GB2346538A

GB2346538A - Horseshoe stud

Info

Publication number: GB2346538A
Application number: GB0001244A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel William Crothers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-01-21
Filing date: 2000-01-20
Publication date: 2000-08-16
Also published as: GB0001244D0; GB9901274D0

Abstract

A horse shoe (1), before being fitted to a hoof, has at least one truncated nail or stud (4) wedged into a hole (2) in the shoe from the underside and its upper end is riveted over to secure it. A hardened metal insert (5) in the stud is left proud of the underside of the shoe. The insert (5) may be made of tungsten.

Description

Improvements relating to Horse Shoes This invention relates to horse shoes.

A horse shoe is secured by nails driven through punched holes up into the horse's hoof. The holes are rectangular and the cross section of the nails likewise. The nails have a wedge-like head tapering in quite steeply to the shank of the nail, which has a very gradual taper towards the sharp tip. This shape makes them quite expensive to produce.

The nail head is designed to countersink into the shoe, which is generally provided with an arcuate channel through the base of which the holes are struck. But some nails are augmented by a tungsten pin insert which projects proud of the head and which, when in use, will be slightly proud of the underside of the shoe. This gives the horse a better grip on some surfaces, particularly roads. Of course, these nails are more expensive, but generally one each side of the shoe will suffice.

They have another drawback in that the tungsten insert is the part that the farrier's hammer actually hits, and it does not take that long before the hammer head is pitted and ruined.

It is the aim of this invention to provide an alternative to this method of improving the grip of a horse shoe.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a stud generally wedge shaped at manufacture and similar to the head portion of a horse shoe nail with a wide end and a narrow end and having a hardened metal insert projecting proud of the wide end.

In use, this is inserted through a horse shoe from below, using either one of the usual punched holes (if there are more than enough of them to secure the shoe properly), or an extra punched hole of similar size and shape, and then riveted in place. This may be done one side, and another stud similarly fixed the other side. Then the shoe is attached to the horse's hoof in the usual way, using the remaining holes and conventional nails without inserts. The stud inserts, usually of tungsten as with the special nails referred to above, will be proud of the underside of the shoe and provide extra grip in a similar manner.

Therefore, according to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a horse shoe with at least one stud as defined above wedged into a hole in the shoe from the underside to leave the projecting end of the insert proud thereof, and secured by riveting said narrow end over the upper side of the shoe.

For a better understanding of the invention one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a perspective view of the underside of a horse shoe with one anti-slip stud fixed and another pre-fixing.

A horse shoe 1 has an array of substantially rectangular apertures 2 punched through from the base of an underside channel 3 that follows the horse shoe shape to the flat upper surface that will bear against the horse's hoof.

Most of these apertures are for conventional nails (not shown) that secure the shoe to the hoof. In this example, the two end apertures are for studs 4 which are truncated nails, similar to the head end portions of conventional nails. Thus they are wedge shaped. A hardened metal insert 5, preferably of tungsten, is set into each of these studs leaving an end proud of the wide, head end of the stud. This head end countersinks into the channel 3 as the stud is wedged into its aperture 2, and the narrow end projects above the upper surface of the shoe. The narrow end is then riveted over to secure the stud, and the end of the insert 5 is left proud of the underside of the shoe 1.

To avoid damaging the anvil, the tungsten insert will not be placed directly on it but on a relatively soft metal die, or on a countersunk plate.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A stud generally wedge shaped at manufacture and similar to the head portion of a horse shoe nail with a wide end and a narrow end, and having a hardened metal insert projecting proud of the wide end.
2. A stud as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the insert is of tungsten.
3. A horse shoe with at least one stud as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wedged into a hole in the shoe from the underside to leave the projecting end of the insert proud thereof, and secured by riveting said narrow end over the upper side of the shoe.