heating the assembly of sheets so that the thermoplastic softens or at least partially melts so that adjacent sheets fuse and the thermoplastic polymer forms a matrix in which are embedded the reinforcing fibres.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the assembly of sheets are pressed together whilst being heated.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the sheets are made predominantly from a yarn of a combination of reinforcing fibres and fibres of a thermoplastic polymer. S..'

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the sheets are woven from such... . * **.

a yarn.

6. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the reinforcing fibres are carbon fibres.

7. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the thermoplastic polymer is nylon.

8. A saddle tree made using the method of any preceding claim.

9. A saddle including a tree according to claim 8. /

10. A method of making a saddle tree substantially as hereinbefore described.

11. A saddle tree substantially as hereinbefore described.

12. A saddle substantially as hereinbefore described.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein. * , * e, * I * p *II * *1* * S S *5 * S * S.. . _*. S. S Sb *