US2157826A - Horseshoe - Google Patents

Description

ay 9, 1939- w. P. KEARNEY HORSESHOE Filed July 51, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y ATTORNEY INVENTOR May 9, 1939.

w. P. KEARNEY HORSESHOE Filed JulyBl, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR mum R lfEA/P/VE) ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF'l This invention relates to horseshoes and more particularly to certain novel features of a resilient horseshoe which constitute improvements over the horseshoe described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 489, filed January 5, 1935 patented Oct. 5, 1937, No. 2,094,743. Such resilient shoes have the advantage over iron or steel shoes of being lighter in weight, lower in cost and wearing much longer when used on pavements.

It is an object of my invention to provide a horseshoe of resilient material having these advantages and also capable of affording good traction, preventing slippage and skidding on wet or icy surfaces.

It is a further object of my invention to reinforce resilient horseshoes in such a manner that their strength is increased without materially increasing the weight thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a reinforced horseshoe and an insert therefor enabling the horseshoe to be easily fitted to different shaped hooves.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be explained hereinafter and will be apparent from a description of a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure l is a bottom plan view of a horseshoe broken away on one side to illustrate a metal insert embedded therein.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of such a horseshoe.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of this horseshoe and broken away to show one detail thereof in section.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are vertical sections of the shoe taken on the lines l4, 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, of Figure 3.

In the drawings, numeral ll] indicates generally a horseshoe which is symmetrical and made of suitable resilient material, such as vulcanized rubber II molded about a metal insert I2. The resilient material preferably completely encases the insert l2, to facilitate its manufacture, except for a portion of the toe plate l3, which may project therethrough. The upper surface of the metal insert i2 is recessed along its inner edge as indicated at M and, in making the shoe, the resilient material conforms to this recess. A depression is thus formed along the inner side of the upper surface of the horseshoe and the central and more sensitive part of the horses hoof is thus prevented from pressing against the shoe and causing soreness.

Suitable nail holes 15 may be provided in the metal insert l2 and the rubber is preferably molded therearound. The rubber may be formed with tapered openings l6 immediately below the nail holes IS in the metal insert, to ensure plac- 5 ing of the nails in the correct position when shoeing a horse. If desired, a thin layer of rubber lfia may be left over the openings 5 to hold the nails more firmly. The metal insert is designed to lend rigidity and strength to the shoe but is 1 preferably made thin in order to reduce the weight of the finished article. Ribs H are provided on each side of the under surface of the inset l2 to strengthen the insert along the zone weakened by the openings 15. These two ribs H are 15 preferably distinct from each other and extend to points near the toe plate l3 without entirely meeting. A small zone i8 is thus left between the forward ends of these two ribs ll to provide easy bending of the shoe as may be necessary for 20 shaping to the hooves of different horses. The insert is thus strengthened without increasing its thickness and weight and at the same time is made easier to shape.

The resilient material of the shoe is formed 25 with a toe calk l9 and heel calks 28 of substantially the width of the entire shoe depending below the insert and designed along with the ridges 2| to support the weight of a horse wearing the shoe. rial 2| of lesser width connect the heel and toe calks, leaving the cut-out sections 22. These cut-out sections 22 are arranged coincident with the nail holes I5 in the metal insert I2 and provide asection of decreased thickness to facilitate 35 insertion of the nails or other fastening means. The depending or tread portions of the shoe, made up of the heel calks 20 and the integral sections 2|, are preferably formed with a plurality of transverse grooves 23 extending the full width of 40 the tread. The grooves 23 thus leave a plurality of depending lugs 25 spaced a slight distance from each other and formed with relatively sharp edges 26. This construction provides for greatly increased traction over the use of such devices 45 as vacuum cups and other patterns formed in the treads of shoes. The grooves may be relatively deep in order to have their full effect throughout the practical life of the horseshoe.

By reason of the extension of the grooves com- 50 pletely through the shoe, any air which may be compressed between two of the lugs 25 is afforded a chance to escape and the lugs 25 are provided with a certain degree of flexibility. The grooves may be tapered inwardly in their manufacture to 55 Depending ridges of resilient mate- 30 facilitate molding of the resilient material used and are preferably slanted upwardly andrearwardly as indicated in Figure 2. As a horse wearing the shoe moves forward or goes down hill, the traction surface of the shoe is pulled back and the body of the shoe is pressed forward tending to straighten up the lugs 25 to the perpendicular. These lugs 25 tend permanently to straighten up to some extent as the shoe wears and by reason of their initial slant are never far from perpendicular, thus retaining their full effectiveness. If desired, additional grooves 24 may be employed extending transversely of the toe calk |9 to prevent side slip.

A horseshoe, such as described, has many advantages over iron horseshoes which are commonly employed. The weight of the entire shoe is reduced to about one-half and the shoe when used on pavements wears about twice as long. The reduced weight of the shoes and their resiliency have been estimated to increase the useful life of a horse from two to three years. The cost of making the shoes is also much less than the cost of drop forged steel shoes. As compared with previous attempts to make resilient horseshoes, my invention provides an eminently satisfactory shoe especially for use on slippery surfaces such as ice and wet pavements. It is a cushion for the horse's hoof and yet assures a much firmer grip than is obtainable with horseshoes heretofore employed. Furthermore, with deep grooves, the traction of the shoe is not substantially decreased by wear.

The terms used in describing the invention are used as terms of description and not as terms of limitation and it is intended that all equivalents of these terms be included within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. A horseshoe comprising a body portion and calk portions of resilient material depending therefrom for supporting the weight of a horse and having a plurality of relatively deep narrow grooves extending transversely thereof, said grooves being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the lower surface of said shoe.

2. A horseshoe comprising a metal insert embedded in resilient material, the upper surface of said shoe being recessed along the inner portion thereof, calk portions of resilient material depending below said insert, openings in said insert, and means for reinforcing said insert in the zone of said openings.

3. A horseshoe comprising a metal insert embedded in resilient material, integral toe and heel calk portions depending below said insert and formed on their lower surfaces with a plurality of transverse grooves, openings in said insert and resilient material, and a reinforcing rib integral with said insert in the zone of said openings.

4. A horseshoe comprising a metal insert embedded in resilient material, integral toe and heel calk portions depending below said insert and formed on their lower surfaces with a plurality of transverse grooves, openings in the side portions of said insert, and ribs extending longitudinally of the side of said insert.

5. A horseshoe comprising a metal insert embedded in resilient material, integral toe and heel calk portions depending below said insert and formed on their lower surfaces with a plurality of transverse grooves, openings in the side portions of said insert, and a pair of longitudinal reinforcing ribs coextensive with said openings on the lower side of said insert, the ends of said ribs being spaced from each other to facilitate bending of the shoe in the zone therebetween.

6. An insert for use in resilient horseshoes comprising a metal member of general horseshoe configuration having the inner portion of its upper surface recessed, attachment openings in the sides thereof, and reinforcement means adjacent said openings.

'7. An insert for use in resilient horseshoes comprising a metal member of general horseshoe configuration having attachment openings in the sides thereof, and ribs for stiffening said member in the zone of said openings.

8. An insert for use in resilient horseshoes comprising a metal member of general horseshoe configuration, having the inner portion of its upper surface recessed, attachment openings in the sides thereof, and ribs on the under surface of said member coextensive with said openings, the forward ends thereof being spaced from each other.

9. A horseshoe comprising a body portion with toe and heel calk portions of resilient material depending therefrom, said heel calk portions having a plurality of deep narrow grooves extending from one side of the calk portions to the other side thereof and shaped to form sharp lower edges on the resilient material adjacent said grooves, and said groves being sufficiently close to each other to provide ridges of resilient material bendable under the Weight of a horse.

10. A horseshoe comprising a body portion with toe and heel calk portions of resilient material depending therefrom to support the weight of a horse, said heel calk portions having a plurality of narrow grooves extending in depth substantially to said body portion and arranged to extend from one side of said calk portions to the other side thereof.

WILLIAM P. KEARNEY.

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