Improvements in Steel and other Horse Shoes and Plates, and in Calks therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1893-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steel and other Horse Shoes and Plates, and in
Calks therefor.
1, 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 Amerien, 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 to toe calks therefor, formed of
steel or other hard metal, such as ordinary horse shoes, or those known as racing
plates.
The invention aims to provide an improved shoe, and an improved toe calk.
The improved shoe has on its outer side a downwardly projecting sharp gripping
edge, which is the lowermost part of the body of the shoe, inwardly thereof a
groove through which the nail holes are forined, beyond this groove a second
gripping edge of less projection than the first, and beyond this an upwardly inclined
bottom wall of considerable width extending to the top wall of the shoe. The
improved calk has a sharp point, a shoulder on its front side bearing on the outer
gripping edge, an inclined shank fitting in the groove, and an inclined rear wall
extending from this shank to the point. The calk when required is brazed to the
toe of the shoe, but the shoe can be used without the calk, or the calk can be used
with any other shoe if desired.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a view of the under side of the improved shoe and calk, Fig. 2 is an
edge view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof on the line 3-3 in
Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a front view, Fig. 5 a cross-section, and Fig. 6 a rear view of the calk
alone;
Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, showing diagrammatically the position
of the calk when the shoe is on the hoof of a horse as the toe of the horse strikes
the ground in running;
Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the shoe through one of the nail holes, cut on the
line 8-8 of Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the toe of the shoe when used without a calk, showing
diagrammatically the position of the gripping edge as the hoof of the horse strikes
the ground in running.
Referring to the drawings, A is the shoe as a whole, B is the bottom face thereof,
C the top face thereof, D the front face or edge thereof, E the inner side edge
thereof, F the heel calks thereof, G the toe calk thereof, and H the nail holes
through the body, through which nails can be driven for fastening the shoe to the
hoof of a horse.
According to my improvements I construct the shoe with a longitudinal gripping
edge a at the extreme outer edge of the bottom face of the shoe, making this edge
the lowermost part of the body of the shoe. The front wall D is slightly inclined
inwardly and extends from the top C to this edge. At the inner side of this edge
I provide a deep groove b, which lias a rearwardly inclined wall e, a top wall g, and
an oppositely inclined wall f. Inwardly of the groove I provide a second gripping
edge c of less projection than the edge a. The edge c begins at the lower extremity

page_text: of the wall f, and is formed by the intersection with this wall of a wide rearwardly
inclined wall d, which extends from the inside edge E of the shoe outwardly and
inwardly at an angle which would intersect the gripping edge a. The edge a,
groove 1, edge c and wall d extend from one heel F to the other heel F of the
shoe. The nail holes H are formed in the thin metal of the body in the line of the
groove b, so that the heads of the nails are seated in this groove.
In use of the improved shoe without calks, the main weight on the shoe is
received on the gripping edge a, and all strains incident to striking of the hoof on
the ground when running are received by this edge. The wall e of the groove b is
rearwardly inclined to bring it substantially vertical when the shoe is in the
position at which the toe of the horse strikes the ground in running, as shown in
Fig. 9. This inclination makes at the outer edge of the shoe, a portion of metal
of substantially triangular cross-section, which gives great strength at this point,
while providing an acute gripping portion all around the outer side of the shoe.
The second gripping edge receives only a minor portion of the strains of use, but
while the horse is standing flat on the shoes the broad inclined inner wall d receives
a large portion of the pressure against the ground, and distributes this pressure to
the hoof of the horse over the wide upper face C of the shoe. The inclination of
the bottom face of the shoe from the edge E at the inner side to the gripping
edge a at the outer side, prevents the holding of any lumps of mud or ice within
the shoe under the hoof of the horse. The intervention of the groove between
the edges a and c, divides the body of the shoe into two longitudinal portions of
substantially triangular cross-section, which are linked together by the intermediate
metal above the groove. This gives great rigidity to the shoe against hending or
spreading outwardly. The shoe as thus constructed has the maximum of gripping
power on the ground, and of bearing surface for the hoof, while having the desired
rigidity to resist spreading of the hoof. Very little metal is required for its
structure, and its weight is reduced to the minimum.
The improved calk G is especially adapted for the improved shoe. It has a
front downwardly projecting point h, and upward rearwardly inclined shank i fitting
into the groove 1, and seating at its end against the wall g of the groove, and a
front shoulder seating on the gripping edge a of the shoe. The front wall of the
shank fits the inclined wall e of the groove, and the rear wall of the shank
extends downward in an angle to the point. From the point to the shoulder ; the
outer wall of the calk is substantially vertical, as shown in Fig. 5. The shoulder j
distributes part of the strain on the calk to the gripping edge a, and the upper end
of the shauk i distributes the remainder of the strain to the shoe at the top of the
groove b. Thus the strain is evenly distributed over the body of the shoe..
In use, the calk as shown in Fig. 7, stands with its rear wall substantially vertical
when the toe of the shoe strikes the ground in running. The cross-section of its
point is sufficiently angular to give it enough strength to resist any bending tendency.
It is attached to the shoe by brazing it to the gripping edge a, the front wall e,
and the top wall g of the groove.
My improved shoe and calk can be made very cheaply and of very light weight.
The size and weight will be graduated according to the nature of use of the shoe.
For a race horse, a very light slender shoe will be employed, while for a road or
work horse a heavier shoe will be used. The heel and toe calks will be used or
dispensed with as desired.
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 body with a gripping edge at the outer
side of its working face, a front wall extending from the top of the shoe to the
gripping edge, and an inclined and grooved bottom wall extending from the
gripping edge diagonally inwardly and upwardly to the inner side of the top edge,
substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. A horse shoe having a gripping edge at its outer side commencing at the
bottom of its front wall, a groove inside of said edge, a second gripping edge of
less projection than the first inside of said groove, and an upwardly inclined bottom
wall extending from the second gripping edge to the inuer edge of the shoe at the
top thereof, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A horse shoe having on its bottom face a gripping edge constituting the lowest
portion of the body of the shoe, a deep groove inwardly of said edge, and nail
holes through the body of the shoe, for attaching it to the hoof of the horse,
located in the line of said groove, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. A horse shoe having a body of the cross-section shown in Figs. 8 and 9.
5. A toe calk for horse shoes having a lower point, an upward rearwardly inclined
shank, and a shoulder between said point and shank, the shoulder bearing on the
lower outer edge of the shoe, and the shank bearing on the upper inner portion of
the body of the shoe, substantially as herein before described.
6. A horse shoe having a gripping edge a and a groove b, and a calk G for said
shoe baving a point h, an upper shank i fitting said groove and brazed therein, and
a shoulder bearing on said edge of the shoe, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown.
7. The calk for horse shoes, substantially as shown in Figs. 4 to 6.
8. The horse shoe and calk, substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Dated this 2nd don of Tana1806
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.