IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHOES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hall Pringle at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th January
1871.
I, HALL PRINGLE, of 5, Aylesford Street, in the City of Westminster,
and County of Middlesex, Attorney-at-Law and Colonial and Foreign.
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHOES FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS,"
to be as follows!
.
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This shoe made of iron or other like metal is so constructed that it is
O capable of yielding to the clasticity and action of the hoof and of con-
tracting and expanding with it by means of a hinged joint. The hinged
joint is formed in the following manner :-The shorter or inside portion A
(Figure 1). of the shoe terminates in the truncated cone B, which
accurately fits into an orifice provided in the larger and outside part of
the shoe marked C, but the straight portions of the joint diverging from
the cone are slightly beveled thus forming outwards a very small or
acute angle. The larger diameter of the truncated conc B is in the pro-
portion of about four to three to its smaller diameter (see Figure 2).

page_text: The hoof rests on the upper vertical side of the shoe containing the
smaller diameter of the cone.
The very
small play in this joint or hinge
is amply sufficient for the elastic requirements of the hoof, while the
wear and tear in the shoe remain inappreciable the hinge preserving its
action during the life of the shoe, firmly adhering to the hoof by means
of the usual mode of nailing, and lasting as long as an ordinary shoe
should be allowed to remain on a horse's hoof. The property of slightly
contracting and expanding which the muscles of the foot and the hoof
of the horse possess has hitherto been very inadequately provided for in
the means taken to protect the hoof by any shoe previously invented.
The rigid unyielding metal shoe as usually constructed does not provide
for this free elastic action principally occuring in the hinder parts of
the hoof. As a result diseases are engendered in the feet and legs,
occasioning severe losses to owners of horses. The obvious safeguard
against the discases so often arising from the use of the rigid shoe is
to adapt the shoe to the requirements of the hoof. This has been
frequently attempted and many kinds of jointed shoes have been
experimented with, but all have more or less failed in practice, either
from the complexity of the joint, and its consequent rapid and unequal
wear, and therefore the speedy destruction of such expanding shoes,
or from the joint practically resulting in the production of a mere broken
shoe.
The novelty of this Invention lies in a perfect hinge being formed out
of the solid shoe itself, by means of the truncated cone herein-before
described. Expanding horse-shoes previously devised have been too
expensive for profitable use whereas this hinge jointed shoe may be
made at a cost but little exceeding that of the common machine made
horse-shoe as this shoe does not require the aid of any pin or rivet. In
special cases two of these hinged joints may be found desirable as shown
on Figure 3..

page_text: LONDON Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty 1871.
Drawn on Stone by Malby & Sons