Improvements in Horse-shoe Nails.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse-shoe Nails.
I JAMES VERNON of Newton Stewart, Scotland, Upholsterer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the improvement of nails to be used for attaching the
shoes of horses, and has for its object to obviate the splitting and breaking of the
hoof and the injury to the foot by the nails.
L'he
Hitherto the nails generally employed have been rectangular in cross section, and
have had a tendency to tear the hoof somewhat with their sharp edges, and thereby
permit the entrance of wet into the nail holes, which has the effect of rusting the
nails and leaving the holes encrusted with rust when the nails are removed.
result is, that the nail holes are prevented by the rust from closing, and the hoof
is therefore needlessly weakened the next time of shoeing, for the smith will never
use the same holes twice if it can be helped.
According to my invention, l'avoid unnecessary tearing or splitting of the foot,
by making the nails with rounded off edges on one or both sides, and I prevent
rusting by nickel plating the nails.
The plating has the additional advantage of causing less injury to the inner or
sensitive parts of the foot, should a prick occur in shoeing carelessly, or in shoeing
weak and broken feet, than is caused by the prick of a common, and possibly
rusty nail.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse-shoe Nails.
1 JAMES VERNON of Newton Stewart, Scotland, Upholsterer, 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 nails for attaching the shoes of horses to their hoofs, and
has for its object the improvement of such nails, so as to avoid as far as possible
injuring the horn.
The nails usually employed for attaching shoes to the animal's hoof, are of iron or
steel, which metals are very likely to corrode, both by the natural secretions from the
horn, and also the external moisture to which the hoof is exposed.-The result of such
corrosion is, that the nails are weakened, and on removal from their holes the latter
are found to be lined with rust, which has a strong effect in retarding the natural
closing up of the pierced horn.
The rectangular form of the nail now employed to some extent increases the injury
caused by the corrosion and rust, for the sharp angles are apt to rend and split the
horn, particularly in weak feet, and to make a larger hole in their passage than is
desirable, thereby admitting external moisture and wet, to the further corrosion of
the nails.
It is well known that the natural lengthening of the foot, and also the custom of
the farrier, prevents the repeated use of the same nail holes, the nails being driven
into a fresh place higher up as the hoof grows and is shortened at each succeeding
shoeing.
This being the case, it is highly important to guard against cracking and splitting
of the horn, which, if once established, is likely to spread, and to take a very long

page_text: time to grow out. It will be understood that though, at each shoeing, a portion of
the lower part of the hoof is removed, this portion is not so large that the nail holes
of the preceding shoeing are entirely cut out. It follows, therefore, that there is
always a portion of the previously pierced, and consequently weakened horn, in
immediate contact. with the shoe where there is much concussion.
This is a necessary evil, which cannot be entirely avoided, as long as shoes continue
to be attached by nails, but it is possible to palliate the evil to some extent, and thus
increase (by lessening the injury to the animal's foot) the security of attachment of
the shoe.
According to my invention, I render the nail incapable of corrosion by coating
or plating the same with an innocuous non-corrodible metal, such, for example, as
nickel, and I further form the nails of an oval or semi-oval cross section, which
form is less likely to split the hoof than the rectangular form usually adopted, and
more completely fill up the holes made by the passage of the nails, thereby preventing
the entrance of external moisture.
In the accompanying drawing I have shewn, on an enlarged scale, side and front
views and cross sections of the form of nail I propose to employ.
The plating is effected preferably by electro deposition, the nails properly formed
for use being coated with nickel in a manner that will be well understood.
When nails thus plated are used, it will be found that no corrosion takes place
about them; they will therefore remain strong to the last, and on their removal from
the hoof, the nail hole will more readily close, being unincumbered with rust, and
such foreign matter, which is very injurious to the horn, and may possibly cause
inflammation to be set up, should any sensitive part within the hoof be inadvertently
pricked by the smith when driving the nail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Coating or plating horse-shoe nails with an innocuous non-corrodible metal, as
nickel, as and for the purpose described.
2. A horse shoe nail of an oval or semi-oval form, coated with a non-corrodible
metal, as nickel, as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1889.
WATTINT c CON
NE
TON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.