GB2559322A

GB2559322A - A stud for a horseshoe

Info

Publication number: GB2559322A
Application number: GB1700437.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Powell Christopher; Michael Smith Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-01-10
Filing date: 2017-01-10
Publication date: 2018-08-08
Also published as: GB201700437D0

Abstract

A stud 2 for a horseshoe 4 comprises a threaded portion 6 of a length suitable for screwing into and out of a threaded hole 8 in the horseshoe 4 while the horseshoe 4 is on a hoof 18 of the horse, and a head portion 10 which in use extends out of the stud 2 and engages a surface over which a horse fitted with the horseshoe 4 moves. The threaded portion 6 has a coarse thread 12 with flat tips 14 and flat roots 16, such as a trapezoidal thread, to help prevent cross-threading and damage to the thread in use. The end of the threaded portion, distal from the head, may be flat.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Christopher William Powell

Bryn Pedol, St Harmon Road, RHAYADER, LD6 5NR, United Kingdom

1700437.5 (51) INT CL:

A01L 7/04 (2006.01)

10.01.2017 (56) Documents Cited:

GB 0320029 A WO 2005/082193 A1

DE 202009002907 U US 1797668 A (58) Field of Search:

INT CL A01L, A43C

Other: EPODOC, WPI, Patent Fulltext

Thomas Michael Smith

The Old Police House, 31 Winchester Road, Bishops Waltham, WINCHESTER, Hampshire, SO32 1BZ, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Christopher William Powell Thomas Michael Smith (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Graham Jones & Company

Beaconsfield Road, Blackheath, LONDON,

SE3 7LG, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: A stud for a horseshoe

Abstract Title: A COARSE THREADED HORSESHOE STUD (57) A stud 2 for a horseshoe 4 comprises a threaded portion 6 of a length suitable for screwing into and out of a threaded hole 8 in the horseshoe 4 while the horseshoe 4 is on a hoof 18 of the horse, and a head portion 10 which in use extends out of the stud 2 and engages a surface over which a horse fitted with the horseshoe 4 moves. The threaded portion 6 has a coarse thread 12 with flat tips 14 and flat roots 16, such as a trapezoidal thread, to help prevent cross-threading and damage to the thread in use. The end of the threaded portion, distal from the head, may be flat.

M3

FIG 1

213 • · > 1 ··

» · ··

FIG 2 • · • · • ···

FIG 3

3/3

FIG 4 • ·· • · · • ·· *

FIG 5

·· · β ft · • · · ·· · • ft ft ft ··· ft· · • · · ft ··

FIG 7

A STUD FOR A HORSESHOE

This invention relates to a stud for a horseshoe.

Studs for horseshoes are well known. Each stud comprises a threaded portion for screwing into and out of a threaded hole in the horseshoe, and a head portion which in use extends out of the stud and engages a surface over which a horse fitted with the horseshoe moves. One or more of the studs may be used in each horseshoe. The or each stud gives extra grip on the surface over which the horse moves. The studs are typically used for horse competition purposes where extra purchase over the surface is required. Typically, the studs are used in jumping competitions, cross-country competitions and polo matches. In those cases, the surface is usually a grass or turf surface. For such surfaces, typically only one or two of the studs per horseshoe are used. In Scandinavian countries, the surface may be an ice surface, and in this case six of the studs per horseshoe may be used.

The studs are typically screwed into the horseshoe for the competition and then removed from the horseshoe after the competition. Usually the threaded portion of the stud will be of a length that screws into the horseshoe and without penetrating the hoof of the horse.

A long-standing and major problem with the use of the known studs is that they are easily cross-threaded by the person inserting and removing the studs in the horseshoe. The cross-threading leads to the thread becoming damaged. This in turn leads to the studs falling out. If studs fall out during a competition, then the competition may be lost due to the lack of the required purchase over the surface over which the horse is moving. The horse may be required to be moving at a walking pace, a canter or a gallop. The studs have been used worldwide for over sixty years and the problem of cross-threading and loss of studs has been a constant problem. In spite of the fact that the problem has been known to exist for a very long time, a solution to the problem has not been provided.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention tnere is provided a stud for a horseshoe, which stud comprises a threaded portion for screwing into and out of a threaded hole in the horseshoe, and a head portion which in use extends out of the stud and engages a surface over which a horse fitted with the horseshoe moves, the threaded portion being such that it is a coarse threaded portion having threads with flat tips and flat roots, and the threaded portion also being such that it is of a length suitable for screwing into and out of the horseshoe while the horseshoe is on a hoof of the horse.

With the stud of the present invention, the coarse thread replaces the fine thread used on known studs. Typically, the fine thread on known studs is a 3/8 British Standard Whitworth thread. The fine thread is easily crossthreaded, with the subsequent damage to the thread and then the subsequent falling out of the stud from the horseshoe. The coarse thread of the present invention with its flat tips and its flat roots removes this problem of crossthreading, which in turn removes the problem of the studs prematurely falling out due to damaged threads. With the threaded portion ofthe present invention, cross-threading is virtually eliminated, in spite of the fact that a stud may be inserted and removed many times in a horseshoe. In addition, the threaded portion used in the stud of the present invention enables the stud easier to locate than with the threaded portion on known studs.

Basically, the threaded portion used on the stud ofthe present invention eliminates user error.

Apart from the provision of the coarse threaded portion, the remainder ofthe stud may be as on known studs. Thus, for example, the threaded portion on the stud of the present invention may be of the same or a similar length to known studs, i.e. of a length suitable for screwing into the horseshoe whilst the horseshoe is on a hoof of the horse. The length will usually be such that it will not penetrate and damage the hoof of the horse and/or cause discomfort to the horse.

The stud may be one in which the threads are trapezoidal threads.

The threads may be such that each pair of threads defines an angle of 30°. Each pair of threads may define an angle which is more or less than 30°. The angle defined by a pair of threads on a stud of the present invention will usually be substantially less than the angle defined by a pair of threads on a known stud where the roots and tips of the threads are pointed. Typically, on a known stud, the known stud may have a threaded portion which is British Standard Whitworth thread, and such a British Standard Whitworth thread may be such that each pair of threads defines an angle of 55°, as compared with the substantially lower defined angle on the stud of the present invention of typically 30°.

The stud of the present invention may be one which has a thread which is a 10 x 3 thread.

The stud may be one in which the end of the threaded portion farthest from the head portion is flat.

The present invention also provides a horseshoe when provided with a stud of the invention.

The horseshoe may have from 1 - 6 of the threaded holes. If there are an even number of the threaded holes, then the threaded holes will usually be symmetrically positioned on the horseshoe.

Typically, the horseshoe will provide a plurality of plain holes for receiving nails for nailing the horseshoe to the hoof. Where there is an even number of the plain holes, then the plain holes will usually be symmetrically positioned on the horseshoe. There may be, for example ten of the plain holes. More than ten of the plain holes may be employed. The plain holes may be square or rectangular on plan view.

The head portion of the stud of the present invention may be of the same shape as the head portions of known studs. The shape for the head portion may vary in dependence upon the precise type of competition for which the horse has been entered.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a stud of the present invention fitted to a horseshoe, with the horseshoe 4 being fitted to the a hoof of a horse’s leg, and with the stud of the present invention also being shown in enlarged form;

Figure 2 is a view of a known stud;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the horseshoe shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line A - A shown in Figure 3 and with a threaded hole and plain holes being shown in full lines for ease of understanding;

Figure 5 shows a typical British Standard Whitworth thread of the type ;·. that will be used on the known stud shown in Figure 2;

• ··· ·:···· Figure 6 shows part of a trapezoidal thread of the type that might be

.....J used by way of example on the stud of the present invention and shown in • · ·;· Figure 1;

.....: Figure 7 shows a stud of the present invention and which is an • · ·;···; alternative to the stud shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 8 shows a further alternative stud of the present invention and which is an alternative to the stud shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1,3,4 and 6, there is shown a stud 2 of the present invention for a horseshoe 4. The stud 2 comprises a threaded portion 6 for screwing into and out of a threaded hole 8 in the horseshoe 4. The stud also comprises a head portion 10 which in use extends out of the stud 2 and engages a surface over which a horse fitted with the horseshoe 4 is moving, for example at a walk, a canter or a gallop.

The threaded portion 6 is such that it is a coarse threaded portion 6 having threads 12 with flat tips 14 and flat roots 16. The threaded portion 6 is such that it is of a length suitable for screwing into the horseshoe 4 whilst the horseshoe 4 is on a hoof 18 ofthe horse.

As best appreciated from Figures 1 and 6, the threads 12 are trapezoidal threads. Each pair of the threads 12 defines an angle of 30°. The coarse threads are to be compared with the fine threads 20 in the known stud 22 shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 shows how the fine threads 20 have pointed tips 24 and pointed roots 26. Figure 5 also shows how the fine threads 20 are British Standard Whitworth threads 20, with each pair of fine threads 20 defining an angle of 55°. By way of example, it is mentioned that the fine threads 22 may be 3/8 British Standard Whitworth threads. The coarse threads 12 may be TR10 x 3 threads, i.e. the coarse threads 12 may be trapezoidal threads, 10mm major (outer) diameter, 3mm pitch-distance from tip to tip.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the end of the threaded portion 6 farthest from the head portion 10 on the stud 2 of the present invention is flat. Similarly, the end of the threaded portion on the known stud 22 is flat. Apart from the provision ofthe threaded portion 6, the stud 2 ofthe present invention may have a threaded portion 6 which is ofthe same length as in known studs, and it may also have a head portion 10 which is the same as the various designs of known head portions in known studs. The head portion 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 (where similar parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding) is a polo stud having four flat sides as shown.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate how the horseshoe 4 has two of the threaded holes 8 and ten plain holes 28. The threaded holes 8 and the plain holes 28 are symmetrically disposed about the horseshoe 4 as shown in Figure 3.

The horseshoe 4 is such that the threaded holes 8 are provided with complementary threads for the threaded portion of the stud 2.

The horseshoe 4 may be made in a variety of ways. For example, the horseshoe may be made by hand by a farrier. Alternatively the horseshoe may be factory made. If made by a farrier or in a factory, a straight piece of bar may be bent to the shape of the horseshoe. The horseshoe will then typically be subsequently tailor fitted to the hoof of a horse for which it is intended. The ··· ··.! threaded holes 8 may then be provided. The plain holes 28 may be formed _βββ· before or after the provision of the threaded holes 8. The threaded holes 8 will ··· usually be formed using a tap. The plain holes 8 will usually be formed using a stamp which stamps the holes. If the horseshoe 4 is to be made in a factory, ···· then it may alternatively be made by drop forging. During drop forging, nail holes and stud holes may be formed, but then the stud holes would need to be provided with the coarse threads required by the stud of the present invention.

The horseshoe will typically be made of mild steel. An alternative to mild steel is iron. Horseshoes for racehorses may be made of aluminium. Alternatively the horseshoe may be made of a thermal plastics material which is glued into place. In this latter case, nail holes may or may not be employed.

Figure 7 shows an alternative stud 30 of the present invention. The stud 30 has the threaded portion 6 but has a differently shaped head portion 32.

Figure 8 shows another stud 34 of the present invention. The stud 34 has the threaded portion 6 but a differently shaped head portion 36.

The studs 2, 30, 34 are very easy to use and substantially impossible to cross-thread due to the use of the threaded portion 6 with its coarse threads

12. The studs 2, 30, 34 overcome the longstanding and worldwide problem of cross-threading as is achieved with the known stud 22 shown in Figure 2, with the problem being due to the fine threads 20 shown in Figures 2 and 5.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way

.. of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, • ···

.....i different types of trapezoidal threads 12 may be employed providing they are coarse threads and the coarse threads have flat tips and flat roots. Individual • · ··· components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.

• · • ·

Claims

1. A stud for a horseshoe, which stud comprises a threaded portion for screwing into and out of a threaded hole in the horseshoe, and a head portion which in use extends out of the stud and engages a surface over which a horse fitted with the horseshoe moves, the threaded portion being such that it is a coarse threaded portion having threads with flat tips and flat roots, and the threaded portion also being such that it is of a length suitable for screwing into and out of the horseshoe while the horseshoe is on a hoof of the horse.

2. A stud according to claim 1 in which the threads are trapezoidal threads.

• ·

3. A stud according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the threads are such that each pair of threads defines an angle of 30°.

• · • ·

4. A stud according to any one of the preceding claims in which the thread is a 10 x 3 thread.

5. A stud according to any one of the preceding claims in which an end of the threaded portion farthest from the head portion is flat.

6. A horseshoe when provided with a stud according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. A horseshoe according to claim 6 in which the horseshoe has from 1 6 of the threaded holes.

8. A horseshoe according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which the horseshoe includes a plurality of plain holes for receiving nails for nailing the horseshoe to the hoof.

9. A horseshoe according to claim 8 in which the plain holes are symmetrically positioned on the horseshoe.

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Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: Claims searched:

GB1700437.5

1-9