US496760A - Horseshoe - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

A.B.TRAGY. HORSBSEOB.

Patented May 2, 1 893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASAHEL B. TRAGY, OF MAYVILLE, NEW YORK.

HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,760, dated May 2, 1893. Application filed April 3, 1891. Serial No. 387,545. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ASAHEL B. TRACY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mayville,

in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Horseshoeing; and I do hereby declare the following to'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Reference is made herein to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

Figure I, of the drawings represents a plan or bottom view of the horse-shoe. Fig. II represents the upper side or seat for the foot, and exhibits the level surface thereof terminating at the heel ends with bevels or outwardly inclined planes. Fig. III, represents a transverse section of the same taken at line m, w, of Fig. I, and exhibits one of the clips, and the curved or concave bottom. This figure also shows the obtuse angleformed by the upper surface of the web, and the outer side of the tread of the shoe. Fig. IV, represents a transverse section of the shoe taken at line 2, z, of Fig. I, and shows the position of the nail-holes, and their counter-sink in relation to the bearings ,of the tread. Fig. V represents a side elevation of the shoe as it appears when attached to the foot of a horse.

My invention consists in the combination of features of form and construction having certain relations to eachother, and so united in a horse-shoe as to avail of new and important advantages in practical use, and also to serve as guides which assure its proper correct attachment to the foot with the greatest facility by a person of comparatively little skill in the art, and without injuring or weakening the wall or shell of the foot. The objections to the common practice in fitting the foot to the shoe by cutting, burning and rasping away too much of the hard casing and support to the'foot, and thus mutilating it, and'shortening its natural grasp and tread, are obviated by my improvement in the art of horse-shoeing.

My invention also obviates the serious objections to the use of calks which are liable to cause wounds, and stumbling, and elevate the foot too. much to permit natural free action and to obtain the necessarypurchase for exertion of power; and they also cause wrenchin g of the foot when traveling on uneven hard surfaces. None of these injurious results can occur in using my improved shoe, as it is provided with a continued series of uniformly low oblong bearings, forming its tread around the outer-bottorn-side of the shoe, standing out obliquely to the plane of its upper side, or seat, for the foot; the spaces between the bearings of the tread being merely su-fficient to prevent slipping, and to assure secure hold upon the ground.

I To prevent contraction and quarter cracks of the hoof, the rear portions of the upper side,

or seat, upon which the heels, opposite to the frog of the foot rest are beveled, and incline outwardly, which allows for natural growth, and prevents hoof binding; and moreover, these rear extremities of the shoe are stiffened .and strengthened by the longitudinally arranged oblong treads and therefore are not liable to become bent and compressed upon and into the most flexible and tender part of the foot.

To assure accuracy and facility in setting.

the shoe, and to correctly determine its position on the foot, it is provided with a series of clips which are convex on their outer sides, and slightly concave on their inner faces to correspond in form with the circular shape of the foot of a horse; and being arranged and attached to the shoe so that their inner sides will occupy the same downwardly inclined plane with the periphery or outer boundary of the shoe, the clips serve as a guide to fit it properly so that its outer side or periphery will coincide with the outer surface of the foot in its natural shape, and Without rasping or cutting the outer boundary of the foot away. This method of placing the shoe, leaves the foot in its integrity and full strength. It is also apparent that the clips which will be bent into close contact with the outer shell or wall of the foot, without cutting indentations to let them in, enable the shoe to be securely fastened to the foot, by the use of comparatively few small nails; thus are avoided the injury and weakness commonly occasioned from the necessity of employing large nails vvhich often break the wall or casingof the oot.

The shoe can be made most economically and durable, and of any desired size or pattern, by casting it of malleable metal, tempered to the proper elasticity and hardness.

The form of the shoe as seen in side elevation, Fig. 5 resembles a royal crown, the tapering upwardly projecting clips representing the crested top, and the indented or scalloped tread representing the ornamental band or circlet for the head; and being of this form it can be much more cheaply made of cast metal which is more durable for the purpose than wrought metal.

The upper plane of Web A, and the outer plane of tread B form an obtuse angle, and this arrangement gives the tread an oblique set, and especially serves to prevent the animal from slipping and falling, while the shoe is pressing the ground and its toe is turning rearward during the latter portion of each movement of the foot when in the act of exerting power, as While pulling or drawing a load. The concave bottom of the shoe will prevent it from retaining earth, snow or ice. Its scalloped or indented tread G, which stands obliquely outward, furnishes an enlarged firm support,around the foot,prevents it fromrocking or tilting; and allows the animal to obtain natural easy grasp; and does not unduly elevate the animal as when stilted on calks; but affords the most ample purchase for traveling and for draft.

The foot of a horse will be prepared for fitting and setting the shoe thereon by merely paring the bottom of it evenly to form, a seat; and this being done the shoe will be placed in such position thereon as to bring the inner faces of the clips P into contact with the outer boundary of the foot, at its bottom edge, and

then the nails will be driven, and the clips will be forced closely against the hoof as shown in Fig. 5. When the shoe is thus placed and set,any portions of the bottom edge of the hoof which may project out between the clips beyond the body or periphery of the shoe may be carefully removed with a knife or rasp.

In the drawings letter D,denotes the clips. E, denotes the oblong sections which form the tread. The letters S, S, denote those portions of the upper surface of the web A, which are beveled or inclined outwardly to prevent contraction of the foot and may properly be termed the heel bevels.

Having described my invention, Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a horse shoe having a curved bottom, outwardly inclined sectional bearing surfaces, an upper side or seat formed as a horizontal seat or plane, in combination with a series of clips 1), D, arranged around and attached to its periphery, with the inside of said clips in a plane with the outer edge face of the shoe, and calks upon the bottom of the shoe in the intervals between the aforesaid clips, and nail holes behind the calks, substantially as described.

2. In a horse shoe having a curved bottom, outwardly inclined sectional bearing surfaces, an upper side or seat formed as a horizontal plane and rising from the toe to the heel, in I combination with a series of clips D, D, ar-

ranged around and attached to its periphery,

with the inside of said clips in a plane with the outer edge face of the shoe and calks uponthe bottom of the shoe in intervals between the aforesaid clips, the spaces between the calks being cut away as shown, and nail holes behind the cal-ks, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ASAHEL B. TRACY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES T. SOOFIELD, JOHN A. BURNETT.

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