IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE SHOEING OF HORSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Millar Eckford, of Leith, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Veterinary Surgeon, and William Williams, Principal
and Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery in the New Veterinary
College, Edinburgh, in the same County, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE SHOEING OF HORSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Millar Eckford and
William Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th
January 1879.
JAMES MILLAR ECKFORD, of Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Veterinary Surgeon, and WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Principal and Professor of Veterinary
Medicine and Surgery, in the New Veterinary College, Edinburgh, in the same
County. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE SHOEING OF HORSES."
This Invention has reference to improvements in and connected with that class
of composite horse shoes, or shoes with a thickness of leather secured between the
iron shoe and the hoof, with vulcanized india-rubber bearing-pads or buffers
projecting slightly beyond the bearing or plantar surface of the shoe, inserted over
the leather in the centre of the shoe, which improvements will make these pads and
leather soles last much longer, and effect great economy in their use and in the
shoeing of horses. And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist in forming
these elastic pads preferably of a triangular shape, similar to the shape of the frog,
and securing them by flanges round their outer edges or margin to the surface of
the leather, with their broad base part placed well back between the heels of the
shoe over the broad hard bearing part of the frog, the flanges being secured to the
leather by copper or other metal rivets or nails, or by sewing through the leather,
or by a combination of rivetting and sewing, which would effectually secure these
bearing pads or buffers to the strong web of leather fixed between the hoof and the
iron shoe, so as to give a superior bearing surface and prevent their being torn
away before being worn out, as is frequently the case with pads as heretofore
secured by solutions to the leather. These new or improved pads afford a greater
and improved bearing surface to the back part of the frog in cases where a part of
the iron shoe itself has to be cut away or modified for corns or injuries at the edge
of the hoof.

page_text: Office-on-the 18th July 1879.
JAMES MILLAR ECKFORD, of Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian, North: Britain,
Veterinary-Surgeon, and-WILLIAM-WILLIAMS, Principal-and-Professor of Veterinary
Medicine and Surgery, in the New Veterinary College, Edinburgh, in the same
County. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND-CONNECTED WITH THE SHOEING OF HORSES."
Our said Invention has reference to improvements in and connected with that
class of composite horse shoes or shoes with a thickness of leather secured between
the iron shoe and the hoof, with vulcanized india-rubber bearing pads or buffers
b, b, projecting slightly beyond the leather a, and plantar surface of the shoe B
inserted over the leather in the centre of the shoe, which improvements will make
these pads and leather soles last much longer, and effect great economy in their
use and in the shoeing of horses.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consist in forming the elastic
pad parts b (preferably of a triangular shape), similar to the shape of the frog in
the centre and back part of the hoof, and securing them by flanges round their
outer edges or margin 61 to the surface of the leather, with their broad base or
part b, b, for bearing on the ground placed well back between the heels of the
shoe over the broad hard bearing part of the frog, the flanges being secured to
the leather by copper or other metal rivets d or nails d', or by sewing d¹¹ through
the thickness of the pad and leather, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, and 5 to 8 and 9
respectively; or it might be when desired by a combination of rivetting and
sewing, either of which would effectually secure these bearing pads or buffers b to
the strong sole or web a of leather before its attachment to the hoof, and which
is fixed between the hoof A and the iron shoe B in a usual manner, all so as to
give a superior bearing surface, and prevent the pads b from being torn away from
the leather before being worn out, as is frequently the case with pads as heretofore
secured by solutions only to the leather. Having thus described the nature of our
said Invention or improvements, we will now proceed to describe the several
Figures on the Sheet of Drawings, which we have hereunto appended for the
purpose of showing the best modes and meaus we are at present aware of for
carrying our Invention into effect or practice, the same reference letters indicating
the same or like parts in all the Figures.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, these show a side elevation and under plan of a
horse shoe hoof A, as shod or fitted with a plain iron horse shoe B secured in an
ordinary manner by horse shoe nails B₁, but having one of our new or improved
-construction-of-combined-leather-and-vulcanized-india-rubber-pads-a, b, also-secured
thereto, all in accordance with the improvements of this Invention. And Figures
3 and 4 show a sectional edge view and under face view of this improved pad a, b,
as detached or separate, and as constructed and the parts secured together in
accordance with the improvements of this Invention, all ready for being attached to
the horse's hoof by the iron shoe B, and its nails B¹ passed through the large flat
piece of strong hide, ben, or belt leather a, the full size of the hoof A placed
between it and the shoe, as seen in Figure 1, so far much in an ordinary manner.
But by these improvements having the pad b, b', constructed of a conoidal shape
analogous to the shape of the frog in plan, having a broad parallel or flat bearing
part b, b, at the base towards the back between the heels, and over the central hard
part of the frog tapering away thin towards the edges b' all round, as flanges for
securing this pad b, 61, proper by copper or other malleable metal rivets d to the
leather foundation part a preferably with a thin piece leather c between them for
raising the pad b to the particular thickness or flush, or rather beyond the flush of
the iron shoe B which are variable in thickness; and the joints between the pad
and these thicknesses of leather may be further secured or cemented together by
с

page_text: dissolved india-rubber or gutta-percha solutions, or other adhessive solutions not
dissolvable by water, all before the attachment of the leather and pad so formed to
the hoof; Figures 5 and 6 show a side view and under plan of a horse's hoof, as
fitted with a slightly different modification or arrangement from that shown and
described in reference to Figures 1 to 4, the lower bearing surface b, b, of the pad
b, b1, being shown as roughened or cross cut, so as to take a good gripping hold as
in frosty weather or on slippery ground (while that in Figures 1 to 4 is shown as
smooth on the surface), and secured by broad headed copper or other malleable
metal nails d¹ clenched on the upper side of the leather a, securing the whole a, b,
between the hoof A and the iron shoe B, which has a part of its one side and heel
as cut away at A¹ to illustrate one adaptation of these improvements to a hoof with
corns or injuries at the outer edge; Figures 7 and 8 show the pad a, b, in edge
section and under face view separate or detached; and Figure 9 shows an arrange-
ment of the india-rubber pad b, b¹, proper, and the thickness of leather c under it as
secured by solution and sewing at du to the sheet leather a, instead of by rivets d
or nails d' as in the former Figures 1 to 8. These new or improved pads b afford
a greater and improved bearing surface to the back part of the frog and hoof A,
especially beneficial in cases where any part of the iron shoe B itself has to be cut
away or modified, as indicated at A', in one application in Figures 5 and 6 for
corns or injuries at the edge of the hoof.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction or combination and attachment of the parts of
pads a, b, either with or without making up pieces of leather c for the shoeing of
horses, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction of vulcanized india-rubber pads b, and the mode and
means of attaching them by rivets, nails, or sewing round their edges to the leather
sole a of horse shoes, either with or without intermediate packing pieces of
leather C, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Millar Eckford and William Williams,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JAMES MILLAR ECKFORD. (L.S.)
WILLIAM WILLIAMS.
(L.S.)