Improvements in Hoof Pads for Protecting the Feet of Horses and other Animals.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hoof Pads for Protecting the Feet of Horses and
other Animals.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES PEDLEY, of Olney House, Harborne, in the County of
Stafford, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
J
My invention has for its object to effect the uniform distribution over the sole
bars and frog of the foot of the horse or other animal of the percussion and pressure
to which it is exposed when it strikes and bears upon the ground.
This I effect by means of a hoof pad made internally of gutta percha but having
externally a hard surface as hereinafter explained.
I will describe my invention as applied to the hoof of a horse. In making and
applying the hoof pad constituting my invention I proceed as follows. The under-
side of the hoof to which my improved pad is to be applied having a shoe affixed in
the ordinary way is thoroughly cleaned from any attached soil or dirt by washing
or. otherwise. When the hoof has been cleaned by washing care must be
taken to make it thoroughly dry as any moisture will interfere with the perfect
attachment of the pad to the hoof. The farrier provides himself with gutta percha
softened by boiling water and supporting by his knees the horse's foot with its
underside uppermost as in the process of shoeing he presses the softened gutta
percha into the sole of the foot. The required pressure may be applied by the
thumb or by an instrument resembling an ordinary sad iron. By the applied
pressure the softened gutta percha is forced into close contact with the sole of the
foot and is also forced into the space between the horse's shoe and the horny
surface of the hoof. The quantity of gutta percha required for each hoof varies
from about four ounces to eight ounces according to the size, of the horse. The
quantity of gutta percha used must be such that when its surface has been flattened
it will not be flush with the surface of the shoe by about a quarter of an inch.
The gutta percha after having been carefully pressed into every part of the sole of
the foot and into the space between the shoe and hoof as described is allowed to
cool or may be rapidly cooled by the application of cold water.
On the face of the gutta percha a layer of hard material is fixed of such a
thickness as to bring the level of the pad flush with the under surface of the shoe.
The hard material which I prefer to employ is a compound of the bituminous rock
known in commerce as Val-de-Travers and granite or other hard material. I reduce
the granite or hard material to fragments preferably not exceeding one sixteenth
of an inch in diameter. This granulated granite or material is mixed and thoroughly
incorporated with the Val-de-Travers by gently heating the latter and stirring the
granite into the semi-liquid Val-de-Travers. A quantity of this material which I
will call adamantine is poured while in a melted state on the gutta percha and, by
the heat of the said melted adamantine the surface of the gutta percha becomes
blended or incorporated with the surface of the layer of adamantine and the said
adamantine becomes inseparably attached to the gutta percha. The layer of
adamantine gives great wearing power to the pad and protects the sole bars and
frog of the horse's foot from pressure or injury by a sharp or hard obstruction which
might penetrate or distort the gutta percha pad.
Before pressing the softened gutta percha into the sole of the horse's foot a thin
cord or ring of vulcanised india rubber may be placed around the base of the hoof
so as to fill the outer portion of the space between the hoof and the shoe.
This cord may be so thick as not only to fill the outer part of the space between

page_text: the shoe and hoof but to project a short distance beyond the hoof. This projecting
part of the india rubber is usefulim horses called.speedy cutters."
The layer of adamantine can be applied to pads other than that I have described
be applied to pads.already affixed to a horse's, foot.
and may
*Dated this 29th day of April!1890.:
W... T...WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hoof Pads for Protecting the Feet. of Horses. and
other Animals..
I, WILLIAM CHARLES PEDLEY, of Olney House, Harborne, in the County of
Stafford, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention; and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to effect the uniform distribution over the sole
bars and frog of the foot of the horse or other animal" of the percussion- and
pressure to which it is exposed when it strikes and bears upon the ground??
This I effect by means of a hoof pad made internally of gutta-percha. but
having externally a hard surface as hereinafter explained:
I will describe my invention as applied to the hoof of a horse., In: making and
applying the hoof pad constituting my invention I proceed as follows. The under-
side of the hoof to which my improved pad is to be applied having a shoe affixed
in the ordinary way, is thoroughly cleaned from any attached soil or dirt by washing
or otherwise. When the hoof has been cleaned by washing, care must be taken
to make it thoroughly dry as any moisture will interfere with the perfect attach-
ment of the pad to the hoof. The farrier provides himself with gutta- percha
softened by boiling water and supporting by his knees the horse's foot' with its
underside uppermost as in the process of shoeing he presses thie- softened gutta
percha into the sole of the foot. The required pressure may be applied by the
thumb or by an instrument resembling an ordinary sad iron: By the-applied
pressure the softened gutta percha is forced into close contact with the sole of the
foot and is also forced into the space between the horse's shoe and the horny
surface of the hoof. The quantity of gutta percha required' for each hoof varies
from about four ounces to eight ounces according to the size of the horse.. The
quantity of gutta percha used must be such that when its surface has been-flattened
it will not be flush with the surface of the shoe by about a quarter of an inch.
The gutta percha after having been carefully pressed into every part of the sole
of the foot and into the space between the shoe and hoof as described is allowed to
cool or may be rapidly cooled by the application of cold water.-
.
On the face of the gutta percha a layer of hard material is fixed of such a thick-
ness as to bring the level of the pad flush with the under surface of the shoe. The
hard material which 1 prefer to employ is a compound of the bituminous rock known
in commerce as Val-de-Travers and granite or other hard material: Preduce the
granite or hard material to fragments preferably not exceeding one sixteenth of an
inch in diameter. This granulated granite or material is mixed and thoroughly
incorporated with the Val-de-Travers by gently heating the latter and stirring the
granite into the semi-liquid Val-de-Travers. A quantity of this material which I
will call adamantine is poured while in a melted state on the gutta perclia and, by
the heat of the said melted adamantine the surface of the gutta percha becomes
blended or incorporated with the surface of the layer of adamantine and the said
adamantine becomes inseparably attached to the gutta percha. The layer of
adamantine gives great wearing power to the pad and protects-the-sole bars and
frog of the horse's foot from pressure or injury by a sharp or liard obstruction which
might penetrate or distort the gutta percha pad.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in longitudinal vertical

page_text: section Figure 2 in cross section (taken across the frog); Figure 3 in rear eleva-
tion and Figure 4 in plan of underside, the hoof of a horse provided with a shoe to
which hoof a protecting pad made according to my invention is applied.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a is the hoof of the horse; b the horse shoe nailed thereto in the ordinary way;
c is the sole of the foot; and d the frog to be protected by my improved pad.
The protecting pad consists of the internal layer of gutta percha e applied
directly when in a plastic state to the underside of the sole bars c and frog d and f
is the external coating or layer of adamantine having the composition hereinbefore
described applied to the inner or upper coating of gutta percha e, the layer or
external coating of adamantine of being of such a thickness that its wearing or
bearing surface is on a level with the inner or bearing surface of the shoe b as seen
in the drawing. The internal layer of gutta percha and the external coating of
adamantine are applied to the cavity of the hoof in the manner hereinbefore
particularly explained. Before the softened gutta percha is pressed upon the sole
and into the frog of the hoof, a thin cord or ring of vulcanized india rubber may be
placed around the base of the hoof so as to fill the outer portion of the space at g
between the hoof and the shoe. This cord or ring may be so thick as not only to fill
the outer part of the space between the shoe and the hoof at
9 but to project a short
distance beyond the hoof. This projecting part of the india rubber cord or ring is
useful in horses called "speedy cutters."
My improved pad has great wearing power and besides protecting the sole bars
and frog from pressure or injury by sharp or hard substances also prevents the horse
slipping on asphalte, wood or granite paving as the adamantine gradually wears
away with the shoe and always presents a rough surface to the road; the accumu-
lation or balling of snow and the picking up of stones by the hoof are also prevented.
My improved pad does not require to be nailed to the hoof and is impervious to and
unaffected by wet and cannot be displaced by ordinary wear.
The layer of adamantine can be applied to inner pads other than that I have
described; and the said layer of adamantine may also be applied to pads already
affixed to a horse's feet and the protecting pads may be applied to hind feet and fore
fect of horses and other animals.
Although I have described the hard material (adamantine) with which the gutta
percha covered sole and frog of the foot of the horse or other animal is covered and
protected, as consisting of melted Val-de-Travers or bituminous rock and granite or
hard materials yet other like materials capable of being applied in a melted or soft
state to the gutta percha or other like layer or coating of the hoof may be used in
place of the adamantine composition described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim
as my invention :-
The improvements in hoof pads for protecting the feet of horses and other animals
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; that is to say
a protecting pad applied to the shoed hoof consisting of an internal layer of gutta
percha or other like material made partly to fill the cavity of the hoof and a layer of
adamantine preferably of the kind described, blended or incorporated with the gutta
percha or other filling or covering, the said adamantine or other hard coating of the
protecting pad being of such a thickness as to bring the level of the pad flush with
the under surface of the shoe substantially as described and illustrated; also the
adaptation to ordinary hoof pads of the adamantine or other like hard outer coating
as hereinbefore described.
Deted the 17th dor of Tenu 1801