An Improved Horse-shoe.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Horse-shoe.
I, JOHN DOWNING BERTRAM, of Anstruther Street, Echuca, in the Colony of
Victoria, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention of an improved horse-shoe has been designed for the purpose of
enabling the shoe to be fastened to the horse's hoof without the aid of. nails. For
this purpose I make the shoe with clips, say one on each side and one at its toe,
or said clips may be fastened to the shoe instead of being made an integral part of it.
These clips are approximately triangular in shape, the base being attached to the side
or edge of the shoe and the upper part tapering towards a point. Each of these
clips has one or more tags on its inner face near its upper end, for the purpose of
being pressed into the hoof when the shoe is placed in position thereon. In order that
it may be readily withdrawn when it is required to be removed, I make such clips of
comparatively flexible material such as steel so as to admit of the upper part, which
carries the tags, being bent away from the hoof when it is required to remove the
shoe. To increase this flexibility one or more holes or slots may be made in the clip
at any desired position. In order to assist in holding the shoe on to the hoof, I
make ridges across the upper face of the shoe for the purpose of being fitted into
correspondingly shaped recesses or grooves cut in the bottom of the horse's hoof. I
prefer to make two of such ridges on each side of the shoe, the one being straight
across it or very nearly so, and the other running at an angle across it, and so being
longer than the first one. The two together somewhat resemble the figure. 7. These
clips and ridges form the essential feature of my improved horse-shoe, although for the
purpose of making the shoe lighter and for giving a firmer foothold to the horse,
I prefer to make the under-face of the shoe which rests upon the ground, in what
may be termed a skeleton pattern, that is to say,-instead of its being a flat surface I
make it a series of ridges, which ridges may assume any form or shape preferred.
Dated this Thirty-first day of July One thousand eight hundred and eighty-
nine
JOHN DOWNING BERTRAM.
Abel & Imray,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Horse-shoe.
I, JOHN DOWNING BERTRAM, of Anstruther Street, Echuca, in the Colony of
Victoria, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing a more satisfactory
horse-shoe than heretofore and one moreover which can be attached to the horse's
hoof without the aid of nails.
It consists in a horse-shoe having clips (say one on each side and one at the toe)
with teeth or tags near their ends, said teeth or tags having flat under-surfaces and
being so constructed and arranged that they can be driven into the wall of the hoof.
Two or three of these clips may be used and they are each provided with two ears or
lugs whereby they may be bent back from the hoof either by means of a suitably
constructed claw-tool such as is sometimes used for removing nails or else by inserting
the jaws of a pair of pincers. Ridges, stops, or upward projections on the upper

page_text: surface of the shoe are also provided and are adapted to be fitted into correspondingly
shaped recesses or grooves cut in the under-surface of the hoof for the purpose of
preventing the shoe moving either backwards or forwards or laterally.
The under or wearing surface of said shoe is preferably so constructed as to
combine the least possible weight of metal with a good grip or holding power on
slippery roads, and by preference it is formed according to one or other of the
methods illustrated in my drawings, wherein,
Figures 1 and 2 are plans of two halves of the underside of a horse-shoe embodying
my improvements and illustrating two modifications in the formation of the wearing
surface thereof.
Figure 3 is a plan, and,—
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a horse-shoe constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 5 is a vertical section on line x-x, Figure 1, illustrating the construction of
the stops, ridges or projections berein before mentioned, whilst,
Figure 6 is a vertical section on line y-y, Figure 2.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a portion of a shoe fitted with an independent
clip which is secured thereto by being fitted into a dovetail groove in the side
thereof, and,
Figure 8 is a plan of said independent clip and tag.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts throughout
the several figures of my drawings.
One essential feature of my invention is the employment of clips such as A, each
having a tooth or tag such as B on its inner side. These clips are preferably
arranged as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, that is, one on the forward or toe portion
of the shoe and one on either side, as clearly shewn in Figure 3. Or, for a horse
that brushes, one clip may be arranged a little to one side of the toe, whilst
another may be secured on the opposite side. These clips are bent outwardly before
being applied to the horse's hoof and are so constructed that the teeth or tags B upon
each may be driven into the wall of the hoof. In order to facilitate this operation I
cut slots such as C, Figures 1 and 2, through said clips to weaken them in
certain places and so make them bend easily. The teeth or tags B are according
to my invention made of an approximately pyramidal form, as illustrated in my
drawings and are made each with a flat under-surface b which when driven into
the hoof by bending the clips A inwards, will draw the shoe tightly to said hoof.
These clips A are moreover according to my invention formed each with a pair of
projecting ears or lugs a, behind which either a claw-shaped tool such as is some-
times used for removing nails or else the jaws of a pair of pincers may be placed
for the purpose of bending said clip back and so removing the tooth or tag B from
the wall of the hoof when it is desired to remove the shoe.
Another essential feature in my horse-shoe is the employment of ridges stops or
projections D, D¹, as indicated in Figures 1 to 6. Said ridges being fitted into
corresponding grooves or recesses formed in the underside of the hoof serve to
prevent any lateral displacement of the shoe.
These ridges stops or projections may be arranged in any way found most con-
venient. I prefer however to construct them as indicated at D, D₁, that is, with the
main ones D formed somewhat like the figure 7 in shape, whereby I am enabled
to prevent any backward and forward as well as any lateral movement of the shoe.
These ridges or stops D, D¹, are preferably reduced in height as they near the inside
of the shoe in order that they may not injure the sensitive parts of the horse's sole,
and their rear sides or edges are preferably made vertical that they may retain the
hoof better, whilst their forward sides or edges are preferably made sloping as shewn
in my drawings for the purpose of obtaining increased strength.
It is desirable that horse-shoes should be made as light as possible, and for this
purpose I prefer to construct their under-sides as illustrated in either Figures 1 or 2,
thereby not only materially lightening the shoe but also securing a far better foothold
on slippery roads.

page_text: Horse-shoes constructed according to my invention may be cast or stamped in one
entire piece from any metallic or other substance, whilst the clips may either be made
entirely separate from the body of the shoe or may be made integral with it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1: A horse-shoe wherein two or more clips (such as A) having teeth or tags (such
as B) adapted to be driven into the wall of the hoof, are employed in combination
with ridges, stops or upward projections (such as D, D¹) on the upper surface of the
shoe, said ridges being adapted to fit into corresponding grooves or recesses formed in
the underside of the hoof, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
2. A horse-shoe provided with two or more clips (such as A) each having a pro-
jecting tooth or tag (such as B) formed with a flat under-surface (such as b), said flat
under-surface being so formed that said shoe will be drawn tightly against the
hoof, substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in my
drawings.
3. A horse-shoe provided with two or more clips (such as A) each having a pair
of projecting ears or lugs (such as a), behind which a claw-shaped tool or the jaws of
a pair of pincers can be inserted for the purpose of bending said clip away from
the hoof, substantially as and for the purpose specified and as illustrated in my
drawings.
4. A horse-shoe provided with two or more clips (such as A) each having a
slot or hole (such as C) formed therein for the purpose of enabling said clip to be
easily bent back: substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated
in my drawings.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of June One thousand eight hundred and ninety.