English Saddle Fit Adjustment Kit with Modular Shims
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional saddle adjustment techniques for English saddles are costly, require specialized equipment, risk damaging the saddle, and fail to maintain a proper fit over time due to changes in the animal's physical dimensions, leading to discomfort and potential injury.
Innovation Solution
A kit-of-parts comprising a base affixed to the saddle tree points and shims with a reproducible locking engagement, allowing easy and accurate adjustment of the saddle width without altering the saddle's shape, using interlocking shapes or other connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional saddle adjustment techniques are used to adjust the width of the saddle tree, then the saddle fit can be modified to accommodate changes in animal dimensions, but the saddle tree may suffer from unwanted additional deformations and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the saddle width adjustment into separate modular components: left and right tree points that can be independently adjusted via threaded rods and nuts. This segmentation allows precise width modification without applying destabilizing forces to the entire saddle tree structure, thereby maintaining structural integrity while achieving adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If high force is exerted on the saddle tree to adjust its width, then the saddle width can be changed to fit the animal, but the procedure requires specialised equipment and certified craftsmen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs threaded rods with nuts that enable dynamic, incremental adjustment of tree point positions. This mechanical threading system allows controlled width modification through simple rotational motion rather than requiring complex specialized equipment or high-force applications, making the adjustment process accessible while maintaining precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the saddle tree width is adjusted by exerting force, then the saddle can accommodate physical dimension changes, but the adjustment cannot be retained over long periods due to tendency to return to original shape
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates pre-threaded rods and nuts into the tree point construction, allowing the desired width adjustment to be established and locked in advance. Once the nuts are tightened against the tree points, the adjusted position is mechanically secured, preventing any tendency to return to the original shape and ensuring long-term retention of the modification.
4Manufacturing precision
If a custom-made saddle is manufactured based on physical dimensions, then an optimized fit is achieved, but significant costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables modification of critical saddle parameters (tree point distance and angle) through simple mechanical adjustments using threaded rods and nuts. This allows an existing saddle to be precisely adapted to match custom physical dimensions without the expense of manufacturing a completely new custom saddle, achieving manufacturing precision at minimal cost.
Data Source
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AI summary
Kit-of-parts configured to adjust a fit of a saddle, in particular a width of an English saddle, comprising at least one base and at least one shim having a predetermined thickness, wherein the shim is configured to be releasably connected to the base to allow selective replacement thereof, wherein the base is configured to be affixed to, or integrated with, one of left and right tree points of a rigid saddle tree; and the releasable connection comprises a guide configured to provide a reproducible and predetermined locking engagement of the shim relative to the base to thereby guarantee that said shim and said other shim are arrangeable on the same position and orientation relative to the respective one of the left or right tree points. The present disclosure moreover relates to a saddle comprising such a kit-of-parts and corresponding method for adjusting the fit of a saddle.