Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to horse hoof care tools. A horse hoof pick is used for removing foreign material from the horse&#39;s hoof. This foreign matter may include (e.g., dirt, clay, stones, etc.). The pick is used to pry this foreign matter from the horse hoof. Measurements of a horse&#39;s hoof may be taken to evaluate hoof growth. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention provides a hoof pick measure tool that includes a hoof pick and a measuring body. The hoof pick may be used to remove foreign material from a horse&#39;s hoof. Additionally, the hoof pick measure tool further includes the measuring body. The measuring body allows a user to take measurements of the horse&#39;s hoof to evaluate changes in dimensions of areas in the horse&#39;s hoof. These dimensions may include (e.g., hoof width, hoof length, sole and frog proportions, concavity, central sulcus depth, collateral groove depth, heel height, bar height, hoof wall, white line thickness, etc.). These dimensions are important to evaluate hoof rehabilitation and hoof maintenance. By keeping a log of growth measurements, a user will be able to easily track a horses progress. Any horse owner or horse care provider or veterinarian will find the hoof pick measure tool a useful device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    The features of the present invention will best be understood from a detailed description of the invention and a preferred embodiment thereof selected for the purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of a first side of a hoof pick measure tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of the hoof pick measure tool of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of a second side of the hoof pick measure tool of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  illustrates a plan view of another embodiment of the hoof pick measure tool including a metric measurement scale; 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  illustrates a plan view of a horse hoof; 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a width of the horse hoof; 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a length of the horse hoof; 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a heel height from a bottom of the collateral groove; 
           [0012]      FIG. 9  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a bar height; 
           [0013]      FIG. 10  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof; 
           [0014]      FIG. 11  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10  including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a central sulcus depth; 
           [0015]      FIG. 12  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10  including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a wall height of the horse hoof; 
           [0016]      FIG. 13  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof including the hoof pick measure tool and a flat surface reference device; 
           [0017]      FIG. 14  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof taken along line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 13 , including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure a collateral groove depth at an apex of a frog of the horse hoof; 
           [0018]      FIG. 15  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof including the hoof pick measure tool and the flat surface reference device; 
           [0019]      FIG. 16  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof taken along line  16 - 16  of  FIG. 15 , including using the hoof pick measure tool to measure the collateral groove depth toward a heel portion of the horse hoof; 
           [0020]      FIG. 17  illustrates a perspective view of an outside portion of the horse hoof including using the hoof pick measure to measure flare on a quarter portion of the hoof wall; 
           [0021]      FIG. 18  illustrates a perspective view of the outside portion of the horse hoof including using the hoof pick measure to measure flare on a toe portion of the horse hoof wall; 
           [0022]      FIG. 19  illustrates a plan view of another embodiment of a hoof pick measure including a rasp device; 
           [0023]      FIG. 20  illustrates a side view of the hoof pick measure of  FIG. 19 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 21  illustrates a plan view of the hoof pick showing the rasp device of the hoof pick measure of  FIG. 19 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 22  illustrates another embodiment of a horse pick measure further including a hoof brush apparatus; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 23  illustrates another embodiment of a horse pick measure further including a key ring apparatus and the flat surface reference device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will be shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., and are disclosed simply as an example of the preferred embodiment. The features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings. Although the drawings are intended to illustrate the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
         [0028]    A hoof pick measure tool  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  includes a measure body  12  and a pick body  14 . The measure body  12  and the pick body  14  are adjacent to each other. The measure body  12  and the pick body  14  include a common first planer surface  22 . The measure body  12  and the pick body  14  include a common second planer surface  24 . The first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24  are parallel to each other. The measure body  12  includes a measure first straight edge  16 , a measure first straight side  17 , a measure second straight side  19 , a measure second straight edge  16 A and a measure end side  20 . The measure first straight side  17  is perpendicular to the first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24 . The measure first straight edge  16  is along the junction of the first planer surface  22  and the measure first straight side  17 . The measure second straight side  19  is perpendicular to the first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24 . The measure end side  20  is perpendicular to the first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24  and joins with the measure first straight side  17  and the measure second straight side  19 . The measure body  12  may further include an opening  26 . The opening passes between the first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24 . The opening  26  may include any suitable opening (e.g., hole, oblong, etc.). As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the opening  26  may be used to secure any suitable fastening device  28  (e.g., key ring, locking hook, etc.). The fastening device  28  may be used to demountably attach the hoof pick measure tool  10  to any suitable body (e.g., belt, wall hook, etc.). 
         [0029]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the first planer side  22  of the measure body  12  includes a first set of indicia  30  linear measurement lines on the first planer surface  22  along the measure straight edge  16 . The first set of indicia  30  linear measurement lines may include any suitable linear indicia (e.g., English units, metric units, etc.). 
         [0030]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the measure second straight edge  16 A of the measurement body  12  is along the junction of the second planer surface  24  and the measure first straight side  17 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the second planer surface  24  of the measure body  12  includes a third set of indicia  30 A linear measurement lines on the second planer surface  24  along the measure second straight edge  16 A. The third set of indicia  30 A may include any suitable linear indicia (e.g., English units, metric units, etc.). 
         [0031]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , the pick body  14  includes a first pick straight edge  32 , a second pick straight edge  32 A, a pick straight side  33 , a pick end straight side  34 , a pick back straight side  36 , the first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24 . The measure body  12  and the pick body  14  are rigidly joined together to form the hoof pick measure tool  10 . The measure body  12  and the pick body  14  may be formed from a same piece of material. The hoof pick measure tool  10  may be made from any suitable material (e.g., steel, stainless steel, brass, hard plastic, etc.). The pick straight side  33  is perpendicular to the first planer surface  22 . The pick straight side  33  may be perpendicular to the measure straight side  17 . The first pick straight edge  32  of the pick body  14  is along the junction of the pick straight side  33  and the first planer surface  22 . The first pick straight edge  32  of the pick body  14  may be perpendicular to the measure straight edge  16  of the measure body  12 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the first planer surface  22  of the pick body  12  includes a second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines along the first pick straight edge  32  of the pick body  14 . The second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines may include any suitable linear indicia (e.g., English units, metric units, etc.). 
         [0032]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the second pick straight edge  32 A of the pick body  14  is along the junction of the second planer surface  24  and the first pick straight side  33 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the second planer surface  24  of the pick body  14  includes a forth set of indicia  30 C linear measurement lines along the second pick straight edge  32 A of the pick body  14 . The forth set of indicia  30 C linear measurement lines may include any suitable linear indicia (e.g., English units, metric units, etc.). The indicia  30 ,  30 A,  30 B and  30 C linear measurement lines may be applied by any suitable means (e.g., printing, scribing, laser cuts, etching, etc.) to the first planer surface  22  and the second planer surface  24  of the hoof pick measure tool  10 .  FIG. 4  illustrates the hoof pick measure tool  10  including indicia  30  and  30 B linear measurement lines in metric units. 
         [0033]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the pick straight side  33  joins with the pick end straight side  34 . The pick end straight side  34  joins with the measure second straight side  19 . The pick straight side  33  and the pick end straight side  34  of the pick body  14  form a pick point  38 . A user may use the pick point  38  to pry and loosen foreign matter (e.g., dirt, clay, mud, stones, etc.) from a horse hoof  40  ( FIG. 5 ). The user may use the indicia  30 ,  30 A,  30 B and  30 C linear measurement lines to measure portions of the horse hoof  40 . The measure body  12  including the first set of indicia  30  linear measurement lines and the third set of indicia  30 A linear measurement lines may include any suitable length of measure. Typically, the first set of indicia linear measurement lines  30  and the third set of indicia  30 A linear measurement lines may cover a measurement range of about at least 5 inches. The pick body  14  including the third set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines and the forth set of indicia  30 C linear measurement lines may include any suitable length of measure. Typically, the third set of indicia linear measurement lines  30 B and the forth set of indicia  30 C linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  may cover a measurement range of at least about 2 inches. The second set of indicia  30 A linear measurement lines and the forth set of indicia  30 C linear measurement lines may be optionally applied to the second planer surface  24  of hoof pick measure tool  10 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof  40 . The horse hoof  40  includes a wall  42 , a water line  44 , a white line  46 , a sole  48 , a frog  50 , an apex of the frog  52 , a central sulcus  54 , a collateral groove  56 R, a collateral groove  56 L, a bar  58 R, a bar  58 L, a seat of corn  60 R, a seat of corn  60 L, a heel buttress  62 R, a heel buttress  62 L, a heel bulb  64 R and a heel bulb  64 L. The horse hoof  40  further includes a toe region  66 , a quarter region  68  and a heel region  70 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof  40  including the hoof pick measure tool  10 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a total width of the horse hoof  40  between a location  72  and a location  74  on the wall  42 . A zero reading line of the indicia  30  is placed on the location  72  and the total width reading of the horse hoof  40  is taken on the indicia  30  line adjacent to the location  74 . Additionally, a measurement distance may be taken between the location  72  on the wall  42  and a location  76  on the white line  46 . Additionally, a distance measurement may be taken between the location  72  on the wall  42  and the location  78  on the water line  44 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof  40  including the hoof pick measure tool  10 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a length of the horse hoof  40  between a location  80  and a location  82 . The location  80  is on the toe region  66  of the wall  42 . The location  82  is on the central sulcus  54  closest to the heel region  70 . The zero reading line of the first set of indicia  30  linear measurement lines is placed on the location  80  and the total length of the horse hoof  40  reading is taken on the indicia  30  line adjacent to the location  82 . Additionally, a distance measurement may be taken between the location  80  and a location  84 . The location  80  is on the toe region  66  of the wall  42 . The location  84  is on the apex of the frog  52 . Additionally, a distance measurement may be taken between the location  84  and the location  82 . A proportion of sole  48  to frog  50  may be determined by dividing the distance between locations  80  and  84  by the distance between locations  84  and  82 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 8  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof  40  including the hoof pick measure tool  10 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a height of the heel buttress  62  R above the collateral groove  56 R between a location  86  and a location  88 . The location  86  is at a bottom of the collateral groove  56 R. The location  88  is on the heel buttress  62 R. The pick point  38  is placed at the location  86 . The second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  are used to measure the height of the heel buttress  62 R above the collateral groove  56 R between the location  86  and the location  88 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 9  illustrates a plan view of the horse hoof  40  including the hoof pick measure tool  10 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a height of the bar  58 L between a location  90  and a location  92 . The location  90  is at an intersection between the bar  58  L and the sole  48 . The location  92  is at an top point of the bar  58 L. The pick point  38  is placed at the location  90 . The forth set of indicia  30 C linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  are used to measure the height of the bar  59 L between the location  90  and the location  92 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 11  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof  40  taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a depth of the center sulcus  54  between a location  94  and a location  96 . The location  94  is at the bottom of the center sulcus  54 . The location  96  is at the top of the frog  50 . The pick point  38  is placed at the location  94 . The second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  are used to measure the depth of the center sulcus between the location  94  and the location  96 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 12  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof  40  taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a height of the wall  42  between a location  98  and a location  100 . The location  98  is on the sole  48 . The location  100  is at the top of the wall  42 . The pick point  38  is placed at the location  98 . The second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  are used to measure the height of the wall between the location  98  and the location  100 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 14  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof  40  taken along line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 13 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , a flat surface reference device  102  rests upon the wall  42 . The flat surface reference device  102  may be any suitable device (e.g., a flat member, a flat bar, etc.). The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a depth of the collateral groove  56 L at the apex of the frog  52  between a location  104  and a location  106 . The location  104  is in the apex of the frog  52 . The pick point  38  is placed at the location  104 . The location  106  is at an intersection of the flat surface reference device  102  and the straight edge  32  of the pick body  14 . The second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  are used to measure the depth of the collateral groove  56 L at the apex of the frog  52  between the location  104  and the location  106 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 16  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the horse hoof  40  taken along line  16 - 16  of  FIG. 15 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the flat surface reference device  102  rests upon the wall  42 . The hoof pick measure tool  10  is being used to measure a depth of the collateral groove  56 R near the heel buttress  62 R between a location  108  and a location  110 . The location  108  is at the bottom of the collateral groove  56 R near the heel buttress  62 R. The pick point  38  is placed at the location  108 . The location  110  is at an intersection of the flat surface reference device  102  and the straight edge  32  of the pick body  14 . The second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines on the pick body  14  are used to measure the depth of the collateral groove  56 R near the heel buttress between the location  108  and the location  110 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 17  illustrates a perspective view of an outside portion  40 A of the horse hoof  40 . The outside portion  40 A includes the toe region  66 , the quarter region  68 , the wall  42 , and a coronary band  114 . The straight edge  16  of the measure body  12  of the horse pick measure tool may be placed between a location  116  and a location  118 . The location  116  is at a lower edge of the wall  42  at the quarter region  68 . The location  118  is on the coronary band  114 . A flare distance “F 1 ” ( FIG. 17 ) between the wall  42  and the straight edge  16  may be observed and measured. 
         [0044]      FIG. 18  illustrates a perspective view of the outside portion  40 A of the horse hoof  40 . The straight edge  16  of the measure body  12  of the horse pick measure tool  10  may be placed between a location  120  and a location  122 . The location  120  is at a lower edge of the wall  42  at the toe region  66 . The location  122  is on the coronary band  114 . A flare distance “F 2 ” ( FIG. 18 ) between the wall  42  and the straight edge  16  may be observed and measured. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 19 ,  20  and  21  illustrate another embodiment of a hoof pick measure tool  10 A. The hoof pick measure tool  10 A includes the measure body  12 , the pick body  14  and a rasp device  130 . The rasp device  130  is rigidly attached to the measure body  12  of the hoof pick measure tool  10 A. The rasp device  130  may be any suitable rasp (e.g., file, abrasive surface, diagonal grooves, square grooves, etc.). The measure body  12  includes the straight edge  16  and first set of indicia  30  linear measurement lines. The pick body  14  includes the straight edge  32 , the second set of indicia  30 B linear measurement lines and the pick point  38 . The measure body  12  may further include the opening  26 . The opening  26  may be used to secure any suitable fastening device  28  (not shown). The fastening device  28  may be used to demountably attach the hoof pick measure tool  10 A to any suitable body (e.g., belt, wall hook, etc.). The rasp device  130  may be used to file down any suitable portion of the horse hoof  40 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 22  illustrates a plan view of another embodiment of a hoof pick measure tool  10 B. The hoof pick measure tool  10 B includes the measure body  12 , the pick body  14 , the rasp device  130  and a brush device  132 . The brush device  132  is rigidly attached to the measure body  12 . The brush device  132  includes a brush  134 . The brush  134  may be used to help brush foreign matter from the horse hoof  40 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 23  illustrates a plan view of another embodiment of a hoof pick measure tool  10 C. The hoof pick measure tool  10 C includes the measure body  12 , the pick body  14 , the opening  26 , the fastening device  28  and the flat surface reference device  102 . The flat surface reference device  102  may be any suitable device (e.g., a flat member, a flat bar, etc.). The flat surface reference device  102  includes an opening  140 . The fastening device  28  passes through the opening  26  and the opening  140 . The fastening device  28  removably connects the measure body  12  and the straight edge device  102 . The fastening device may be any suitable device (e.g., key ring, locking hook, etc.). The flat surface reference device  102  may be disconnected from the measure body and may be used to assist in horse hoof  40  measurements. 
         [0048]    The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Technology Category: 1