WO1983003949A1

WO1983003949A1 - A horseshoe

Info

Publication number: WO1983003949A1
Application number: PCT/DK1983/000053
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Jungersen
Original assignee: Anders Jungersen
Priority date: 1982-05-19
Filing date: 1983-05-18
Publication date: 1983-11-24
Also published as: JPS59500847A; AU561977B2; US4585068A; AU1557383A; DK226382A; DE3367999D1; EP0109415B1; DK157520C; EP0109415A1; JPH0429322B2; DK157520B

Abstract

A two-part horseshoe consists of a channel-shaped upper part (10) to be nailed to the horse's hoof and an exchangeable lower part (20), which is made of an elastic material and has a ridge member (22) that can be pressed up into the channel (15) of the upper part. The side walls of the channel have a plurality of inwardly extending projections (16) with end faces directed toward the channel bottom (11), and the side walls of the ridge member are formed with corresponding recesses (25) which the projections snap into when the ridge member is pressed into position in the channel. In the front portion of the lower part there is embedded a metal insert (40) having partly a locking hook (43) to cooperate with a corresponding locking hook (19) on the front side wall (13) of the upper part, partly a plate-shaped member (41) forming a toe wear bracket on the underside of the lower part. When the projections (16) of the upper part are brought into engagement with the recesses (25) in the lower part they prevent such displacement of the lower part with respect to the upper part as is required to release the two locking hooks from the locking engagement. Thus, the lower part cannot be loosened by the influences which occur in use; it can only be removed in a specific manner, viz. progressively from the rear ends and starting with the use of a hoof cleaner or a similar object as a crowbar or lever.

Description

A horseshoe

The invention relates to a horseshoe of the type defined ■ in the introductory portion of claim 1. The elastic lower part reduces the load on the bones and muscles of the horse by its spring effect, in particular when .the horse strikes a hard surface.

The US Patent Specification 610804 discloses a two-part horseshoe with an elastic lower part, where the sides of the ridge member of this part are formed with tongues or grooves to protrude into corresponding grooves in the side walls of the upper part. The tongues or the flanges and the grooves have a rectangular cross-section so that the lower part must be applied by inserting its ridge member longitudinally into the upper part. This requires a very loose fit between the two parts, which makes it necessary to retain the lower part by means of transverse rivets extended through holes in the side walls of the upper part and into the. ridge member of the lower part. The use of such horseshoes involves the risk that the retaining rivets and then the lower part fall off.

The Swedish Patent Specification 8597 discloses a horse¬ shoe comprising two metallic parts, a fixed and an exchangeable one, with an intermediate packing. The lower part is detachably attached to the upper part by means of a locking pin which is slidably mounted-on the front of the upper part and is spring loaded to engage a hole in the lower part. Fixed, cooperating engagement means are provided at the rear ends of the two parts.

The US Patent Specification 660788 discloses a two-part horseshoe with an elastic lower part, where the side walls of the channel-shaped upper part have spaced,

Q PI inwardly directed hooks acting as barbs to retain the lower part after the lower part has been pressed past the hooks into the upper part. Such securing is insufficient to withstand the influences occurring in practice,

The object of the invention is to provide a horseshoe of the present type whose lower part is easy to exchange without using any tool other than e.g. a hoof cleaner, but which is nevertheless firm in position even under extremely severe conditions of use.

This object is achieved in that the horseshoe is con¬ structed as stated in the characterizing portion of claim 1, since, in. this construction, the projections and the recesses, in addition to keeping the ridge member of the lower part in position on the upper part at the points, viz. the rearwardly directed forks of the shoe, where the detaching forces are relatively small, also serve the important function of keeping the locking means lockingly engaged at the front of shoe where the greatest forces are applied.

To further enhance the reliability of securing, the horse¬ shoe is constructed as stated in claim 2, since the rear side wall of the upper part prevents the upwardly extending portion of the insert from moving more than just slightly rearwards under the action of forces which urge the elastic lower part rearwards with respect to the upper part, and which, in some forms of locking means, might tend to cancel the locking engagement.

The embodiment of the locking means stated in claim 3 has the advantage that the locking means can only be disengaged when the lower part is shifted longitudinally with respect to the upper part, and such movement is effectively prevented not only by the cooperating recesses and projections, but also by the considerable friction between the tightly fitting lower part ridge member and the upper part.

A modified embodiment of the locking means is stated in claim 4.

When the horseshoe is constructed as stated in claim 5, the characteristics of the insert material are utilized to improve the wear resistance of the lower part.

When calks are to be used, it may be desirable to secure the most heavily loaded ones of these in the insert, as stated in claim 6.

Claim 7 defines an expedient structure and location of the projections enabling ready provision for a suitable compromise between the regard for the best possible securing and the desirability of ready removal. In practice the conditions are preferably so adapted that an applied lower part cannot be removed by a pull of such strength as may occur in practice, perpendicular to the plane of the shoe, but may be removed by inserting a hoof cleaner or a similar object, such as a screwdriver, between the lower part and the upper part at one end of ^'the horseshoe and using it as a crowbar or lever to press the rear end portion of an adjacent recess out of engagement with the corresponding hook on the upper part while elastically deforming the ridge member. Continued application of the tool causes the rear end portion of the lower part to be rolled off, and during this movement the edge of the engagement face of the recess with the hook is pressed past the hook edge point by point until the recess is completely clear of the hook. The end portion in question of the lower part can now be lifted clear of the channel of the upper part, and then

OΛΪPI the other recesses on the fork in question of the lower part can be released from their hooks one by one and point by point by continued rolling off movement produced by pulling the released end portion forwardly to rhe locking means at the insert. After the completion of^" a corresponding detaching process for the other fork of the horseshoe, the manipulation necessary to release the locking means, such as longitudinal displacement, can be performed.

The feature defined in claim 8 serves to facilitate the pressing operation of the ridge member of the lower part into the upper part.

When the ridge member of the lower part is ormed with such grooves as stated in claim 9, the lower part need only be pressed manually so deep into the upper part that at least one hook on the upper part will engage one of the grooves, thereby fixing the lower part sufficiently for the final impression to be effected by the horse when treading down on the hoof in question.

The construction in claim 10 ensures that the ridge member is guided correctly into the channel-shaped upper part without any tendency of "turning over", just as the impression itself is facilitated.

The advantage of the construction in claim 11 is that the greatest possible- amount of material of the ridge member between the hook engagement face of the individual recess and the top side of the ridge member is available for retaining the lower part in the upper part.

A dimensional ratio expedient in practice is defined in claim 12, and claim 13 defines features providing for easier manipulations with a hoof cleaner or other

O suitable tool as required for the removal of the lower part.

The construction in claim 14 serves to prevent the horse when galopping from releasing the rear ends of the forks of the lower part from the upper part by hitting these fork ends with the rear hooves.

The invention also concerns a nail for securing the upper part of the stated horseshoe to a horse's hoof, and when this nail is formed as stated in claim 15, it can retain or assist in retaining the lower part- ridge member when said member is formed as stated in claim 20.

Expedient details and various embodiments of the nail are stated in claims 16-19.

Finally, the invention also concerns a method of manufact- urihg the upper part for the stated horseshoe, and the unique features of the method of the invention are stated in claim 21. It has been found that hooks may be provided in the upper part in this manner without any risk of ruptures in the material.

An important advantage in the use of an exchangeable lower part is that the rider may have a range of various lower parts which are each specially adapted to special conditions. Some lower parts may thus have moulded spikes for use on icy surfaces or bosses for use on soft sur- m faces. Lower parts for use on asphalt or a similar surface may expediently have a smooth underside without protruding parts.

The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to the drawing, in which figs. 1 and 2 are oblique bottom views of an embodiment of the horseshoe,

figs. 3 and 4 are oblique top and oblique bottom views, respectively, of the lower part,

fig. 5 shows a metallic insert incorporated in the lower part,

figs. 6 and 7 are oblique top and oblique bottom views, respectively, of another embodiment of the horseshoe of the invention,

figs. 8 and 9 are oblique top and oblique bottom views, respectively, of the lower part for this horseshoe,

fig. 10 shows a metallic insert incorporated in the latter lower part,

fig. 11 is a side view of the rear end portion of a modified embodiment of the lower part,

fig. 12 is a section taken along the line XII-XII in fig. li,

-figs. 13 and 14 are cross-sectional views of the head end of two different embodiments of nails of the invention and lower parts for receiving said nails,

fig. 15 is a side view of a tool for use in the manufacture of an upper part like the one shown in figs. 1 and 2 or 6 and 7 while performing a moulding operation, which is part of the method of the invention, on such an upper part,

fig. 16 is an end view of the same tool, fig. 17 shows another tool in the process of a final moulding operation, which forms another part of the method of the invention, on the upper part, and

fig. 18 is a cross-section of the fork of the upper art thus treated,

fig. 19 shows a modified embodiment of the insert,

figs. 20 and 21 are vertical sections of an insert like the one shown in fig. 19 and with a calk placed therein, with and without a wear plate, respectively,

fig. 22 is a vertical section of an insert with a welded anchoring angle, and

fig. 23 shows an upper part with a special arrangement of the nail holes.

The upper part shown in figs. 1 and 2 is generally designated by 10 and is made of metal by drawing and forms a channel 15 with a bottom wall 11, an inner^"side wall 12 and an outer side wall 13; these two side walls merge into each other at the ends, and are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the bottom wall 11. The bottom wall is formed with nail holes 14, and the edges of the side walls 12 and 13 are formed with a plurality of hooks 16 which are disposed in spaced relationship on the rearwardly directed forks of the shoe and protrude into the channel 15, said hooks 16having end faces 16a which face the bottom wall 11. The top side of each hook curves from the edge face of the side wall inwardly toward the hook edge 16b. The frontportion of the upper part has welded to it a triangular plate 17 which forms a so-called toe-clip, and the frontportion of the outer side wall 13 is formed with a rectangular opening or recess 18. The lower part shown in figs. 3 and 4 is generally designated by 20 and is moulded of a suitable, elastic and wear-resistant plastics material, such as poly- urethane, and consists of an outer member 21 and a ridge member 22 intended to be inserted into the channel 15 of the upper part 20. This ridge member is somewhat narrower than the outer member 21 so as to provide a shoulder 23 at the transition between the two parts; this shoulder 23 extends all the way round along the lower part and engages, in the finished shoe, the lower edge of the side walls 11 of the upper part 10. The top^"side of the ridge member 22 is formed with a plurality of recesses 24 to receive the heads of the nails by which the upper part 10 is nailed to the horse's hoof. The side walls of the ridge member 22 are formed with substantially wedge- shaped recesses 25 to receive the hooks 16 on the upper part 10. The lower edge of the recesses 25 are disposed at the shoulder 23, and the side face 26 of these recesses intended to engage the end face 16a of the hooks 16 slopes slightly inwards from the side wall of the ridge member and away from the top side of the ridge member. The rear ends of the lower part are formed with bevels 27 on the underside.

In the front portion of the lower part 20 there is embedded a metallic insert which is shown in fig. 5 and is generally designated by 30. This insert is made of wear-resistin .steel or by pressing and sintering of a powder of a metal alloy giving a hard and wear-resisting product. The insert consists of a plate 31 whose under- side, in the finished lower part,_.is coplanar with the underside of the outer member 21 and thus forms a thread face at the point of maximum wear. In the shown embodi¬ ment the front edge of the plate 31 protrudes slightly from the side wall of the outer^'member 21. The top side of the plate 31 has an upwardly extending element 32

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O PI whose top is formed with a forwardly directed, horizontal flange 33 forming, in the finished lower part, a pro¬ jection which protrudes from the front portion of the side wall of the ridge member 22..When the lower part 20 has been placed in position in the upper part 10, u^re is only a relatively thin layer of plastics material between the rear side of the member 32 and the inner side wall 12 of the upper part. The top side of the plate 31 also mounts two pins 34 which are formed with heads and serve to anchor the. insert in the material of the lower part 20.

The lower part 20 is applied to the upper part 10 nailed to a horseshoe by inserting the projection 33 on the lower part into the recess 18 in the upper part, the lower part being kept inclined with respect to the upper part, and hen the horse is allowed to tread on the shoe so that the ridge member 22 of the lower part is progressively pressed up into the channel 15 of the upper part. This pressing movement causes the ridge member 22 to be deformed by the projecting hooks 16 on the side walls 12 and 13 of the upper part. As the ridge member is pressed into position, first the front portion and finally the rear portions, the hooks 16 snap into the corresponding recesses 25 in the side walls of the ridge member, causing the end face 16a of the hooks to engage the just slightly inclined side faces 26 of the recesses 25. This engagement forms a locking engagement which cannot be released by the influences the horseshoe will experience even under extreme conditions such as jumping and difficult terrain.

The lower part is removed by inserting a hoof cleaner or a similar tool, e.g. a screwdriver, between the rear end wall on one fork of the upper part 10 and the lower part 20 and tilting it about the edge of the wall. The lever

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OMPI or crowbar effect thus provided produces a sufficient force to overcome the resistance offered by the rear end of the side face 26 in the closest recess 25 against yielding elastically to the pressure from the end face 16a of the corresponding hook 16. Once this resista_.%e has been overcome, the rear end portion of the lower part can be released by rolling-off movement as the edge of the recess point by point slides over the hook edge with elastic deformation of the material around the recess. When the end portion in question of the lower part has thus cleared the upper part, the other recesses in the fork in question can be released one by one from their hooks by rolling-off movements like the one described in the foregoing, so that the entire fork is gradually released. Then the same process is repeated with the other fork of the lower part, and once this - fork too has been released, the forwardly directed projection 33 can be pulled out of the recess 18. The removal has thus been completed, and another lower part can be applied. .

When a horse gallops it may happen that the rear hooves hit the front hooves. This might conceivably provide precisely the action on the rear ends of the lower parts on the front hooves of the horse which is required for the lower part to be removed. Such influence, however, is prevented by the bevels 27.

In the underside of the lower part 20 there may in a known manner be embedded spikes (not shown) for use on an icy surface or calks for use on a soft surface or other forms of anti-slippage means.

The embodiment of the horseshoe of the invention which is shown in figs. 6-10 differs from the one shown in figs. 1-5 and described in the foregoing only in the structure of the locking means and the rear ends of the two parts and in the provision of two oblong recesses 24a instead of individual recesses 24 for nail heads in each fork. The same reference numerals are used in figs. 6-10 as in figs. 1-4 for corresponding parts which are the same in the two embodiments.

The outer member 21 of the lower part 20 shown in figs. 8 and 9 has rearwardly an end portion 49 instead of a bevel; the end portion 49 is somewhat narrower than the rest of the outer member and is softly rounded and slopes rearwardly. Moreover, in a rearwardly extending end face of the ridge member 22 there is formed a groove 28 which is relatively wide and low and extends in the entire height of the ridge member. Further, the rear end wall of the upper part is a little lower than the side walls of the channel as shown at 48 in fig. 7.

The depression or cut 48, which is. formed by the lower channel end wall, facilitates the introduction of a hoof cleaner or other tool between the- upper part and the lower part to remove the second, and the further intro¬ duction is additionally facilitated in that the groove 28 serves as a guide for the tool.

The insert, which is shown in fig. 10, is generally designated by 40 and consists of a plate 41 forming a wear^" bracket in the toe portion of the lower part 20. The top side of the plate 40 mounts a punched and bent bridge member 42, which is formed of a metal plate and has two end lugs 46 welded to the plate 41. In the centre of its front edge the bridge member moreover has a forwardly directed locking hook 43 which is supported by an angularly bent bridge member portion 44 welded to the plate 41. The bridge member is also- supported and stiffened by an angularly bent portion 45 welded to the

"BU EA OMPI plate 4.L, at the central portion of its rear edge. The bridge member 42 is moreover formed with holes 47 serving to improve the anchoring of the insert in the material of the lower part.

As shown in figs. 6 and 7 the central portion of the outer side wall 13 of the upper part 10 is here formed with a projection 19, which is bent rearwardly into the channel formed by the upper part and forms a locking hook for cooperation with the locking hook 43 of the insert 40. In the front portion of the ridge member of the lower part 20 there is an angular recess 29 in whose one leg, which is parallel with the top side of the ridge member, the locking hook 43 of the insert is so disposed that, after the other leg of the recess, which is perpendicular to and terminates in the top side of the ridge member, has been passed down over the locking hook 19 of the upper part, the locking hook 43 can be caused to overlap the locking hook 19 by rotation of the lower part with respect to the upper part. In this position of overlap the edge hooks 16 of the upper part are in register with the recesses 25 in the ridge member 22 of the lower part, and the lower part can thus be pressed into position in the upper part; the engagement of the hooks 16 in the recesses 25 locks the two locking hooks 19 and 43 in the position of overlap by preventing such rotation of the lower part with respect to the upper part as is required to urge the locking hooks apart from the position of overlap. In this position the lower part is firmly fixed on the upper part.

The outer member 21 on the lower part 20, whose rear portion is shown in fig. 11, is formed in the same manner as the one shown in figs. 8 and 9 with a rearwardly narrowing and inclined end port-ion 49. The top portion of the ridge member 22, however, is formed with inclined

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O PI side faces 50, as shown in fig. 12 too, to facilitate introduction of the ridge member into the channel-shaped upper part. Moreover, the regions of the side faces of the ridge member which are disposed between a recess 25a to receive a hook 16 on the upper,part .and the upper edge of the ridge member, are formed with longitudinal grooves 51 which further facilitate the application of the lower part because the ridge member need only be pressed manually so deep into the channel of the upper part that at least one hook on each fork enters one of •the grooves 51 opposite the corresponding recess 25a. This engagement is sufficient to keep the lower part in position until the horse presses the ridge member right up in the upper part by treading on the shoe. The stmicture shown in fig. 11 further differs from the one of figs. 8 and 9 in that its groove 28 is here replaced by a depression 28a forming a cavity in the rear end of each fork.

The ridge member of the lower part may be secured in the upper part using special nails instead of or in addition to the edge hooks 16 on the upper part, said special nails cooperating with recesses in the top side of the ridge member as shown in figs. 13 and 14 in two various embodiments.

-Ln fig. 13 the nail is generally designated by 52, its head by 54 and its shank by 53. Both the head and the shank are rectangular in cross-section with the greatest dimension in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the -paper. The head 54 is pagoda-shaped so that the uppermost part forms an annular hook 55 which, in co¬ operation with an engagement face 56 provided by a recess 57 in the ridge member 22. produces a locking effect similar to the effect of ^'the hooks 16 and the recesses 25 in the horseshoes described previously. 14

The head on the nail of fig. 14 has a frustoconical end portion 58 which is separated from a box-shaped inner portion 60 by an annular, protruding flange 59. The flange 59 provides the intended locking effect in cooperation with an annular groove 61 which is part of a recess 62 formed in the ridge member 22 to receive the nail head.

The- locking effect provided by nails such as those shown ±n figs. 13 and 14 can also be obtained by means of projections which are secured to the bottom of the channel formed by the upper part and have the same shape as the nail heads or a shape similar thereto.

The edge hooks 16 on the upper part 10 may be produced in the manner schematically shown in figs. 15-18. The upper part 10 is preformed with projections 63 on the edges of the side walls 12 and 13. During the first phase of this process the projections are bent inwardly through an angle of about 45°. This closure is effected by means of the pressing tool which is shown in figs. 15 and 16 and is generally designated by 70. The tool is a sandwich of three tempered steel plates, the central one 71 of which has in its lower edge a^"trapezoidal cut whose two inclined edges 72 form an angle with the recessed portions of the lower edge and are spaced from each other such that, when the tool is pressed down over the upper part, they bring about the desired bending of the projections 63. The two outermost plates 73 of the tool 70 have a width corresponding to the distance between the side walls 12 and 13 of the upper part and protrude such a distance below the central plate 71 that it can serve as a guide during the pressing operation. The portions of the edges of the outer plates disposed opposite the inclined edges 72 also serve as antibackup means for the side walls of the upper part to prevent

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OMPI the wall portions which adjoin the ends of the projections 63 from being pressed into the channel. It has been found that the risk of ruptures or cracks in the material during the pressing operation can be reduced or eliminated by providing a scratch in the side wall edges at each side of the projection prior to the pressing operation.

After the termination of the pressing operation the upper part 10 has the profile shown in fig. 17 with inwardly bent projections 63. The next phase of the manufacturing process can be effected with a swage 75, fig. 17_» which has two semi-circular cuts 76 in the lower edge, the outer edges of the cuts being spaced from each other corresponding to the spacing between the outer sides of the side walls 12 and 13 of the upper part; the size of the cuts is so adapted that upon inward movement of the swage 75 over the upper part 10 and against a block-shaped anvil 77 in the channel thereof they convert the projections 63 to hooks 16 with a curved top side and a plane underside 16a disposed perpendicular¬ ly to the side wall 12 or 13 as shown in fig. 18. In this swage forging process the side walls 12 and 13 are bent slightly outwards, but enough for the anvil 77 to be removed without difficulty after completed operation by manipulating a handle 78 secured on the anvil.

Fig. 19 shows an insert 80 consisting of a plate which is bent to substantially form a channel with a bottom 81 and two curved side walls 82 and 83. The bottom 81 is welded to the top face of a wear plate here designated -by 84. The side walls 82 and 83 are formed with inwardly bent lugs 85 and 86, respectivelyj serving to improve the anchoring of the insert in the lower part. With the same end in view holes 87 are provided both in the side walls 82 and 83 and in the lugs 85 and 86. A longitudinal slit 88 slightly spaced from the bottom 81 is formed in the front side wall 82, defining a free edge strip 89 of the wall 82. Part of this edge strip is bent inwardly to form a recess 90 which, under the application of the lower part, allows the edge strip to pass past the locking hook 19 of the upper part so that the non- inwardly bent portion 9 of the edge strip, which forms the locking hook of the insert, can then be moved over the locking hook 19 of the upper part by rotating the lower part with respect to the upper part to lock the " two parts. Provided that the edge strip 89 has a reason¬ able width this embodiment is able to retain the lower part on the upper part against greater forces than the one shown in fig. 19.

When the lower part is provided with calks it may be desirable under particularly severe conditions, e.g. competitive riding, that the front calks which are subjected to the strongest influences are better secured than is possible by embedding in the plastics of the lower part, alone. Such particularly effective securing can be obtained when the calk as shown in fig. 20 extends through holes in the wear plate 84 and the bottom 81 of the channel-shaped portion 80 and engages the hole 87 in the lug 86 with its conical end portion 93. A similar arrangement without the use of a wear plate is shown in fig. 21.

To further improve the anchoring of the insert in the lower part, the insert may be formed with various forms of projections, e.g. such a welded angle 94 with a hole 95 as is shown in fig. 22.

The nail holes 14 in the upper parts shown in figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7 are produced by punching of small, rectangular pieces of material. In the upper part embodiment shown in fig. 23 the nail holes, here designated by 96, are produced without punching of material, viz. by .first producing a depression by means of a die and then pressing or hammering a mandrel through the bottom of the depression to produce a crater-like nail hole with b:ιrr walls 97 which usually have a somewhat irregular, serrated form. Sharp edges and points on these burr walls may be removed or rounded by a subsequent treat¬ ment, e.g. by placing the upper part in a granular abrasive material in a rotary drum. Such nail holes with pressed burr walls which are beaten into the horse's hoof during shoeing present greater engagement faces for the nails and thus ^"offer a more realiable securing of the upper part. Also, such connection is established between the shoe and the hoof that horizontal forces on the shoe are transmitted directly to the hoof so that the shoe is effectively prevented from being displaced on the hoof.

In practice the horseshoe of the invention may be constructed in other ways than those shown in the drawing and described in the foregoing. For example, the side walls of the upper _.part need not be exactly perpendicular to the bottom wall, but may optionally be inclined slightly inwardly to produce a dovetail-effect, or slight- ly outwardly to facilitate application and removal of the lower part. Instead of the edge hooks 16 on the upper part side walls, inwardly extending projections may optionally be punched in these walls. The distribution and arrangement of projections and recesses may be varied in many ways. On the same horseshoe there may also be used combinations of the features described in the foregoing.

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Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s

1. A horseshoe consisting of a fixed, channel-shaped upper part (10) with a bottom wall (11) intended Z v engagement with a horse's hoof and two side walls (12 and 13), and an exchangeable lower part (20) which consists of an elastic material and has a ridge member (22) intended for insertion into the upper part, said upper part and/or elements (52) firmly connected to it and the ridge member being formed with^" cooperating projections (16, 55 or 59) and recesses (25, 25a, 57 or 62), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that an insert (30, 40 or 80) of a hard, strong material is embedded in the toe portion of the lower part (20), and that this insert and the upper part (10) are formed with cooperating locking means (33, 18 or 43 or 91, 19) which upon being lockingly engaged with each other can be fixed in the locking engagement by causing the cooperating projections (16, 55 or 59) and recesses (25, 25a, 57 or 62) to engage each other by impression of the ridge member (22) into the upper part (10).

2. A horseshoe according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the insert (30, 40 or 80) has a portion (32, 45 or 83) which, in the assembled horseshoe, protrudes upwardly in front of the rear side wall (12) of the upper part (10).

3. A horseshoe according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the locking means are formed by a first locking hook (19) extending rearwardly from the front portion of the front side wall (13) of the upper part (10), and a second locking hook (43 or 91) so disposed on the insert (40 or 80) that upon displacement of the-lower part (20) with respect to the upper part the two locking hooks can be caused to overlap each other with the locking hook of the insert disposed closest to the channel bottom (11) of the upper part.

4. A horseshoe according to claim.1 or 2, c h a r g e - t e r i z e d in that the locking means are formed by a recess (18) provided in the front portion of the front wall (13) of the upper part (10) and a projection (33) on the insert (30) intended to engage said recess.

5. A horseshoe according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the insert (30, 40 - or 80) is made of a wear-resisting material and is so shaped that it also forms a wear bracket on the central portion of the underside of the lower part (20).

6. A horseshoe according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that calks (92) are secured in the insert (30, 40 or 80). ^'

7. A horseshoe according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least some of the projections are in the form of relatively wide hooks (16) extending inwardly in the channel provided by the upper part from the edges of the side walls (12 and 13) of the upper part (10), and that the side walls of the ridge member (22) are at the corresponding points formed with recesses (25 or 25a) to receive these hooks.

8. A horseshoe according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z d in that the side of the hooks (16) facing away from the channel bottom is inclined or curves from the side wall edge towards the po^'int of the hook.

9. A horseshoe according to claim 7 or 8, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that longitudinal grooves (51) are formed in the portions of the ridge member sides disposed between the recesses (25a) and the top side of the ridge member (22).

10. A horseshoe according to any of the preceding

5 claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the upper portion of the ridge member (22) has an upwardly decreasing cross-section.

11. A horseshoe according to any of claims 7-8, and whose lower part (20) has shoulder face (23) at the

10 bottom of the ridge member (22) for engagement with the edges of the side walls (12 and 13) in the upper part, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the recesses (25 or 25a) in the side walls of the ridge member (22) adjoin the shoulder face (23).

15 12. A horseshoe according to claim 11, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the height of the ridge member (22) is at least half the height of the entire lower part (20).

13.^{" "}A horseshoe according to any of the preceding 20 claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a depression (28) is formed in the rearwardly directed end faces of the ridge member (22) of the lower part (20), and that a shallow cut (48) is formed in the edge of the rear¬ wardly directed end walls of the upper part (10).

25. 14. A horseshoe according to any of the preceding ^• - claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the rear ends of the outer member (21) of the lower part are rounded and slope rearwardly.

15. A nail for securing the upper part of the horse- 30 shoe according to any of the preceding claims to a

'BU EA horse's hoof, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the nail head (54 or 58, 60) is relatively high and formed with a shoulder face at least along part of its periphery, said shoulder face being directed towards and somewhat spaced from the nail shank (53).

16. A nail according to claim 15 with a cross-sectional- ly rectangular head (53 or 58, 60), c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that a shoulder face is provided in the two opposite wide sides of the nail head.

17. A nail according to claim 15 or 16, c a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the shoulder face or each shoulder face is formed by a cut with a substantially triangular cross-section in the side of the nail head (53).

!^"18. A nail according to claim 15 or 16, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the shoulder face or each shoulder face is formed by a bead or flange (59) on the side of the nail head (58, 60).

19. A nail according to any of claims 15-18, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in hat the outer end portion of the nail head defined by the shoulder face or the bead (59) is frustoconical in shape.

20. A horseshoe according to any of claims 1-14, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the top side of the lower part (20) is formed with recesses (57 or 62) to receive nails according to any of the claims 15-19, and that these recesses have an engagement face (56) intended to engage, the shoulder face of the nail head (54 or 58, 60).

21. A method of making the upper_part (10) for a horse- shoe according to any of claims 1-14, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d by first producing the upper part (10) with projecting portions (63) on^*the side wall edges, said portions being coplanar with the side walls (12 and 13) , bending said portions by a pressing operation through a certain angle inwardly toward the central plane of the channel, and then deforming said portions by a swage forging process to form hooks (16) whose top side are substantially flush with the rest of the side wall edges.

22, A method of making nail holes in the upper part for a horseshoe according to any of claims 1-14, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by first providing depressions in the bottom wall of the upper part by means of dies, and then pressing or hammering mandrels through the bottom of the depressions to produce pressed, burr-like walls around the hole produced.