US3469631A - Plastic horseshoe - Google Patents

Description

p 0, 1969 w. M. BECKER 3,469,631

PLASTIC HORSESHOE Filed Feb. 2. 1968 l/vva/v 701?. WHYNL' M. 85005;?

Y 5v HIS arrow/vans. Hap/21s, Mac/4, fiusseLL & KER/v United States Patent 3,469,631 PLASTIC HORSESHOE Wayne M. Becker, 11314 Canton Drive, Studio City, Calif. 91604 Filed Feb. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 702,718 Int. Cl. A01l /00 US. Cl. 168-4 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE As an article of manufacture, a horseshoe of plastic material having a transverse heel which includes an inwardly concave central portion.

DISCLOSURE This invention is a horseshoe formed of a generally resilient material, which can be readily applied and fitted to the hoof of a horse, or other animal.

In the drawing and the following specification, which are for the purpose of illustration only:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the horseshoe;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of an alternative embodiment.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a horseshoe having a generally oval-shaped body formed of a continuous strap 11 of a slightly resilient plastic material, such as a polyurethane, for example, the body having an inner surface 12 and an outer surface 13, and providing a generally oval-shaped central opening 14, with a Web 1411 closing one end of the opening, the opening being provided with a radius 141) therearound to reduce mud packing therein, which is a feature. The outer surface 13 is provided with slightly protruding buttons, calks or lugs 14c, to improve the traction of the shoe, but may be omitted if desired. The body 10 has a major axis 15 and a minor axis 16, and the opening 14 has a major axis 17 and a minor axis 18. For general application to most horse hoofs, I prefer to make the major axis 15 of the body about 5 inches in length and its minor axis 16 about 5% inches in length, the major axis 17 of the opening 14 about 3% inches in length and its minor axis 18 about 2% inches in length. These dimensions may be changed, but I prefer to maintain about the same ratios between them for larger or smaller shoes. The body 10 has a toe portion 19 and a heel portion 20. At the heel portion 20, the strap 11 is truncated between its sides to provide a concave end surface 21. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heel portion 20 is inwardly concave at 22 to provide an area at the heel portion which is of less thickness than the remainder of the body, which is an important feature of the invention, and the concave end surface 21 also contributes to this. This construction of the heel portion 20 permits it to expand or contract with variations in weight put upon the shoe by the horse, and it helps prevent the formation of corns on the hoof. As will be noted, the inner surface 12 and the web 14a are coplanar and the outer surface 13 is also coplanar and parallel to the inner surface, except in the area of the heel portion 20.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, in which similar numerals are used to designate similar parts, and shows a horseshoe identical with that of the preceding views except that the heel portion 20 is slightly thicker than the toe portion 19 with the outer surface 13 coplanar as illustrated, to build up the heel, which is desirable in some applications.

The body 10 is readily penetrated by conventional horseshoe nails and thus may be nailed to the hoof of a horse, or other animal, with the inner surface 12 against the hoof and the outer surface 13 away from the hoof. The external edge of the body 10 may be trimmed readily with a knife, or other tool, to conform to the shape of the hoof of the animal. The web 14a normally protects the animals hoof against stones and pebbles, and is an important feature of the invention, but may be removed readily with a knife, if so desired, which is also a feature of the invention. Also, it may be omitted entirely if so desired. I have found that the horseshoe of my invention is easier to apply to a horses hoof, and is more comfortable to the animal, and affords better protection to the hoof, than conventional steel horseshoes. It tends to reduce cross-firing, knee-knocking, and cow-like action of the horses leg.

I desire to be afforded the full scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a horseshoe formed of a resilient plastic material, such as a polyurethane, having a generally oval-shaped body formed by a continuous strap to provide a generally oval-shaped opening in the center, the strap having inner and outer surfaces, the body having a toe portion at one end of the body and a transverse heel portion at the other end of the body, the heel portion being truncated to form an outer concave surface extending between the outer sides of the body, the inner surface of the body being coplanar and the outer surface of the body at said heel portion being inwardly and upwardly concave to provide a central area at the heel which is more readily bendable than the remainder of the body.

2. A horseshoe as defined in claim 1 in which there is a thin, readily removable membrane coplanar with the inner surface and covering the hoof contacting portion of the opening.

3. A horseshoe as defined in claim 1 in which the ratio of the major axis of the body is to the minor axis thereof as about 5.5 inches is to about 5 inches, the ratio of the length of the major axis of the opening is to the length of the minor axis thereof as about 3 inches is to about 2.5 inches, and the ratio of the major axis of the body is to the major axis of the opening as about 5 inches is to about 3 inches.

4. A horseshoe as defined in claim 1 in which the strap has projecting lugs on its outer surface.

5. A horseshoe as defined in claim 1 in which the body is thicker at its heel portion than at its toe portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1905 Gay 168.27 2/1929 Tweed 168-12 OTHER REFERENCES ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner

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