US1040316A - Adjustable rigging-plate. - Google Patents

Description

C. A. HARRINGTON.

ADJUSTABLE RIGGING PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..4, 1012.

1,040,31 6. Patented 001;. 8, 1912.

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Allorney CHARLES A. HARRINGTON, OF ELKO, NEVADA.

ADJUSTABLE RIGGING-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8,1912.

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. HARRING- 'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elko, in the county of Elke, State of Nevada, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Rigging-Plate for Stock and' other Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a rigging plate made in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 a similar view showing portions of the front and back rigging straps connected therewith.

The rigging for saddles of the class to which my invention relates, consists of a front strap and a back strap, which, respectively, extend rearward and forward toward each other, and are connected usually by a simple ring with the girth.

The object of my invention is to provide a form of connection to take the place of the ring which will be free from certain serious objections to the ring which concern the convenience, of the rider and the comfort and welfare of the horse. In what I consider the best form or embodiment of my invention, it is composed of a plate having a series of straight slots A, B and C in the upper forepart of the plate which extend in a direction at right angles to the pull of the front strap 10, through any one of which at a time the looped or folded rear portion of the front stap is passed, and a similar series of slots D, E and F at the upper rear part of the plate, any one of which at a time receives or has passed through it the folded end portion of the back rigging strap 11, the direction of the slots D, E and F being at right angles to the direction of pull on the back strap; and intermediate the two series of slots and in the lower part of the plate there is an eye H whose lower member J and whose upper member L form the means of connection between the plate and the latigo or tie strap, (which is the strap that is connected with one end of the cinch,) to enable the latigo to be passed several times through the eye H and its free end finally carried over the upper member L of the eye H, and a hole in the latigo to be passed over the safety pin or tongue G in lieu of the practice of tying the free end of the latigo.

When the front rigging strap is passed through the slot A, the rear rigging strap is passed through the slot F, while when the front rigging strap is passed through the slot B, the rear rigging strap is passed through the slot E, and when the front rigging strap is passed through the slot C the rear rigging strap is passed through the slot D, which determines the adjustment forward or back of the horse; while vertical adjustment is accomplished by passing the respective straps through corresponding slots of the respective sets without any change of distance between the folds or loops of the straps, this, indeed being one of the important features of my invention, for whether the adjustment be backward and forward or up and down, I utilize the same bend or fold in the rigging strap under all conditions. After leather has once been folded, if a new fold be made, as for the purpose of adjustment, breakage will quickly occur at the place of the first fold, so that by my invention 1 eliminate danger of damage from such cause. \Vhen the saddle is first rigged the front strap 10 is passed through the intermediate slot B and the rear strap 11 is passed through the intermediate slot E so that thereafter adjustment both forward and backward may be effected. The end of each rigging strap is, as will be readily understood, inserted through the appropriate slot and then folded back upon the strap and the overlapped portions secured together in some suitable way, as, for example, by the usual lacing 12, and, of course, I do not limit myself to any particular means of connecting the straps to the late.

It will be seen that with my invention a wide range of adjustment of the saddle is possible to suit different horses, or the same horse as his condition of flesh changes.

1 have already mentioned some of the advantages of my invention. A very important one, especially in comparison with the simple ring device commonly used to connect the rigging and the cinch or girth, is that the saddle is fixedly or firmly restrained in position upon the horses back, so that, as for example, in roping when the saddle is subjected to a strain that tends to rock it backward there cannot be such backward turning of the front rigging strap as is the case with the ring as to impose a heavy pressure or blow upon the back of the horse in the region of the kidneys, or if it is subjected to a strain which tends to rock it forward the load'will not be thrown on the shoulders of the horse as occurs where the ring is used and there is a forward turning movement of the back rigging strap upon the ring. Again since the plate pro vides an extended bearing surface, the danger of rib sores is eliminated, such sores being common where the ring device is employed, because the ring, subjecting the flesh of the-animal to pressure in a circle, diminishes the blood supply to the portion of flesh inclosed in the circle and produces a condition, by swelling and otherwise, that results in the production of rib sores. Still again, making the comparison with the ring device, owing to its curvature the fold of the strap about the ring is thickened or bunched so that a localized pressure results upon the flesh of the animal, whereas, with the straight form of bearing for the rigging strap, which my straight slots provide, there is no alteration or variation whatever from the normal thickness of the strap, and hence, a smooth flat surface bears against the side of the animal. Should it be desired to relieve the pressure on .the back of the horse, as for example, because of a sore condition to be relieved, that can readily be done simply by placing the front ends of the back rigging straps in slots in the plate farther back, assuming, of course, that originally the back rigging straps were in forward slots. It sometimes happens that the rigging straps on one side of the saddle will stretch because of difierences in the straps on opposite sides, which stretching results in improper placing of the saddle. This condition can obviously be relieved by shifting the point of connect-ion of the longer rigging strap with the rigging plate.

The rigging plate is preferably made of metal and it will vary in size, thickness and material according to the grade or quality of the saddle with which it is to be used and variations in form may be made without departing from my invention. Thus, either the curved form of the upper eye member L may be used, as shown in Fig. l, or the straight form used as shown in F 2.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a device for connecting the rigging and girth of a saddle, the combination of front and back rigging straps and a plate having an upwardly and forwardly extending series of parallel slots for the front forming an eye, said eye being located between said two series of slots.

3. A device for connecting the rigging and girth of a saddle, comprising a plate having an upwardly and forwardly extending series of parallel slots for the front rigging strap, and having an upwardly and rearwardly extending series of parallel slots for the back rigging strap, said plate having spaced members one above the other forming an eye, said eye being located between said two series of slots, and a pin or tougue projecting from the said upper member.

4-. A device for connecting the rigging and girth of a saddle, comprising a plate having an upwardly and forwardly extending series of parallel slots for the front rigging strap, an upwardly and rearwardly extending series of parallel slots for the back rigging strap, said plate having spaced members one above the other forming an eye, said eye being located bet-ween said two series of slots, and a pin or tongue projecting upwardly from said upper member.

5. In a device for connecting the rigging and girth of a saddle, the combination of front and back rigging straps, a plate having two series of points of connection with the ends of said straps, the series for a strap extending in the direction in which the strap extends, and the plate being shiftable with reference to the two straps, and means intermediate the two series of points of connection of the rigging straps with the plate, for the attachment of the girth connection.

CHARLES A. HARRINGTON.

lVitnesses:

NELLIE L. ANDERSON, HAYDEN l-lnNDnRsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gammissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

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