Harness for working animal – Riding saddle – Specific material
Patent
1994-08-09
1996-03-12
Swiatek, Robert P.
Harness for working animal
Riding saddle
Specific material
54 66, 2 22, B68C 112
Patent
active
054976022
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a mat, particularly to a mat for placing on a horse's back beneath a saddle known as a saddle-cloth or "Numnah" (variation Numdah).
Every year, many horse riders fall from their horses when the saddle on which they are seated slips on their horse's back and rotates round the midriff of their horse thus throwing the rider onto the ground under or to one side of the horse. Injuries which in some cases are fatal often occur to a horse rider when this happens. The wearing of a hat by the horse rider helps to prevent injuries to the rider's head. However, serious injuries can still occur to a rider particularly if the rider is either jumping or horse racing. It is thus desirable to prevent such saddle slippage in the first place.
Various types of saddle cloth are known. Most are shaped to conform generally to shape of the lower surface of a saddle. Known saddle-cloths are made of quilted cotton, sheepskin or synthetic sheepskin.
Although such saddle-cloths are an improvement over placing a saddle directly on the horse's back, some are designed for appearance rather than efficiency and they do not properly prevent saddle slip, they soak up sweat from the horse, can be uncomfortable for a horse, and are often difficult to clean and in use become unpleasantly smelly very quickly. They are also quite expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to alleviate some or all of the above mentioned problems.
The present invention provides a mat for use as a saddle-cloth characterised in that it comprises a layer of foamed polyvinylchloride, at least one face of said layer having a smooth surface, the arrangement being such that in use the mat is interposed between an animal's back and a saddle, with the smooth surface in frictional engagement with the animal's back to prevent any substantial slipping of the saddle on the animal's back.
The smooth surface may be "plate finished". This is done by passing the surface of the foamed polyvinylchloride layer over metal plates.
Typically, when used as a saddle-cloth for a horse, the mat will have a thickness of between 4 and 12 mm although thicker or thinner mats are possible.
The preferred thickness of mat for use with racing saddles is around 6 mm.
When the mat is for use as a saddle-cloth for show jumpers and the like a thickness of around 10 mm is preferred for extra comfort.
Preferably, the density of the polyvinylchloride (PVC) foam is between 130 and 160 kg/m.sup.3.
The saddle-cloth is shaped and configured to conform generally to the lower surface of a saddle. Thus for a traditional saddle, the mat has a central area which in use fits beneath the central part of a saddle and two further areas on opposite sides to the central area which in use will rest over the upper area of horse's upper thigh beneath the depending flaps of the saddle.
The mat or saddle-cloth can be differently sized and shaped for use with the various different types of saddle such as horse-racing saddles, saddles for a child's pony, rodeo and western style saddles and the like. Further, while the specification refers almost exclusively to use of a mat as a saddle-cloth for a horse, the mat could be used between a saddle or saddlery and any animal or indeed between any two objects which it is desired to keep in relative frictional engagement.
The mat could be permanently or releasably secured to the underside of a saddle to make the saddle and mat a single integral unit.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a view of a mat seen from above;
FIG. 2 is a section through line I--I of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a saddle with a mat secured to its underside; and
FIG. 4 shows a shin pad and a mat for use on a person's leg.
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a mat or saddle-cloth 1. The mat is configured for use beneath a conventional saddle. It comprises a central area 10 and side portions 12 and 14 which extend away from opposite sides of the cent
REFERENCES:
patent: 2785407 (1957-03-01), Reeder
patent: 4697286 (1987-10-01), Cho
patent: 5034998 (1991-07-01), Kolsky
patent: 5363631 (1994-11-01), Garrison
Baldwin Gordon George
Swiatek Robert P.
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