IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES,
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Gamgee, of the Albert Veterinary College,
Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, Professor of Veterinary Surgery,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Gamgee at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
March 1866.
I, JOSEPH GAMGEE, of the Albert Veterinary College, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex, Professor of Veterinary Surgery, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HORSE-SHOES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions of horse-shoes,
whereby a firmer foothold is afforded to the horse, whether the foot be pressing
forward or backwards; also to a peculiar die or shaping tool to be employed
in the manufacture of the improved shoes.
According to this Invention it is proposed to form certain indentations,

page_text: depressions, notches, and sharp angles arranged on the inner margin of the
web and on the lower or ground surface of the shoe in directions radiating
from the centre of the foot.
In applying this Invention to the manufacture of horse shoes for ordinary
use I proceed as follows:-When each half of the shoo in the process of
forging has been drawn into shape, and before it is fullered or stamped in the
ordinary way, the die or tool herein-after more particularly described is employed
in order to produce notches or depressions running obliquely from the front
backwards and inwards at the interior part of the ground surface of the shoe,
and to produce other notches or depressions running obliquely from bebind,
forward and inwards from each posterior extremity of the shoe, the small burr
of iron displaced by the dio at each depression being cut off. These notches
vary in position and number according to the size and shape of the shoe.
I prefer, however, to use two directed obliquely backwards and inwards on
either side of the toe, leaving the web of the shoe strong at the toc, and two
more close to each heel directed forwards and inwards, thus also leaving the
quarters of the shoe strong.
In manufacturing racehorse plates or light shoes according to this Invention
the plato is made with a creasing tool in the ordinary manner, and a chisel is
then used to jag the inner margin of the web on the ground surface, sharp
points are thus raised in front from behind forwards, and behind from before
backwards. With these points, which I prefer to be two, three, or four in
number on each or either side of the plate, there may or may not be combined
as desired a small "turn up" of one or both heels. The peculiar die or tool
which I have herein-before referred to consists, if intended to be used by band
of a steel punch, which should be of a semicircular or nearly semicircular
transverso section. It is held by a convenient handle over the web of the
shoe, and is then struck by a hammer. If desired all the indentations or notches
may be simultaneously made by means of a die or block of the same size
as the "mould" or shoo blank provided with the desired number of projections
or punches according to the number of indentations to be made in the shoe.
The "mould" or blank may be placed upon a bed, and the die laid upon it
and then brought forcibly down, so as to indent the metal by direct-acting
steam or bydraulic power, as in the steam hammer or bydraulic forging
press.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Gamgee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
September 1866.
.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
GAMGEE, of the Albert Veterinary College, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex, Professor of Veterinary Surgery, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said;
Joseph Gamgee, Her special license that I, the said Joseph Gamgee, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Gamgee, my:
executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-
SHOES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Gamgee, my executors or administrators, by.
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 tho
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Gamgee, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,.
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of
horse-shoes, whereby a firmer foothold in afforded to the horse, whether the
foot be pressing forward or backward; also to a peculiar tool to be employed
in the manufacture of the improved shoes.
In carrying out my Invention I form certain indentations, depressions,
notches, and sharp angles arranged, as herein-after described, on the inner.
margin of the web on the lower or ground surface of the shoe.
In applying this Invention to the manufacture of horse-shoes for ordinary

page_text: use I proceed as follows:-When each half of the shoe in the process of
forging has been drawn into shape, and either before or after it has been
"fullered" or "stamped" in the ordinary way, the tool herein-after more
particularly described and referred to as the "gouge" is employed in order
to produce oblong semi-oval depressions described obliquely from the front
backwards at the interior part or inner margin of the web on the ground
surface of the shoe, and to produce other like depressions directed obliquely
from behind forward from each posterior portion of the shoe, the small bar
of iron displaced by the "gouge" at each depression being cut off by a tool
which I call the "cutter" on a small cutting block or surface of soft iron, so
as not to injure the "cutter," which block may be inserted into and removed
from the ordinary anvil, as required; these depressions may vary in position
and number according to the size and shape of the shoe, I prefer, however,
to use two, directed obliquely backwards and inwards on either side of the
toe, leaving the web of the shoo strong at the toe or centre, and two more
close to each heel, directed forwards and inwards, thus leaving the quarters of
the shoe strong.
.
In manufacturing racehorse plates or light shoes according to my sald
Invention I make the plate with a "creasing" tool or swage in the ordinary
manner, and then by the aid of an ordinary cold chisel jag the inner margin
of the web on the ground surface, so as to produce sharp points, which in the
foro part of the plato are raised from the rear forwards, and in the bind
portions of the plate are raised from the front backwards, With these points,
which I prefer to be two, three, or four in number on each or either side of
the plate, there may or may not be combined, as desired, a small " turn up
of one or both heels.
"
The peculiar tool which I have herein-before referred to as the "gouge
consists of a steel flat-faced punch, which should be of a semicircular or
nearly semicircular or semi-oval transverse section; it is held by a convenient
handle over the web of the shoe, and is then struck by a hammer. If desired,
all the indentations or depressions may be simultaneously made by means of a
die or block of the same size as the "mould" or shoe blank provided with
the desired number of projections or punches according to the number of
depressions or indentations to be made in the shoe. The "mould" or blank
may be placed upon a bed, and this die laid upon it and then brought
forcibly down so as to indent the metal by direct-acting steam or bydraulic
power as in the steam hammer or hydraulic forging press.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now

page_text: proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a plan or under side view of a horse-
shoe for ordinary purposes constructed according to my Invention, and Figure 2
is a section of the same taken through the centre or toe thereof. The tools
required in making my improved shoe are the ordinary "fuller" (Figure 3)
for "fullering" the shoe and the ordinary "stamp" (Figure 4) and pritchel,
not shown in my Drawings, for making the nail holes. The additional special
tools required are the "gouge" (shewn in perspective and face view at
Figures 5 and 6); the cutter (Figure 7), and the cutting block of soft iron
(Figure 8), The shoe is worked in the ordinary manner from new bar or
from old iron, the web being forged of equal thickness and breadth or cover
throughout its full extent, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the exception of
the hind parts or heel of the shoe, where the breadth may taper slightly, as
shown in Figure 1, but the substance or thickness of the iron is not to be
diminished by seating or bevelling out as heretofore. In making the shoo
the outer half is first forged and "fullered" and the nail holes "stamped"
and pritchelled, after which I make the depressions a, a, a', a', in the inner
margin of the web of the shoe when hot by means of the flat-faced steel tool
(Figure 5), which I call the "gouge," such tool being held by its handle in
the proper position and struck by a sledge hammer; the depth of these
depressions should be about three-fourths the substance or thickness of the
iron, as shown in Figure 2. The front depressions a, a, (by preference two on
each side of the forward part of the shoe) being directed obliquely from"
the heel forwards, and the hinder depressions a¹, a', (by preference two on
each half of the shoe) directed from the front or toe backwards, as shown:
more clearly by the red centre lines in Figure 1. The "burr or metal
displaced by the action of the "gougo" is then removed from the inner edge
of the shoe by the cutter shown at Figure 7, which is struck by a hammer
whilst it is held by the bandle attached thereto, the soft iron block, Figure 8,
being inserted into the anvil to serve the purpose of a cutting block or surface;
the half shoe is then placed in a vice and completed by filing off any roughness
left after the cutter has operated; the half of the shoe is then placed in the
fire and heated preparatory to being hammered up, and the process of making
and finishing the inner half to be followed is a mere repetition of that for
making the outer half, with the exception that three nail holes only in lieu of
four will be required to be stamped.
"
Figure 9 is an under side plan of a light shoe or racing plate constructed

page_text: according to my Invention, and Figure 10 is a section of the same taken
through the toe or centre thereof. In making this plate I take the best
charcoal nail rod iron and work it through the swage (Figures 11 and 12) and
then cut off lengths in pairs averaging from 9 to 12 inches for each plate,
which are to be turned and forged to the proper shape to fit the respectivo
feet for which they are required; the nail holes are then stamped and the
plate filed up in the ordinary manner for application. I then place the
otherwise finished plate in a vice, and make four well defined jags or cuts
a, a, a, a, on the inner margin of the web of each half or side of the plate by
means of an ordinary cold chisel and hammer, the forward jags a, a, being
produced by making the cut from the back towards the front of the plate, and
the rear or hinder jags a', a', by making the cut in the reverse direction, the
result being the raising of sharp teeth or pointed projections in opposite
directions at the front and rear portions of the plate, as will be clearly seen on
referring to Figures 9 and 10 of my Drawings, whereby, as also in the case of
the peculiarly disposed depressions shown in the shoe (Figures 1 and 2), a
better foothold is afforded to the horse, the hinder depressions or sharp
projecting angles tending to prevent the foot from slipping forward when
the heel is brought to the ground, and the forward depressions or sharp
projecting angles preventing any back slip when the toe is acting.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the forming of horse shoes and racing plates with depressions and
sharp projecting angles on the under surface thereof, disposed and operating
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a flat-faced tool or "
gouge" for forming
depressions in horse-shoes, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Joseph Gamgee, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
JOSEPH GAMGEE. (L.s.)