IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE-SHOES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fowler, junior, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE-SHOES."
Sealed the 23rd August 1864, and dated the 21st May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fowler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
May 1864.
I, JOHN FOWLER, junior, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE-SHOES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in horse-shoes. In order
to obviate the injury to horses arising from the jar to the hoof and legs in
travelling on hard roads it is common to put leather between the hoof and
the shoe, and vulcanized india-rubber has been tried with the same object.
By means of leather the object is but very imperfectly attained, as leather so
placed is but very slightly compressible. By substituting vulcanized india-
rubber for leather much greater elasticity is obtained, but it is found that
the shoe in working up and down on the nails in a short time make them
loose, and the shoe is thrown off.
Now according to my Invention I place the vulcanized india-rubber
between two metal shoes, the inner one is nailed to the hoof as heretofore,
and it has studs upon it which pass through the vulcanized india-rubber, and

page_text: so keep it in its place; and below the india-rubber the studs carry the outer
shoe, so as to retain it securely in its place, but the shoe is able to work up
and down freely on the studs. The studs may be projections from or parts
of the nails, but it is preferable to make them separate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fowler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FOWLER, junior, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Ilerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
mc, the said John Fowler, Her special licence that I, the said John
Fowler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Fowler, 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, 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 "IMPROVE-
NENTS IN HORSE-SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Fowler, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fowler, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in horse-shoes. In order
to obviate the injury to horses arising from the jar to the hoof and legs in
travelling on hard roads it is common to put leather between the hoof and
the shoe, and vulcanized india-rubber has been tried with the same object.
By means of leather the object is but very imperfectly attained, as leather so

page_text: placed is but very slightly compressible. By substituting vulcanized india-
rubber for leather much greater elasticity is obtained, but it is found that the
shoe in working up and down on the nails in a short time makes them loose,
and the shoe is thrown off.
Now according to my Invention I place the vulcanized india-rubber
between two metal shoes, the inner one is nailed to the hoof as heretofore, and
it has studs upon it, which pass through the vulcanized india-rubber and so
keep it in its place, and below the india-rubber the studs carry the outer
shoe so as to retain it securely in its place, but the shoe is able to work up
and down freely on the studs. The studs may be projections from or parts of
the nails, but it is preferable to make them separate.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan; Figure 2, side elevation; Figure 3, section on
line A, B, showing nail hole; Figure 4, section on line C, D, showing stud
hole; e, is the outer shoe, which is made to work up and down freely on the
studs h, h; f, is the inner shoe, which is fastened to the horse's hoof in the
usual manner; i, i, are the nail holes; h, h, are the stud holes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fowler, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN FOWLER, JUN.
(L.B.)
Witness,
E. S. FOWLER.