Improvements in Horse Shoes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse Shoes.
I, WILLIAM SHORT HITCH, Physician, residing at Capitol Hotel, Dover, in the
County of Kent, State of Delaware, United States of America, 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 relates to horse-shoes, and has distinct reference to that class of
horse-shoe in which is combined an upper shoe-plate to be nailed to the hoof, a
lower detachable shoe-plate capable of being readily removed from or placed upon
the former in view of smooth or rough shoeing, and an intermediate cushioning pad
or plate, composed of rubber or other elastic material, which is adapted to take up
the shock of impact on hard roads and relieve the joints and extremities of the
animal from the injurious effects of jar and concussion.
It is one of the objects of my invention to provide simple and improved means
for preventing strain upon the screw bolts which hold the parts of the shoe
together, and to thus obviate the risk of breakage or the working loose of said
bolts; and also to effectually prevent any liability to displacement of the interposed
cushioning pad or plate from between the upper and lower shoe-plates.
It is another object of my invention to provide a construction of horse-shoe in
which all the advantages of lightness will be combined with a sufficient width of
web to afford adequate support for the hoof, so as to avoid ring bones, or other
injury, and yet provide suitable provision for counter-acting the effects of
concussion.
My invention consists in the novel features of construction in an elastic or
yielding horse-shoe as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.
In the annexed drawings illustrating the invention,
Fig. 1 is a bottom view of the upper shoe-plate.
Fig. 2 is a view of a cushioning strip or plate to be placed between the upper and
lower plates of the shoe.
Fig. 3 is a top view of the lower shoe-plate.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section of the shoe on the line 4-4 of
Fig. 5, and
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shoe, partly in section.
Fig. 6 is a plan of a corrugated lower shoe-plate.
Fig. 7 is a part side view of the same.
Fig. 8 is a plan of an upper shoe-plate having countersunk recesses for reception
of packing to be interposed between the upper and lower plates of the shoe.
Fig. 9 is a cross section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.
The numeral 1 in the drawings designates the upper shoe plate, which is provided
at suitable points with holes 2 for the passage of the nails by which the said plate
is to be secured to the hoof; the said nail holes being appropriately counter-sunk,
or the lower side of the said plate, to accommodate the nail heads. This upper
shoe plate is also provided at its toe end and on each side with circular mortises 3,
to receive studs or tenons 4 on the lower shoe plate 5, as hereinafter described.

page_text: In the said upper shoe-plate there are also provided a number of circular
openings 6, say, for instance, two in the toe portion and two in the heel. On the
under-side of said upper shoe-plate the said openings 6 are each surrounded by a
tubular and internally screw threaded boss 7, which is in turn surrounded by a
concentric annular depression or recess 8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
The lower shoe plate 5 has its upper face provided with tenons 4, which are to
closely engage in the circular mortises 3 of the upper plate, as hereinbefore
mentioned. On its said upper face the lower shoe plate 5 is also provided with a
number of annular bosses 9, (Figs. 3 and 4,) which are adapted to somewhat
loosely surround the ends of the tubular bosses 7, as shown in Fig. 4. The
circular openings 10, through the said bosses 9 and lower plate 5, are each
countersunk on the bottom of said lower plate, to afford enlarged circular recesses 11,
Fig. 4, which are adapted to loosely receive the flat heads 12 of screw bolts 13;
which latter engage in the internally screw threaded tubular bosses 7 of the
upper plate 1 to secure the lower part 5 thereto after the said upper plate has been
nailed to the hoof.
and
When the upper shoe plate 1 has been nailed to the hoof in the usual manner
there is placed upon the bottom side thereof a cushioning strip or plate 14, (Fig. 2)
which is preferably composed of rubber or some suitable yielding material which
will counter-act the effects of concussion and prevent jar or strain in the joints and
extremities of the animal wearing the shoe. This cushioning plate pad or layer 14
is provided with circular openings 15 which correspond with the studs or tenons 4
of the lower shoe plate 5, and it has also larger circular openings 16, which
correspond in position with the annular recesses 8 of the upper shoe plate
with the annular bosses 9 of the shoe plate. Thus when the said cushioning pad
or plate 14 is in place and the lower shoe plate 5 securely bolted in position upon
the upper shoe plate the said intermediate elastic plate will be prevented from
lateral displacement by reason of the engagement therewith of the said tenons and
bosses. The opposing faces of the upper shoe plate 1 and lower shoe-plate 5 are
at their heel portions respectively provided with a series of depressions 17
and spurs 18, (Fig. 5) through which a gripping action is exerted upon the
interposed heel portions of the elastic plate 14 to prevent any displacement
thereof.
As herein before remarked the tenons 4 of the one shoe-plate are intended to
have a close fitting engagement with the circular mortises 3 of the other plate;
but the tubular bosses 7 of one plate and the annular bosses 9 of the other plate
are constructed and designed to engage each other loosely and, furthermore, it is
another important feature of my invention that the countersunk portions or
recesses 11 in the bottom face of the lower shoe-plate should be sufficiently large
to loosely receive the heads 12 of the screw bolts 13 which secure the
two shoe-plates together. By these features of construction all strain is taken
off from the fastening screw bolts 13, so that they are not liable to break
off or work loose. Consequently the lower shoe plate will be always securely
fastened to the upper shoe plate. It will be also noticed, by reference to
Figs. 4 and 5, that those bolts heads 12 are so fully inclosed in the recesses 11
as to present no cutting projections with which the horse might injure himself.
The play afforded through the loose fitting of the bosses 7 and 9 will also
contribute to the elastic qualities of the shoe in obviating jar and concussion.
screw bolts 13 are readily accessible to permit their withdrawal whenever it is
desired to detach the lower shoe-plate as, for instance, for replacing smooth shod
with rough shod, or for other purposes.
The
By reference to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen that the depth of the annular
recesses 8 is sufficient to permit approach of the annular bosses 9 toward the upper
shoe plate when the elastic pad or plate 14 is compressed by impact of the lower
shoe plate on a hard road or pavement. The mortises 3 and tenons 4 are also
arranged with reference to compression of the elastic pad or cushion.
1
The upper shoe plate I may be provided with countersunk recesses 19 (Fig. 8,)

page_text: for reception of any suitable elastic packing, and these recesses may have any shape,
and cover any extent of surface desired.
The lower shoe-plate 5 is preferably provided with transverse corrugations 20
and alternating plain surfaces 21, as shown in Fig. 6. These corrugations serve to
lighten the plate, and also provide a roughened surface. The shoe is light, durable,
and economical in construction, and it affords a uniform and elastic support for
the hoof, and also relieves the foot from jars and concussion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The hereinbefore described improvements in horse-shoes, that is to say, a
horse-shoe composed of an upper plate and a lower plate, respectively provided with
close fitting mortises and tenons, the said upper plate being also provided, upon
its bottom with tubular internally screw threaded bosses, and the said lower plate
having upon its top annular bosses to loosely engage the said tubular bosses of the
upper plate, and being also provided on its top with recesses, an elastic plate'
interposed between the said upper shoe-plate and the lower shoe-plate, and screw
bolts or their equivalents engaged in the tubular bosses of the upper plate, and
having the heads of said bolts loosely inclosed in the recesses in the bottom side of
the lower plate, for the purposes described.
Second. In a horseshoe the combination of an upper shoe-plate adapted to be
nailed to the hoof and provided with a number of mortises and with circular
openings, which are surrounded on the bottom of said plate by tubular internally
screw threaded bosses and concentric annular recesses, a lower shoe-plate having
its top provided with tenons to closely engage said mortises and with annular
bosses to loosely engage said tubular bosses, and having circular recesses in its
bottom, an elastic and perforated plate interposed between the said upper shoe
plate and the lower shoe-plate, and screw bolts to secure the said plates together;
the said screw bolts being engaged in the tubular internally screw threaded bosses
of the upper plate and having their heads loosely enclosed in the recesses in the
bottom of the lower plate substantially as and for the purposes described.
Third. In a horse-shoe the combination of an upper shoe-plate adapted to be
nailed to the hoof and having its under side provided with recesses to receive an
elastic packing, and a lower shoe-plate detachably secured to the upper plate and
provided with corrugated surfaces, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day o Anim 1808
Dated this 4th day o
Anmil 1808
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London, and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Anal 180X
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London, and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.