GB2451112A

GB2451112A - Horseshoe stud fitting system

Info

Publication number: GB2451112A
Application number: GB0713989A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paulo Vincent Alexander Kirkby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-18
Filing date: 2007-07-18
Publication date: 2009-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-18
Also published as: GB2451112B; WO2009010774A1; GB0713989D0

Abstract

A system for fitting and removing studs from the shoes of a horse or the like. The system comprises horseshoe studs 308 and a driver 304 for rotating the studs to fit them to the shoe of the hoofed animal. The studs have a threaded portion for engaging with a threaded bore in the shoe of a hoofed animal, a stud portion and an engagement portion, wherein the engagement portion protrudes radially beyond both the stud portion and the threaded portion. The driver comprising a holder 306 for holding the engagement portion of the stud and a motor for rotating the holder. The engagement portion of the stud can be hexagonal or square in cross section. The holder may comprise a magnet for retaining the stud. The system can also be used to remove studs, stoppers 310 being placed in the horseshoe in the interim.

Description

I

STUD SYSTEM FOR HORSES

The present invention relates to a system for fitting studs to the shoes of hoofed animals, in particular for the fitting and removal of studs in the shoes of horses and ponies.

It is well known to fit studs or calks to the shoes fitted to the hoof of a horse or pony. The studs are fitted to provide improved grip for the animal across a range of conditions from soft, muddy terrain to hard surfaces, such as roads and the like. A variety of shapes and size of stud are known and fitted, according to the prevailing conditions. Examples of studs include road studs, blocks for use in soft or muddy ground, bullets, grass studs and olympic studs, the latter being long and pointed and for use in particularly slippery conditions. The studs are applied to the shoe fitted to the underside of the hoof of the animal. It will be appreciated that the studs should be readily removable and replaceable, in order to allow a horse or pony to be rapidly fitted with the appropriate studs for the prevailing conditions.

Traditionally, the studs or calks are provided with a threaded portion and are secured to appropriately threaded bores or holes in the shoe.

An early attempt to provide an improved system for fitting removable studs is disclosed in GB 21926. The system has the stud in the form of a Z-shaped component that is applied over the shoe and secured by means of a screw threaded into the shoe itself.

GB 27,108 discloses an alternative design of stud system, in which a clip or carrier is provided with a stud or calk of the appropriate design. The clip may be slid onto the shoe from either end and positioned in the desired location. The clip is shaped in cross-section to engage with the profile of the shoe and is held in place by a simple screw bearing against the edge of the shoe. White this system removes the need to have a threaded hole in the shoe itself, it is nevertheless a complex form and difficult to apply. The clip also extends laterally from the shoe, which may be undesirable and cause damage to the horse.

In an attempt to improve the then known systems, GB 25,760 discloses a system of square-section studs that are held in place in square recesses in the shoe by means of a pin extending laterally through the shoe. The shoe required to accommodate this form of stud is particularly complex and difficult to manufacture.

An alternative approach to the clip carrying a stud and for applying to the shoe is disclosed in GB 14,570. While obviating the need for threaded holes in the shoe, the clip is again complex in form and does not appear to be very simple to fit to the horse or pony.

An improved stud is disclosed in GB 129,408. The stud has a portion that is generally T-shaped in cross-section. This form is alleged to provide improved grip for the animal. A further improved stud is disclosed in GB 480,147. It is to be noted that the improved studs of both documents are of the form that simply screws into a suitable threaded bore in the shoe, the inventors appearing to have dispensed with the idea of using a clip or the like to attach studs to the shoes.

More recently, GB 2346,538 discloses a horseshoe stud in the form of a hardened insert that is applied to the shoe before the shoe is fitted to the horse.

While the stud may be simple to apply to the shoe, it is not possible to remove or replace the stud with the shoe fitted to the hoof of the animal.

Perhaps most recently, EP 1 277 399 discloses a horse shoe stud having a threaded portion for engaging with an appropriate threaded bore in the shoe. The stud is formed with a slot or groove along the length of the threaded portion. This slot allows the stud to be more easily fitted to the shoe, in particular when the threaded hole contains mud or other debris. The slot allows the debris to escape from the screw threads during fitting. Again, it will be noted that the most recent developments in studs for horses and ponies relate to the simple threaded studs that screw directly into the shoe as fitted to the hoof of the animal.

A typical procedure for fitting and removing studs to the shoes of a horse or pony is as follows.

The shoe is drilled by the farrier to provide the requisite number of holes to accept the desired number of studs. Each hole is tapped to form a thread therein.

The shoe is then fitted to the horse in conventional manner. When it is required to fit the horse or pony with studs, it is first necessary to clean the hole and the thread.

This is performed using a screw tap of conventional design. The tap is screwed into the shoe until it bears against the hoof of the animal, as indicated by the shoe starting to move away from the hoof. During this operation, it is particularly dangerous if the animal moves, for example as a result of being frightened. It is known for the groom to lose hold of the hoof and for the animal to move away with the tap still projecting from the hoof. This is a particularly dangerous situation, with the animal itself, as well as surrounding animals and people, being exposed to possible serious injury. At best, the tap will shear or break off, reducing the risk of injury. However, the remnants of the tap must then be removed from the hole in the shoe or the entire shoe replace, either of which is a time consuming task.

Once the hole in the shoe is clean, the selected stud is inserted and screwed in using a conventional spanner or wrench. Again, this task is made difficult by any movement of the animal and it typically takes several attempts to ensure that the stud is fully home and tight in the shoe. In addition, It is common for grooms to injure their hands through contact with studs already fitted to the shoe when using a spanner or wrench. The studs are removed by the reverse procedure in conventional manner, again using a conventional spanner or wrench, with similar problems and risks of injury.

Ideally, after the studs are removed, the holes are filled with a suitable stopper or filler that is pushed into the hole, to prevent the ingress of dirt and debris.

Such stoppers and fillers commonly come out in time, resulting in the hole requiring cleaning before a stud can be refitted. Alternatively, the hole may be filled using a threaded stopper. However, as it is more time consuming to fit a threaded stopper, this is commonly overlooked.

Overall, the entire process is particularly time consuming, when it is considered that four shoes may have four stud holes each, for just one animal.

Accordingly, there Is a need for an improved system that allows conventional threaded studs to be fitted to and removed from the shoes of an animal more efficiently, while preferably reducing the risks of injury and damage.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a stud system, the system comprising: one or more studs having a threaded portion for engaging with a threaded bore in the shoe of a hoofed animal and a stud portion for extending from the shoe, when fitted, the stud further comprising a engagement portion; and a driver for rotating the stud for fitting or removal to the shoe of the hoofed animal, the driver comprising a holder for engaging with and holding the engagement portion of the stud and a motor for rotating the holder.

The system of the present invention may be used to fit and remove studs in the shoes of any hoofed animal. For the sake of brevity, the following description will refer to horses only, but merely by way of example only.

The system of the present invention allows studs to be installed and removed very quickly and easily, thus significantly reducing the time taken. In addition, the holder of the driver may be adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the stud and to hold the stud in a very simple manner, as described hereinafter, thus significantly reducing the danger of injury or damage, should the horse move away during the procedure.

The system may be used with a wide range of studs and is applicable to the fitting and removal of all the currently available stud types. Many studs have an engagement portion that is hexagonal in form, allowing the stud to be rotated using a convention spanner or wrench. It is also common for studs to be formed with a square engagement portion. The holder is therefore most preferably adapted to engage with the hexagonal or square portion of such studs. A preferred form of stud is one that has the engagement portion extending radially outwards from the remaining portions of the stud. Thus, in the case of a stud having a hexagonal or square engagement portion, the hexagonal or squre portion is preferably formed with a diameter greater than the diameter of both the stud portion and the threaded portion of the stud. It should be understood that the stud may be formed with an engagement portion of any other suitable form, that may be gnpped for rotation by a corresponding portion of the holder of the driver.

The stud may have a stud portion of any suitable shape or configuration, including those known in the art, such as conical, frusto-conical, polygonal in cross-section, for example, square, hexagonal or octagonal, and the like.

The threaded portion of the stud is of a diameter and length to fit the hole in the shoe to be fitted with the stud, and with a complimentary thread pattern. The threaded portion may most advantageously be provided with a slot or groove, as disclosed and shown in EP 1 277 399.

The driver comprises a holder for holding the stud, which is rotated to fit or remove the stud. The holder may have any form that engages with the engagement portion of the stud. The function of the holder is to retain the stud, so that it may be rotated by the motor, while at the same time allowing the stud to be easily removed and released from the driver, for example when the horse moves suddenly. This allows the stud to come out of the holder without the driver being snatched from the hand of the user. This is important to reduce the risk of injury to the horse and/or the user, for example should the horse be startled.

The holder preferably comprises a housing having a cavity into which the stud portion and engagement portion of the stud extend, leaving the threaded portion of the stud exposed for insertion into the hole in the shoe. In this case, the walls of the housing defining the cavity are formed so as to engage with the engagement portion of the stud. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the inner walls of the cavity are formed with a suitable cross-section, for example hexagonal or square, so as to engage with the engagement portion of the preferred stud embodiment.

The holder comprises means for retaining the stud during normal use, while allowing the stud to be easily removed, for example by a sharp pull of the stud or driver, such as when the horse moves suddenly. Any suitable means for retaining the stud during normal use may be employed. For example, the holder may comprise a housing for retaining the stud, into which the stud is an interference fit. A particularly preferred embodiment employs one or more magnetic components disposed in the holder to retain the stud. Studs are generally formed from mild steel, and are commercially available in this form. It has been found that such studs are readily retained in the holder by the provision of one or more magnets. The magnets are preferably disposed to extend radially in the housing and arranged circumferentiaHy around the cavity, so as to hold a stud firmly but releasably within the cavity. The magnets are of sufficient strength to meet the aforementioned requirement of holding the stud during normal use, but allowing the stud to be removed, for example by a sharp pull of the driver. The magnets should be at least strong enough to hold a stud in the holder against the force of gravity, thus allowing the user to insert a stud into the holder and move the driver into position to insert the stud without the risk of the stud falling out of the holder.

The holder may be provided with a single magnet. However, a preferred arrangement is to provide one or more pairs of magnets, the magnets in each pair being disposed on opposite sides of the holder. A single pair of magnets so arranged is one preferred arrangement.

The holder may be formed from any suitable material. It has been found that mild steel can interact with the magnetic flux from the magnets, adversely affecting the performance of the magnets. Accordingly, a preferred material of construction is stainless steel.

The driver further comprises a motor for rotating the holder and a stud retained therein. The motor is most preferably an electric motor. In this case, the driver may most advantageously be a hand held device, most preferably with a battery or the like for storing electrical power to drive the electric motor. Suitable arrangements for such hand held electric devices are well known in the art and the components thereof commercially available.

The motor is reversible, such that studs may be rotated in one direction for fitting and in the opposite direction for removal. Again, such reversible motor systems are well known and the components commercially available.

The system comprises the driver and at least one stud. One preferred system comprises the driver in combination with a range of different studs, allowing the system to the used to equip a horse for a variety of conditions. Accordingly, the system may comprise two or more different studs of the type aforementioned.

As noted above, it is commonly the case that the thread in the hole in the shoe is filled with dirt and debris. To clean the thread of such holes, the system may further comprise a threaded tap, the tap having a threaded portion for cleaning the thread in the hole in the shoe, and an engagement portion for engagement with the holder of the driver. The engagement portion of the tap is as herein before described in connection with the stud. ft will be apparent that the preferred arrangement is to have the engagement portion of the tap and the studs the same. If this is not possible, the system may comprise one or more adaptors, for adapting the holder to retain studs or taps having different engagement means.

As discussed above, when studs are not fitted to the horse, the shoes are preferably fitted with stoppers to cover and protect the threaded holes. As noted above, the preferred form of stopper is one that screws into the hole and has a flat head. The system of the present invention may also comprise one or more stoppers, each stopper having a threaded portion for insertion in the hole in the shoe and an engagement portion for engagement by the holder of the driver.

As noted above, one preferred form of stud is one having the engagement portion extending radially beyond the remaining portions of the stud, that is the engagement portion is the widest portion of the stud.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a stud, in particular a stud for use with the stud system as hereinbefore described, the stud having a threaded portion, a stud portion and an engagement portion, wherein the engagement portion protrudes radially beyond both the stud portion and the engagement portion.

The engagement portion is most preferably disposed between the stud portion and the threaded portion. The engagement portion is most preferably hexagonal or square in cross-section. As also noted above, other forms of engagement portion may also be used.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, having reference to the accompany drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred stud for use in the system of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of a portion of a driver of the system of the present invention; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the holder of the driver of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the system of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a stud, generally indicated as 2, comprising a dome-shaped stud portion 4, an engagement portion 6 and a threaded portion 8. The engagement portion 6 is hexagonal in cross-section. As shown in Figure 1, the engagement portion 6 extends beyond and protrudes radially from the stud, forming a shoulder 10. The threaded portion 8 comprises a thread 12. An slot 14 is formed in the threaded portion 8 and interrupts the thread 12. The slot 14 extends longitudinally along the threaded portion 8 at an angle to the longitudinal axis and is open at its free end.

It will be appreciated that the stud portion 4 of the stud of Figure 1 may any other suitable form and size, as required fo the prevailing conditions. The system of the present invention preferably comprises a range of studs having differently configured stud portions.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a perspective exploded view of a portion of a driver, generally indicated as 102. The driver 102 comprises a threaded hub 104, a lock nut 106 and a holder 108. A stud 110 of the general configuration shown in Figure 1 is also present. The components are shown separated in Figure 2.

When assembled, the lock nut 106 and holder 108 are threaded onto the hub 104 and locked.

The holder 108 is shown in cross-section in Figure 3. The holder compnses a generally cylindrical housing 120 having a generally cylindrical longitudinal bore 122 therethrough. At a first end 124, the bore 122 is provided with a threaded portion 126, to allow the holder to be threaded onto the hub 104, as shown in Figure 2. At its second end 128, the bore 122 is formed with a hexagonal cross-section 130, for engaging with the hexagonal profile of the engagement portion 6 of the stud shown in Figure 1. The housing 120 has a radial bore 132 extending from the hexagonal cross-section 130. A magnet 134 is disposed in the radial bore 132.

In use, holder 108 retains each stud 110 and is rotated by the motor of the driver 102, allowing the stud to be fitted to or removed from the shoe of the horse.

The magnet 134 acts to hold the engagement portion and the stud portion of the stud within the cavity 122 of the holder 120 during normal use of the driver. However, the magnet is sufficiently weak that the stud can be pulled from the holder, for example when the stud has been fitted to the shoe or in cases where the horse moves suddenly. In the latter case, the stud comes out of the holder, rather than the entire driver being taken from the grip of the user.

In one embodiment, the system of the present invention comprises a driver having a holder, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, together with a set of complementary studs, such as shown in Figure 1. However, the driver may also be used with studs of other designs and sizes, in which case the system further comprises an adaptor.

An embodiment of the adaptor is shown in Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 4, the adaptor, generally indicated as 202, comprises a holder 204, having a generally cylindrical housing 206 with a longitudinal bore 208 therethrough. The first end 210 of the housing is formed with an engagement portion 212 of reduced diameter having a hexagonal cross-section complementary with the inner cross-section 130 of the second end 128 of the holder of Figure 3. The second end 214 of the housing 206 has the bore 208 formed with a hexagonal cross-section 216, of different diameter to that of the holder of Figure 3, for engaging with studs of different configuration. The housing 206 is provided with opposing bores 218 and 220 extending radially from the second end 214, each provided with a magnet 222 and 224 respectively.

A stem 226 of conventional design may be provided to extend from the first end 210 of the housing, to further engage with the hub 104 of the driver, in known manner.

In use, the adaptor 202 is inserted into the holder 108 when it is required to fit or remove studs that cannot be accommodated in the holder 108 directly.

Referring to Figure 4, there is shown one embodiment of the system of the present invention. The system is housed in a case 302 and comprises a driver 304 having a housing enclosing an electric motor and battery (not shown for clarity) of largely conventional design. The driver 304 comprises a holder 306 of the general design shown in Figure 3. The driver is a lightweight, handheld device that is easily held and manoeuvred by the user.

The system further comprises a range of studs 308, with studs 308a having a generally conical stud section, studs 308b having a large domed stud portion and studs 308c having a small domed stud portion. The system further includes a plurality of threaded stoppers 310.

For cleaning the holes in the shoes, prior to fitting a stud, the system includes a threaded bit 314 for running into a hole. A further threaded bit 316, having a slot in the thread portion, is provided for cleaning the thread of the hole, if required.

An adaptor 318 of the general configuration shown in Figure 4 is also provided for use with studs and components of other sizes and configurations.

Finally, the system comprises an adaptor 320 having an engagement portion at one end for engaging known plugs and stoppers and the like have a cross-head or other known or suitable configuration. * 12

Claims

1. A stud system, the system comprising: S one or more studs having a threaded portion for engaging with a threaded bore in the shoe of a hoofed animal and a stud portion for extending from the shoe, when fitted, the stud further comprising a engagement portion; and a driver for rotating the stud for fitting or removal to the shoe of the hoofed animal, the driver comprising a holder for engaging with and holding the engagement portion of the stud and a motor for rotating the holder.

2. The stud system according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion of the or each stud is hexagonal or square in cross-section.

3. The stud system according to either of claims I or 2, wherein the engagement portion of the or each stud protrudes radially from the stud.

4. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the threaded portion of the or each stud is provided with a slot.

5. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the holder comprises a housing.

6. The stud system according to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a longitudinal bore extending therethrough for accommodating the stud portion and engagement portion of the stud, at least a portion of the bore having a cross-section for engaging with the engagement portion of the or each stud.

7. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the holder comprises a magnet for retaining the stud.

8. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the motor is an electric motor.

9. The stud system according to claim 8, wherein the driver further comprises a battery for providing electrical power to the electric motor.

10. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the driver is handheld.

11. The stud system according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more stoppers, each stopper having an engagement portion for engagement by the holder and a threaded portion for threading into the hole in the shoe.

12. The stud system according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more threaded bits for cleaning the hole and/or the thread in the hole, each threaded bit comprising an engagement portion for engagement by the holder.

13. The stud system according to any preceding claim, further comprising an adaptor, the adaptor being engageabie with the holder so as to rotate therewith and arranged to hold a stud.

14. The stud system according to claim 13, wherein the adaptor comprises a housing, the housing having a first end engageable with the holder and a second end for retaining a stud.

15. The stud system according to claim 14, wherein the housing has a longitudinal bore therethrough, the bore being adapted to retain and hold the stud portion and engagement portion of a stud.

16. The stud system according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the adaptor comprises a magnet for retaining a stud.

17. A stud, the stud having a threaded portion, a stud portion and an engagement portion, wherein the engagement portion protrudes radially beyond both the stud portion and the engagement portion.

18. A stud substantially as hereinbefore described having reference to Figure 1.

18. The stud according to claim 17, wherein the engagement portion is hexagonal or square in cross-section.

19. The stud according to either of claims 17 or 18, wherein the engagement portion is disposed between the stud portion and the threaded portion.

20. A stud system substantially as hereinbefore described having reference to the accompanying figures.

21. A stud substantially as hereinbefore described having reference to Figure 1.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS:-j-.

1. A stud system, the system comprising: one or more studs having a threaded portion for engaging with a threaded bore in the shoe of a hoofed animal and a stud portion for extending from the shoe, when fitted, the stud further comprising a engagement portion; and a driver for rotating the stud for fitting or removal to the shoe of the hoofed animal, the driver comprising a holder for engaging with and holding the engagement portion of the stud and a motor for rotating the holder.

6. The stud system according to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a longitudinal bore extending therelhrough for accommodating the stud portion and engagement portion of the stud, at least a portion of the bore having a cross-section for engaging with the engagement portion of the or each stud.

8. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the motor is an electric motor. I',

10. The stud system according to any preceding claim, wherein the driver is handhetd.

13. The stud system according to any preceding claim, further comprising an adaptor, the adaptor being engageable with the holder so as to rotate therewith and arranged to hold a stud.

16. The stud system according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the adaptor comprises a magnet for retaining a stud. S.

* .30 17. A stud system substantially as hereinbefore described having reference to the accompanying figures.

S S. * SS.