IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE SHOES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, LUTHER HALL BELLAMY, of the Town of Brockville, in the County of Leeds,
in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE SHOES, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The special objects of the Invention are to provide a ready made horse shoe,
which will fully care for all the wants of foot, preserve the natural elasticity of the
frog and heel, remove or prevent contraction of the hoof, and as nearly as possible
resemble the tread of the natural foot.
In order to attain these objects I construct the shoe on scientific principles, so as
to distribute the resistant pressure properly over the weight-bearing surfaces of
the foot, and strictly maintain its natural action and form.
Another evil which I aim to prevent is slipping, and the lateral rolling of the
foot, which so often cause cutting and interference. Another very important
object is to allow perfect knee action and yet so take the shock of concussion as to
avoid all injury to foot or leg, and afford positive relief to the tender footed horse,
and lastly to duly provide for the natural expansion of foot.
Figure 1 of the drawing is a plan view of the bottom of shoe.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 3 a rear view in elevation.
In the Drawing, A, represents the web of the shoe having nail-holes a, and
curved inwardly, projecting ends a¹ a¹, at the rear; B, represents the usual toe-
calk; C, C, are side-calks; D, D, the heel-calks, and E, E, the frog-calks.
,
In front of the toe-calk B, is projected a portion b, of metal to contain a nail
hole, so as to make a secure fastening where the shell of foot is thickest and can
best stand the lateral as well as the backward strain on the nails. The toe-calk B, .
is also enlarged at b¹ b¹, so as to allow for the greater wear at these points over..
the centre and thus cause them to wear off in a horizontal plane.
>
The side-calks C, C, are rocking claks, located on the web midway between the
usual toe-calk B. and heel-calks D, D, while the calks E, E, on the inwardly curved

page_text: rear ends support those parts of the web which form spring bearings for the frog
and cushion for foot.
It will thus be seen that I provide seven bearings for the web, namely, 1 toe
bearing; 2 side bearings; 2 frog bearings, and 2 heel bearings.
In order to prevent the lateral motion of foot, as a guard against interfering and
to obtain a forward rocking movement of foot at each step, I make the toe-calks,
shorter than the side calks, which forms a slight clearance at the toe, and auto-
matically adapts the tread to inequalities of the road, thus lessening the chances of
stumbling and making the hard pavement feel like natural ground, and in order
to obtain frog pressure, I make the frog-calks longer than the adjacent heel calks,
so as first to come in contact with road or pavement. Thus the principal bearing
or pressure will be on the frog and side-calks, until the full weight of the horse
causes the frog to yield to the springing projections E, E, when the heel-calks D, D,
will reach the pavement, thus bringing the lower ends of the heel-side and frog-
calks in the same horizontal plane, while that of the toe-calk remains in a higher
horizontal plane, so as to allow for the rocking movement of foot at each step.
I thus not only provide a yielding or spring cushion to imitate nature and secure
the frog pressure necessary for health of foot, prevent the side and forward slip,
maintain natural level of foot, but also allow for its natural expansion and secure
the forward rocking movement in an easy natural and safe way, all tending to
greatly improve the knee action and enable the horse to travel on any kind of road,
with the greatest possible safety and comfort, thus making the art of successful
horse-shoeing a possibility and within the reach of all.
The contraction of hoof produced by the ordinary shoe gives a cramped
movement to the horse and shortens his natural step, while my improved shoe
provides for the expansion of foot, lengthens the step and produces light elastic
movement.
The metal is compressed in dies, so as to give the exact form desired except that
the web is left straight and bent around by machinery to required shape for shoe.
The unbent shoe may be formed single or a number of them connected together
from large or small scrap iron or steel.
It will thus be perceived that I obviate the great objection to all horse shoes, as
heretofore made, namely, that to a greater or less extent they fail to secure the
necessary frog pressure and render useless natures provision for taking the shock
produced by concussion, the frog loses its natural elasticity, becomes dry and
rigid and fails utterly to subserve the important purpose for which it was wisely
intended, and horse-shoeing becomes a serious evil which I now aim to overcome,
by the use of my improved form of shoe, which is light, durablo, and cheap, and
designed to come into general use, and being made by machinery, it gives accuracy
of foot bearing, uniformly of shape and fineness of finish, and is not liable to hold
snow-balls or stones.
I make my shoes of all sizes and weights to suit different horses, different roads,
different purposes and different seasons of the year. I make them of iron, steel or
any other substance which is adapted to be shaped in a die.
Having now particularly 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. Horse shoes having the metal b, projected in front of the toe-calk and
containing a nail-hole, as shown and described.
:
:
2. A horse shoe toe-calk, having the ends considerably thicker than the
intermediate part and on a distinct horizontal plane, to form a clearance at the
toe to lessen the chance of stumbling and to promote evenness of wear, as
described.
3. The web of a horse shoe provided with ends curved inwardly to form spring
bearings for frog, lessen the shock of concussion; produce an improvement in knee

page_text: action, and provide for the natural expansion of the foot, and having on its lower
side seven bearings, arranged substantially as shown and described.
4. In a horse shoe the toe-calk, made slightly shallower than the side and heel
calks, as and for the purposes set forth.
5. A calked horse shoe, provided with heel calks D, D, and frog-calks E, E, the
latter on a rearward curve of web and behind the heel calks, substantially as
shown and described.
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