IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE SHOES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Williams Box, of Crayford, in the County of
Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE SHOES."
Sealed the 19th December 1879, and dated the 9th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Williams Box at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1879.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS Box, of Crayford, in the County of Kent.
IN HORSE SHOES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
According to this Invention I construct a horse shoe essentially of two parts, viz.,
a foundation plate permanently nailed to the horse's hoof, and a wearing part or
parts fixed to the foundation plate so as to be easily removable therefrom and
replaced by a fresh part or parts when worn out, all as hereinafter described.
In one of my arrangements I attach the wearing part of my horse shoe to the
foundation plate by means of a steel spring fastened to the foundation plate by a
screw at each end, and engaging with a notch in each of the wearing parts or calks,
which fit in dovetail recesses in the foundation plate; the calks may be 4 to 8 in
number, and of such a size as to give the required foothold even in frosty weather,
and so as to give the required wear without unduly damaging asphalt, or wood,
or other pavement; they may be of steel, or of chilled or malleable cast iron, or of
wrought iron.
Or the calks may be tapered with their broadest side or base resting on the
foundation plate, and be secured thereto by pegs entering holes in the foundation
plate, and by intermediate plates with corresponding bevilled edges and of much
less thickness than the height or thickness of the calks, said plates being secured
to the foundation plate by means of screws or otherwise. When the calks aro
worn down to the thickness of these fastening plates they should be replaced by
new ones.
Or I may form the taper calks with a vertical notch down through each taper
side, and form the fastening plates with corresponding tongues.
Or I form each fastening plate in one piece with half a calk, or form an entire
fastening plate with calks in one therewith.
The foundation plate may conveniently be of malleable cast iron, or of steel, or of
wrought iron formed in a die whilst hot
The calks and fastening plates may suitably be made of malleable cast iron or of
steel.
An intermediate layer of thick paper or other suitable material for counteracting
the jar may be placed between the foundation plate and the wearing part or
fastening plates.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Williams Box in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
April 1880.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS Box, of Crayford, in the County of Kent.
IN HORSE SHOES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
According to this Invention I construct a horse shoe essentially of two parts,
viz., a foundation plate nailed to the horse's hoof, and a wearing part or parts fixed
to the foundation plate so as to be easily removable and replaced by a fresh part or
parts when worn out, all as hereinafter described.
In one of my arrangements I attach the wearing part of my horse shoe to the
foundation plate by means of a steel spring fastened to the foundation plate by a
screw at each end, and engaging with a notch in each of the wearing parts or calks,
which fit in dovetail recesses in the foundation plate; the calks may be of such a
size as to give the required foot-hold even in frosty weather, and so as to give the
required wear without unduly damaging asphalte, or wood, or other pavement;
they may be of steel, or chilled or malleable cast iron, or of wrought iron. Or
the calks may be tapered with their broadest side or base resting on the
foundation plate, and be secured thereto by pegs entering holes in the foundation
plate, and by intermediate plates with corresponding bevilled edges and of much
less thickness than the height or thickness of the calks, said plates being secured
to the foundation plate by means of screws or otherwise. When the calks aro
worn down to the thickness of these fastening plates they should be replaced by
new ones.
Or I may form the taper calks with a vertical notch down through each taper side,
and form the fastening plates with corresponding tongues.
Or I form each fastening plate in one piece with half a calk, or form an entire
fastening plate with calks in one therewith.
The foundation plate may be of malleable cast iron, or of steel, or of wrought iron
formed in a die whilst hot.
The calks and fastening plates may suitably be made of malleable cast iron or of
steel. An intermediate layer of thick paper or other suitable material for counter-
acting the jar may be placed between the foundation plate and the wearing part or
fastening plates.
In order to illustrate clearly the manner in which my Invention is carried into
effect I will now refer to the accompanying Drawings, wherein I have shewn several
modifications of convenient ways. Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in
all the Figures. Figure 1 shews in plan the underside of a shoe constructed
according to my Invention provided with calks secured in their places by a spring.
Figure 2 is a cross section through the permanent shoe.
Figure 3 shews the spring detached, and
Figure 4 are views of the calks detached. a is the permanent shoe or foundation
plate; c, c, are the calks or wearing parts; d is the spring for holding the calks c, c,
to the permanent shoe or foundation plate a; e shews recess in calk to receive the
spring d; and f is a dovetail piece on underside for sliding into corresponding
recesses in the permanent shoe a. The spring may be made in two parts if
desired, or it may be made and connected to the foremost calk or wearing piece.
Figure 5 shews in plan the underside of a permanent shoe with calks resting in it
of such a shape as to receive and to be held in position by another shoe plate
screwed to the permanent shoe aforesaid.
Figure 6 shews the permanent shoe in section, and Figure 7 is a section of shoe
showing a calk or wearing piece in position, and is screwed into the permanent shoe
as shewn, y, g, are the recesses in permanent shoe for the reception of calks or
wearing surfaces c.

page_text: Figure 8 shews in plan the underside of a shoe having a dovetail wedge or
wearing piece in front secured by a screw, and two dovetail wedges or wearing parts
at back, and secured in a similar manner.
Figure 9 is a side view of same; and Figure 10 is a horizontal section of a
portion of the fore part. c,c, are the calks, as before, and h, h, are the screws for
securing same.
Figure 11 shews in plan the underside, and
Figure 12 in side elevation a shoe of similar construction to the foregoing, but
where the calks or wearing pieces are in one with the plate b, and provided with
dovetails on underside connected to the permanet shoe or foundation plate by sliding
the one into the other by the dovetail grooves, and there secured by screws, as in
Figures 8, 9, and 10, and the two permanently held in position by screws; f, f, are
the dovetails on the underside of the plate b.
Figure 13 shews in plan, and Figure 14 in side clevation a shoe somewhat similar
to the foregoing modification, but wherein the wearing parts are made in three
separate pieces instead of one, but secured by screws passing through a projection
from wearing part to the foundation plate, as before. b, b, are the wings or plate
made in this instance in one with the wearing part, and f, f, are the dovetails on the
underside thereof, and are connected separately and secured by screws.
Figure 15 shews in plan, and Figure 16 in sido elevation a permanent shoe
with tapered calks resting on it, and secured thereto by intermediate and corre-
sponding pieces, forming together the plate 6 before referred to, and which are in
each case screwed to the foundation or permanent plate. The calks or wearing parts
are provided with pegs on their underside; i are the the pegs to prevent the wearing
parts from moving in a lateral direction.
Figure 17 is a view in plan of the underside of a shoe somewhat similar to the
modification last illustrated, but in this case the calks or wearing parts are recessed
at their sides, and the intermediate pieces for securing the calks to the shoe are
provided with corresponding projections to prevent the calks from moving in a
lateral direction.
Figure 18 is a side or perspective view with foundation plate partly in section;
and Figure 19 is a section through same. k is the recess formed in the side of the
wearing part.
Figure 20 is a plan of the underside of a shoe fitting on the foundation plate or
permanent shoe, and Figure 21 is a section through same.
Figure 22 is a detached view of one of the calks. c is the front calk or wearing
part, having greater surface than the others; all of them are provided with enlarged
bases, and are retained in position by the shoe plate b, and there secured to the
permanent plate by screw, and to assist in keeping these two parts more secure I
provide the shoe plate b with projections; are the projections, which fit into cor-
responding recesses in the permanent shoe.
Figure 23 shows a calk suitable to be used with this shoe during frosty weather.
Figure 24 shows in plan, and Figure 25 in side elevation a shoe where the calks
are formed on the removable shoe, which is made of more or less number of pieces,
and they abut against each other midway between the wearing part itself, and
secured to the permanent shoe by screws.
Figure 26 shows in plan a shoe where the removable or wearing shoe is in one
piece with the calks, the said removable piece being screwed to the permanent shoe
or foundation plate.
Steel pieces m may, as shown, in this case be inserted in the wearing parts, or the
calks may be solid without any such inserted steel pieces m.
Figure 27 shews this shoe in section.
Figure 28 is a perspective view of one of theso steel wearing pieces detached; they
are preferably made of wedge shape, and driven tightly into the holes in the projec-
tions on the shoe plate b.
Figure 29 is a view in plan of a modification of the arrangement of shoe shown
in the Figures 26, 27, and 28, the only difference between the two being that in this

page_text: arrangement the calks are provided with round conical steel pins driven into the
projections on the shoe plate.
Figure 30 shews a detached view of one of these conical steel pins, but I do not
limit myself to the shape or number of the pins employed, although I prefer to use
a greater surface of steel, or it may be other material, at the fore part of the shoe,
which is the part subjected to the most wear.
In Figure 31 I have shown another modification of shoe, in which I hinge the
For this purpose
wearing or gripping shoe to what is termed the permanent shoe.
I provide a projection on the fore part of the permanent shoe, over which fits the
wearing one, and retain the two together by a hinge pin; or the projection may be
formed and hinged to the back of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 32.
a is the permanent shoe, 6 the temporary or wearing shoe, and n the hinge pin in
both examples.
Another modification of this shoe, in which I dispense with the hinge pin, is
shown at Fig. 33. In this example it will be seen that I form a tongue or clip by
preference on the back part of the wearing shoo, and it has its bearing in a cor-
responding recess or over a projection on the permanent shoe, thus making it self
locking.
Figure 34 shows another modification in which I provide the fore part of the
temporary or wearing shoe with this tongue, which clips over a projection on the
fore part of permanent shoe in both these examples.
a is the permanent shoe, b the temporary shoe, and o the projection formed on
the said wearing or gripping shoe b.
In these examples there is no liability of the screws becoming loose, occasioned by
the continual jar when travelling on granite paved roads, and when it is desired to
renew this wearing piece or wearing pieces therein there are not the number of
scrows to take out. In these latter arrangements two screws are only necessary to
secure them together. Or the wearing part b may be made in two parts, as shown
at Fig. 35, and each pivotted at the heel of the permanent shoe. In this case tho
wearing part or parts of the wearing shoe should meet and abut midway at the fore
part, and are there secured to the permanent shoe by two or more screws, as before.
In this Figure I have shown one of these wearing parts b in an assumed position,
when the screw which secures it has been removed; and on the other side I have
shown this temporary or wearing shoe b in its working position, and secured to the
permanent shoe by a screw at the fore part, as shown.
I provide the permanent shoe with an equal number of holes on each side for the
reception of the nails; the object of these equal number of holes is that the shoes
may be used on either side foot.
In order to prevent the hoof from being cramped by the shoe, as is usual, and so
that the permanent shoe may be retained on the hoof a longer time, I in some cases
provide the shoe with nail holes of such a shape as to allow for the growth or any
expansion of the hoof caused by a sudden jar, as shown at P, Figure 35. I remove
this permanent shoe at times varying from about six weeks to two months, as the
rapid growth of the hoof in some horses necessitates it should be pared at times
oftener than others.
The permanent shoe by careful usage may last many years, and even in the case
of an accident or in removing the shoe I make it of such material that will allow of
being straightened.
In some cases I prefer that the calks or wearing parts should be made of malleable
cast iron, and annealed,.and they may then be case-hardened by leather, or by
prussiate of potash, or by other means employed in the case-hardening of wrought
iron, which will coat the iron and give it a very hard and durable surface; or they
may be of steel, or chilled cast iron, or of wrought iron case-hardened in a similar
manner to that just described. The permanent shoe does not necessitate hardening,
and may be made of wrought iron, steel, or malleable cast iron to allow it to be
straightened in the case of accident when it may be subjected to undue pressure.

page_text: In the shoe which is described with reference to Figures 26 to 30 I use hollow
projections from the shoe plate, into which are inserted pegs of steel or chilled cast
iron, or of other material, to ensure greater durability in addition to the firm and
irresistable grip which is possessed in these shoes over those of any other make.
In most of the examples described and illustrated I do not confine myself to the
shape of that part of the calk or wearing part that comes in contact with the ground,
as they may be made of any convenient shape consistent with the severity of the
weather. For instance, if the weather necessitates a sharp and firmer grip than
usual, the attendant has only to loosen the screws and insert a fresh piece or pieces,
which he can do without seeking the aid of a farrier, who as a rule should be only
required when the hoof requires paring consequent upon its growth.
As before stated, paper, leather, india rubber, sheeting, or other suitable material
may be inserted between the permanent shoe and shoe plate in cases where screws
are used to secure the two together.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware it is not new to make horse
shoes of two parts, that is to say, one presenting an ordinary wearing surface which
is easily removed and replaced, and the other to all intents and purposes a per-
manent shoe, because such has been proposed long ago, and even so far back as the
beginning of the present century; nor is it new to apply to the wearing shoe afore-
said spur or other calks by screwing them into same; neither is it now to form
grooves in the underside of shoes, whether dovetailed or otherwise, for the purpose
of inserting spur or other calks in same when required. I do not therefore claim
any or either of these arrangements when taken alone or separately; for example, I
do not claim the making of shoes in two or more parts except when combined, as
described, with calks or gripping and wearing parts, all as hereafter claimed, but I
do claim as my improvements in horse shoes,-
First. The combination of a permanent or foundation shoe secured to the hoof in
the ordinary way with calks or gripping and wearing surfaces secured to the said
foundation plate by a steel spring or springs or by screws, substantially in the
manner before described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 to 4, and 8, 9,
10, 13, and 14 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. A permanent or foundation shoe secured to the hoof in the ordinary way
in combination with a wearing shoe or part having calks or gripping and wearing
surfaces, substantially in manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated with reference to Figures 11 and 12 and 24 to 35.
Third. The modes and means described of securing a wearing shoe in combination
with calks or gripping and wearing pieces to a permanent shoe, substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to Figures 5,
6, 7, and 15 to 23 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Williams Box, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty