Έποπα FOR MUR FREE OR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bartholomew, of the Town and County of
Linlithgow, North Britain, Edge Tool Maker, for the Invention of
Έποπα
FOR
MUR FREE OR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Sealed the 16th November 1860, and dated the 23rd May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bartholomew at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
May 1860.
I, GEORGE BARTHOLOMEW, of the Town and County of Linlithgow, North
Britain, Edge Tool Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOES FOR THE FEET OF HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is to give freedom to the natural action of
contraction and expansion of the bearing parts of the foot for allowing the foot
to remain in its natural form, and when deformed to get it back to its natural
shape, and also to avoid the necessity for repeated alteration of the foot by
fitting on a new or an altered shoe.
For this purpose I form the shoe in three parts, first, the inside part, which
I call the frame, this I make of steel or other strong elastic metal; second, an'
upper part formed to the front and parts of the sides of the foot with a flange
for attaching it at the bottom and having a groove at the top for securing the
keepers on the elastic band that goes round the pastern joint, thus attaching
the band to the front and sides of the shoe, and this is made also of steel or
other strong elastic metal, I also line, by means of leather or other suitable

page_text: material, the inner surface of this plate to within a short distance of its con-
nection with the shoe to give easy pressure on the front and sides of the hoof;
at the part not lined I form openings for the escape of sand or other matter
which may have a tendency to work therein; thirdly, the under or wearing
part, which may be of iron or other strong elastic metal. As the foot bears.
on three parts, I prefer that shoes constructed according to my improvements
should have heels and toes, but they may be made as required. The frame,
the upper and the wearing part are attached by rivets, and when the wearing
part requires to be renewed the rivets are withdrawn, and replaced with a new
wearing part without disturbing the shape or size of the frame or upper, thus
doing away with the necessity of cutting the foot to fit the shoe, as it will
be, so far as the foot is concerned, simply the same shoe returned with
renewed outside bearings, the exact bearings of the foot are preserved on the
frame, which is essential to the ease of the foot and to the security of the shoe,
for when the bearings of the foot contract on a new or altered shoe, they
force the shoe downwards, but when the bearings have fully indented themselves
into the shoe they contract, descending into the declivity, and vice versa, on
expanding they rise upon the acclivity without being bruised or disturbing
the shoe.
On this principle, I make two shoes, one requiring no nails, the other nailed
on each side at or near the centre of the foot, so as to allow the natural
movements of the heels and pince or toe:
I form the shoe requiring no nails with bushes at the ends of the frame,
then I form a flat plate having a keeper for attaching it to the elastic band
that goes round the pastern joint; this plate has two pivots to turn in the
bushes in the frame, and which with the keeper are turned down to let on the
shoe, and when it is on it is turned up close on to a plate spring and socket that
are attached to the elastic band that goes round the pastern joint for the purpose
of receiving the keeper and securing it on the top of the spring, also securing
the shoe on the foot, and at the same time allowing the foot its natural spring
and movements. The elastic band comes on the back part of the foot as well
as round the pastern joint, and has the plate spring and socket attached to the
back part, which receives the keeper of the shoe, it is made of leather or other
elastic material and is fastened round the pastern joint by a lace or other
fastening in front or side of the same, the elastic band has keepers attached to
it, which are secured into the groove on the
to the band in front and sides, the keeper of
resting on the spring keeps down the elastic
also keeps on the shoe. This shoe is preferable to my other shoe requiring
upper, and that secures the shoe
the shoe when in the socket and
band at the back part while it

page_text: nails for getting back a deformed foot to its natural shape, as the whole foot
has perfect freedom in it, and is relieved from the shoe, and nails that deform
it, the horse has only to be kept at work when his feet will expand at the
heels, and shorten at the pinces or toes. After working with these shoes for
some weeks, the horse will be able to run and work barefooted, as if he had
never been shod, and when his feet have recovered their natural shape and
movement, my shoes with nails may be used.
I form the frame of the shoe requiring nails without bushes having nail holes
on each side at or near the centre, the upper I form to embrace a part of the
front of the hoof to assist in securing the shoe in front, thus dispensing with
some nails in front, which allows the pince or toe its natural movement. The
wearing part is attached and renewed in the same manner as that of the
other shoe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Bartholomew, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BARTHOLOMEW, of the Town and County of Linlithgow, North Britain, Edge
Tool Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Bartholomew, Her special licence that I, the said George
Bartholomew, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Bartholomew, my executors, administrators, or 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 SHOES FOR THE FEET OF HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Bartholomew, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Bartholomew, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
The object of the improvements is to give freedom to the natural action of
contraction and expansion of the bearing parts of the foot, for allowing the
foot to remain in its natural form, and when deformed to get it back to its
natural shape; and also to avoid the necessity for repeated alteration of the
foot by fitting on a new or an altered shoe.
But that the nature of my Invention and the means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect may be fully understood, I will proceed more
fully to describe the same, aided by the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 shews a section, Figure 2 an external side view, and Figure 3 a
front view; Figure 4 a back view, and Figure 5 an under side view of a shoe
and parts constructed according to my improvements. The red lines indicate
the position of the horse's foot. I form the shoe in three parts; first, the
inside part, which I call the frame a, which I make of steel or other strong
metal. Secondly, an upper part 6 of steel or other metal, formed to the front
and parts of the sides of the foot, with a flange b¹, for attaching it at the
bottom to the part a, and having a groove or channel c at the top for receiving
the ends of the keepers f, carried by the elastic band g that goes round or
embraces the pastern joint of the foot, thus attaching the band to the shoe;
and these keepers fare made also of steel or other metal. I also by means
cf leather or other suitable elastic material h, line the inner surface of this
plate b, to within a short distance of its connection with the part a of the shoe
to give easy pressure on the front and sides of the hoof. At the part of the
plate b, not lined, I form openings for the escape of sand or other matter
which may have a tendency to work into the shoe. Thirdly, the under or
wearing part, which may be of iron or other metal. As I find the foot of the
horse bears on three parts, I prefer that shoes constructed according to my
improvements should have heels i and toes ', but they may be otherwise made
in this respect, as required.
The frame a, the upper b, and the wearing parts, are by preference, respec-
tively attached by rivets j, k, but other means of attachment may be employed;
and when the wearing parts require to be renewed, the rivets j or other con-
nection to such parts are withdrawn, in order to their being replaced with new
.ones without necessarily disturbing the shape or size of the frame a or upper b;

page_text: thus doing away with the necessity of cutting the foot of the animal to refit
the shoe, as it will be so far as the foot is concerned, simply the same shoe
returned with renewed outside bearings, by which the exact bearings of the
foot are preserved on the frame a, which I believe to be essential to the ease
of the foot, as well as to the security of the shoe. For when the bearings of
the foot contract on a new or altered shoe, according to the present general
practice they force the shoe downwards; but when the bearings have fully
indented themselves into a shoe constructed according to my Invention, they
contract, descending into the declivity, and vice versa. On expanding, they
rise upon the acclivity without being bruised or disturbing the shoe. On this
principle I make two shoes, one requiring no nails, the other nailed on each
side at or near the centre of the foot, so as to allow the natural movements of
the "heels" and "pince" or toe.
I form the shoe requiring no nails, already partly explained, with bushes a¹
at the ends of the frame a, then I form so as to hinge thereto a flat plate 7,
having a keeper formed as a hook to facilitate the attaching it to the plate g¹.
affixed to the elastic band g. This plate turns in the bushes a¹ of the
frame a, and with the keeper is capable of being turned down to let in the
foot, and when the shoe is on, this plate is turned up close on to the plate g',
and so as to act by its hooked end on the spring g³ in the socket g³, formed
in the plates g' attached to the elastic band g. The elastic band g is made of
leather or other elastic material, and is fastened round the pastern joint by a
lace m, or other fastening, in front or at the side of the same, aided by a
strap n, with buckle n¹. The keeper l', when in the socket 9³, and resting on
the spring g, keeps down the elastic band at the back part, while by easy
elastic pressure it also keeps on the shoe, and allows the natural springing
action of the foot.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 shew a modification of my improvements. The same
letters are employed to represent corresponding parts to those already referred
to. The principal variation consists in the substitution of a spring of prepared
india-rubber for the metal one already described. After working with these
shoes for some time, the horse will be able to run and work barefooted, as if
he had never been shod; and when his feet have recovered their natural shape
and movement, my shoes with nails may be used. I form the frame of the
shoe requiring nails without bushes, having nail-holes on each side at or near
the centre. The upper I form to embrace a part of the front of the hoof to
assist in securing the shoe in front, thus dispensing with some nails in front,
which allows the pince or toe its natural movement. The wearing part is
attached and renewed in the same manner as that of the other shoe.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not claim the various parts separately considered, nor do I confine
myself to the precise details shewn and described; but what I do claim is the
adaptation or combination of parts forming shoes for the feet of horses and
other animals substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bartholomew, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GEORGE BARTHOLOMEW. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.