US 4,209,962 AGranted

Safety stirrup having a swingaway footrest released by toe-actuated deflector plates

OwnerRoger C. Forestinventor

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Abstract

The safety stirrup disclosed herein has a strap receiving hanger bar at the upper extent of the stirrup, and a pair of laterally spaced apart side bars that depend downwardly from the hanger bar, wherein one of the side bars is pivotally connected to the hanger bar so as to be swingable, laterally outwardly with respect to the opposite side bar. One end of a footrest bar that normally bridges the lower ends of the side bars is pivotally connected to the lower end of the nonpivoted side bar, and the opposite end of the footrest bar is held by a releasable catch formed on the lower end of the pivoted side bar. A biasing spring continuously urges the pivotally mounted side bar inwardly so as to cause the catch at its lower end to retain the footrest bar in a bridging, foot supporting position. A pair of deflector plates are separately affixed, one to each side bar, and are shaped as to be forwardly and upwardly convergent so as to react to excessive, upward tilting of the boot toe of a falling rider which wedges between the deflector plates, spreading the plates and thus the supporting side bars, laterally outwardly. The resulting displacement of the lower end of the pivotally mounted side bar releases the catch that retains the footrest bar and allows the footrest bar to swing downwardly and away, safely releasing the rider's boot and foot.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In a horseback riding safety stirrup including hangar means by which to suspend the stirrup from a stirrup strap,

first and second generally upright side bars,
means connecting said side bars at their upper ends to said hangar means and permitting the side bars to swing relatively toward and from each other,
a footrest bar disposed transversely between the lower ends of the side bars and joined by one end to the lower end of the first side bar,
catch means on the lower end of said second side bar releasably engageable with the opposite end of said footrest bar and when engaged therewith maintaining the footrest bar substantially horizontal, in bridging relation between the lower ends of the side bars which in turn are maintained by the footrest bar in predetermined spaced normal relationship to form an operative rider's stirrup,
said catch means being disengageable from the footrest bar by forced relative separation of the side bars, and
first and second deflector plates affixed to and projecting forwardly from the respective first and second side bars along a major portion of the length thereof commencing at a level adjacent the level of one foot rest bar, said deflector plates being so formed and relatively positioned with the side bars in their normal relationship so as to converge forwardly from said side bars and also to converge upwardly toward upper protions of said deflector plates, thereby forming a space freely accommodating the toe portion of the rider's foot in normal riding position in the stirrup while reacting to abnormal movement of the foot of a falling rider which wedgingly separates the side bars to release the footrest bar from the catch means as the forward part of the foot including the toe is forced against the plates.

3 more elements

In a safety stirrup of the type having an upper, strap supported hanger means, and a pair of laterally spaced apart side bars depending downwardly from said hanger means in which at least a first of said side bars is swingably connected to said hanger means for lateral and outward swinging movement of a lower end of said first side bar relative to said second side bar, and a releasable footrest bar normally bridging the lower ends of said side bars and having a first end pivotally connected for swinging downwardly and away to the lower end of one of said side bars so that the second end of the footrest bar is released from the lower end of the other of said side bars when the lower end of said first side bar is swung laterally and outwardly relative to said second side bar, the improvement comprising first and second deflector plates supportively and fixedly attached along said first and second side bars respectively, said deflector plates projecting inwardly and forwardly from said side bars and being oppositely contoured in a forwardly and upwardly convergent configuration so as to react to excessive upward tilting and/or sideways turning of the forward part of a rider's boot and deflect said first side bar laterally and outwardly relative to said second side bar thereby releasing said footrest bar to swing downwardly and away releasing the rider's boot.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.