Improved Horse Shoe.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Horse Shoe.
A communication by FRANCESCO DE LUCA, of Cupa del Vasto, accosto alla-
Stazione Centrale, Naples, in the Kingdom of Italy, Ironfounder.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and'
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved horse shoe of a metallic alloy of aluminium,
copper, and nickel, which can be cast in a mould and will be about a third less in
weight than those of wrought iron at present employed. As this lightness does not
in any way affect their solidity, it allows of the horse displaying greater activity
whilst sparing its feet, and thus preserving the joints of the ends of the lower limbs,
and avoiding the mishaps caused by a rapid gait where the hoofs, striking one
against the other in opposite directions, cause horse and rider to fall, as frequently
happens in military cavalry exercises in hunting or other equestrian pursuits.
This alloy is composed as follows.

page_text: The exceptional malleability of this metallic alloy offers the peculiar advantage
of allowing the natural development of the horse's foot, (causing no compression
like iron and indiarubber shoes do) the result of which is very favourable to the
gait of the horse, and to the security of its placing its feet on the ground.
These shoes being not liable to become oxidised even when in contact with the
air and excrementitious substances are consequently highly hygienic, and do not
impart any infectious substance to the horse's foot. This has been proved by
removing the shoes of metallic alloy from a horse which had worn them for a long
period, when the hoofs were found without the least defect or trace of disease, such
as is too frequently the case with horses wearing the ordinary wrought iron shoes.
Horse shoes made of metallic alloy are also of very great advantage in the case
of prompt fixing, and the malleability of this metal allows of its being worked when
cold, thus reducing it in any way which may be desired.
The shoeing of horses is also facilitated by the use of these improved shoes as
only six seven or eight nails are used (eight are shown in the drawing) instead of
nine, as is necessary for wrought iron shoes, an equal and even superior resistance
being obtained to that of shoes having nine nails. Considerable economy of time
is thus effected, more particularly in the case of cavalry, where this advantage
becomes really valuable owing to the number of horses to be shod, and the
exigencies of the service especially on a campaign or in grand manoeuvres.
The economic advantage of these shoes of metallic alloy, consists in their longer
duration as compared with those of india-rubber which last about 25 days, whilst
this improved shoe lasts from 40 to 50 days. Further, shoes of wrought iron with
india-rubber soles become useless after being worn out, whilst shoes of metallic alloy
after having been used may be re-soled at about half their original cost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
An improved horse shoe cast in metallic alloy substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 16th day of October 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.