IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SHAPE AND MANUFACTURE OF HORSES SHOES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Palmer, of Lines' Veterinary Forge, High
Road, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Farrier, for the Invention
OI IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SHAPE AND MANUFACTURE OF HORSES SHOES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Palmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1867.
I, WILLIAM PALMER, of Lines' Veterinary Forge, High Road, Kilburn, in
the County of Middlesex, Farrier, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SHAPE AND MANUFACTURE OF HORSES' SHOES,"
to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is for the better prevention of horses from
slipping when galloping on turf, or when travelling on roads of every description
during frosty weather and at all times.
In order clearly to explain my Invention I will first state the method of
making common horse-shoes, and the mode now in use to endeavour to prevent
horses from slipping.
In the making of common horse-shoes a plain flat bar of iron is taken,
which is cut up into convenient lengths, and each of such lengths is then
curved and shaped by hammering so as to fit the bottom of a horse's hoof;
and the present method now in use for the prevention of slipping is by turning
down one or bɔth ends of the length that has been formed into the shoe so

page_text: as to be at right angles or nearly so with the bottom or under surface of the
shoe, so as to raise the hinder part of the shoe, and so as to form a sort of
heel or projection which bites into or catches any projection upon the slippery
or other surface upon which the horse is travelling, and so as to prevent him
from slipping.
Now in my Invention instead of taking a plain flat bar of iron as the
foundation for horse-shoes I take a bar of a sort of angle iron which has been
formed into the proper shape by means of rollers, or by other suitable and
proper apparatus. The section of the bars of iron which I use for the purpose
of my Invention being in the form of a wedge with the point downwards and
with the upper face or surface of the wedge prolonged in one direction so as
to form a projection on one side of the upper face of the wedge; the section of
the bar being in fact of the shape of the figure annexed hereto, thus
The lower or pointed part of the wedge-shaped part of the bar forms
the under part of the shoe which is next the ground; the flat and upper
part forms the upper part of the shoe which is next to the horse's hoof.
I cut the bars of the shape and description above mentioned into convenient
and proper lengths, and form such lengths into proper shapes for horses' shoes
by curving them into the proper shape to fit the horse's hoof in the usual way,
and so that the projecting part of the upper portion of the bar shall form the
front or outside part of the shoe, and so that the pointed or lower part of the
wedge-shaped part of the bar shall form the under part of the shoe. The
holes for the nails are made in the outer rim of the shoe which formed
originally the projecting part of the upper portion of the bar. After or before
having formed the shoe into the required shape, I cut out by filing and
chiselling, or by some other appropriate method, four or more portions of about
three-quarters of an inch or less in length of the under part of the shoe
(which originally formed the under or wedge-shaped part of the bar) so as to
form intervals in the under surface of the shoe, and so that those portions of
the under part of the shoe remaining after the making of such intervals may
give the horse a greater hold and more confidence in his travelling over any
road, gravel, or turf, such intervals may however be formed by punching or in
any other convenient manner fit for the purpose, and I do not restrict myself
to any number of or to the size of the intervals.
The improvements in respect of which I claim the Invention are,-
1st. The use in the manufacture of horse's shoes of bar iron of the shape and
make before described.

page_text: 2nd. The making in the under surface of horse's shoes of intervals as before
described.
The advantages of my Invention consist in,―
1st. That the shoes so made are adapted to all times and seasons and to
every kind of ground or road and especially for racing or hunting.
2nd. That whereas the present system of forming horses' shoes for the
prevention of slipping, or "roughing" as it is technically termed, prevents the
horse from slipping in two directions only, viz., either "forwards" or "back-
wards," but in no wise prevents him from slipping in any other direction.
By my Invention of the use of a projecting rim on the under part of the shoe
with intervals in it, as before described, horses are prevented from slipping in
any direction whatever.
3rd. That whereas by the present system of "roughing" horses are apt
to be strained by reason of their being thrown on the fore or hind parts
only of the hoof, and by reason of the hind part of the hoof being raised
above the fore part. By my Invention the horse has a firm support for
every part of his hoof, and the horse is able to place his hoof on the ground
in the natural position with the under surface flat on the ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Palmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PALMER, of Lines' Veternery Forge, High Road, Kilburn, in the County of
Middlesex, Farrier, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year
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 William Palmer, Her special licence that I, the said William Palmer,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Palmer, 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 THE SHAPE

page_text: AND MANUFACTURE OF HORSES' SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Palmer, 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 Palmer, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 (that is to say):-
-
The object of my Invention is for the better prevention of horses from
slipping when galloping on turf or when travelling on roads of every description
during frosty weather and at all times.
In order clearly to explain my Invention I will first state the method of
making common horse-shoes, and the mode now in use to endeavour to prevent
horses from slipping,
In the making of common horse-shoes a plain flat bar of iron is taken
which is cut up into convenient lengths, and each of such lengths is then
curved and shaped by hammering so as to fit the bottom of a horse's hoof.
And the present method now in use for the prevention of slipping is by turning
down one or both ends of the length that has been formed into the shoe, so
as to be at right angles or nearly so with the bottom or under surface of the
shoe so as to raise the hinder part of the shoe, and so as to form a sort of heel
or projection which bites into or catches any projection apon the slippery or
other surface upon which the horse is travelling, and so as to prevent him from
slipping.
Now in my Invention instead of taking a plain flat bar of iron as the
foundation for horse-shoes I take a bar of a sort of angle iron which has been
formed into the proper shape by means of rollers, or by other suitable and
proper apparatus. The section of the bars of iron which I use for the purpose
of my Invention being in the form of a wedge with the point downwards, and
with the upper face or surface of the wedge prolonged in one direction,
so as to form a projection on one side of the upper face of the wedge. The
section of the bar being in fact of the shape of the figure annexed hereto,
thus
The lower or pointed part of the wedge-shaped part of the
bar forms the under part of the shoe which is next the ground; the

page_text: flat and upper part forms the upper part of the shoe which is next
to the horse's hoof. I cut the bars of the shape and description above
mentioned into convenient and proper lengths, and form such lengths into
proper shapes for horses' shoes by curving them into the proper shape to fit
the horse's hoof in the usual way, and so that the projecting part of the upper
portion of the bar shall form the front or outside part of the shoe, and so that
the pointed or lower part of the wedge-shaped part of the bar shall form the
under part of the shoe. The holes for the nails are made in the outer rim of
the shoe which formed originally the projecting part of the upper portion of
the bar. After or before having formed the shoe into the required shape I
cut out by filing and chiselling, or by some other appropriate method, four or
more portions of about three-fourths of an inch or less in length of the under
part of the shoe (which originally formed the under or wedge-shaped part of
the bar) so as to form intervals in the under surface of the shoe, and so
that those portions of the under part of the shoe remaining after the making
of such intervals may give the horse a greater hold and more confidence in
bis travelling over any road, gravel, or turf, such intervals may however be
formed by punching or in any other convenient manner fit for the purpose,
and I do not restrict myself to any number of or to the size of the
intervals.
The improvements in respect of which I claim the Invention are,―
First. The use in the manufacture of horses' shoes of bar iron of the shape
and make before described.
Second. The making in the under surface of horses' shoes of intervals as
before described.
The advantages of my Invention consist in,―
First. That the shoes so made are adapted to all times and seasons, and to
every kind of ground or road, and especially for racing or hunting.
Second. That whereas the present system of forming horses' shoes for the
prevention of slipping or "roughing, as it is technically termed, prevents the
horse from slipping in two directions only, viz., either "forwards" or backwards,
but in nowise prevents him from slipping in any other direction. By my
Invention of the use of a projecting rim on the under part of the shoe with
intervals in it, as before described, horses are prevented from slipping in any
direction whatever.
Third. That whereas by the present system of "roughing" horses are apt
to be strained by reason of their being thrown on the fore or hind parts only
of the hoof, and by reason of the hind part of the hoof being raised above the
fore part. By my Invention the horse has a firm support for every part of

page_text: his hoof, and the horse is able to place his hoof on the ground in the natural
position with the under surface flat on the ground.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Palmer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said William Palmer, in the
presence of
JA". GOREN,
JOHN P. HUME,
Sol™,
29, South Molton Street,
Oxford Street,
W.
WILLIAM PALMER. (L.B.)