IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES, AND IN THE MACHINERY USED FOR SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, 'Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in
the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES, AND IN THE
MACHINERY USED FOR SUCH MANUFACTURE."- A communication from abroad
by Léon Chrysostôme Viel, and Pierre Michel Sibut, of the Firm Viel,
Sibut aing and Company. Paris.
Sealed the 13th March 1866, and dated the 23rd September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, 'on the
23rd September 1865.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow,, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES AND IN THE
MACHINERY USED FOR, SUCH MANUFACTURE," (a communication to me from abroad
by Léon Chrysostome Viel and Pierre Michel Sibut, of the Firm Viel, Sibut,
ainé, and Company, Paris, to be as follows:-
These improvements, apply not only to the horse-shoes themselves, but also

page_text: to the machinery or apparatus used for manufacturing the same. The shoes
are made entirely by mechanical means, which obviates the imperfections of
forging and piercing by band; this latter operation especially requiring the
greatest care in order that the iron may not split at the edge, and that the
holes may be pierced at the desired points, so that the farrier in driving the
nails may not injure the animals. Each shoe is formed of a round rod or bar
cut to a suitable length, and submitted at once to a machine called the
"shaping machine," the object of which is to stamp the ends of the horse-
shoe to their proper thickness. For this purpose the machine, which is
double so as to operate upon two bars at one time, is furnished with a double
set of dies and punches. The bar when stamped is placed on the table of a
machine which bends or curves it round a central core, at the same time
imparting to it, by means of jaws of suitable form, the requisite dimensions of
the finished shoe. Whilst the iron is still held by the bending machine, the
tuble of the latter passes under a machine which carries a movable block
having as many punches as there are holes to be pierced in the shoe. These
punches cut and stamp the holes, which are then ready to receive the nails.
The horse-shoe is then entirely finished. The various machines can be used
for the manufacture of shoes of different dimensions, as the workings parts,
being movable in their supports, can be readily altered or replaced, and the
machines also possess peculiarities which will be readily understood from the
following detailed description.
The shaping machine is constructed as follows A suitable frame is
provided with two tables having matrices sliding in horizontal V grooves,
above which are punches sliding in vertical V grooves, and actuated alter-
nately by means of excentrics keyed upou a revolving shaft. The outer side
of the iron is shaped by means of movable hammers forced inwards by levers
which are actuated by the ascent of the frame which carries the punches.
The bar being thus forced and shaped is taken to the bending machine, one
part of which curves it to the required form, and another part punches the
hules for the nails, thus finishing the shoe.
The bending portion of the machine is as follows:-Upon a table sliding in
V grooves is fixed a mandrel or core intended to form the inner part of the
shoe, and a sliding cross head provided with two jaws jointed thereto, the
outer extremities of the said jaws being furnished with rollers working against
cams or shaping plates Axed to the table, so that as the cross-head advances
the jaws are forced inwards, so as to bend the bar round-the core. The cross-
head is forced forwards by means of a screw.
.
f
The punching portion of the machine is somewhat similar to. the shaping

page_text: machine, consisting of a frame having two tables and two sets of panches
working in vertical V grooves, and actuated by means of excentrics fixed on a
revolving shaft.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office
23rd March 1866.
"A
1.
on the
i
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn; in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 87, St. Vincent Street in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by: Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in. the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her Heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Davies, Her' special lideride that I, the said George Davies,
my executors; administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,- the said
George Davies, tity executors', administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Mait, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
NENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES, AND IN THE MACHINERY USED FOR
SUCH MANUFACTURE," being a communication to me from abroad by Leon
Chrysostomie Viel, and Pierre Michel Sibut, of the Firm Viel, Sibut, ainé, and
Company, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Davies, my exécutors or administrators, by an instrument 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.
i
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Davies, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
that is to say:

page_text: These improvements apply not only to the horse-shoes themselves, but
also to the machinery or apparatus used for manufacturing the same.. The
shoes are made entirely by mechanical means, which obviates the imper-
fections of forging and piercing by hand, this latter operation especially requiring
the greatest care in order that the iron may not split at the edge, and that
the holes may be pierced at the desired points, so that the farrier in driving
the nails may not injure the animals. Each shoe is formed of a round rod
or bar cut to a suitable length, and submitted at once to a machine called the
'shaping machine," the object of which is to stamp the ends of the horse
shoe to their proper thickness. For this purpose the machine, which is
double so as to operate upon two bars at one time, is furnished with a double
set of dies and punches. The bar when stamped is placed on the table of
a machine which bends or curves it round a central core, at the same time
imparting to it by means of jaws of suitable form the requisite dimensions of
the finished shoe. Whilst the iron is still held by the bending machine, the
table of the latter passes under a machine which carries a moveable block
having as many punches as there are .holes to be pierced in the shoe; these
punches cut and stamp the holes which are then ready to receive the nails..
The horse-shoe is then entirely finished. The various machines can be used
for the manufacture of shoes of different dimensions, as the working parts,
being moveable in their supports, can be readily altered or replaced; and, the
machines also possess pecularities which will be readily understood from the
following detailed description.
The shaping machine is constructed as follows:-A suitable frame is pro-
vided with two tables having matrices sliding in horizontal V
grooves, above
which are punches sliding in vertical V grooves, and actuated alternately by
means of excentrics keyed upon a revolving shaft. The outer side of the
iron is shaped by means of moveable hammers forced inwards by levers which
are actuated by the ascent of the frame which carries the punches. The bar
being thus forged and shaped is taken to the bending machine, one part of
which curves it to the required form, and another part punches the holes for
the nails, thus finishing the shoe.
The bending portion of the machine is as follows:-Upon a table sliding
in V grooves is fixed a mandril or core intended to form the inner part of
the shoe, and a sliding cross head provided with two jaws jointed thereto, the
outer extremities of the said jaws being furnished with rollers working
against cams or shaping plates fixed to the table, so that as the cross head
advances the jaws are forced inwards so as to bend the bar round the core.
The cross head is forced forwards by means of a screw. The punching

page_text: portion of the machine is somewhat similar to the shaping machine, con-
sisting of a frame having two tables and two sets of punches working in
vertical V grooves, and actuated by means of excentrics fixed on a revolving
shaft.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Improvements
in the Manufacture of Horse Shoes and in the Machinery used for such
Manufacture," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect;
and in order that the same may be distinctly understood I have annexed
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say,-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a double-shaping
machine, that is to say, that which stamps the round bar to give it the form
and thickness desired. Figure 2 is a corresponding front view. At the two
extremities of a frame B are arranged the tables T, T', which receive the
matrices M and M' adjusted. in V grooves to allow of their sliding horizontally.
These matrices each present two recesses x and x¹ perfectly square, in which
are placed alternately the two halves of the round bar which is to form the
shoe. The third side of the recesses is formed by a moveable hammer mand m',
which is intended to forge the side, as will be seen hereafter. Directly above
the recesses x and x¹ are the punches a and a¹ adjusted in a single head A,
which moves vertically in slide c on the face of the principal frame. Each of i
the heads A is put in movement alternately by the central shaft C, which is
formed excentric, and is driven by gearing keyed upon the driving shaft D
mounted parallel to the frame. Between the head A and the extremity of the
shaft C is placed a wedge e, which is caused to slide forwards when it is
desired to interrupt the action of the punches a and a¹. Each of the hammers
m and m¹ is driven by an adjusting screw v, v, which is tapped on to the
shorter arm of the lever L oscillating on the axis l, fixed on a projecting lug
of the frame. The longer arm of the lever is curved, as seen at Figure 2, so as
(by means of the friction roller g) to be actuated by the ascending movement
of the head A. The round bar, held in a pair of pincers, as shown at Figure; 1,
is submitted to the action of the punch a, which flattens it to the desired
thickness as shown at y in Figure 1, a thickness rather less than that which
is contained in the recess ¹ of the matrix M beneath the punch a'. When
the head A rises by the rotation of the principal shaft C, the parts g¹ act upon
the friction rollers g, and force the levers L and L' to oscillate upon their
axes land, and to drive forward the hammers m and m', which act against

page_text: the sides of the bar. The latter thus forged on one half of its length is with-
drawn and submitted immediately to the action of the recess and punch a¹,
which produces the side y slightly thicker than the preceding. These
differences of thickness constitute one of the principal points of the Invention
Each turn of the main shaft C effects the shaping of two bars at a time, that
is to say, one upon each side of the machine.
Below each of the recesses and is placed a pusher p or p', which is
actuated by pressing on the pedal P or P¹, and which serves to push the
forged bar out of the recess of the matrix. In this state the bar thus prepared
or modified is submitted to the action of a curving or bending machine, which
forms a part of the machine which punches the holes, and in fact finishes the
shoe completely.
The punching machine is so constructed as to support (upon two pro-
longations of its frame) the tables of the two bending machines on which
the bars are received as fast as the forging or shaping machine can supply
them.
Figure 3 is a side elevation (partly in section) of the punching machine
which finishes two shoes at a time; Figure 4 is à corresponding front view;
Figure 5 is a plan view, as seen from above, with only one of the bending
machines attached; Figure 6 is a detached plan view of one of the berding
machines removed from its place on the punching machine; Figure 7 is a
side view of one of the bending machines; ench of these bending machines
being composed of the same parts one only will here be described, but the
same letters of reference are placed upon the corresponding parts in the three
Figures 5, 6, and 7.
2
The framing of the bending machine rests upon the projecting part S,
which forms each extremity of the main frame of the punching machine, that
is to say, upon the prolongation which receives the table F by means of a
dovetail fitting in the V-slides F. Upon this table F is fixed the mandrif
or former f, which serves to give the interior form to the horse-shoe. The
slides guide the cross-piece H, which is actuated by means of the square-'
threaded screw h³ working in the nut h. The cross-piece H carries at i
and the two jaws I and I, furnished with steel dies k and ke" to form the
exterior of the horse-shoe. Each of these jaws I and I carries a friction'
roller n, which bends the bar round' the mandril or former f, and a second
friction roller n¹ placed at the end, which rolls on the face of a cam or curved
projection N fixed' on the table F, to effect the bending or curving of the two
sides of the horse-shoe. The extremity of the screw his terminated By a
square, which is embraced by a socket o at one end of a shaft O which passes

page_text: through the hollow shaft Q. The end of the shaft O is screwed to receive an
adjusting nut U, which limits the longitudinal motion of the former, which
can thus be regulated at pleasure. Rotary movement is given to the shaft O
by means of spur wheels and fast and loose pulleys. The bar X prepared by
the shaping niachine is placed on the jaws I and I', as seen at Figure 6, that
is to say, just touching the former f, and its position lengthwise is regulated
by the sliding abutment u. If a rotary movement be now imparted to the
screw h¹ it will push the cross-piece H forward, which causes the friction
rollers n to approach and act upon the iron bar, forcing it to bend or curve
itself round the former or mandril f. As the screw continues to advance the
rollers n¹.come in contact with the cams or projections N, which move the
jaws. I and I on their axes and cause the bar to embrace perfectly
the former f, and assume the desired curve, as represented at Figure 5. At
this moment the square head of the screw h' leaves the socket o as the
screw U abuts against the frame. The exact position of the shoe under the
piece P which carries the punches p can be regulated with the greatest
picety by moving the table F in the slides F¹. The piece P is mounted in the
head P, and is driven in a similar manner to the head A of the shaping
machine. The parts of the punching machines, Figures 3, 4, and 5, being
the same and working in the same manner as those in Figures 1 and 2, are
marked with the same letters of reference. I would here remark that each
piece P may be very easily regulated by means of a nut z acting upon a
screw p¹, which forms part thereof. As the punches descend. they pierce and
countersink the shoe, and give it the appearance represented at Figure 8,
which is drawn full size. The holes are pierced perfectly in their respective
places, and the shoe cannot be in any case injured at the edges. The shoe is
removed by pushing it from below by means of a rod suitably arranged. To
re-engage the square head of the screw h¹ with the socket o the shaft O must
be moved longitudinally by means of a small pinions, which gears with the
rack s¹, one of the extremities of which is forked, and embraces the groove o¹,
as seen at Figure 7. The pinions is actuated by the hand wheel V. The
band wheel h³ serves for giving direct movement to the screw h¹ when
necessary.
It should be understood that the horse-shoe shown in the Drawing is
simply given as an exemplification, the form and dimensions of which are
completely optional. The different working parts of the machines before
described are so constructed and arranged as to admit of their being changed
or modified so as to serve for the manufacture of horse-shoes of all kinds and

page_text: any dimensions without in any way interfering with the construction of the
machines themselves.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"Improvements in the Manufacture of Horse-shoes, and in the Machinery
used for such Manufacture," together with the manner in which the same is
to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that I claim as the Invention communicated to me by the aforesaid
Léon Chrysostome Viel and Pierre Michel Sibut,
Firstly, the apparatus whereby the iron is forged of different thicknesses.
Secondly, the particular arrangements of the machine. for shaping or
modifying the bar of iron which is to be converted into a horse-shoe..
Thirdly, the arrangement of the curving or bending. machine and the
improved combinations which it presents.
And, fourthly, the adaptation of the bending machine to the piercing and
countersinking machine which finishes the shoe by punching the holes in the
desired-places.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)