US29953A - Stirrup - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

D. W. CLARK, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT.

STIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,953, dated September 11, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. CLARK, of Stratford, Fairfield county, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stirrups; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description, which will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use my invention.

Reference is to be had to the drawings which form a part of this specification.

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts.

A is the stirrup which is to be made in the ordinary well known form and manner.

My improvement consists in the employment within the stirrup of a laterally ad justable bar B; whereby the open space between the side pieces of the stirrup may be contracted at pleasure and thus be fitted to the size of any riders foot so as to prevent the foot from passing too far through the stirrup.

The bar B is made, preferably, of thin steel, so as to be elastic, and its upper end riveted or hinged to the inner part of the stirrup as shown in the drawings. The lower part of the bar B extends down nearly to the bottom of the inside of the stirrup where the foot rests, and the bar is here provided with a catch, or pawl or screw.,-so that said lower end of the bar may be set and held in any desired position.

The foot is to be introduced between the bar and either side of the stirrup; in general, the use of one bar within each stirrup will suffice; but if preferable two bars may be employed, one near each side of the stirrup.

The fastening by which the bar B is held in place may consist of a small pawl C hinged to the lower part of the bar and engaging with a rack, C, out upon or set into the bottom part of the stirrup as shown in Fig. 1; or the said bar B may be adjusted by means of a screw D, attached to and projecting laterally from the lower part of the bar, as shown in Fig. 1; said screw being provided with a nut E, by turning which the bar B will advance, or recede from the side of the stirrup; the elasticity of the bar B tending to keep the bar pressed up toward the side of the stirrup. That part of the side of the stirrup opposite the screw D is slotted so as to receive the end of the screw, and guide the same. If preferable the side of the stirrup may contain a nut to receive the screw, which latter would then be attached to the stirrup instead of to the bar; when, by screwing in the screw it would bear against the bar B and adjust it as desired. Another mode of adjusting and holding the lower end of the bar is to attach a small vertically sliding bolt F to the lower end of the bar B as shown in Fig. 2. The bolt F is slotted and two rivets a, a, pass through the slots into the bar B; the rivets hold the bolt F against the bar B; but the bolt is allowed to move up and down so as to pass into a series of holes or notches b, 6, made in the bottom of the stirrup, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of bolt F is curved into the form of a handle. Another mode of holding the lower end of the bar B is to have a slot made through the bottom part of the stirrup, as at G, Fig. 2, the sides of the slot being notched as at c c. The end of the bar B is intended to project down through the slot G and to be narrower than the slot. Upon one side of the bar B there is pivoted a small swinging dog H; the bar is held in any of the notches c by pressing one edge of the bar into one of the notches, and then turning down the dog H so that the space between the sides of the slot G will be filled and the edge of the bar B prevented from working out of the notch 0. hen the screw is used as in Fig. 1 the lower end of the bar may project down through the slot I in the bottom of the stirrup, and said slot will also serve to guide the end of the bar B and prevent it from moving out of place.

I am not limited to the contrivances here shown for holding and adjusting the bar B, because any other suitable device may be employed.

v Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The employment within the stirrup A, of a laterally adjustable bar B, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

D. W. CLARK.

W'itnesses:

A. E. BEACH, M. L. HOLBROOK.

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