Year: 1899

page_text: I, ENOCH BAKER EVANS, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Washington,
in the District of Columbia, U.S.A., Inventor, 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 statement:—
The object of my invention is to produce a composite horseshoe-that is, one
composed of metal and a softer material, preferably indiarubber-which, on
account of its peculiar structure, combines the elasticity of a rubber shoe with
the durability of a metal shoe.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure I is a bottom plan view of my shoe complete.
Figure II is a perspective view of the same, looking at it from the upper
side; the toe-piece being removed and the pad severed and partially bent back
from the surface, which in use it is designed to cover.
Figure III is a perspective view of the toe-piece detached.
Figure IV is a fragmentary view of the shoe, illustrating a section taken on
the line IV-IV of Figure I and showing the shoe as applied to a hoof.
Figure V is a detail sectional view through a series of nail-holes, illustrating,
incidentally, a preferred form of nail for securing the shoe to the hoof.
Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates the main body part
of my shoe. It is made of india-rubber or similar suitable material and is in
general contour conformable to the shape of the bottom of a horse's hoof. It is
pierced at required intervals with nail holes 2 and is preferably strengthened
and supported by spring-metal plate 3, embedded within it. The plate is pre-
ferable embedded into the body part 1 from the inner face thereof and does not
extend to the series of nail holes near the outer edge thereof. By this arrange-
ment while the plate 3 serves to hold the heels 4 in proper alinement it does
not deprive the shoe of the elasticity afforded by the use of rubber in its con-
struction.
The top portion of the shoe or that portion lying between the planes 5, 5, is
occupied by a metallic toe-piece. That member, which is clearly illustrated in
Figure III, consists, essentially, of a segmental base-plate 6, provided with a
segmental flange or calk 7.
«
"
The term calk as applied to the member 7 appears to be appropriate; but
it should be observed in this connection that the calk 7 preferably does not extend

page_text: beyond the surface of the body part 1 of the shoe, but terminates flush therewith,
as clearly illustrated in Figure IV.
.
and
In addition to the essential elements of the toe-piece-to wit, the base
flange 7 I prefer to provide extension flanges 8 upon the front of the base, con-
stituting, in effect, wings extending from the flange 7. The extensions 8 are
designed to afford support to the body part 1, but being narrower than the
flange 7 are covered by the material of which the body part is composed. I
also prefer to provide upon the inner side of the base 6, and preferably at opposite
ends thereof, lugs 9, the same being, essentially, flanges of limited dimensions,
by which means the toe-piece is securely incorporated with and firmly secured
to the body part 1. This is an important feature, inasmuch as it is well under-
stood in the art that the severest strain on a shoe occurs against
the toe. Consequently in a shoe of the class to which mine belongs,
unless suitable provision be made for the support of the toe-piece and
the incorporation of it with the body part of the shoe, the toe-piece will under
strain either tilt and disengage itself to a greater or less degree from the body
part or will crush the hoof or outer shell thereof against which it is applied. It
is with these considerations in view that the special form of my toc-piece is
adopted. The segmental base 6 affords a firm foundation for the toc-piece
against the hoof, thereby obviating the tendency which would otherwise be pre-
sented to crush the hoof, while the employment of flanges 7 and 8, in con-
junction with the lugs 9, affords a firm grip of the toe-piece upon the body part 1.
In addition to the means already described for securing the toe-piece to the
body part I provide one or more apertures 10 in the base 6, into which the
material of the body part 1 is molded, thereby producing, in effect, headed dowel-
pins 11, (see Figure II), that are formed integrally with the material of the
body part 1. Moreover, the upper outer wall of the flange 7 may be extended in
the form of a thin plate or shield 12 in front of the hoof 13. (See Figure IV).
The plate 12, however, may or may not be used, as preferred.
The plate 3 is preferably not united to the toe-piece except through the
mediation of the body part 1, but overlies the base 6 and confines it underneath
the intermediate portion of the body part 1, which, as was specified, is provided
with nail holes 2, piercing the body part 1 beyond the edge of the plate 3. The
toc-piece and the underlying portion of the body part 1 are provided, preferably,
with nail holes 14, which are preferably located, respectively, near the opposite
extremities of the base 6.
It has been discovered in practice that the employment of a rubber shoe in
contact with a hoof tends to heat the latter. I, therefore, prefer to provide
upon the upper surface of the shoe and entirely covering that portion of it which
in use makes contact with the hoof with a non-conductive pad 15. Said pad
may consist of felt or heavy fabric. It may be secured to the finished shoe by
the use of suitable adhesive material or may be applied to the rubber during the
molding operation and before it is hardened, and thereby be effectually incor-
porated with it.
I prefer to employ T-headed nails 16 for securing the shoe to the hoof 13, as
illustrated in Figure V; but that is merely a practical detail that forms no part
of my invention proper.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A composite horseshoe, consisting of a body part of india-rubber or the
like, and a toe-piece comprising an underlying segmental base, a calk projecting
from the forward edge thereof, and flange extensions on the base extending from
opposite ends of the calk, substantially as set forth.
2. A composite horseshoe, consisting of a body part of india-rubber or the
like, and a foe-piece comprising an underlying segmental base, a calk projecting

page_text: from the forward edge thereof, and flanged extensions on the base narrower than
the calk and extending from opposite extremities thereof, substantially as set
forth.
3. A composite horseshoe, consisting of a body part of india-rubber or the
like, and a toe-piece comprising an underlying segmental base extending across
the body part, a front flange projecting from the base, and independent lugs
projecting from the base near its inner extremities and extending partially
across the vertical wall of the body part, substantially as set forth.
4. A composite horseshoe, consisting of a body part of india-rubber or the like,
and a toe-piece comprising an underlying base, a front flange projecting there-
from, a spring plate embedded in the body part from its inner side, and lugs pro-
jecting from the rear side of the base and extending to the plate, substantially
as set forth.
5. A composite horseshoe, consisting of a body part of india-rubber or the like,
provided with series of nail-holes, of a spring metal plate embedded within the
body part and extending from the inner surface partially across the same; whereby
the nail-holes are formed exclusively in the soft material of the body part, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of September 1899.
ENOCH BAKER EVANS.
F. Wise Howorth,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.