Improvements in Steel and other Racing Plates and Horse Shoes, and Toe Calks therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steel and other Racing Plates and Horse Shoes,
and Toe Calks therefor.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH KENT, residing at No. 94 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn,
Kings County, New York, and doing business at No. 70 Wall Street, in the City,
County and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 horse shoes, and is especially applicable to that class of
horse shoes known to the trade as "racing plates," in which lightness combined
with strength, capability of affording a firm hold, and a sufficiently broad inner
surface to afford a support for the hoof, are important features. Such plates are
used with or without toe and heel calks as circumstances require, it being
customary to use a plate without calks in dry weather, or when the plates are to be
used on a smooth hard race track, and to use plates having toe and heel calks in
wet weather, or when it is a soft or muddy track upon which a horse wearing the
plates is to be run.
My present invention aims to provide an improved racing plate which shall have
the necessary hold, breadth, strength and lightness, and can be made of steel or
other hard metal, and be constructed either with or without toe and heel calks, and
the invention further aims to provide an improved toe calk for such plates.
To this end in carrying out the preferred form of the first part of my invention,
I construct the shoe or plate of a single bar of steel or other hard metal having a
wide flat upper face or bearing, a downwardly and inwardly inclined front face
terminating in a bottom gripping edge, an upwardly and inwardly inclined
longitudinal groove on its bottom face, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined
bottom. The inward inclination of the front face is very slight, while that of the
bottom is very marked and its contour is slightly concave. The front and rear
walls of the groove diverge from an upper point until they meet respectively the
front face and bottom face of the plate, forming acute angles therewith which
constitute gripping edges traversing the shoe longitudinally. The nail holes are
disposed within the groove. The plate thus constructed serves for use when no
calks are required.
According to the second feature of my invention I provide an improved toe calk
particularly applicable to my improved plate, preferably constructing this toe calk
of a sheet of folded steel having a shoulder engaging the front face of the plate, a
downwardly and outwardly inclined edge projecting from the plate in the direction
of thrust as the hoof strikes the ground in use, a socket or groove embracing the
outer gripping edge of the plate, and an inclined body which fits within the groove
of the latter.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of my
improvements,
Fig. 1 is a bottom face view of my improved racing plate with calks applied
thereto;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;
Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a face view, and Fig. 5 an edge view, of the blank from which the toe
calk is formed:

page_text: Fig. 6 is a face view, Fig. 7 an edge view, and Fig. 8 a transverse section, of
the toe calk in its completed form before being applied to the shoe, and
Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the shoe as the hoof strikes
the ground.
Referring to the drawings, let A indicate my improved horse shoe or racing
plate, and B my improved toe calk.
According to the first part of my invention, the shoe or plate A has a flat top
bearing face C which comes against the hoof of the horse, and is sufficiently broad
to afford a proper support for the hoof, a downwardly and slightly inwardly
inclined front face D terminating in a bottom gripping edge E traversing the
length of the shoe, immediately at rear of which edge is an upwardly and inwardly
inclined groove F extending longitudinally of the shoe from heel to heel thereof,
and at the inner side of this groove is a downwardly and outwardly inclined and
slightly concave bottom G. The groove F has an upwardly and inwardly inclined
outer wall a extending from the edge E upwardly into the body of the shoe, an
inwardly and downwardly inclined inner wall c extending from the bottom G
upwardly into the body of the shoe, and a curved or otherwise suitably formed
top at the junction of its walls a and c. The points where the walls of the
groove meet the front face D and the bottom face G respectively, constitute
longitudinal gripping edges, the outer one lettered E serving the most useful
function in affording a firm hold on the ground in use. Throughout its body the
plate is traversed by nail holes I which are punched through at the top of the
groove F, where the metal body of the plate is thin, and the heads of the nails
will be embedded in the groove.
When this plate is to be used without toe or heel calks, it is of uniform vertical
thickness from end to end, permitting the hoof to rest flat over the ground and
affording a uniform support for it at all points. It is of great lightness and
strength. The outward slope of its bottom G prevents the retention within the
shoe of any earthy or other accumulation beneath the hoof.
"
In practice I prefer to construct the gripping edge E projected slightly below
the rest of the plate, as this increases the strength of hold of the plate, and in some
instances suffices to do away with the necessity for what are known as "mud plates'
or those especially adapted for use on muddy tracks. The greater relative lateral
cross-section of the plate gives it a sufficient strength to resist the tendency to
lateral expansion of the hoof under the pressure of the coffin-joint when a horse is
in violent action. It is important to resist this pressure, as otherwise it may injure
or crack the hoof. Another important feature in the construction of the plate is.
the sloping of both sides of the groove F, which permits the person applying the
plate to the hoof to slant the nails in either direction. Thus when the front nails
are driven home, the rear nails can be slanted outwardly without the necessity of
twisting the heels of the plate to permit this slant. Such twisting would destroy
the shape of the plate, and consequently impair it as a support for the hoof, and
reduce its power to resist expansion at the heels in use.
My improved plate as thus constructed can be made of steel, and of a weight of
from two to five ounces according as it is to be used as a racing or working plate
or shoe.
I will now describe the second part of my invention relating to the toe calk B.
When a calked plate is to be used, the heel calks are formed in any suitable
manner, in the construction shown by turning down the heels of the plate A to
form heel calks A¹. The toe calk according to my invention consists of a separate
piece from the plate A, adapted to be brazed or otherwise suitably connected
thereto, composed of a single piece of folded sheet metal, having a downwardly and
outwardly inclined point or edge and grooves and shoulders on its upper body
fitting the contour of the gripping edge and bottom face of the plate or shoe
and adapted for attachment to this face. As shown, the toe calk B has a point or
edge e projecting from the gripping edge E of the plate outwardly and downwardly
at an angle substantially 45 degrees from the horizontal of the plate, a shoulder f

page_text: at its upper front side, which shoulder bears on the front of the gripping edge E, a
groove g adjacent to this shoulder receiving and fitting the gripping edge, an
inwardly and upwardly inclined body which fits and bears against the wall a of
the bottom face of the shoe or plate, a shoulder or bend i fitting the top of the
groove F, and a tongue j passing through a hole k traversing the plate.
The toe calk may be constructed of any sufficiently hard material, and it may
be constructed of the general form shown, in any suitable manner, but I prefer to
construct it of a single piece of sheet steel folded upon itself, and to form the
necessary point, shoulders, grooves and bearing faces, by bending or using the
edges of, the steel sheet itself. In the construction shown this is accomplished by
means of a punched steel blank of the form shown in Fig. 4, which has a front
flap l, a rear flap m, and a central or otherwise suitably located tongue n. This
blank is of arc shape and is folded on itself on the line p, the fold forming the
point or edge e of the calk, and the flaps and m forming the body or re-enforce
for this edge down to the point q, where the front flap terminates. Thus the
point and its re-enforcing body constitute an edge of double or folded metal of
substantially uniform thickness throughout its length, whereby, as the point wears
upwardly toward the plate it maintains the same degree of sharpness, since the
thickness of its body is substantially equal, until the plate is reached.
The upper
edge of the flap constitutes the shoulder f, and the space between this edge and
the inner flap m constitutes the groove 9, while the body of the flap m extends
upwardly and inwardly and constitutes the face h, and its extreme edge, which is
preferably turned downwardly as a bend r, constitutes the shoulder i, which fits
within and bears against the top of the groove F. The tongue n of the blank is
continued upwardly and inwardly at an inclination substantially similar to that of
the flap m, and passes through a corresponding hole k, traversing the plate, within
which hole it serves as a tonguej for guiding and holding the toe in position on
the plate until it is permanently fixed thereon.
In practice the improved toe calks are stamped out in quantities to fit the
particular plates or shoes for which they are designed, and then they are applied
to these plates as required. In applying the calk B, its tongue is passed into the
bole k in the plate, and the calk is moved against the plate until the gripping edge
of the plate is well seated in the groove g of the calk, or until the reciprocal faces
on the calk and plate properly correspond, and the parts are held in this position
until the brazing operation is completed. Then the calk is properly tempered
whereupon it ready for use.
In brazing the spelter flows into all surfaces between the calk and plate and into
the folds between the two flaps of the calk, and renders the parts then practically
a single integral piece. The calk has great strength, hardness and durability,
while its construction is so light that the added weight of the plate, due to its
application thereto, is barely perceptible.
In use the projection of the toe calk at an angle downwardly and outwardly
from the toe, brings it substantially into line with the direction of the thrust as
the shoe strikes the ground in running, so that the calk receives the impact of the
blow in such a manner that the concussion due to the shoe striking the ground is
transmitted directly upward through the body of the calk instead of laterally
relative thereto. This direct stroke avoids the tendency to bend the point
of the calk either upwardly or rearwardly, and therefore prevents undue
dulling of its edge. This inclination of the calk also gives a very perfect grip,
particularly when a horse is running on a muddy or soft track, since it preserves
the calk at right angles to the forward thrust given by the toe as the horse springs,
and as the toe then rests in a rearwardly inclined position the calk is then
consequently substantially perpendicular to the ground.
It will be seen that my invention provides improved horse shoes or racing
plates, and improved toe calks therefor which are cheap, light, easy of application,
and effective in operation; and it will be understood that the invention is not
limited to the particular details of construction, arrangement or combination set

page_text: forth as constituting its preferred form, since the invention may be availed of
in whole or in part according to such modifications as circumstances or the judgment
of those skilled in the art may dictate, without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
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. A horse shoe or racing plate having a wide top bearing face C, a downwardly
inclined front face D, a gripping edge E at termination thereof, a groove Fat
the inner side of said gripping edge, a downwardly and outwardly inclined bottom G,
and nail holes disposed within said groove, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. A horse shoe or racing plate having a wide top bearing face C, a downwardly
inclined front face D, a gripping edge E at termination thereof, a groove F having
oppositely sloping walls a and c at the inner side of said gripping edge, a down-
wardly and outwardly inclined bottom G, and nail holes disposed within said
groove, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A horse shoe A, having an outer front wall D, a gripping edge E at the
bottom of said wall, and a wall a on its under face, in combination with a calk B,
having a bearing edge e, shoulder, embracing the wall D in front of said gripping
edge E, a groove g, receiving said gripping edge, and a face h, embracing said
wall a, said calk brazed to said shoe, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
4. A horse shoe A, having a gripping edge E and a groove F on its bottom
face, in combination with a toe calk B, having an edge e, a shoulder f, embracing
said gripping edge, a face h, and a shoulder i seating in said groove, said calk
brazed to said shoe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The improved toe calk for horse shoes, having a downwardly and forwardly
inclined edge and upwardly and rearwardly inclined body, a shoulder on its upper
face adapted to embrace the front face of the horse shoe and a face at rear of
this shoulder adapted to embrace the under face of a horse shoe, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
6. The improved toe calk for horse shoes, consisting of a piece of sheet metal
folded on itself and having at its fold a bearing edge, and above its fold faces
adapted to fit and be attached to the bottom face of a horse shoe, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
7. The improved toe calk for horse shoes, consisting of a piece of sheet metal,
having flaps and m folded together and constituting at their fold the bearing
edge of the calk, and constituting above this edge faces for attachment to a horse
shoe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. The improved toe calk for horse shoes, consisting of a piece of sheet metal
having a bearing edge e, a shoulder f, a groove g, a face h, a shoulder i, and a
tongue i, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 29th day of November 1894.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.