AN IMPROVED AND PERMANENT SHOE FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Brown, of Holbeck, near Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED AND
PERMANENT SHOE FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS,”
Scaled the 22nd July 1873, and dated the 5th February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1873.
I, GEOGRE BROWN, of Holbeck, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“An Improved and Permanent Shoe FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS,” to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved and
permanent shoe for horses and other animals.
The improvements consist mainly in constructing the shoe so as to
allow of the "sharpening" of the same (for the purpose of giving the
horse or other animal a better "purchase" on the road in frosty weather
or at any other time) without the necessity of removing it off from the
horse's feet as there is at present.

page_text: Hitherto in order to "sharpen" horse shoes they have had to be
removed from the feet, the result of which and of the necessary
replacing being that the feet are often seriously damaged, and so much
so that great loss is often cutailed from enforced idleness of the horses,
the owners preferring that their horses should remain so rather than
receive the damage to their feet which, by the system of "sharpening"
hitherto in use they very generally do.
By the employment of shoes made according to this Invention any
unskilled person can quickly "sharpen" them whilst on the feet of the
animal, and without the necessity of removing and replacing them or of
losing time in going to a farrier.
The improved shoe is made of wrought or cast iron or other metal,
and provided with three hardened steel dies which are dovetailed into
and further secured by screws to the shoc, one at the front and the
others at the rear. The dies project downwards beyond the bottom
surface of the shoc (so that the latter never touches the ground, but in
case of accident) and give the horse or other animal a better footing and
purchase" on the road. The rear dies or "corkers" are arranged so
as to prevent the horse slipping when "backing" and the front one or
"toc piece" so as to prevent the slipping when "drawing" or pulling.
The dovetailed part of cach die is broader towards the inside of the shoe
than towards the outside, which will have the effect of removing the
strain from the screws, one of which fastens cach die to the shoc.
"
When necessary the dies can be removed from the shoes (without
the necessity of removing the shoes from the animal's fect) by taking
out the screws and tapping the dies on the outside with a hammer, and
if worn out they can be replaced by new ones in a similar way, and of
the same or of different proportions as may be desired.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Brown, Her special licence that I,
the said George Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Brown, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
O should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for " AN IMPROVED AND PERMANENT SHOE FOR
HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Brown, my exccutors or administrators, by an
5 instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Brown, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, and on reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings:-
The improvements constituting this Invention are illustrated in .
Figures 1 to 8 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and are designed
chiefly to enable the horse or other animal to have a better "purchase"
or hold on the road, and to dispense with the necessity (as hitherto) for
removing the shoes from the animal's feet when required to "sharpen"
them in frosty weather or at any other time.
33
Hitherto when it was required to "sharpen horse shoes they have
had to be removed from the feet, the result of which and of the necessary
replacing being that the feet were often seriously damaged, so that great
loss was often entailed from enforced idleness of the horses, the owners
preferring that their horses should remain so rather than receive the
damage to their feet which, by the systems of "sharpening" hitherto in
use they very generally did.

page_text: By the employment of shoes made according to the present Invention,
any unskilled person can quickly "sharpen” them whilst on the feet of
the animal without the necessity of removing and replacing them, or of
losing time in going to a farrier's.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Figures 1 to 4 represent
respectively an under plan, side, front, and back view of the improved
shoe, shewing the construction, and Figures 5 to 8 similar views shewing
the shoe as ready to be applied to the animal's foot.
The improved shoc 1 is made or stamped out of wrought iron or other
metal or may be cast in malleable iron, and is provided with three
dovetailed taper grooves 2 which are wider towards the inside 3 of the
shoc than towards the outside 4, and are cast or otherwise formed or
made in the shoc. The grooves 2 are situated one at each extremity of
the rear part of the shoe and the remaining one at the front or toc part
thereof, and at such parts the shoe is broadened out or provided on its
under surface with raised projections 5 pierced with one or more screw-
loles 6. Placed in the grooves 2 and secured therein by screws 7 which
take into the holes 6 are metal dies 8 (by preference made of hardened
steel) with pointed, square, or other shaped under surfaces 9, and having
projections 10 on their upper surfaces which fit exactly in the grooves 2.
By thus shaping the grooves 2 and the projections 10, all strain is
removed from the screws which hold the dies in position, so that by
constant wear and tear they are not jammed and fixed in the shoc,
neither are the dies loosened or knocked out if the animal by chance
knocks their narrower edges against a stone or other projection, the
screws holding them securely. The necessity for this provision will be
readily perceived as the rear dies or "corkers" are provided and arranged
to prevent the animal from slipping when " backing" and the front one
or toc piece" to prevent the slipping when "drawing" or "pulling,"
and the strain on the screws of the respective dies in such cases comes in
opposite directions. The surfaces of the dies project downwards
beyond the bottom surface of the shoc 1 (which never touches the
ground except in case of accident and therefore lasts for a considerable
longer period than at present) and thereby give the animal a better
footing and "purchase" or hold on the road.
When necessary the dies 8 can be removed from the shoes (never
necessitating the removal of the latter from the animal's foot) by takino.

page_text: out the screws 7 and tapping the dies on the outside with a hammer,
and if worn out they can be replaced by new ones in a similar way, and
of the same or of different sizes, proportions, or shaped under surfaces as
may be desired, depending in one particular upon the state of the
weather. The heads of the screws 7 may either project beyond the
front and rear of the shoe as shown, or they may be countersunk and
lic flush therewith and grooved across so as to be actuated by an
ordinary screwdriver.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"An Improved and Permanent Shoc for Horses and other Animals"
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion
that I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The improved construction and application of shoes for horses
and other animals, allowing of the sharpening thereof without removal
from the animal's fect.
And secondly. The improved means for sharpening the same, sub-
stantially as above described and as illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Brown, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.