Interface pads

Details Interface pads Interface pads

2002-08-15

2003-12-09

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)

Harness for working animal

Pads

Back

C054S068000, C054S044500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06658827

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
My invention pertains generally to the field of equine saddles and saddle pads. More particularly, it is concerned with interface pads placed between saddle and horse, horse and rider, and/or between saddle and rider.
BACKGROUND
It is a recognized fact that most saddles do not fit most horses. Production saddles are made to fit a size and type of horse and rider in general. However, no horse is completely symmetrical. All have some unevenness of frame and proportion that can lead to an improper fit and interface between horse and saddle. This can, in turn, lead to discomfort and injury to the horse. Even custom saddles made to suit exacting measurements taken from a standing animal may not fit properly after the animal is cinched to secure the saddle, is mounted and adapts to the load, and then moves under the load. Further, the contour of the horse's back changes as it turns and moves about. Thus, even a saddle that fits properly when the horse is at rest may cause problems when the horse is in motion. In addition to this, the rider's weight may be unevenly distributed and may shift during riding. Finally, not all saddles are properly balanced and symmetrical. Some are produced with defects and some can become warped or crooked with use.
Given the foregoing facts, it is almost imperative to provide some type of saddle pad between saddle and horse in order to mediate the differences, and soften contact, between the horse's back and the lower surfaces of the saddle. This need is particularly acute along the horse's spine, which is extremely sensitive. Indeed, all contact with the spine of the animal should be eliminated if possible. Thus, almost all saddles incorporate a raised “gullet channel” along the underside of the saddle over the horse's spine. This serves to limit or eliminate contact with the supraspinous ligament, which runs along the vertical processes of the horse's dorsal spine, permitting it to move and be free from any pressure. It is also a valuable aid in cooling the animal.
Numerous “saddle padding” arrangements have been proposed, patented, and/or marketed in an attempt to satisfy the interface needs described above. Traditional saddle pads and their more usual modifications generally rely on a single thickness of some semi-shock-absorbing material to mediate the differences between horse and saddle. However, these pads serve only to very partially distribute the load and pad the interface between saddle and horse. In addition, a single pad that bridges the back of the animal not only contacts the horse's spinal area, it tends to inhibit cooling air circulation and freedom of movement in turning, collection and other maneuvers. Even those that are provided with openings at the top intersection of their two sides for cooling do not usually allow a free flow of air for the full length of the gullet. These problems are not solved by the substitution of a single thickness of foam or other compressible material for traditional saddle blanket materials. Further, while these new materials help distribute the load, they do nothing to alleviate problems that arise due to differences between the two sides of the animal.
The more innovative approaches taken in some modern arrangements address a few of the problems discussed above, but still fail to arrive at a totally satisfactory solution. Representative examples of such attempts can be seen in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,618 issued to Streck in 1992 for a “Saddle-Fault Correcting Saddle Pad.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,070 issued to Knight et al. in 1998 for a “Method and Apparatus for Padding and Cushioning an Equine Saddle.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,692 issued to Purdy in 1998 for a “Method and Apparatus for Saddling a Horse.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,618 (“Streck”) describes, in general terms, a corrective saddle pad having two parts/sides for placement on opposite sides of the horse. Each side features a “force transfer means” in the form of a compartment filled with fluid gel, a compartment enclosing some type of “flat, rigid, substantially non-shock absorbing pressure plate member”, or both. Despite its advantages, the Streck arrangement does not deal with the fact that more padding or gel or air may be required on one side of the horse than the other to deal with the inequalities discussed above. Further, the addition of a rigid pressure plate member will hamper the ability of the horse to turn.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,070 (“Knight”) describes a saddle pad having a “cushion” in the form of a foam-filled air bladder with a valve that is inserted between the layers of the saddle pad. The saddle pad itself has an upper and lower section. Both of these sections have an inner layer resistant to the absorption of moisture; an outer layer having a soft, deep pile for contacting an underside of the saddle and for contacting the equine's back; and a foam inner core sandwiched between the inner and outer layers. A pocket is formed between the upper and lower sections for receiving the cushion. Unfortunately, Knight's design with a centrally located cushion does nothing to deal with inequalities between different sides of the animal. Indeed, it makes matters worse, as air in the cushion is not restrained from rushing to the high side of the horse/saddle combination. This creates additional pressure on the other side of the horse and can even unseat the rider. Further, its centrally located cushion not only impinges directly on the spine of the animal being ridden, it blocks cooling air circulation in and through the gullet. Finally, Knight's centrally located cushion is not in a position to directly pad and mediate contact between the saddletree for the saddle and the sides of the horse. Thus, it is useless for this purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,692 (“Purdy”) describes a system with side airbags having discrete upper and lower chambers with separate inflation means for each chamber. This system has some utility, but lacks the simplicity and durability necessary in a system intended for use in this application. Purdy prescribes a system of pumps and chambers that may be of some use in adjusting for extreme structural malformations in a horse to be ridden, but is too cumbersome and complex for most riders. In addition, the open air chambers with spot welds and line welds of the type Purdy describes are unlikely to long survive the extreme pressures and jolting shocks associated with horseback riding. In this regard, it should be remembered that the interface system under consideration will be positioned between, and be required to absorb the shocks occasioned by, the jolting movements of an animal weighing approximately 1200 pounds and a saddle/rider combination weighing approximately 200 pounds. Finally, Purdy fails to make any provision for removing pressure from the animal's spine and for allowing air to circulate freely in and through the gullet. Support or attachment of two side pads should bridge this area, not touch the back ligament, and provide an uninterrupted flow of air for the length of the gullet. Purdy, like other inventors of prior art interface pads, fails to take these factors into consideration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing considerations and the failure of prior art devices to adequately address these considerations, it is clear that the ideal animal/saddle and rider interface should be durable and include many or all of the following features: (1) means for automatically alleviating and mediating mismatches between a saddle or saddle tree and a load-bearing animal so that the entire load is distributed evenly over the length of the tree on both sides; (2) means for automatically compensating for differences between the two sides of the animal so as to equal and level the animal's load; (3) means for automatically distributing and/or otherwise compensating for uneven static or dynamic side-to-side and front-to-back loads such as those caused by unequal conformation or loading or movement of the rider; (4) mean

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