Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Adhesive outermost layer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-05-15
Foelak, Morton (Department: 1711)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Adhesive outermost layer
C428S413000, C604S060000, C604S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231972
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to animal husbandry and in particular to a protective coating for an ungulate hoof.
2. The Description of Prior Art
The practice of furnishing hoof protection for horses dates back approximately 5,000 years, while protection for other draft animals such as oxen dates back even further. The ancient Egyptians used woven grass and reeds tied to the hooves. The early Greeks, Romans and Celts used a “hipposandal” which was a leather sandal to which was attached a bronze, and later, an iron sole held on with leather straps. The first evidence of iron horseshoes and ox or goat shoes fastened with nails can be traced to the 5
th
or 6
th
century B.C. Basically, this method of installing protective footwear on animals has remained virtually unchanged to this day.
The development of modem adhesives has created new opportunities in horseshoe practices. Jones, et.al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,002) and Rose (U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,909) describe an ethylene polymer horseshoe fastened with nails, while Ford (U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,824) used screws to fasten plastic horseshoes. Klimko (U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,614) improved the wear capabilities of plastic shoes with metal reinforcing inserts. These horseshoes, while utilizing more modem technology, are still held on by nails which can become loose and allow the shoe to come off, often tearing the hoof wall in doing so.
Several patents have described the use of modern adhesives to install plastic shoes. Tovim (U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,762), Cameron (U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,222), Stubbe (U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,731), Thoman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,150), Igrow (U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,461), Dallmer (U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,872), Constantino, et. al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,569) and Sigafoos (U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,905 and 5,699,861) all describe a series of tabs or sheet projecting upwards from a shoe which are adhered to the dorsal hoof wall surface. Schaffer (U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,163) describes an L-beam cross-section polyurethane shoe which is hot-attached with adhesive.
Two variations are described, one by Tennant (U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,411) in which an ultraviolet cured acrylic horseshoe is formed in a prefabricated mold. Sergei (U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,461) described a plastic horseshoe with an upper edge, which could be shrink-fitted by the application of heat.
All of these developments however still comprise the installation of a solid horseshoe. These shoes all can become loose, come off and, in many cases, cause damage to the horse's hoof where they were attached by breaking off pieces of hoof wall. This is a very prevalent cause of lameness in horses.
Excessive hoof wear in domesticated ungulates due to a lack of hoof protection can cause lameness which in turn can be a cause of loss in milk production in cows, sheep and goats; and unnecessary premature loss of life in other livestock. Zoo animals also need hoof protection due to the concrete or hard-packed surfaces of their enclosures.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My protective hoof coating is a rapid-setting adhesive formula which, when easily applied to the ground contacting surface of an unshod ungulate (any hoofed animal), furnishes a flexible, abrasive-resistant, protective surface to minimize hoof wear. The coating also furnishes a traction-enhancing surface to assist the animal's travel on slippery ground surfaces. The coating can be used to furnish traction assisting features and also to fill in broken areas of the hoof wall.
Excessive hoof wear from moving over abrasive surfaces without hoof protection can cause lameness in any hoofed animal, particularly domesticated ones. Previously, in order to furnish hoof protection it was required to fasten that protection (metal or plastic shoes) mechanically by nails or glue which could itself cause damage to the hoof. By making holes upon installation, or by the shoe coming off and breaking the hoof wall, or in removal of the shoe the hoof wall is damaged and weakened. An advantage of the present invention is that it is itself an adhesive and will not damage the hoof in those ways. The present invention entails no shoe to come off and no nails to weaken the hoof.
The principle object of the present invention is to create a protective coating on the ground-contacting portion of an ungulate hoof. Another object of the present invention is to create a non-slip surface suitable to whatever surface on which the animal is expected to travel. Another object of the present invention is to allow the capability to create traditional corrective and traction devices such as toe grabs, heel caulks, wedge heels or any additional features found necessary to the function of a protective shoe. Another object of the present invention is to fill broken areas of the hoof wall. The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3118449 (1964-01-01), Bane
patent: 3682179 (1972-08-01), Firth et al.
patent: 4182340 (1980-01-01), Spencer
patent: 5681350 (1997-10-01), Stovall
patent: 5699861 (1997-12-01), Sigafoos
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