A NEW HORSE-SHOE CUSHION."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwards, of Ealing, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, for the Invention of "A NEW HORSE-SHOE CUSHION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
January 1867.
I, JOHN EDWARDS, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW HORSE-SHOE CUSHION,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the application of a pad or cushion to a horse-
shoe for the purpose of preventing the shock or jar caused by contact of
the iron shoe with the hoof of the horse; also for preventing lameness,
sore feet, quarter cracks, navicular disease, contracted feet, and many other
evils.
I propose to form the cushion of india-rubber, gutta percha, felt, cork, or
any combination thereof, or of any other suitable soft material or compound,
but I prefer to use india-rubber strengthened by a woven or other textile

page_text: fabric. on one or both surfaces. The upper surface of the cushion is made to
correspond with the outline of the shoe, the upper surface fitting the surface
of the hoof, and being chamfered or bevelled to fit the interior of the hoof;
the under side of the cushion is made with a flange on the internal outline,
and outside this flange the inner side of the shoe fits, and thus keeps the
cushion in a firm and immoveable position. The shoe is nailed or secured
to the hoof in the usual manner, the cushion intervening; the nails passing
through the cushion serve further to secure the cushion from displacement,
and the webbing or fabric prevents the bulging of the cushion which might
otherwise be caused by the weight of the horse, and the pressure resulting
from travelling on hard roads, especially during hot weather. The webbing
or other strengthening fabric may be applied to the sides of the cushion either
on the upper surface, or on both the upper and under surfaces, and may
extend from the heel of the cushion along the sides or entirely round, as
required, but generally the sides only of the cushion need be so strengthened.
The method of applying the fabric is to subject the cushion while in a soft or
somewhat plastic state to a high degree of pressure, first placing the fabric on
the surface of the cushion, which is placed in a mould or matrix, and subjected
to pressure by a die actuated by mechanical pressure, or by pressure from an
hydraulic press, or by means of steam power. By these means the fabric
will become embedded or incorporated with the substance of the cushion, and
will thus prevent it from lateral deviation. Kamptulicon may be employed
in lieu of india-rubber, but whatever the material may be it will be found to
afford a protection from lameness caused by the jolting or jarring of the
horse's hoof over hard substances and on macadamised roads or pavement.
The cushion will entirely prevent the horse from picking up stones and balling
up with snow in winter; it will cure "interfering" in one day's wear, and
pinched feet in three weeks, as it draws a moisture but does not absorb it,
thereby keeping the hoof continually moist; it also supersedes the pernicious
use of hoof ointments for the unnatural growth of horse's feet,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDWARDS, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Edwards, Her special licence that I, the said John
Edwards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Edwards, 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 "A NEW
HORSE-SHOE CUSHION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Edwards, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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
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 Edwards, 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:-
This Invention relates to the application of a pad or cushion to a horse-
shoe for the purpose of preventing the shock or jar caused by contact of
the iron shoe with the hoof of the horse; also for preventing lameness,
sore feet, quarter cracks, navicular disease, contracted feet, and many other
evils.
I propose to form the cushion of india-rubber, gutta percha, felt, cork, or
any combination thereof, or of any other suitable soft material or compound,
but I prefer to use india-rubber strengthened by a woven or other textile
fabric on one or both surfaces. The upper surface of the cushion is made
to correspond with the outline of the shoe, the upper surface fitting the
surface of the hoof and being chamfered or bevelled to fit the interior of the
hoof, the under side of the cushion is made with a flange on the internal
outline, and outside this flange the inner side of the shoe fits and thus keeps
the cushion in a firm and immoveable position. The shoe is nailed or secured
to the hoof in the usual manner, the cushion intervening, the nails passing
through the cushion serve further to secure the cushion from displacement,

page_text: and the webbing or fabric prevents the bulging of the cushion which might
otherwise be caused by the weight of the horse, and the pressure resulting
from travelling on hard roads, especially during hot weather. The webbing
or other strengthening fabric may be applied to the sides of the cushion,
either on the upper surface or on both the upper and under surfaces, and may
extend from the heel of the cushion along the sides or entirely round as
required, but generally the sides only of the cushion need be so strengthened.
The method of applying the fabric is to subject the cushion while in a soft
or somewhat plastic state to a high degree of pressure, first placing the
fabric on the surface of the cushion, which is placed in a mould or matrix,
and subjected to pressure by a die actuated by mechanical pressure, or by
pressure from an hydraulic press, or by means of steam power. By these
means the fabric will become embedded or incorporated with the substance
of the cushion, and will thus prevent it from lateral deviation. Other suitable
means may of course be employed. Kamptulicon may be substituted in
lieu of india-rubber, but whatever the material may be it will bo found to
afford à protection from lameness caused by the jolting or jarring of the
horse's hoof over hard substances and on macadamised roads or pavement.
The cushion will entirely prevent the horse from picking up stones and
balling up with snow in winter; it will cure "interfering" in one day's wear,
and pinched feet in three weeks, as it draws a moisture but does not absorb it,
thereby keeping the hoof continually moist; it also supersedes the pernicious
use of hoof ointments for the unnatural growth of horse's feet.
In the annexed Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the upper
surface of the horse-shoe cushion, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section
of the same.
a, a, is the surface of the cushion corresponding in form to the hoof of the
horse and the iron shoe; b, b, shews the bevelled or turned up edge to fit the
interior of the hoof; c, c, is the flange against which the internal surface of
the shoe'fits; and d, 'd, represents the fabric or webbing partly covering the
surface of the cushion, but which may extend over more or less of the surface
as required; 'e,'e, is a section of the shoe shewing the flange c, c, of the cushion
secured within it.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I would remark 'that I'do 'not
limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts I have expressed
and shewn, as the same may be varied or modified without departing from
the principles of the Invention; but I claim and desire to be secured to

page_text: me, the improved manufacture and construction of horse-shoe pads or cushions,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwards, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
ALEXANDER GOLDIE,
7, Monmouth Road,
Bayswater.
JOHN EDWARDS. (L.S.)