AN IMPROVED ELASTIC HORSE-SHOE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
ELASTIC HORSE-SHOE."-A communication from abroad by Charles
Jean Baptisto Peillard. of 39. Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th October 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son,
of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED ELASTIC HORSE-SHOE," a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Jean Baptiste Peillard, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris,
France, to be as follows:-
The branches of this elastic horse-shoe are divided at the toe by
means of a semi-straight and semicircular section, forming in the
middle a projecting part and a recess to receive it, the two ends

page_text: being in juxtaposition. In consequence of this arrangement the
branches are set in each other so that they cannot disunite, and the
section constitutes in its entirety a natural hinge working without the
assistance of any kind of pin or screw; and I would here observe that
the main feature of this improved horse-shoe is the exact juxtaposition
of the ends of the section so that this hinge presents no opening at the
toe by which any substance may enter and injure the hoof.
The dimensions to be given to the various parts of the section are
shown Fig. 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and are indicated
by the letters A, B, C, D, E. Given a shoe to be jointed, measure with
a compass the breadth of the branch at the toe A, E, and subdivide it
into four equal parts AB, BC, CD, DE. Place one leg of the compass
on the middle part C, and trace a semicircle embracing the two
adjoining parts B, D. The semicircular section, that is to say, the
projecting and the re-entering part, is thus obtained. The other parts
AB and DE form the straight section, that is to say, that which is to be
juxtaposed, the exact juxtaposition of this part AB being as above
stated of the most vital importance. A horse-shoe is thus obtained so
to say equilibrized and capable of following all the movements of
expansion and contraction of the hoof and of the part which it encloses.
This improved horse-shoe is made and applied exactly like an ordinary
one, from which it materially differs only by its section or division.

page_text: branches with a chisel having the shape of the section described and
represented Fig. 1. The second, the most expeditious and the most
correct, is the wholesale manufacture by means of a punch having the
exact shape of the above mentioned chisel (see Fig. 2).
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11,
Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED ELASTIC HORSE-SHOE," a communication to him from
abroad by Charles Jean Baptiste Peillard, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin,
Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Gedge, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawing, and to the figures and letters of reference placed thereon.
The branches of the elastic horse-shoe, the subject of this Invention,
are divided at the toe by a semi-straight and semicircular section,
forming in the middle a projecting part and a recess to receive it, the
two ends being in juxtaposition. In consequence of this arrangement
the branches are set in each other so that they cannot disunite, and the
section constitutes in its entirety a natural hinge working without the
aid of any screw.
The novelty of this Invention lies in the exact juxtaposition of the
ends of the section, so that the natural hinge thus formed presents no
opening at the toe for the admission of any substance which might
injure the horse's foot.
The dimensions to be given to the several parts of the section are 1
indicated Figure 1 of the Drawing by the letters A, B, C, D, E. Given
a shoe to be jointed, measure with a compass the breadth of the shoe
at the toe A, E, and subdivide it into four equal parts AB, BC, CD,
DE. Place one leg of the compass on the middle part C, and trace a
semicircle embracing the two adjoining parts B, D, and the semicircular
section is obtained, that is to say, the projecting part and the re-entering
part. The other parts AB, and DE, will form the straight section, that
is to say, the part which is to be in exact juxtaposition. A horse shoe is
thus obtained so to say equilibrized and accomodating itself to all the
movements of expansion and contraction of the foot. This improved 2
horse-shoe is made and fitted precisely like an ordinary one, from which
it materially differs only by its section or division.
It should however be observed,-
First. That the concavity usually given to the shoo to facilitate the
fitting ("l'ajusture") and the packing are suppressed.
Second. That the shoe may be lighter and freer.
Third. That the concavity may be replaced by a slight beveling of the
inside edge of the upper face of the shoe to keep the sole from bearing
upon it in the lowering and raising of the foot.
Fourth. That the toe part may be steeled to make it wear longer. E

page_text: Sixth. That the farrier (in shoeing the horse) must under no circum-
stances touch the frog, or the bars, or binders.
The section of this horse-shoe is obtained in various ways. That which
is within reach of all consists in dividing it by means of a chisel shaped
according to the section above described, and shown Figure 1, but the
more expeditious and exact and the best adapted for wholesale manu-
facture is the use of a cutting punch having the exact shape of the above
described chisel (see Figure 2).
Amongst the advantages of this improved horse-shoe are that it may
be applied indiscriminately to every horse for whatever work it may be
used. It preserves the nails until completely worn, and the shoc requires
no relifting between two shoeings. The foot is better poised, the horso
is more active in its movements, more sure footed, and has more con-
fidence in its means of action. The violence of the shock in striking
the ground is considerably lessened by the joint, the reactions are less
dangerous to the articulations, and the blemishes which are the inevitable
result of these commotions become all the more rare. It does not bind
the wall like ordinary rigid and inflexible horse-shoes, because its
branches lend themselves by their division to all the movements of
expansion and dilatation of the hoof as well as of the parts which it
encloses. It gives perfect freedom to the naturally elastic play of the
foot, favors its normal developement in young horses, and prevents all
the affections and the halting or limping which result from the
squeezing of the horny envelope, such as seymes, hoof binding, navicular
discase, and others. Finally it preserves the horse, increases its length
of service, and respects all natural laws by leaving the foot as free as if
it were not shod.
Figure 3 of the Drawing is an illustration of a horse's hoof with this
horse-shoe applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.