US1531672A - Elastic attachment for saddle girths, stirrup leathers, bridles, and various other articles - Google Patents

Description

March 31. 1925.

H. M LEAN ELASTIC ATTAGHIENT FOR SADDLE GIRTHS, STIRHUP LEATHERS,

BRIDLES. AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES Filed Sept. 24, 1923 aw. M/i/Zz'am fin Patented Mar. 131, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. MCLEAN, OF MALVTERN, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

ELASTIC ATTACHMENT FOR SADDLE GIRTHS, sTrnRUr LEATHERS, BaInLEs, AND

V VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES.

Application filed September 24, 1923. Serial No. 664,530. I i

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY McLnAN, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, and a resident of the city of Malvern, a suburb of the city of Melbourne, in the county of Bourke, Stateof Victoria,'Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and connected with Elastic Attachments for Saddle Girths, Stirrup Leathers, Bridles, and various other articles, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to an improved elastic unit for attachment to saddle girths, surcingles, stirrup leathers, bridles, driving and leading reins, trotting hobbles, harness, and various other articles of an analogous nature, particularly saddlery and harness fittings, wherein it is desirable to impart an elastic effect to the ordinarily inelastic article. 1

As an example of a further analogous use of the invention it may be inserted in machinery belting to take up the slack frequently caused by the stretching of such belting. Other like purposes to which the invention may be applied will be hereinaftermore'readily apparent.

Various elastic deviceshave hitherto been proposed for saddle girths, surcingles, and the like such as by the insertion therein of sections of elastic webbing or springs. Such previous devices have however possessed disadvantages, as for instance the liability of rupture through rotting and breaking of the stitches by which the elastic sections are inserted in the girth. Furthermore the article has required special manufacture for the insertion of the elastic sections, the cost of construction being thus increased. In addition the elastic fabric or webbing material usually employed in such previous devices, soon loses its elasticity and cannot easily'be renewed except by stitching a new section or sections in place. 1

.In the case of thesp-rings hitherto employed there have been-obvious disadvantages such as their weight, cost and discomfort to the animal and also'their liability to deterioration by continual use. The object of the'pres ent invention is to provide an improved elastic attachment for purposes of the kind indicated, which is extrendy simple, inexpensive and, durable i construction and may be readily placed in its operative position and detached for re newal or other purposes when desired.

Moreover the improved'device constitutes a" separate and compact attachment unit which may be made and sold independently and calls for no constructional alteration of the existing article to which it is to be applied.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification f F igure 1 is a perspective view of the improved elastic attachment.

Figure Qis a longitudinal section thereof. a Figure 3 1s a plan of the device, a portion of-the endless elastic band beingbroken away. j Figure 4 is a perspective view showing two of the elastic attachment units in accordance with the invention, applied to a saddle girth, having two terminal straps. The saddle flaps are indicated in broken lines. r

Figure-5 shows a single elasticunit in accordance with the invention applied to a similar saddle girth. i Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing another method of inserting the elastic device ina saddle girth.

Figure 6 illustrates theinvention applied to a surcingle or body roller used for securing horse rugs or the like in position.

. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate alternative modes of applying the invention to a bridle or driving rein.

Figure 9 shows the invention applied to a stirrup leather or strap.

Figure 10 is a side View of Figure 9.

Figure 11 shows an'alternative method of inserting. the invention in a stirrup strap.

A device in accordance with the invention comprises an endless band or loop 2 of elastic material preferably rubber. This band .may be of any desired size according to the purpose to which it is to be applied and may be quickly and v economically 0,01

st'ructed by cutting a rubber tube, for, in-

stance a disused motor tyre tube, transversely into a number of sections, each of which sections forms one of the endlesselastic bands in accordance with the invention.

Attached to each said electric loop aretwo links or eyelet members 3 of metal or other jormed by pending a length of Wire into the suitable material which may be conveniently 'may be moved freely around the rubber band so that their positions may be altered in the event of the rubberbecoming worn or damaged atparticular points owing to continued engagement at such pointsof the links through which the strain is imparted to the elastic element as hereinafter indicatedf I In applying the invention to, a saddle girth 7 as in Figures 4 and 5, one of the links 7 or eyelets 3 on the elastic band or loop 2 may be attached to the saddle. 8 beneath the saddle flaps 9 and where the girth straps 11 are usually connected to the saddle, This at tachment of elasticalnit or units tothe sa'd-.

dle may be effected, for instance by tabs 12 of leather, fabric or the like folded back or looped through the respective link 3 and stitched asat 13 to the saddle. Other suitable attachment means may however be employed. In fastening the saddleon the animal. the terminal strap or straps 11 of the girth are looped through the other link or links 3 of the elastic unit or units and"'fas-.

tened by theirbuckles 14 in the usual manner. Instead of attaching the device to the terminal straps 11' as abovementioned, it may be inserted at any suitablepoint inthe girth band 7, as indicated in-Figure 5 which showsthe girth band divided and the ends of the sections looped through the links 3 and secured as at 10. 7

Similarly in applying. the device to a surcingle, body roller, or like band used for such purposes as securing rugs tohorses, the device maybe attached as in Figure 6 by means of a looped tab 16 passing through on'e'of the links or eyelets 3, the tab being stitched as at 17 to one end of the surcingle band 18. In passing the latter aroundthe animal, the usual terminal strap (or straps) 19 of the band is looped through the other link 3 of the elastic attachment and then tightened and fastened by the buckle 21- in the 'usual manner. i a

In applying the invention to a bridle or driving rein, each bridle or rein. strap. 23

may bedivided and folded back or looped through th'el links 13 of the device as indicated at 24 in Figure 7, the folded portions of the strap being secured by stitches 25 or other suitable means. The end of the strap 23is inthis case passed through the respectiveQril ig26 oftlie bit 27 and fastened by th'efbu'ckle 28in the usual manner- Altern atively one of the endless elastic bands 2 maybepas'sed through each-bit ring 26 and folded.back upon itself 0r doubled as in Fig As seen in Figures 9, 10 and ll, the invention may be similarly applied to stirrup straps so that the shock caused by the rider standing up. inthe stirrups,.as for instance when pulling'up suddenly or jumping, will be absorbed by the elastic members with con.- siderable advantage tO-bOtll the rider and the animal." In Figures?) and 10, the elastic device is shown as applied :by-foldingor doubling the rubberband-2 .so that it passes throughthe eyelet opening 29 0f the stirrup, and the links 3'- are disposedv opposite and adjacent each other to receive the lower portion of the stirrup strap 31;: In this case, the links 3 may be attached to the rubber bandv 2 after the latter has been passed through the stirrup openingl29, by slipping the, edge of the rubber bandthrough the open mouths40f the links.= The-end of the strap 31 is then passed through the. oppositely disposed links and fastened by the usual buckle 30. Alternatively, the invention may be applied to the stirrupstrap 31 as in Figure 11 which showsthe strap dividedfzand V It will. be evident. thatby foldingv or; v doubling the elastic member: 2 as: illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and 10, its resistance to dis tention will be increased As, however, the degree of elasticity is governed primarily by the thickness and-.Width of the rubber band, the size of the latter may vary in accordance with particular. requirements.

-As examples of the application ofthe invention to harness for draught purposes one, or more of the elastic attachments'may be inserted, for instance-,; in the reins, the traces, or the girth straps of the harness saddle to impart the desired elasticity thereto. 7 V I It will 'be evident from the foregoing that the mode of attaching, the invention may vary for different articles, but in all cases the links 3 provide the necessary means for connecting the elastic member to the desired object. Theimproved device has the distinct. advantagethat the endless rubber or ensu band 2 may be; readily removed for renewal or other purposes by passing. itthrough the open mouths .4 of the links. 3. Furthermore", the elastic member is capable of free sliding movement through the linksv so that byaltering the .positionof}v the latter the wear on the rubber at its points of contact with the links, may be distributed around the band.

It is to be understood that the various practical adaptations of the invention above described and illustrated in the drawings, are given merely by way of example and not in a limiting sense, the improved device being capable of application to other analogous uses, particularly in connection with harness and Saddlery fittings, Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A harness strap of inextensible material, having included in it an extensible unit comprising two spaced, elongated end links through which the adjacent portions of the strap are loosely passed, and an end less elastic band connecting the links and also loosely engaged therewith; said links having open mouths to enable the band to be moved edgewise therethrough incidental to its attachment to or removal from the links.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a leather harness strap adapted to be passed around the body of a horse and having a buckle for adjustably securing its ends to gether; said strap having included in it an extensible unit comprising a pair of end links through which the adjacent portions of the strap are loosely passed, each link consisting of a single length of wire bent to form an elongated loop, the two ends of the wire being left a slight distance apart to thereby provide an open mouth, and an endless elastic band connecting said links and also loosely engaged therewith and adapted to be moved edgewise through said mouths incidental to its attachment to or removal from the links.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

W. H. 'MoLEAN.

Witness VICTOR J. KzensoN.

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