AU8305998A

AU8305998A - Horseshoe

Info

Publication number: AU8305998A
Application number: AU83059/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kazuhiro Hasegawa
Original assignee: Taiwa Co Ltd
Current assignee: Taiwa Co Ltd
Priority date: 1998-02-18
Filing date: 1998-09-03
Publication date: 1999-09-02
Also published as: GB9819103D0; JPH11225642A; KR19990071392A; GB2334424A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): TAIWA CO., LTD.

Invention Title:

HORSESHOE

*r The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

HORSESHOE

The present invention relates to a horseshoe.

Conventional horseshoe has a shoe body with a hoof shape formed by forging with steel. Recently, various horseshoes designed to reduce their weights have been proposed as replacements of the steel horseshoes. Figure 11 is perspective view of the horseshoe seen from the bottom 10 side. The horseshoe has a shoe body 31 including a core of aluminum. The core 32 has a shape matching with a hoof, and a coating layer 33 of a synthetic resin enclosing the entire outer surface of the core 32.

This horseshoe, however, faces a difficulty to *"properly keep the durability of the shoe body 31 and protect a horse's hoof. The shoe body 31 has a top and bottom surfaces respectively contacting the hoof and a surface of "road. The top surface must have a proper elasticity to guard the hoof. The bottom surface easily wears out as it contacts the surface of road, it needs to have a high durability.

However, if a material with high rigidity is used for the layer 33 in the light of the durability of the bottom surface of the body 31, the top surface hardly exhibits the cushion action with respect to a horse's hoof. The hoof is therefore likely to be damaged.

If a material with low rigidity suited for the layer 33 in consideration of the protection of the hoof, the bottom surface of the shoe body 31 is likely wear out and the durability cannot be improved.

It is a major objective of the present invention to provide a horseshoe capable of sufficiently protecting a hoof -2and improving the durability.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a horseshoe with a light weight.

To achieve the above objectives, an improved horseshoe includes a shoe body that has a shape matching with that of a hoof, wherein said shoe body includes a top surface that contacts the hoof and a bottom surface (181) that :0 contacts a surface of a road. The top surface has a rigidity different from that of said bottom surface The present invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

S

Figure 1 is cross-sectional view illustrating a horseshoe according to the present invention; 555.

oo S Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a core forming a shoe body; Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the horseshoe; Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a top surface of the horseshoe; Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plain view illustrating the horseshoe; Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the essential portions of the horseshoe; -3- Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view depicting a modification of the horseshoe; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view depicting another modification of the horseshoe; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view depicting still another modification of the horseshoe; 10 Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a still further modification; and :Figure 11 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional horseshoe.

"A horseshoe according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 through 6.

A shoe body 11 has a core 12 forged with steel into a ring shape corresponding to a hoof shape. The core 12 has its top surface 121 and its bottom surface 122. Recesses 13 are marked off and formed on the top surface 121. The formation of the recess 13 provides thick portions 14 and thin portions Iron lips 16 are securely provided by forging, standing upright, on the periphery of the core 12 at two locations to restrict the forward movement of a hoof 22 on the top of the shoe body 11. As shown in Figure 1, the top surface 121, bottom surface 122, and outer and inner peripheral surfaces 123, 124 of the core are mold-coated with a first coating layer 17 of a transparent resin. A top surface 171 of this first coating layer 17 contacts the hoof -4- 22. Projections 172 are formed on the top surface 171 of the layer 17 as shown in Figures 1, 3. Each of the projections functions to prevent the hoof 22 from sliding on the layer 17. The material for the layer 17 may be an urethane-based resin (polyurethane).

The bottom surface 122, and the outer peripheral surface 123 and the inner peripheral surface 124 are moldcoated with the first coating layer 17. They are mold-coated 10 with a second coating layer 18 comprised of a transparent resin material. A bottom surface 181 of this second coating layer 18 contacts the surface of road. The resin for the second coating layer 18 is a reinforced, wear resisting material, such as copolymer (Teflon FEP) of carbon, tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene resins, or a tetrafluoethylene resin mixed in the aforementioned urethane- S"based resin.

As illustrated in Figure 4, grooves 24 are formed in the bottom surface 181 of the layer 18 at a plurality of locations. The grooves 24 extend in parallel to each other.

Each of the grooves 24 opens to the outer periphery of the shoe body 11. As shown in Figure 5, a plurality of (four to six in this embodiment) recesses 25 are formed linearly at predetermined pitches in a bottom 241 of the groove 24. The recesses 25 function as a group of indexes to indicate a point where the square nails 23 are to be driven.

As shown in figure 4, the from three and the rear two of the grooves 24 each has guide notches 26 arranged at a plurality of locations along opposing walls 242. Each of the guide notches 26 specifies the position and the angle at which the associated square nail 23 is to be driven so as to guide the square nail 23 that is driven in the horseshoe.

Each of the notches 26 has a guide surface 261 for guiding a side 231 of the associated square nail 23. The square nail 23 is, thus, kept parallel to the outer surface of the shoe body 11 as illustrated in Figure Mold formation of the coating layers 17, 18 is carried out as follows.

After the core 12 has been laid in the cavity of one of the molds, a resin solution is injected into the cavity to ::...entirely enclose the core 12 to form the first coating layer 17. The resin solution is also injected into each recess 13, oo thereby mold-forming the first coating layer 17.

Subsequently, a resin solution is injected into the cavity to enclose the surface of the first coating layer 17 other than *"the top surface thereof, while the core 12 enclosed with the first coating layer 17 is retained in the cavity of another mold. The second coating layer 18 is thus formed. At the time the first coating layer 17 is formed, a coating layer 21 which covers the outer surfaces of the iron lips 16 is formed.

In consideration of the relative sizes of the shoe body 11 and the hoof 22, it is determined which recess in the groove 24 the square nail 23 should be driven to attach the shoe body 11 to the hoof 22.

Nail driving holes are previously bored through the first and second coating layers 17, 18 with a drill at the positions of the specific indication recesses 25 where the associated nails are to be driven.

Subsequently, a horse's leg is bent to keep the hoof 22 obliquely upward, so that the top surface 171 of the first coating layer 17 of the shoe body 11 abuts against the bottom surface of the hoof 22. Next, the square nail 23 is driven into the hoof 22 through the hole formed in association with the corresponding recess 25 of the groove 24. Then, the distal end of the square nail 23 which protrudes from the hoof 22 is bent along the surface of the hoof 22. The above work is carried out for every nail position to complete attachment of the horseshoe to the hoof 22.

010 Now, the rigidities of two layers 17, 18 are compared 9 0 .:to each other. The first coating layer for contacting the hoof 22 has the rigidity lower than that of the second 0*oo coating layer 18 for contacting the road's surface. This prevents the hoof 22 from being damaged by the horseshoe.

The second coating layer 18 is formed of a material "having a high wear resistance. This suppresses wearing of *the horseshoe as it contacts the surface of road, causing the durability of the horseshoe improved.

*For forming the first coating layer 17 and the second coating layer 18 are the urethane-based resin materials are used. Accordingly, the first and second coating layers 17, 18 can be integrally formed with each other, they are molded in separate steps though.

As projections 172 are formed on the top surface 171 of the first coating layer 17, it is possible to repress a sliding movement of the hoof 22 relative to first coating layer 17 to thereby ensure stable attachment of the shoe to the hoof 22.

The transparent coating layer 17 enables the manufacturers to check the molded parts inside the horseshoe.

-7- This allows the easy discovery of the unsatisfactorily molded goods.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention may be embodied in the following forms.

As shown in Figure 7, the first coating layer 17 may be formed only on the top surface 121 of the core with the other structure being the same as that of this embodiment.

~The recesses 13 of the core 12 and the second coating layer 18 may be omitted as illustrated in Figure 8.

*As shown in Figure 9, the recesses 13 of the core 12 may be replaced with through holes 125. In this case, as the first and second coating layers 17, 18 are coupled to one another in the through holes 125, separation of the coating layers 17, 18 from the core 12 can be prevented.

U. U° go As shown in Figure 8, the second coating layer 18 may be omitted.

The core 12 may be formed of a metal, such as an aluminum alloy or brass alloy.

The horseshoe without the first and second coating layers 17, 18 may be provided. This horseshoe may have the top surface formed of a material which has a softness suitable for the hoof 22, an aluminum alloy, while the bottom surface may be formed of a steel-forged material.

Both coating layers 17, 18 may be formed of a synthetic rubber base material, ceramic base material, cork or the like in place of the resin base material.

-8- Metal pins though not shown may be securely fitted in a plurality of through holes (three holes shown in Figure 3) located at the front of the core 12 illustrated in Figure 2 in such manner that the pins protrudes inside the second coating layer 18.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.

S*

.f 0

Claims

1. A horseshoe including a shoe body that has a shape matching with that of a hoof wherein said shoe body includes a top surface (171) that contacts the hoof (22) and a bottom surface (181) that contacts a surface of a road, said horseshoe being characterized in that said top surface (171) has a rigidity different from that of said bottom surface (181) 00.0 S..

2. The horseshoe as set forth in Claim i, characterized in that said top surface (171) has the rigidity lower than of the bottom surface (181). S..

3. The horseshoe as set forth in Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said bottom surface (181) has a wear o resistance higher than that of the top surface (171)

4. The horseshoe as set forth in any one of the *see preceding claims, characterized in that said top surface (171) and said bottom surface (181) are formed of materials 00*0having rigidities different from each other. The horseshoe as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a first coating layer (17) including said top surface (171), wherein said first coating layer (17) is formed of a cushioning material.

6. The horseshoe as set forth in Claim 5, characterized by a second coating layer (18) including said bottom surface (181), wherein said bottom surface (181) is has the rigidity higher than that of said first coating layer (171) The horseshoe as set forth in Claim 6, characterized by a metallic core (12) interposed between the first coating layer (17) and said second coating layer (18).

8. The horseshoe as set forth in any one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that said first coating layer (17) is formed of a transparent synthetic resin.

9. The horseshoe as set forth in Claims 5 to 8, characterized in that said first coating layer (17) is formed of an urethane-based resin, and said second coating layer (18) is formed of a mixture of an urethane-based resin and a reinforced, wear resisting material. Dated this 3rd day of September, 1998 .TAIWA CO., LTD. 0..0 By its Patent Attorneys *GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent e. Attorneys of Australia