IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING HORSES' FEET, AND FOR ADAPTING AND FITTING SHOES THERETO
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53; Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING HORSES' FEET, AND FOR ADAPTING AND FITTING
SHOES THERETO."-A communication from abroad by Auguste Clément,..
Veterinary Surgeon, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 6th December 1867, and dated the 21st June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st June 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS, FOR MEASURING HORSES. FEET, AND FOR ADAPTING. AND
FITTING SHOES THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus for measuring horses' feet, and for
adapting and fitting shoes thereto.
I would first mention that horse-shoes, are usually numbered according to
their size, the numbers corresponding to the length and breadth of the under
surface of the foot. The shoes are also kept ready for application, except that
they require adapting to the shape of the foot, which object is attained by
means of the apparatus of this Invention.

page_text: "serving
The apparatus consists of two parts, the one being termed a podometer for
taking the exact dimensions of the foot, and the other or "former
to give the shoe the exact form taken by the podometer.
The apparatus is represented in the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1
showing a plan of the podometer, and Figure 2 a section of same on line 1, 2,
Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a plan of the "former," and Figure 4 a section of
the same on the line 3, 4, Figure 3. The same letters serve for all the
Figures.
The podometer is composed of two rings a, b, placed one within the other
and connected together by bars c suitably graduated from fifteen to nineteen
in number, on each of which slides a guage d readily fixed in position by a
binding screw e; these bars resemble the sliding part of instruments used for
measuring shafts, screws, and other objects, and are made entirely of metal.
In order to take the size of the horse's foot after sliding the guages d outwards
the podometer is placed on the foot; the centre guage is then brought up
against the hoof at the toe of the shoe, in which position it should be at least
an inch from the outer ring 6, the guages corresponding to the heels of the
shoe are then adjusted in like manner and fixed by the screws, the podometer
being thus held at three different points, the other guages are then brought up
in succession and fixed in position; two holes f, f, are also provided on each
side between the fifth and sixteenth bars. The " former" is constructed
entirely of metal, and consists of a ring or frame h, in which slide the solid
bars i fitted in the same position and of equal number with those of the
podometer. The upper one . is, made much stronger than the rest, and is
furnished with a binding screw j carried in a part / somewhat resembling a
vice. Undernath the frame is fixed an iron plate for supporting the bars or
_keys and wedges; these wedges are of cast iron or steel, and are arranged in
such manner that by the aid of an eccentric m having a cylindrical stem n or
otherwise the bars or keys may be readily fixed and made to resist great
tractive force. The frame of the "former" has holes at each side for the
introduction of screw nuts o, by the aid of which it is firmly fixed to a bench;
immediately adjoining these are two pins p which 'fit into the holes f,f, of the
podometer. In order to make use of the instrument the podometer having
the exact form of the foot is applied on the "former," which is readily effected
by dropping the pins into the holes above mentioned; the "former" is then
unscrewed and each of the bars drawn outwards until they touch their
corresponding guages, when the
combination of the whole will give the form
of the foot; the bars are then fixed in position by turning the eccentric a

page_text: "
quarter of a turn, the podometer being now removed. In order to give a
shoe the exact form of the foot after it has been previously heated in the forge
it is placed on the "former" with the toe part bearing against the end of
bar t, where it is firmly fixed by the aid of screw j, and then by the aid of a
hammer, one face of which is pressed against the edge of the frame and the
other against. the periphery of the shoe, I perform a kind of torsive motion,
that is to say, move the handle from one side to the other in a horizontal
direction, which is repeated as often as necessary in order to force the shoe
up to or adapt it to the configuration of the bars adjusted as above explained;
this is readily effected in a few seconds, when the shoe will receive the exact
form of the foot to which it is to be applied..
"
BJ
The "former" is graduated in a similar manner to the podometer, 1st, for
the purpose of pathological experiments, and 2ndly, in order to ascertain the
exact measurement of the foot, which may be then registered so as to avoid
the necessity of using a podometer or of measuring the foot at each time of
shoeing. Thus by the aid of the apparatus described horse-shoes may be.made
ready for use without requiring to be shaped while hot at the time of shoeing,
The Drawing represents the apparatus of full size.
I
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal: Patent Office oir
the 18th December 1867.
T
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent "Majesty Queen Victoria, by! Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others, as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 Kingdon of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING HORSES' FEET, AND FOR
ADAPTING AND FITTING SHOES THERETO," a communication to me from abroad by
Auguste Clément, Veterinary Surgeon, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon
the condition (amongst others) that, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my
executors or administrators, by' an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly deseribe 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 Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to apparatus for measuring horses' feet, and for
adapting and fitting shoes thereto.'
I would first mention that horse-shoes are usually numbered according to
their. size, the numbers corresponding to the length and breadth of the under
surface of the foot. The shoes are also kept ready for application, except that
they require adapting to the shape of the foot, which object is obtained by
means of the apparatus of this Invention.
The apparatus consists of two parts, the one being termed a podometer for
taking the exact dimensions of the foot, and the other or "former" serving to
give the shoe the exact form taken by the podometer.
The apparatus is represented in the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1
showing a plan of the podometer, and Figure 2 a section of same on
line 1, 2, Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a plan of the "former;" Figure 4 a
section on the line 3, 4, Figure 3; and Figure 5. a partial face view of same.
The same letters serve for all the Figures.
The podometer is comprised of two rings a, b, placed one within the other
and connected together by bars c suitably graduated from fifteen to nineteen
in number, on each of which slides a guage d readily fixed in position by a
binding screw e. These bars resemble the sliding part of instruments used
for measuring shafts, screws, and other objects, and are made entirely of metal.
In order to take the size of a horse's foot after sliding the guage d outwards
the podometer is placed on the foot; the centre guage is then brought up
against the hoof at the toe of the shoe, in which position it should be at least

page_text: an inch from the outer ring b; the guages corresponding to the heel of the
shoe are then adjusted in like manner and fixed by the screws, the podometer
being thus held at three different points; the other guages are then brought.
up in succession and fixed in position. Two holes f, f, are also provided at
each side between the fifth and sixteenth bars. The "former" is constructed
entirely of metal, and consists of a ring or frame h in which slide. the solid
bars i fitted in the same position and of equal number with those of the
podometer. The upper one i¹ is made much stronger than the rest, and is
furnished with a binding screw j carried in a part k somewhat resembling a
vice. Underneath the frame is fixed an iron plate t for supporting the bars
or keys and wedges; these wedges are of cast iron or steel and are arranged in
such manner that by the aid of an eccentric m having a cylindrical stem'n or
otherwise the bars or keys may be readily fixed and made to resist great
tractive force. The frame of the "former" has holes at each side for the
introduction of screws o, by the aid of which it is firmly fixed to a bench;
immediately adjoining, these are two pins p which fit into the holes f, f, of the
podometer. In order to make use of the instrument the podometer having
the exact form of the foot is applied on the "former," which is readily
effected by dropping the pins into the holes above mentioned; the "former" is
then unscrewed, and each of the bars drawn outwards until they touch their
corresponding slides, when the combination of the whole will give the form of
the foot; the bars are then fixed in position by turning the eccentric ma
quarter of a turn, the podometer being now removed. In order to give a shoe
the exact form of the foot after it has been previously heated in the forge it
is placed on the "former" with the toe part bearing against the end of bar i,
where it is firmly fixed by the aid of screw j, and then by the aid of a hammer,
one side of the point of which is pressed against the edge of the frame and
the other against the periphery of the shoe, I perform kind of torsive
motion, that is to say, move the handle from one side to the other in a
horizontal direction, which is repeated as often as necessary in order to force
the shoe up to or adapt it to the conformation of the bars adjusted. as
above explained; this is readily effected in a few seconds, when the shoe will
receive the exact form of the foot to which it is to be applied. I may also
apply a small iron plates at the end of binding screw j for obtaining greater
holding surface on the shoe x; this plate also prevents the screw from making
the slightest depression in the hot iron consequent on its adjustment.
The former is graduated in a similar manner to the podometer, 1st, for
the purpose of pathological experiments, and, 2ndly, in order to ascertain, the

page_text: exact measurement of the foot, which may be then registered so as to avoid
the necessity of using the podometer or of measuring the foot at each time of
shoeing; thus by the aid of the apparatus described horse-shoes may be made
ready for use without requiring to be shaped while hot at the time of shoeing.
The Drawings represent the apparatus of the full size.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved apparatus
for measuring horses' feet and adapting or fitting shoes thereto, as herein
described and represented in the Drawings, the chief features being,-
First, the podometer or measuring apparatus for taking the exact form of
the foot.
Secondly, the "former" or instrument adjustable by the aid of the podo-
meter on which the iron shoe is placed to give it the necessary shape, all in
the manner before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have. hereunto
_ set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December,.in the year
1 of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven..
1 M CLADK
A. M. CLARK (LS)