GB2598659A

GB2598659A - Horseshoe

Info

Publication number: GB2598659A
Application number: GB2109639.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Petrus M Kerckhaert Michiel
Original assignee: Kerckhaert Hoefijzerfabriek BV
Current assignee: Kerckhaert Hoefijzerfabriek BV
Priority date: 2020-07-02
Filing date: 2021-07-02
Publication date: 2022-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2041-07-02
Also published as: AU2021204445A1; NL2025978B1; GB202109639D0; GB2598659B

Abstract

An aluminium horseshoe 1 comprising; an upper side (3, Fig.1) for mounting against a hoof, an underside 4 for contacting the ground, and two branches 6a and 6b connected to each other by means of a toe section 7. The underside of the horseshoe includes an outer edge 9 and an inner edge 8. The underside is provided with two reinforcing ribs 10, 11 forming groove 12 at a radial distance from the outer edge of the toe section, made as a one-piece insert with a U-shaped cross-section. The ribs are made from a material with greater hardness than the material from which the horseshoe is made. The ribs may protrude from the underside in a downward direction and may be provided with protrusions (22, Fig.3). The branches may be provided with grooves 16 having nail holes 17. The horseshoe may be provided with one or two additional ribs 20 in the branch section 6 without the grooves 16.

Description

Horseshoe.

The present invention relates to a horseshoe, particularly a horseshoe provided with one or more reinforcing ribs in 5 the base of the horseshoe.

It is known that a horseshoe is used to shod a horse's hooves, among other things, to prevent damage to the hooves.

Traditionally, a horseshoe has an upperside that is intended to be mounted to the hoof and an underside which comes into contact with the ground and is provided with an inner edge and an outer edge, whereby the radially innermost edge is called the inner edge and the radially outermost edge is called the outer edge of the horseshoe.

Furthermore, a horseshoe, made of aluminium, has a U-shape with a number of holes for horseshoe nails on the underside 20 such that the horseshoe can be mounted to the hoof.

These classic horseshoes possess various limitations for racehorses, chiefly concerning the grip a racehorse shod with such classic horseshoes experiences.

A disadvantage is that with the classic horseshoes the horse has little grip when the ground is wet or when the horse has to take a sharp turn during racing, such that there is a high risk of both the horse and the jockey falling, possibly resulting in injuries and harm.

Another disadvantage is that the classic aluminium horseshoes wear out relatively quickly in racehorses such that racehorses have to go to the farrier every 4 to 5 weeks.

In addition, horseshoes also exist which were developed for racehorses such that they have more grip on the ground, such horseshoes being provided with a downwardly protruding outer edge.

However, the use of such horseshoes during a horse race is not permitted in various countries.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a 15 solution to the aforementioned and other disadvantages.

To this end, the invention relates to an aluminium horseshoe that is provided with two branches that are connected by means of a toe section, whereby the horseshoe is provided with an upperside which is intended to be mounted against a hoof and the underside which is intended to make contact with the ground and is provided with an outer edge and an inner edge which connect the underside to the upperside, and whereby the horseshoe is provided on the underside of the toe section with a reinforcing rib which is provided at a radial distance from the outer edge of the toe section and is made from a material with a greater hardness than that of the aluminium of the horseshoe, characterised in that in the underside of the toe section an additional reinforcing rib is provided at a radial distance from the outer edge of the toe section which is greater than the radial distance from the first mentioned reinforcing rib and at a radial distance therefrom to form a groove, whereby said additional reinforcing rib is made from a material with a greater hardness than the material from which the horseshoe is made, and whereby both reinforcing ribs are made as a one-piece insert with a U-shaped cross-section with legs oriented toward the underside of the horseshoe.

A big advantage of said horseshoe type according to the invention is that the horse has a much better grip on the ground.

The reason for this is that the reinforcing ribs in the toe 15 section extend at least into the plane of the underside and preferably extend with a section that protrudes in a downward direction from the underside.

The reinforcing ribs in the toe section have a curved form which runs practically parallel with the outer edge of the toe section and lie mutually parallel from each other, whereby the reinforcing ribs are separated from each other by means of a groove.

An advantage of said groove is that the horseshoe will wear out less quickly and the horse's grip on the ground is improved.

In a preferred embodiment said inner edge and outer edge on 30 the underside of the horseshoe are located in the same tread.

In a practical embodiment the reinforcing ribs are made of steel with a hardness expressed in Hardness Rockwell B (HRB) of at least 80 HRB, more preferably of at least 90 HRB and most preferably of 100 HRB, whereby a material with a hardness HRB 100 is harder than a material with a hardness HRB 80.

Furthermore, the branches of the horseshoe are each provided with a groove with nail holes which ex:,ends up to a distance from the free end of the branches and which is interrupted on the level of the toe section, whereby the reinforcing ribs extend over the entire length or practically the entire length in the interrupted section.

The inner edge of the horseshoe is provided along the underside with a chamfer or cavity, whereby the additional reinforcing rib extends along the edge of the chamfer or cavity between the inner and outer edges of the horseshoe.

The additional reinforcing rib offers the advantage that it is more robust against wear and tear due to its hardness and consequently increases the wear resistance of the horseshoe.

In a preferred embodiment both reinforcing ribs in the toe section are made as a one-piece insert with a U-shaped cross-section whereby the legs are oriented toward the underside of the horseshoe and whereby the foot of the reinforcing rib is provided with a protrusion and/or a cutaway with which the insert is mounted in the horseshoe.

An advantage of this is that the insert is firmly embedded in the aluminium of the horseshoe such that the reinforcing rib does not easily come loose and is lost.

In a practical embodiment, the horseshoe, in addition to said reinforcing rib in the toe section, is also provided with an additional reinforcing rib in the section without groove of at least one branch of the horseshoe, whereby the reinforcing ribs extend in the branches to at least the underside of the plane or extend with a section that protrudes in a downward direction from the underside and have a curved form which runs practically parallel with the outer edge of the branches of the horseshoe.

An advantage of said reinforcing ribs in the branches of the horseshoe is that they contribute to a better grip on the ground and in this way increase the horse's safety.

Preferably, the reinforcing ribs in the branches of the horseshoe are made of a material, for example but not restricted to steel, with a hardness greater than that of aluminium.

An added advantage of said reinforcing ribs, made of such material, is that they wear out less quickly and in this way increase the wear resistance of the horseshoe.

The positive consequence of the greater wear resistance of 30 said horseshoe type is that horses have to go to the farrier less often, which not only offers an economic advantage but also has a positive influence on the horse's mental state of health.

With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a horseshoe according to the invention is described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: figure 1 shows a shod hoof with a horseshoe according to the invention; figure 2 schematically shows a bottom view of a horseshoe according to the invention; figure 3 shows a cross-section of an insert in the toe section of a horseshoe from figure 1 according to line figure 4 shows a cross-section of an insert in a branch of a horseshoe from figure 1 according to line IV-IV; figure 5 shows consecutive steps for a method according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a horseshoe I mounted under a hoof 2 of a horse whereby the upperside 3 of the horseshoe 1 is the 25 contact surface with the sole of the hoof 2 and the underside 4 is in contact with the ground.

The horseshoe 1 according to the invention, as shown in figure 2, in this embodiment essentially consists of a U30 shaped element 5 the branches 6 of which are connected by means of a toe section 7 and are each other's mirror image.

The radially innermost edge 8 of the tread of the horseshoe 1 is the inner edge 8 while the radially outermost edge 9 of the horseshoe 1 is the outer edge 9.

Preferably, said inner edge 8 and outer edge 9 are located on the underside 4 of the horseshoe 1 in the same tread.

In other words, the outer edge 9 does not protrude from the 10 underside 4 of the horseshoe 1 in a downward direction more than the inner edge 8 does.

The toe section 7 on the underside 4 of the horseshoe 1 is provided with a reinforcing rib 10, located at a radial distance A from the outer edge 9, and an additional reinforcing rib 11, located at a radial distance B from the outer edge 9 which is greater than that of the first mentioned reinforcing rib 10, which are located relative to each other at a radial distance C from each other, in other words, the reinforcing ribs 10 and 11 in the toe section 7 are separated from each other by means of a groove 12.

On the underside 4 the horseshoe 1 is provided with a reinforcing rib 10 which extends along the outer edge 9 of 25 the horseshoe 1 and with an additional reinforcing rib 11 on the inner edge 8 extending along said edge.

On its inner edge 8 along the underside 4, the horseshoe 1 is provided with a chamfer or cavity 13, whereby the 30 additional reinforcing rib 11 extends along the edge of the chamfer or cavity 13 between the inner 14 and outer 9 edges of the horseshoe 1.

The reinforcing ribs 10 and 11 in the toe section 7 lie 5 parallel with each other and have a curved form which runs practically parallel with the outer edge 9 of the toe section 7.

The reinforcing ribs 10 and 11 in the toe section 7 of the 10 horseshoe 1 are made of a material with a greater hardness than that of aluminium, such as for example steel.

Preferably, the reinforcing ribs 10 and 11 are made as an insert 15 consisting of one piece with a U-shaped cross-section whereby the legs are oriented toward the underside 4 of the horseshoe 1 and whereby the reinforcing ribs 10 and 11 are made from steel with a hardness expressed in Rockwell hardness B (RUB) of at least 80 HUB, more preferably at least 90 HUB and most preferably at least 100 HUB, whereby a material with a hardness HUB 100 is harder than a material with a hardness HUB 80.

This insert, prior to mounting in the horseshoe to be formed, is first hardened to a hardness between 48 and 50 HRC, to then be pressed into the horseshoe to be formed before the horseshoe is formed during production, in which phase of production the hardness of the insert decreases to 39 to 42 HRC.

The horseshoe 1 is forged such that the foot of the reinforcing ribs 10 and 11, provided with a protrusion 22 or cut-away, is enclosed in the material of the horseshoe 1.

Each branch 6a and 6b of the horseshoe 1 contains a groove 16 with nail holes 17 which reaches up to the toe section 7 and is interrupted there, whereby the reinforcing ribs 10 and 11 extend over the entire length D or practically the entire length D of the interrupted section 18.

In addition, the grooves 16a and 16b in the branches 6a and 6b extend up to a distance E from the free ends 19 of the branches 6 of the horseshoe 1, whereby at least one branch 6a or 6b is provided with at least one or two additional reinforcing ribs 20 in the section 21 of the branch 6a or 6b without grooves 16.

The reinforcing ribs 20 in the branches 6 of the horseshoe 1 extend up to at least the underside 4 of the plane or with a section protruding in a downward direction from the underside 4, whereby the reinforcing ribs 20 preferably possess a curved form which runs practically parallel with the outer edge 9 of the branches 6 of the horseshoe 1.

Preferably, the described reinforcing ribs 10, 11, 20 in 25 the underside 4 of the horseshoe 1 are made of a material with a hardness greater than that of aluminium such as for example but not exclusively steel.

The present invention also relates to a method for 30 manufacturing a horseshoe 1 according to the invention, as shown in figure 5.

A full tube 23 or rod, for example from aluminium, is first curved into the typical U-shape of the horseshoe 1.

The preformed horseshoe 24 can then be heated in a furnace 25, after which the heated preformed horseshoe 26 can be put in a press 27 and pressed to provide the heated preformed horseshoe 26 with the desired forms and/or openings.

In this case the heated preformed horseshoe 26 is provided on the underside 4 with an opening 28 in which the double insert 15 is mounted.

The horseshoe with double insert 29 will then be forged at a temperature of for example 400 degrees, after which the forged horseshoe with double insert 30 is put in a press 31 and pressed into the desired forms and dimensions.

After pressing the forged horseshoe with double insert 30, the insert 15 is, at least on the sides, surrounded by the material of the horseshoe 1, such that the insert 15 is clamped in the forged horseshoe with double insert 30.

Thus the material of the horseshoe 1 can, for example, penetrate in the cut-aways 22 of the insert 15.

The end product, i.e. the forged horseshoe with the double insert 30, forms a stable whole, whereby the double insert 30 15 does not come loose easily, does not often break and can move little to none in the horseshoe 1, 30.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the figures, but a horseshoe according to the invention can be realised in all kinds of forms and dimensions without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims.1.-Aluminium horseshoe (1) that is provided with two 5 branches (6a and 6b) that are connected to each other by means of a toe section (7), whereby the horseshoe (1) is provided with an upperside (3) which is intended to be mounted against a hoof (2) and the underside (4) which is intended to make contact with the ground and is provided with an outer edge (9) and an inner edge (8) which connect the underside (4) to the upperside (3), and whereby the horseshoe (1) is provided on the underside (4) of the toe section (7) with a reinforcing rib (10) which is provided at a radial distance from the outer edge (9) of the toe section (7) and is made from a material with a greater hardness than that of the aluminium of the horseshoe (1), characterised in that in the underside (4) of the toe section (7) an additional reinforcing rib (11) is provided at a radial distance from the outer edge (9) of the toe section (7) which is greater than the radial distance from the first mentioned reinforcing rib (10) and at a radial distance therefrom to form a groove (12), whereby said additional reinforcing rib (11) is made from a material with a greater hardness than the material from which the horseshoe (1) is made, and whereby both reinforcing ribs (10, 11) are made as a one-piece insert (15) with a U-shaped cross-section with legs oriented toward the underside (4) of the horseshoe (1).
2.-Horseshoe according to claim 1, characterised in that the reinforcing ribs (10, 11) are executed in the form of one or more inserts (15) which are embedded in the aluminium of the horseshoe (1) and which preferably extend at least into the plane of the underside (4) or with a section protruding from the underside (4) in a downward direction.
3.-Horseshoe according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the inner edge (8) and the outer edge (9) on the underside (4) of the horseshoe (1) lie in the same tread. 10 4.-Horseshoe according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the reinforcing ribs (10, 11) lie parallel with each other and have a curved form which runs practically parallel with the outer edge (9) of the toe section (7).5.-Horseshoe according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the reinforcing ribs (10, 11, 20) are made from steel with a hardness expressed in Rockwell hardness B (HRB) of at least 80 HRB, more preferably at least 90 HRB and most preferably at least 100 EDE, whereby a material with a hardness HRB 100 is harder than a material with a hardness HRB 80.6.-Horseshoe according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the horseshoe (1) is provided with a chamfer or cavity (13) on its inner edge (8) of the tread along the underside (4), whereby the additional reinforcing rib (11) extends along the inner edge (6) of the chamfer or cavity (13) between the inner edge (8) and outer edge (9) of the horseshoe (1).7.-Horseshoe according to claim 2, characterised in that one or more inserts (15) are forged in the aluminium of the horseshoe (1), whereby the foot of one or more inserts (15) of the reinforcing ribs (10, 11) is provided with a protrusion (22) or a cut-away (22) with which the reinforcing ribs (10, 11) are enclosed in the material of the horseshoe (1).8.-Horseshoe according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the branches (6) of the horseshoe (1) are provided with a groove (16) with nail holes which are interrupted on the level of the toe section (7), whereby the reinforcing ribs (10, 11) extend over the entire length D or practically the entire length D of the interrupted section.9.-Horseshoe according to claim 8, characterised in that the grooves (16) in the branches (6) extend up to a distance E from the free ends (19) of the branches (6) of the horseshoe (1) up to a section without grooves (16), whereby at least one branch (6a or 6b) is provided with at least one or two additional reinforcing ribs (20) in the section of the branch (6a or 6b) without grooves (16a or 16b), said reinforcing ribs (20) being made from a material with a hardness greater than that of the material of the horseshoe (6).10.-Horseshoe according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the at least one or two reinforcing ribs (20) in the branches (6) of the horseshoe (1) extend to at least the underside (4) of the plane or extend with a section that protrudes from the underside (4) in a downward direction and have a curved form which runs practically parallel with the outer edge (9) of the branches (6) of the horseshoe (1) . 11.-Horseshoe according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the reinforcing ribs (10, 11, 20) in the horseshoe contain a hardness of at least thirty-nine hardness Rockwell C (HRC), more preferably at least forty-two HRC and most preferably at least forty-seven HRC.