IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE SHOES, AND IN ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE HORSE'S FEET
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Coats, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,.
North Britain, Coal Master, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HORSE SHOES, AND IN ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE HORSE'S FEET."
Sealed the 10th June 1856, and dated the 15th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Coats at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
December 1855.
I, GEORGE COATS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Coal Master, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEŢ
MENTS IN HORSE SHOES, AND IN ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE HORSE'S FEET," to be
as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to various improvements in connection with horse-
shoes, for the purpose of facilitating the obtainment of means for the pre-
vention of the slipping of the animals in frosty weather. According to the
ordinary system of frosting, sharping, or roughing horse-shoes, serious loss and
injury arises from the very frequent removal of the shoes from the feet, and the
re-nailing of them in situ when prepared for resisting slipping. But under the
present improvements, provision is made whereby suitable holding pieces of
hard steel may be attached to and detached from the shoes with great facility,
without necessitating the removal of the shoe itself from the horse's feet.
This Invention may be carried out in various ways; but the following
plan is preferred, as fulfilling the essential points arrived at:-The under
side of the toe of the shoe is grooved slightly with dovetailed or inclined

page_text: edges, the groove being of considerable width, in order to afford sufficient
bearing surface. This groove is intended to receive the base-holding piece
of a sharpened cross piece of steel forming the holding or retaining edge, to
prevent slipping; the narrow portion of the groove is towards the front of
the toe of the shoe, and the steel piece has its base entered into its retaining
groove behind, so that the pull of a draught horse tends to bind the piece more
firmly into its scat. When entered, the piece may be secured by one or
more holding pins passed through the base piece and into the body of the shoe;
similarly the two heels of the shoe are grooved across transversely, with dove-
tailed or inclined edges, with the narrow side or end outwards to receive the
base-holding pieces of sharpened hard steel pieces. These heel pieces are
inserted in the same manner as the toe piece, and then fixed by screws or pins
, as before. The attachment of the sharpened steel pieces may be effected in
various ways; for instance, the base pieces or flanges of the steel pieces may
be inserted into plain box recesses in the sole of the shoe, and then pinned or
screwed down. The toe piéce may also be attached by a transverse holding
feather and groove, a base flange being also provided, to afford a sufficient stay
or bearing surface.
By another plan, the shoe may be made double, that is to say, with a plain
flat shoe, nailed or otherwise attached to the actual sole of the horse's foot.
The secondary shoe may be all of steel, and with its sharpened toe and heel
pieces forged or attached thereto. This secondary plate may then be attached
to the first one on the horse's foot by screws or pins, and holding flanges or
edge pieces of various kinds. Instead of nailing the shoe to the horse's foot
at all, the shoe may be made so as to clamp itself securely upon the horse's
hoof. Under this modification of shoe, the latter is made in two halves, with
a central toe joint, so as to allow of the two sides of the shoe being brought
nearer to or further from each other, like a pair of compasses. The face of
the shoe next the hoof is formed with bevilled or inclined flanges to embrace
the horse's toe; and towards the horse's heel, where the hoof does not incline
properly for the purpose, a slight indentation is made round the hoof to
receive the shoe flange, which is there shaped to fit the parts. When a
shoe of this kind is to be attached to the horse's foot, the shoe is opened
upon its joint, and then closed over so as to embrace the hoof. The two
sides of the shoe are then bound up, so as to enclose and clamp the hoof
firmly by a transverse bar passed through a slot or groove in one heel or side
of the shoe, and stretching across to the other heel or side, where it
may be
attached by a pin, screw, wedge, or clamp flange piece, in various ways.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Coats in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
COATS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Coal Master,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Coats, Her special license that I, the said George Coats, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Coats, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all tinies 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, AND IN ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE HORSE'S FEET," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Coats, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 George Coats, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to various improvements in connection with
horse-shoes, for the purpose of facilitating the obtainment of means for the
prevention of the slipping of the animals in frosty weather. According to the
ordinary system of frosting, sharping, or roughing horse-shoes, serious loss and
injury arises from the very frequent removal of the shoes from the feet, and the
re-nailing of them in situ when prepared for resisting slipping. But under
the present improvements provision is made whereby suitable holding pieces of
hard steel may be attached to and detached from the shoes with great facility,
without necessitating the removal of the shoe itself from the horse's foot.
This Invention may be carried out in various ways, but the following plan

page_text: is preferred, as fulfilling the essential points aimed at:-The under side of the
toe of the shoe is grooved slightly with dovetailed or inclined edges, the groove
being of considerable width in order to afford sufficient bearing surface. This
groove is intended to receive the base-holding piece of a sharpened cross piece
of steel forming the holding or retaining edge, to prevent slipping. The narrow
portion of the groove is towards the front of the toe of the shoe, and the steel
piece has its base entered into its retaining groove from behind, so that the
pull of a draught horse tends to bind the piece more firmly into its seat.
When entered, the piece may be secured by one or more screws or holding
pins, passed through the base piece and into the body of the shoe; similarly,
the two heels of the shoe are grooved across transversely with dovetailed or
inclined edges, with the narrow side or end outwards to receive the base-holding
pieces of sharpened hard steel pieces. These heel pieces are inserted in the
same manner as the toe piece, and then fixed by screws or pins as before. The
attachment of the sharpened steel pieces may be effected in various ways; for
instance, the base pieces or flanges of the steel pieces may be inserted into
plain box recesses in the sole of the shoe, and then pinned or screwed down.
The toe piece may also be attached by a transverse holding feather and groove,
a base flange being also provided to afford a sufficient stay or bearing surface.
By another plan, the shoe may be made double, that is to say, with a plain
flat shoe, nailed or otherwise attached to the actual sole of the horse's foot.
The secondary shoe may be all of steel, and with its sharpened toe and heel
pieces forged or attached thereto. This secondary plate may then be attached
to the first one on the horse's foot by screws or pins, and holding flanges or edge
pieces of various kinds. Instead of nailing the shoe to the horse's foot at all,
the shoe may be made so as to clamp itself securely upon the horse's hoof.
Under this modification of shoe the latter is made in two halves with a central
toe joint, so as to allow of the two sides of the shoe being brought nearer to or
further from each other, like a pair of compasses. The face of the shoe next
the hoof is formed with bevilled or inclined flanges to embrace the horse's toe;
and towards the horse's heel, where the hoof does not incline properly for the
purpose, a slight indentation is made round the hoof to receive the shoe flange,
which is there shaped to fit the parts. When a shoe of this kind is to be
attached to the horse's foot, the shoe is opened upon its joint, and then closed
over, so as to embrace the hoof. The two sides of the shoe are then bound up,
so as to enclose and clamp the hoof firmly by a transverse bar passed through
a slot or groove in one heel or side of the shoe, and stretching across to the
other heel or side, where it may be attached by a pin, screw, wedge, or clamp
flange piece, in various ways.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended, and shall now proceed to describe, a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings relating thereto.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a face view, as looking on the under
or ground side, and Figure 2 is an edge view, of one modification of horse-
shoe, às constructed according to my Invention. In this modification the
under side of the toe A of the shoe is formed with a groove extending
backwards from the point across the toe part. This groove is formed with
dovetailed or inclined sides, which are also slightly tapered longitudinally,
the wider part being towards the back. This groove receives the base-
holding portion B of a sharpened cross piece C, of steel, which forms the
holding or retaining edge to prevent slipping. The narrow portion of the
groove in the shoe being towards the front of the toe, the steel piece C is
secured by having its base-holding portion passed into the groove from behind.
When entered, the piece may be fixed by one or more screws or pins D. The
two heels E of the shoe are grooved across in a similar manner with dovetailed
or inclined edges to receive the base-holding portions F of the sharpened steel
pieces G. These heel pieces are inserted in the same manner as the toe piece,
and are then fixed by screws or pins H. In Figure 3 is shown another way
of attaching the sharpened steel pieces. Here these steel pieces A, B, are
passed into dovetail grooves C, D, cut across the body of the shoe at the toe
and heel portions respectively. Figure 4 is an edge view, and Figure 5 is a
face view, as looking on the under or ground side, of a horse-shoe, having the
sharpened steel A at the toe attached by means of a base flange B, which is
inserted into a plain box recess in the body of the shoe. The steel piece is
secured in position by means of the screws or pins C. The sharpened steel
pieces D are fixed into transverse grooves in projecting holding jaws E, formed
upon the heel portions of the shoe. Figure 6 is a face view, as looking on the
under or ground side, and Figure 7 is an edge view, of a horse-shoe, in which
both the toe and heel pieces of steel A and B are fixed into grooves in pro-
jecting holding jaws C, formed upon the body of the shoe.
Figure 8 is a face view, as looking on the upper side, and Figure 9 is a side
or edge view, of a horse-shoe, constructed so as to dispense with the necessity
of nailing the shoe to the horse's hoof. This shoe consists of two side portions
A, B, which are connected together by a joint C at the toe. Each side piece
A, B, is formed with a deep inclined flange D on its upper side, shaped so as to
fit upon the upper conical portion of the hoof. A screw E, connecting the two
sides of the shoe at the back, serves to tighten the shoe upon the horse's hoof;
the side picces being first sufficiently separated to allow of the introduction of

page_text: the hoof between the two flanges D. The connecting screw E is encircled by a
short tubular piece of metal F, which guards the screw threads, and at the same
time forms a stay between the shoe heels, being adjusted as to length by filing
off the ends of the tube as may be required during use. This arrangement
also allows of the introduction of a contrivance for permitting the free natural
expansive action of the horse's hoof, as the weight of the animal's body comes
upon the hoof in travelling. This freedom of expansive action is afforded by
the insertion of elastic matter, as caoutchouc, for instance, between the ends
of the tube F and the shoe heels. In the present instance caoutchouc rings G.
are entered upon the connecting screw, so that when the heels are screwed up
the binding action has an elastic temper given to it, and the horse's hoof can
therefore expand and contract in the manner originally intended by nature.
In Figures 10 and 11 is shown another mode of clamping the shoe upon
the horse's hoof without using nails to fix it thereon. Figure 10 is a face view
of the upper side of the hoof, as supposed to be separated from the leg, and
Figure 11 is a side view corresponding. In this case a saddle piece A of thin
metal shaped to the upper conical side of the hoof B is fixed in any convenient
way upon the hoof, as, for example, by clamping screws C at the back. The
saddle piece A is formed with straps D, which pass round to the under side of
In
the hoof, and to which the shoe, E is attached in any convenient manner.
this modification of shoe fastening the shoe heels themselves are free, and do
not therefore interfere with the expansive action of the sole of the horse's hoof.
But if the upper binding of the clamping piece A should render necessary some
artificial elastic action at that part, it can be accomplished by the interposition
under various forms of caoutchouc or other elastic matter, as already fully
explained in reference to Figures 8 and 9 on my Sheet of Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom withou
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the system or mode of constructing horse-shoes with separate pointe
pieces for the wearing edges of the toe and heels of the shoe, such picces bein
capable of removal and re-adjustment without its being necessary to take th
body of the shoe off the horse's hoof.
Second, the system or mode of constructing horse-shoes with a joint at th

page_text: toe, and with clamping flanges upon the upper front edges of the sides of the
shoe, so that the shoe can be fixed upon the hoof by being simply closed upon
it, the clamping flanges fitting the upper conical portion of the hoof, as herein-
before described.
Third, the system or mode of attaching horse-shoes to the horse's hoofs
without nailing the same to the hoofs, by securing them to a saddle piece
clamped upon the upper conical portion of the hoof.
Fourth, the system or mode of constructing horse-shoes in two or more
pieces, one of which is nailed to the hoof in the usual way, whilst the other or
others is or are attached to this main body piece, so as to be capable of
removal and re-adjustment or replacement without unnailing and renailing the
shoe upon the horse's hoof, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of obtaining elastic play in the hoofs of horses by
the interposition of elastic material between the clamping or binding portions
of the shoes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Coats, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
GEO. COATS. (L.S.)