An Improved Horse-shoe.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Apolication, 6th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Horse-shoe.
I, EDMUND WILLIAM EDWARDS, of Bowen Street, Glenferrie, near Melbourne, in
the Colony of Victoria, Veterinary Surgeon, 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:→
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing a horse shoe which
will hold better on slippery roads, will not be liable to pick up stones and will give to
the horse a better style of action and enable him to place his foot in a better manner
upon the ground.
My horse shoe is constructed with the following peculiarities viz. First: It has
transverse ridges made across its undersurface. This gives it a better hold on the
ground. Second. It has a channel from the toe to the heel made in the said under-
surface which channel is nearer to the inner than to the outer edge of the shoe and
which widens from the toe to the heel. This enables the dirt to be easily pushed
towards and be finally discharged at the heel. Third: It is bevelled on its inner
edge thus being wider at its upper surface than at its tread. This prevents it
picking up stones. Fourth: It is thickest at its toe and gradually tapers in thickness
as well as in width from the toe to the heel. This provides for the natural wear and
tends to improve the horse's action. The lighter the work the greater is the difference
needed in the thickness of the toe and the heel respectively.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a plan of the underside, and,―
Figure 2 a side elevation of one of my improved horse shoes shewing it of a medium
thickness suitable for a buggy horse.
Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the lines wow and x x respectively in
Figure 1, and,
-w
Figures 5 and 6 are similar views on lines y y and zz respectively in the
same figure.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 shew clearly that the ridges on the inner edge of the shoe do not
project so far as those on the outer edge. This is to throw the weight of the horse on
the outer row.
It will be seen from these figures that the portion A is both thicker and broader
than the heel portions B B. For a heavy draught horse I should increase the thickness
of these heel portions to about three-quarters the thickness of the toe, whereas for a
light racing pony I should make the heel portions only about one quarter the thickness
and breadth of the toe. C¹ is the groove in the underside of the shoe from heel to
heel. D D are the outer ridges across the undersurface of the shoe and D' D¹ the
inner ridges. E E is the bevelled inner edge of the shoe.
In fitting a horse-shoe constructed according to my invention to a horse's hoof
I prefer that the frog of the hoof should be on a level with the bottom of the
shoe and the heads of the nails should in every case be countersunk.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A horse shoe having, first, the toe portion both thicker and broader than the heel
portions; secondly; a groove such as C¹ cut or otherwise formed in its undersurface
said groove-widening gradually from the toe to the heel; thirdly: Ridges such

page_text: as D D¹ across its underside, and, fourthly: A bevelled inner edge such as EE
the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in my drawings.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of November One thousand eight hundred and
eighty-nine.
Dated this 6th day of January 1890.
E. W. EDWARDS, V.S.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.
E. W. EDWARDS, V.S.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.