IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOEING HORSES AND OTHER LIKE FOOTED ANIMALS, AND IN SHOES OR APPLIANCES FOR SUCH PURPOSE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Whiteford, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHOEING HORSES AND OTHER LIKE FOOTED ANIMALS, AND IN SHOES OR
APPLIANCES FOR SUCH PURPOSE."
Sealed the 16th April 1878, and dated the 17th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Whiteford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th November 1877.
JAMES WHITEFORD, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Doctor of Medicine. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOEING HORSES AND OTHER LIKE
FOOTED ANIMALS, AND IN SHOES OR APPLIANCES FOR SUCH PURPOSE."
This said Invention has reference to certain improvements in the construction of
shoes for and in the mode of fixing the same to the feet of horses and other like
footed animals, the same being also improvements on or a further developinent of
the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 8th July
1876, No. 2783, and which are equally applicable to and safe for the foot-hold and
growth of the hoof, and more durable and less expensive than those heretofore in use.
And the nature and novelty of the present Invention or improvements consist,
first, under one modification, in forming the metal part of the shoe, preferably, in
malleable cast iron, or it might be steel, in the form of a thin flat plate covering the
whole bearing surface of the hoof, as in some of the modifications of the said former
Patent, but with a deep bar across the front under toe bearing surface, below the
thin overlapping piece which projects up against the front face of the hoof, and
another similar bar across the lower back bearing or heel part of the hoof, where
the frog is broadest, and bevilled or dovetailed on their inner adjacent edges, and
made slightly tapered towards the outside of the hoof and of sufficient depth, a
broad flat piece of wood being inserted from the outside into the dovetailed part
over the thin flat plate to the full depth of the said dovetailed or bearing bars, all so
as to form an under bearing or plantar surface for each shoe and hoof of a composite
=

page_text: character, of iron and wood, or it might be vulcanized india-rubber, or layers of
leather, or canvas, or other like semi-hard and flexible material.
A second modification of this composite shoe consists in making a malleable cast-
iron or thin steel case of the same shape and depth of the projecting toe and heel
bars, and of a dovetail shape in the front and back edges to fit the dovetail space
between the bars in the same way as the wood in the former modification, this case
being tightly fitted and filled with a slice of cross cut or end wood before being
driven and fixed into the dovetailed space, and which forms strengthening edges to
support and prevent the wood from wearing down so quickly as in the former
modification; or otherwise these segmental deep edges joining the toe bars and
heel bars might be formed on the flat thin plate on which the wood rests the same
as the bars, and have the end or side wood inserted in two pieces jointed across the
centre of the shoe or hoof, with the two bevilled edges of the wood inserted into the
dovetailed edges of the bars at the front and back, and then driven down tight at
the centre joint between and to the level of the enclosing side-bevilled edges, the
dovetails and tightness holding them perfectly secure in this case within the close
recess formed by the bars and edges, all so as to give the composite bearing surface
for each shoe and foot of the horse, as in the former modifications.
All these new or improved composite metal and wood bearing shoes may be fixed
to the hoof by thin conical-headed nails driven through countersunk holes in the
side edges of the thin flat metal part; or otherwise they may be fixed by bevel-headed
nails, as used for ordinary shoeing, or those described in the Specification of the said
former Patent, driven through both the wood and the flat metal plate, the shoulder
of the head bearing on the thin plate which would secure both to the hoof, the points
of the nails being clenched outwards on the hoof, as in ordinary horse-shoeing; or
otherwise these shoes may have eyelets at the front and back sides, and be secured
by straps crossed up and over the upper part of the hoof for fixing the shoes without
the use of nails, all substantially as described in reference. to my said former
patented Invention..
"
For sharpening the horses' shoes in frosty weather, without requiring to take them
off, the front and back bars are formed with deep tapered rectangular holes in them
at the toes and heels, where they may be broadened out for that purpose, into which
chisel-edged or sharp case-hardened iron or steel removable studs (such as used in
some other kinds of iron shoes) are tightly driven, with the sharp edges projecting
above the bars, so as to sink and grip into tlie hard or frosty ground to prevent tlie
slipping of the horses' feet..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Whiteford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May
1878.
"s
JAMES WHITEFORD, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Doctor of Medicine. IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOEING HORSES AND OTHER LIKE
FOOTED ANIMALS, AND IN SHOES OR APPLIANCES FOR SUCH PURPOSE."
My said Invention has reference to certain improvements in the construction of
shoes for and in the mode of fixing the same to the feet of horses and other like
footed animals, the same being also improvements on or a further development of
the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 8th
July 1876, No. 2783, and which are equally applicable to and safe for the foot-hold
and growth of the hoof, and more durable and less expensive than other shoes here-
tofore in use.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on
the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same
reference letters indicating the same or similar parts in the several Figures where
shown.
---
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are a longitudinal section
and a plan respectively, the former taken on the line 1 - 1 of the latter, of one
modification of my said Invention, showing a composite shoe with an under bearing
surface of wood dovetailed in between the metal bars, while Figures 3 and 4 are a
corresponding longitudinal section and plan, with the wooden bearing surface set
into a light case or frame of metal, which slides and fits dovetailwise into the frame
of the shoe.
Figures 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 are longitudinal sections and corresponding plans
of another modification, showing the wooden bearing surface fixed into the central
recess between the metal bars and edges of the shoe.
Figures 9 and 10 are a longitudinal section and plan of another modification of
shoe somewhat similar to the former views, but with flat strengthening pieces close
to the side edges of the shoe, Figure 11 being a cross section of the same on the
line 2-2, Figure 10; while Figures 12 and 13 are a longitudinal section and a
plan of a shoe similar to that shown in Figures 9 and 10, but with toe and heel
frosting pieces inserted to prevent slipping in frosty weather.
Referring to the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2, my Invention consists in
forming the metal part of the shoe, preferably, in malleable cast iron, or it might be
malleable iron or steel, in the form of a thin flat plate A covering the whole bearing
surface of the hoof, as in some of the modifications of the said former Patent,
preferably strengthened round the sides by a deeper thickness of metal, on which
the wood bears, as seen at a, Figure 1, and dotted in in Figure 2, to give greater
rigidity, and with a deep bar B across the front or under toe bearing surface below
the thin overlapping piece C, which projects up against the front face of the hoof,
and another similar bar B' across the lower back bearing or heel part of the hoof,
where the frog is broadest, with enlarged heel parts B' at the sides, and bevelled or
dovetailed on their inner adjacent edges b, b', and made slightly tapered, widening
towards the outside of the hoof, and of sufficient depth for a broad flat piece of hard
wood D (with the fibre running transversely when in position) being inserted or
driven tight from the outside into the dovetailed part over the thin flat plate A to
the full depth of the said dovetailed or bearing bars B, B², all so as to form an under
bearing or plantar surface for each shoe and hoof of a composite character of iron
and wood, or it might be vulcanized india-rubber, or layers of leather, or canvas, or
other like semi-hard and flexible material, although wood is preferred, and shown
in all the Figures except 9, 10, and 11.
The wood to be used must be dry and well seasoned, and should consist of hard
wood for the first modification, but of a soft fibrous wood, preferably willow, for all

page_text: the other modifications; the natural expansion of the wood which takes place when
damped being the force relied upon to keep it firmly in position in the shoe.
When india-rubber or gutta percha is used it is vulcanized on or into the shoe
before being fixed to the hoof.
A second modification of this composite shoe, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, consists
in making a malleable cast-iron or thin steel case E, of the same shape and depth as
the projecting toe and heel bars B, B', and of a dovetail shape in the front and back
edges e, e¹, to fit the dovetail space b, b', between the bars in the same way as the
wood D in the former modification, this case E being tightly fitted and filled with a
slice or layer of cross-cut or end wood D, preferably willow or other soft or light
wood, before being driven and fixed in the dovetailed space, thus forming
strengthening edges to support and prevent the wood from wearing down so
quickly as in the former modification; or otherwise, as shown in Figures 5 to 13,
the deep segmental edges B¹¹, between the toe bars and heel bars B, B¹, might be
formed on the flat thin plantar plate A, on which the wood D rests, as in Figures
3 and 4, the same as the bars B, B', and have the wood D cut to the exact shape
and inserted or driven tightly into the recess enclosed by the end bars B, B', and
edges B, in this case without the use of dovetailed or bevelled edges on either the
metal or wood; although, if preferred, the bars may be used bevelled or dovetailed,
in which case the wood may be inserted in two pieces across the centre of the hoof,
the two bevelled edges of the wood being inserted into the dovetailed edges b, b¹, of
the bars B, B', at the front and back, and then driven down tight at the centre joint
until the wood becomes jammed between the enclosing bevelled bars, thus in
either case forming a composite bearing surface for each shoe, as in the former
modifications.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 show another modification of my said Invention, substan-
tially similar to Figures 5 to 8, but having the thin metal part A covering the
plantar of the hoof strengthened by deeper thicknesses of metal along each side of
the under surface close to the outer edges B1, for the purpose of strengthening the
shoe against breakage, yet allowing sufficient flexibility and softness for the hoof
(as in the case of the shoe shown in Figures 1 and 2); and in those cases where the
strengthening or metal edges B are used, as in the modifications shown in Figures
7 to 13, the flexibility of the shoe is increased by forming the slots or openings B²
in the edges B opposite the nail holes, the depth of the slot being fixed according
to the degree of flexibility desired; as, the deeper the slot, the greater will be the
flexibility of the shoe and softness of bearing surface for the hoof. The slots are cut
or formed somewhat narrower than the nail heads, which may be broadened or
flattened out so as to overlap and prevent them from slipping into the slots to
interfere with the flexibility of the shoe. The wood is only indicated in dotted
lines in Figures 9 to 11, as it is fully shown in the corresponding Figures 12
and 13.
For sharpening the horses' shoes in frosty weather without requiring to take them
off, the front and back bars B, B¹, are formed with deep tapered rectangular holes
in them at the toes and heels, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, where they may be
broadened out for that purpose, into which chisel-edged, steel, or sharp case-
hardened iron removable studs F (such as used in some other kinds of iron shoes)
are tightly driven, with the sharp edges projecting above the bars B, B', so as to
sink and grip into the hard or frozen ground to prevent the slipping of the horses'
feet.
Those shoes having the strengthening pieces a at the sides may have the central
space a¹ between the pieces a filled up with a thin piece of wood before inserting
the plantar piece D, although this is not shown in the Drawings.
The new or improved composite semi-elastic or flexible metal and wood bearing
shoes are fixed to the hoof by thin conical-headed nails f, driven through counter-
sunk holes in the side edges of the thin metal plate A, or A and a, as seen in Figures
1 to 4; or they may be fixed by rectangular bevel-headed nails f¹, as shown parti-
cularly in Figure 5, similar to those used for ordinary shoeing (or those described

page_text: in the Specification of the said former Patent), driven through the metal plate A,
the shoulder of the head bearing on the thin plate A. or a, and the head reaching to
the level of the edges B" for convenience of driving, thus securing the whole to the
hoof, the points of the nails in either case being clenched outwards on the hoof, as
in ordinary horse shoeing; and the edges B¹¹ may or may not have recesses cut in the
inside to admit the deep head of these nails f', as in Figures 5 and 6; or otherwise,
these shoes may have eyelets at the front and back sides, and be secured by straps
crossed up and over the upper part of the hoof for fixing the shoes without the use
of nails, all substantially as described in reference to my said former patented
Invention.
•
This shoe provides, in the various modifications, the following advantages:-
1st. Efficient support and protection for, the plantar surface of the hoof by the
thin metal plates.
And, 2nd. Secure foot-hold by adopting a soft substance, such as wood, either on
its side or on end (i.e., with its fibre vertical to the ground), or india-rubber, gutta
percha, or similar more or less elastic substance.
And, 3rd. By arrangement of toe and heel (as well as lateral pieces in some of the
modifications) metal defences, provides against the too rapid tear and wear of the
soft substance which would otherwise take place if such substance were used without
such defence.
And, 4th. By preserving (in all except one of the modifications) sufficient flexibility
without impairing its safety.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. The general construction of composite horse-shoes, all substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Second. The fixing of wood to the metal part of the shoe by dovetail recesses,
either with or without a casing, as in Figures 1 to 4, or driven into deep vertical
recesses formed by the metal ends and sides or edges of the shoe, as in Figures 5 to
13, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Whiteford, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand.
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JAS. WHITEFORD. (L.S.)