Untitled record

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N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. 0. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. P. AMBLER, JR., OF TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO F. P. AMBLER &amp; SONS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CONSTRUCTION OF WOODEN SADDLETREES FOR HARNESS-SADDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,463, dated June 1, 1858.

To dll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. P. Ambler, Jr., of Trumbull, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new 5 and useful Improvement in the Construction of Wooden Saddletrees for Harness-Saddles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the an10 nexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which—

Figure 1, is a side view of a saddletree constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2, is a vertical section of ditto, taken in the 15 line (a?) (a?) Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is plan or top view of ditto. Fig. 4, is a vertical section of a saddletree covered and nearly completed to form a saddle, (y) (y) Fig. 5, indicates the plane of section. Fig. 5, is a 20 plan or top view of ditto. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views of the wooden saddletree now employed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in a peculiar manner of constructing the wooden saddletree, as hereinafter shown, whereby a raised and perfectly formed seat is obtained and the labor of constructing the saddles greatly ex30 pedited and facilitated so that any mechanic even if possessing but very ordinary ability and little taste, may construct a good and well proportioned saddle.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully 35 understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, A, represent the two sides of the tree which are constructed of wood of any proper kind and B is the seat. This seat is made 40 separate from the sides A, A, and about of the form as shown by Figs. 1, 3 and 5. A rabbet (a) is formed in the under side and at the edge of the seat at each side, so that when the seat is secured to the upper parts 45 of the sides A, at their apex a recess will be formed at each side of the seat between it and the sides A, A, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. The seat B, may be secured to the sides A, A, by means of glue and rivets, 50 either or both being used, or, by any proper means, the connection being permanent so that the sides and seat will form one solid piece and the sides A, may be strengthened by metallic straps (&amp;) attached to their un der sides. The upper ends of the sides A, 55 A, of the tree may also be connected in any proper way.

The seat B projects some distance above the upper surfaces of the sides A, A, of the tree so that its form is clearly defined, and 60 the seat therefore may be covered with the greatest facility, the leather being drawn over the seat and tacked to it without any difficulty whatever. The upper ends of the “jockeys” C, may be fitted within the re- 65 cesses (a) the “skirts” D, see Figs. 4 and 5 being fitted over the sides A, in the usual way.

By the above improvement it will be seen that all the saddler is required to do is 70 merely to cover the tree, and the correct form is at once attained, the cover or leather being secured directly to the tree so that the form of the same determines the form of the saddle. Consequently a person void of taste 75 and merely competent to perform the mechanical part, the stitching &amp;c., may produce as good a saddle as are of acknowledged skill and taste. This is not the case when the ordinary wooden saddle trees are used, 80 for these trees have not a raised seat, but merely a backpiece (d) as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 consequently the form of the seat is determined by the workman as the tree is covered, and much time is expended in con- 85 structing a good harness saddle, and none but skilful workmen can be employed. The advantage therefore of my improvement will be readily seen. They may be as cheaply constructed as the ordinary wooden trees 90 and will be preferred on account of the facilities afforded by them for covering and finishing the saddle.

Metallic saddle trees have been constructed in which raised seats are used, the 95 seats being connected to the side pieces in various ways. The metallic trees have been hitherto preferred on account of the raised seats only. They are otherwise much inferior to wooden trees on account of their 100 superior weight, and the difficulty of attaching the covering to them. They also quickly oxidize in consequence of the perspiration of the horse penetrating the padding of the saddle. In my improvement the advantages 105 of both the ordinary wooden and metallic are obtained and the disadvantages avoided.

I do not claim broadly the employment or

20,463 use of a raised seat for harness saddle trees, irrespective of the material used and the construction of the whole viewed as a new and useful article of manufacture, but,