IM- PROVEMENTS IN HORSE-SHOES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN HORSE-SHOES."-A communication from abroad by Hanns
Ferdinand Jullius Peschell, Mechanician, and Henri Charles de la
Frénaye, Gentleman, both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 30th August 1864, and dated the 17th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of- Patents; with his Petition, on the 17th
March 1864:
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE-SHOES," to be as follows:-
Horse-shoes are ordinarily fixed to the feet by means of headed nails,
which are driven into the substance of the hoof, and are rivetted at the under
surface of the shoe. These shoes are forged with a smooth surface which is
slightly convex. In winter, in order to permit of horses travelling on ice and
snow, the shoe is roughened, that is, they are fixed by means of nails. with
projecting: heads which pénétrate the slippery surface of the ice and afford
foot hold. In some cases the shoes are caulked, as is also the: case. with
horses used for hunting, in order to permit of their running over slippery turf.
This method of shoeing possesses several disadvantages, the first of which
consists in the convexity of the shoe, as the horse is not well disposed on his

page_text: feet for drawing his load, and is obliged to raise and bend his legs in order to
bring the outer extremity of the shoe on the ground. This motion fatigues
the horse, injures his limbs, and does not allow of the proper amount of work
being obtained from him. When rough shoeing, as indeed in all cases, the
heads of the nails wear out fast, soon break, and besides the expense the hoof
is ruined by continual renewals.
This Invention relates to an improved horse-shoe by means of which, 1st,
the horse's feet are evenly disposed on the ground, and consequently any
injury to his organization is prevented; 2ndly, the nails are not in contact
with the ground, and are thus preserved until the shoe is entirely worn out,
which not only produces economy in shoeing, but also preserves the hoof
intact. To ensure this double result I make a projecting rim all round the
outer edge of the shoe, which rim alone bears on the ground, the nails being
protected by this rim from friction on the ground, this improved. shoe being
in fact formed of angle iron forged in a circle. The projecting part which
bears on the ground may be toothed in order to afford better foothold. The
shoe may also be made of two parts, but with less advantage by taking an
ordinary shoe, and then applying thereto one of these improved shoes with
projecting rim for bearing on the ground, the one being fixed to the other.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing. Fig. 1
represents a section of a horse-shoe on line a, b, Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 an under-
side plan of same. The same letters serve for both Figures.
a, iron plate fixed to the hoof, the surface on which the horse's foot rests
being inclined in such manner that the horse bears on the wall or horny
exterior part of the hoof, and not on the sole or middle of the foot; b, rim
forged or otherwise formed on the plate a of the shoe, and which bears on
the ground; c holes for nails, the heads of which do not project beyond the
rim b, and consequently are protected from wear by friction with the ground,
the rim 6 also raises the horse higher from the ground, and affords him better
hold for traction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and s
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.
unto me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the.
said William 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HORSE-SHOES," a communication to me from abroad by Hanns Ferdinand
Jullius Peschell, Mechanician, and Henri Charles de la Frenaye, Gentleman,
both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said William Clark, 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 William Clark, 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, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Horse-shoes are ordinarily fixed to the feet by means of headed nails,
which are driven into the substance of the hoof, and are riveted. at the under
surface of the shoe. These shoes are forged with a smooth surface which is
slightly convex. In winter, in order to permit of horses travelling on ice and
snow, the shoes are roughed, that is, they are fixed by means of nails with
projecting heads which penetrate the slippery surface of the ice and afford.
foot hold. In some cases the shoes are caulked, as is also the case with
horses. used for hunting, in order to permit of their running over slippery.
turf. This method of shoeing possesses several disadvantages, the 1st of'
which consists in the convexity of the shoe, by reason of. which the horse is
not well disposed on his feet for drawing his load, and is obliged to raise and
bend his legs in order to bring the outer extremities of the shoes on the
ground. This motion fatigues the horse, injures his limbs, and does not
allow. of the proper amount of work being obtained from him. In rough

page_text: shoeing, and indeed in all cases, the heads of the nails wear out fast, soon
break, and besides the expense the hoof is ruined by continual renewals.
This Invention relates to an improved horse-shoe, the advantages of which
are that, 1st, the horse's feet are evenly disposed on the ground, and con-
sequently any injury to his organization is prevented; 2ndly, the nails are
not in contact with the ground, and are preserved until the shoe is entirely
worn out, which not only produces economy in the shoeing, but also preserves
the hoof intact. To ensure this double result I make a projecting rim. all
round the outer edge of the shoe, which rim alone bears on the ground, the
nails being protected by this rim from friction on the ground, this improved
shoe being in fact formed of angle iron forged in a circle. The. projecting
part which bears on the ground may be toothed in order to afford better foot
hold. The shoe may also be in two parts, but with less advantage by taking
an ordinary shoe and superposing thereon one of these improved. shoes with
a projecting rim for bearing on the ground, the one being fixed to the other.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing. Fig. 1
represents a section of a horse-shoe. on line a, b, Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 an under
side plan of same. The same letters serve for both Figures.
a, iron plate fixed to the hoof, the surface on which the horse's foot rests
being inclined in such manner that the horse bears on the wall or horny
exterior part of the hoof, and not on the sole or middle of the foot; 6 rim
forged or otherwise formed on the plate a of the shoe, and which bears on the
ground; c holes for nails, the heads of which do not project beyond the rim b,
and consequently are protected from wear by friction on the ground. The
rim 6 also raises the horse higher from the ground, and affords better hold for
traction.
These improved shoes may be further modified as follows:-1st, I may
corrugate the inner surface of the angle iron or rim, as shown in Fig. 3, Sheet 2,
and make the holes a for-the introduction of the nails to coincide with the
hollows 6 of the corrugations, that is to say, with the thinned portions of the
rim. By this arrangement the heads of the nails may be more easily fixed,
and the nails inclined as desired; 2ndly, a groove may be made throughout
the extent of, the rim, as represented in Figs. 4 and 5, Sheet 2. .In this case
the angle iron rim is made of slightly greater thickness to afford sufficient
space for said groove, in which latter are made the necessary holes for the
introduction of the nails. In this manner the heads of the nails will be more
readily secured, and the points inclined as desired so as not to injure the foot;
3rdly, I may further make a double channel in the iron for receiving a double
row of nails as represented at Fig. 6, Sheet 2. The upper surface of the

page_text: shoe is flat, and serves as a bearing surface for the horny part surrounding
the hoof.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1st, the improved horse-shoe represented in Sheet 1 of the Drawings, dis-
tinguished by the application of a circular rim intended for giving the horse
a better footing, and also guaranteeing the nails from wear.
2ndly, I claim the improved shoe represented in Fig. 3, Sheet 2, which
is on the same principle as the preceding, except that the circular rim is
corrugated.
3rdly, I claim the improved horse-shoe represented in Figs. 4 and 5,
Sheet 2, which is provided with a grooved channel for receiving the nails.
Lastly, I claim the improved horse-shoe represented at Fig. 6, Sheet 2,
having a double groove in the circular rim as and for the purpose before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
0
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
58, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.B.)