IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOES FOR HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS AND IN THE MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SAID SHOES TO THE HOOFS OF THE SAID ANIMALS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, HENRY WILLIAM FORD of Buenos Ayres, South America but at present residing
at 22 James Street, Buckingham Gate in the City of Westminster Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOES FOR
HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS AND IN THE MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SAID SHOES
TO THE HOOFS OF THE SAID ANIMALS" to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide shoes for horses or other animals which
are so constructed as to constitute a protection to the sides and bottom of the hoof
without the necessity for fastening by nails or screws passed through the shoe and
hoof from the underside and which afford a natural bearing for the whole foot
and are secured by fastenings which allow an easy putting on and removal of the
shoes at pleasure.
The shoes constructed according to this Invention consist of an upper part
embracing the lower portion of the hoof sides and extending downwards to form in
itself at its lower part the rim of the shoe or to support separate rims pads or the
like.
The aforesaid upper part is provided with means for enabling it to be placed and
fastened upon the hoof. This placing on of the shoe may be effected by making &
cut near the bottom of one side or both sides of the said upper part the said cut
extending from the heel and forwards which enables the said upper part to be
opened out so as to be placed easily upon the hoof. The inner side of the shoe has
preferably a flange or projections upon which an elastic metal or other plate or pad
is fastened preferably so that the whole of the sole of the hoof or foot rests upon it.
Various methods of fastening may be adopted but that which I believe will be
found most useful in practice is to secure a thin metal band or strip to the hoof by
screws passing into the hoof at the side or by other means and against the heel
sides holes or notches or projections or both are formed in or upon the said band or
strip to receive moveable clamps or fastenings by which the shoe can be secured to
the said band or strip and thereby to the hoof. The said clamps or fastenings one.
for each side are placed in their position and fastened to the shoe by screws or
otherwise so as to secure the shoe to the hoof. Or the upper part of the shoe may
be directly connected to the sides of the hoof preferably near the heel or if the
hoof be of a shape to allow of it the said upper part may be constructed so as to be
sprung on to the hoof.

page_text: .I HENRY WILLIAM FORD of Buenos Ayres South America Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOES FOR
HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS AND IN THE MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SAID
SHOES TO THE HOOFS OF THE SAID ANIMALS," and in what manner the same is.
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
The object of my Invention is to provide shoes for horses or other animals which
shoes are so constructed as to constitute a protection to the sides and bottom of the
hoof, without the necessity for fastening by nails or screws passed through the shoe
and hoof from the underside and which afford a natural bearing for the whole foot
and are secured by fastenings which allow an easy putting on and removal of the
shoes at pleasure.
The shoes constructed according to this Invention consist of an upper part
embracing the lower portion of the hoof sides, and extending downwards to form in
itself at its lower part the rim of the Shoe, or to support separate rims, pads, or the
like. The aforesaid upper part is provided with means for enabling it to be placed
and fastened upon the hoof This placing on of the shoe may be effected by making
a cut near the bottom of one side or both sides of the said upper part, the said cut
extending from the heel end forwards which enables the said upper part to be
opened out so as to be placed easily upon the hoof. The inner side of the shoe has
preferably a flange or projections upon which an elastic metal or other plate or pad
is fastened preferably so that the whole of the sole of the hoof or foot rests upon it.
Various methods of fastening may be adopted but that which I believe will be
found most useful in practice is to secure a thin metal band or strip to the hoof by
screws passing into the hoof at the side or by other means, and against the heel
sides, holes or notches or projections or both are formed in or upon the said band
or strip to receive removable clamps or fastenings by which the shoe can be secured
to the said band or strip and thereby to the hoof. The said clamps or fastenings,
one for each side, are placed in their position and fastened to the Shoe by screws or
otherwise so as to secure the shoe to the hoof. Or the upper part of the shoe may
be directly connected to the sides of the hoof preferably near the heel, or if the hoof
be of a shape to allow of it, the said upper part may be constructed so as to be
sprung on to the hoof.
In order that my Invention may be thoroughly understood I will explain with
reference to the accompanying drawing the mode or manner in which I prefer to
construct the shoe and attach it to the hoof although it may be varied as herein-
before mentioned.
Figure 1.shews the hereinafter described band or strip attached to the hoof for
the purpose of attaching the shoe thereto.
Figure 2 shews the same with the shoe attached thereto Figure 3 is a transverse
section and Figures 4 and 5 are similar sections shewing modifications in the way
of securing separately the wearing part of the shoe Figure 6 is a plan of underside
shewing in the one view several kinds of bearing surface for the shoes and Figure 7
shews one of the clips or fastenings for securing the shoe to the plate or sandal.
A band or strip a of thin metal is secured to the hoof by screws i. Near the
heel ends of the sandal, a recessed part b is made for receiving the back part of
the clamp e as hereinafter described.
The shoe consists of an upper thin part e shaped to embrace the hoof and a lower
part to constitute or to hold the rim, or bearing surface o³ as shewn in the section
figure 3 and having a flange or ledges on the inner side for supporting the slightly

page_text: elastic sole plate n fastened thereto which constitutes a bearing for the bottom of
the hoof or foot A longitudinal cut in the side piece of the shoe as at g. f. extending
from the heel and forward at or near the level of the sole plate allows it to be
opened out to enable the shoe to be pressed on to the hoof. At the heel ends of
the shoe, holes notches or projections (as at d figure 2) are formed in or upon it so
as to receive the outer sides of the clamps, and similar formations are or may be
made on the band or strip on the hoof, for example as indicated at b. The clamp e
is of a hook form to be passed over the edge of the thin part of the shoe and over
the sandal as shewn clearly in Figure 3 there being a clamp on each side-The
said clamps are secured by the screws 63 which may be prevented from getting
loose by a wire or split cotters as shewn at k.
The several parts above mentioned may be formed of various shapes and of
various materials to suit taste, requirements, roads work or other circumstances.
The band or strip a may be secured permanently to the hoof The shoe c is
securely held in position at front by the conical form of the front part of the hoof
and at the hinder parts by the clamps e the office of the said clamps being to
prevent the shoe from working loose downwards and forward. The several parts
can be put together and taken apart so that the shoe may be put on and taken off
as required.
In some cases the shoe may be fastened without the band or strip a and clamps e
which may be effected by placing the screw 6 a little higher, and passing them
through the thick hoof of the heel and into the sole plate or studs upon it.
When the hoof requires cutting or trimming the sandal can be taken off and
replaced after trimming. But in the event of the new screw holes in the hoof
being too near over the old ones then other holes 'should be made in the sandal on
one side of the first or another sandal taken having holes in another position. Or
the sandal may be shifted round a little for the new holes and the hoof refitted to
the shoe.
The shoe may be made in one piece (say of steel) from rolled bars of the required
section and afterwards shaped to the required curve by die pressing.
The ground rim, plain or serrated, could then be hard tempered to resist wear,
and keep practically sharp edges or points for good foothold, and be secured within
the ground rim of the shoe plate forming special parts for wear and the prevention
of slipping. Figure 4 shews a metal rim thus secured Figures 5 and 6 shew
at a slightly different form of metal rim, and at m an elastic pad. When elastic
rings or pads such as of steel, india rubber, or leather, are thus used, it is generally
desirable to make them project a little below the shoe rim so that whilst they yield
easily to the treading pressure they will hold in the surface of the roadway or
pavement sufficiently to prevent slipping The shoes can be made to standard
sizes and shapes so as to be obtainable in sets, so that the particular kind of shoes
as circumstances or the state of the road may render desirable can be put on at any
time.
For effecting the shoeing accurately prefer to trim the hoof to its proper form,
then take its measure for the sandal and sole plate, and select the standard size of
shoe corresponding. But if the nearest size does not exactly correspond to the hoof,
then I may take the next smallest size and trim the hoof to it. In actual practice
there is no difficulty whatever in doing this.
The arrangement of the several parts of the shoe and its attachments, constitutes
a thorough protection to the sides and bottom of the hoof without injuriously
nailing it immoveably to rigid iron, and affords also in effect a natural bearing for
the whole foot in its natural form, and allows an easy putting on and removal of
the shoe at pleasure.
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:-
First:-A shoe for horses or other animals consisting of a rim or wearing surface
with an upper part or parts which can be passed or sprung and fastened upon the

page_text: hoof without the necessity for fastenings being passed up into the hoof from below
substantially as herein before described.
Second A shoe for horses or other animals consisting of a rim or wearing
'surface with an upper part or parts which can be passed or sprung and fastened
upon the hoof, and with a sole plate forming a bottom bearing for the foot, all
substantially as hereinbefore described.
•
Third: A shoe for horses or other animals consisting of a band or strip or
holding piece fastened to the outside of the hoof, and a shoe proper with an upper
rim or part or parts for fastening it to the said band strip or holding piece by
clamps or fastenings substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth-A shoe for horses or other animals consisting of a band strip or holding
piece secured to the hoof by fastenings passing through the sides of the hoof at or
towards the heel or thick part of the hoof and a shoe proper with an upper rim or
part or parts for fastening it to the said strip or holding piece by clamps or
fastenings substantially as herein before described.
Fifth: A shoe for horses or other animals consisting of the combination and
arrangement of parts hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.