A NEW METHOD OF ROUGHING HORSES AND OF CONSTRUCTING HORSE-SHOES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hay, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "A NEW METHOD OF
ROUGHING HORSES AND OF CONSTRUCTING HORSE-SHOES.”
Sealed the 4th August 1868, and dated the 5th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1868.
I, JOHN HAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "A NEW METHOD
OF ROUGHING HORSES, AND OF CONSTRUCTING HORSE-SHOES," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
This Invention is specially intended to obviate the necessity of
removing the shoes from horses for the purpose of "roughing" them,
or when it is necessary to raise the heels or toes of such shoes, and it
consists in forming the shoes with female screws in the heels (and in
the toes if desired), which in this case are made only about half the
usual depth, and tightly fitting male screws with solid square heads,
made by preference of steel, are fixed into these female screws, so

page_text: that when tightened up the head of the male screw forms as it were
a continuation or part of the heel itself. The toe pieces of heavy
shoes are when desired formed on the same principle. When frost sets
in and it becomes necessary to "rough" the horses, these solid headed
screws are withdrawn and others previously formed with suitable heads to
prevent the slipping of the horses are inserted in their stead. The end
or head of the screw which is thus made to project from the bottom
of the shoe for the purpose of roughing may be formed of any shape
or dimensions found most suitable for the weight of the horse or the
work it has to perform. By this means an ordinary groom or carter
may "rough" a horse in a few minutes, having of course a supply
beforehand of the necessary apparatus for the purpose, and whenever
a change of weather occurs the roughing can as easily be removed
and the square-headed screws again inserted. I will also be unnecessary
to remove the shoes for the purpose of raising the heels (or toes) when
these become too much worn, as new screws with larger heads can
at any time be inserted in lieu of the worn ones.
In contradistinction to the foregoing arrangements, the order of the
screws may be reversed, as follows:-When the shoes are made, slight
projections may be raised when the iron is hot on both heels (and
toes if desired), these projections to have a screw thread cut upon
them so as to screw into the heel pieces or roughing pieces when
desirable. These pieces will thus as it were screw on in the manner
of an ordinary screw nut with a certain portion of it left solid.
It will be evident that by the adoption of this Invention the great
inconvenience, labour, and expense of having the shoes removed
from the horses for the purposes mentioned may be wholly avoided,
except on very rare occasions, when it may be necessary to trim the
hoofs, and the feet of the. horses will thus be kept from pricking,
and such injuries as are of common occurrence by the repeated removal
and replacement of the shoes as at present practised; and it will be
equally clear that skilled labour will to a very great extent be dispensod
with, as any quantity of these heel pieces or roughing pieces can be
kept by the owners of horses ready for any emergency, and the only
tool necessary is a simple wrench of the requisite size.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hay in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Hay, Her special license
that I, the said John Hay, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Hay, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 Ohannel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW METHOD OF ROUGHING
HORSES, AND OF CONSTRUCTING HORSE-SHOES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Hay, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Hay, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, referenco being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention is specially intended to obviate the necessity of
removing the shoes from horses for the purpose of "roughing" them,
or when it is necessary to raise the heels or tocs of such shoes; and
it consists in forming the shoes with female screws in the heels (and
in the toes if desired) which in this case are made only about half

page_text: the usual depth, and tightly fitting male screws with solid square
heads, made by preference of steel, are fixed into these female screws,
so that when tightened up the head of the male screw forms as it
were a continuation or part of the heel itself; the toe pieces of heavy
shoes are when desired formed on the same principle. When frost
sets in and it becomes necessary to "rough" the horses, these solid
headed screws are withdrawn and others previously formed with suitable
heads to prevent the slipping of the horses are inserted in their stead.
The end or head of the screw which is thus made to project from
the bottom of the shoe for the purpose of roughing may be formed
of any shape or dimensions found most suitable for the weight of the
horse or the work it has to perform.
By this any ordinary groom or carter may rough a horse in a few
minutes, having of course a supply before-hand of the necessary
apparatus for the purpose, and whenever a change of weather occurs
the roughing can as easily be removed and the square headed screws
again inserted. It will also be unnecessary to remove the shoes for
the purpose of raising the heels (or toes) when these become too much
worn, as new screws with larger heads can at any time be inserted in
lieu of the worn ones.
In contradistinction to the foregoing arrangements the order of the
screws may be reversed as follows:-When the shoes are made, slight
projections may be raised when the iron is hot on both heels (and
tocs if desired), these projections to have a screw thread cut upon
them so as to screw into the heel pieces or roughing pieces, when
desirable, these pieces will thus as it were screw on in the manner of
an ordinary screw nut with a certain portion of it left solid. It will
be evident that by the adoption of this Invention the great incon-
venience, labour, and expense of having the shoes removed from
the horses for the purposes mentioned, may be wholly avoided except
on very rare occasions when it may be necessary to trim the hoofs,
and the feet of the horses will thus be kept free from pricking and
such injuries as are of common occurrence by the repeated removal
and replacement of the shoes as at present practised, and it will bo
equally clear that skilled labour will to a very great extent be dispensed
with as any quantity of these heel pieces or roughing pieces can be
kept by the owners of horses ready for any emergency and the only
tool necessary is a simple wrench of the requisite size.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried
into effect, reference being had for the sake of more complete elucidation
to the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended,
that is to say:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of the under sido
of a horse-shoc as constructed in accordance with this Invention. The
configuration of the shoc as shown in Figure 2 is much the same as
the ordinary horse-shoe in common use, the exception being that
instead of forming the toc A and heels B in one piece with the solc
of the shoc C, they are formed separately, so that the toc A and
heels B can be fixed to the sole C after the latter has been attached
to the horse's hoof. The heels B are formed rectangular in section
with a screw D, Figure 8, the toe and heel pieces being turned
The toe A is constructed
by means of a spanner or wrench.
in two parts as shown in Figure 2, each part being formed with
a screw and fixed in the sole C in the same manner as the heels;
a split pin or wedge F is fitted between the two parts of the
toc A as shown in Figure 2, so that it is impossible for the pieces A
to become loose or be withdrawn without first removing the wedge F.
When the toe A. and heels B are worn down, they may be immediately
replaced by unscrewing and screwing in new ones, which may be kept
ready for use, thus avoiding the necessity of sending horses to the
farrier and having the shoes removed from the hoofs.
Another part of this Invention consists in the method of ":
'roughing"
horse-shocs during frosty weather. This is effected by unscrewing the
rectangular toe and heels and replacing them by pointed ones; Figure 4
is a side elevation of a shoe having the pointed toe A and heels B
fitted in; Figure 5 is a plan of the under side of the shoe, and
Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the heel picces B. The pointed toe
and heels are made and fitted to the shoc in other respects similar to
those hercin-before described in reference to Figures 1 and 2. When
frosty weather ceases, and there is no necessity for the pointed toe
and heels, these can be unscrewed and replaced by rectangular heels
and toc.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be used or practically carried

page_text: into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of
horse-shoes in which the toe and heel pieces are moveable as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hay, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-cight.