Improvements in Horseshoes.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horseshoes.
I, CYRUS COPLANTZ, of Joliet, in the County of Will and State of Illinois,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 statements :-
My invention relates to horseshoes, and the object is to produce a shoe which
shall conform to the natural shape of the animal's hoof and which shall assist the
natural action of the frog, while at the same time protect the frog from injury by
contact with hard-paved roadways.
A further object of my invention is to produce a horseshoe which shall not
interfere with the natural expansion and contraction of the hoof during the
movements of the animal.
the toe.
To the above purposes my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel
features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe
it with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1. is a perspective
view of a horseshoe embodying my invention, the shoe being in inverted position.
It has been found as the result of careful observation that as a horse travels
either at a walk or at a faster pace there is, when the animal is unshod, an alternate
expansion (or spreading) and contraction of the hoof, the expansion or spreading
occurring when the animal places its hoof upon the ground and brings the weight
of its body thereon, and the contraction occurring when the foot is lifted from the
ground. It is also found that these expanding and contracting movements are
greatest at the quarter or hinder part of the hoof and gradually diminish toward
It has also been found that in unshod horses the frog, being an elastic
body and coming directly in contact with the ground, acts as a cushion to lessen the
jar and impact of rapid movement, and also assists in recovery as the hoof is lifted
off of the ground. Horseshoes as heretofore constructed have almost entirely
prevented the described expansion and contraction of the hoof and have also
rendered the frog practically useless, and hence the animal's hoof has been trans-
formed by the shoe into a rigid structure, which becomes rapidly injured by use,
and which speedily produces lameness and other diseases, which soon entirely disable
the animal. Heretofore attempts have been made to remedy some of these defects.
For instance, horseshoes have heretofore been bevelled outwardly and downwardly
on their upper sides for the purpose of permitting the hoof to expand; but while
such shoes have permitted expansion they have entirely prevented contraction of
the hoof when the shoe was solidly attached to the hoof, and consequently such
shoes caused a speedy separation of the horny exterior of the hoof from the
sensitive interior or sole, and consequently the animal has been so lamed as to
become unfit for work. If the shoe were bevelled inwardly and downwardly the
reverse defect would simply result-that is to say, the hoof might contract
somewhat, but could not possibly expand, and lameness would quickly ensue.
Again, it has been found that the frog, being very elastic and sensitive, is subjected
to great injury by contact with paved streets and roadways, and it has been
attempted to avoid this injury by turning the heels of the shoe inward, so as to
extend beneath the quarter and frog, and thus protect these parts from direct
contact with the pavement or roadway. This construction bas been defective

page_text: because the frog is as much injured by contact with the heels of the shoe as it
would be by contact with the ground or pavement, and this injury is due to the fact
that the inturned portions of the heels have been made rigid, thus preventing all
elastic action of the frog, as well as all expansive and contractive action of the
hoof. By reference to the ensuing description, it will be seen that I have produced
a shoe which overcomes all of these defects.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved horseshoe, and
Figs. 2 and are detail views illustrating the heel portion.
Referring now to the said drawings, a designates the shoe, which is mainly of
such form as to correspond with the shape of the bottom of the hoof and the upper
surface of which is perfectly flat throughout without any inclination either inwardly
or outwardly. A suitable calk B is preferably formed on the under side of the toe
of the shoe, and the shoe is tapered in thickness from the toe to the heel, as shown.
The heels of the shoe are bent inward toward each other from the points a¹ to the
points a², so that their inner ends are closely adjacent to but slightly separated from
each other, as. shown, and vertically extending portions 6 are provided upon said
heels so as to form suitable heel-calks. The entire shoe is preferably made of
spring-steel of a temper sufficiently strong and at the same time elastic for the
purpose to which the shoe is applied. In any event it is to be observed that the
inwardly turned or convergent heel portions of the shoe are tempered, so as to be
sufficiently elastic to yield and recover their normal position as the hoof is planted
upon and raised from the ground. It is also to be observed that these convergent
heel portions not only extend inwardly, but are bent downwardly toward each other,
as shown. This inward and downward inclination of the spring-heels is of material
importance, as will presently be seen.
When the shoe as above constructed is properly nailed to the hoof, the down-turned
heel portions diverge from but underlie the frog and quarter, and hence when the
animal places its hoof upon the ground the quarter and frog do not come into
contact with the ground and are protected from injury. At the same time the
animal's weight causes the spring-heels to yield somewhat, and this permits the
hoof as well as the shoe to expand from rear to front in a perfectly natural manner,
although the frog and quarter do not come into violent contact with the heels of
the shoe. As soon as the hoof is raised from the ground the shoe contracts
naturally with the hoof, and the spring-heel portions of the shoe assist the
recovering action of the frog. It is to be particularly observed that as the
vertically extending projections are immediately adjacent to the frog of
the animal's hoof they protect the frog from injury by violent contact with the
pavement or roadway. It will thus be seen that I have produced a shoe which
fully protects the hoof from injury by violent contact with the roadway or
pavement and which at the same time permits a natural unrestrained action of the
hoof, these results being attained by the resilience of the body portion of the shoe
and the downward and inward direction of the heel portions together with the
resilience of said heel portions. It is to be understood that the heel portions thus
constructed and arranged constitute practically an artificial frog, permitting the
quarter to expand and contract, as the natural frog does, assisting in the recovery
of the hoof after each stride, as the natural frog also does, and at the same time
preventing any contact of the frog either with the roadway or with the heel-pieces
themselves, and cousequently preventing all possibility of concussion of the frog
and consequent lameness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
a
As a new article of manufacture, a horseshoe consisting of a resilient body
portion having a flat upper surface and constructed with heel portions a¹ a
formed on their inner ends with vertically extending portions b, the said heel

page_text: portions a¹ a being also resilient and being closely adjacent to but separate from
each other at their inner ends, and also extending inward and downward, so as to
entirely clear the frog of the hoof, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 11th day of August 1804
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.