Animal husbandry – Body worn protective shield or apparel
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-10-23
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Body worn protective shield or apparel
C168S012000, C168S018000, C036S111000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305328
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a shoe which can be slipped over a hoof of an animal, particularly a horse, having a base part in the shape of a horseshoe, on which base part is formed a wall to be adjusted to the hoof of the animal.
A generic shoe, referred to as a horse shoe is disclosed in DE-GM 91 07 369.
This shoe is fitted to the hoof of the horse by means of a plurality of straps, which, however, presents the disadvantage, particularly when galloping, of the straps of the shoe becoming loose, thus risking loss of the entire shoe.
Iron shoes as used for a long time have the disadvantage of having to be fixed to the hoof of the horse with nails or screws, causing damage to the hoof and allowing bacteria to penetrate therein. For this reason, many horses cannot be shod nor consequently ridden. A further disadvantage of known iron shoes is that although they have relatively good properties of adherence on grass or gravel, they nonetheless frequently lead to the horse slipping on asphalt. Nor do iron shoes of this type provide any dampening of the hoof, rather they cause, on the contrary, an unphysiological vibration upon each step, which is damaging to the horny casing of the animal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is therefore to devise a shoe for the hoof of an animal, particularly a horse, providing reliable protection of the hoof, securely attached to the hoof of the animal in all gaits of the animal and which can in addition be used on different ground surfaces.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that an element comprising an elastic material is provided on the inner side of the wall, at least partially surrounded by the wall and which can be pressurized with a fluid medium.
The element according to the invention which surrounds the hoof and can be pressurized with a fluid medium enables the shoe to be very expediently adapted to the hoof of the animal.
As a result, the shoe is seated securely on the hoof in all gaits of the animal and cannot become detached even under very strong stress. The shoe in this way constantly ensures that no part of the foot is subjected to excessive force, hereby preventing injury. This applies particularly to the soft tissue or bulb area to the rear of the foot.
In comparison with conventional iron shoes, the shoe according to the invention has the advantage of being fastenable to the hoof without any corresponding intervention being necessary on the hoof. Furthermore, the shoe according to the invention provides a very firm grip on a wide variety of ground surfaces, and particularly on asphalt. The shoe according to the invention additionally provides very good dampening in all gaits of the horse.
The shoe according to the invention can also be used for medical reasons, for example when horses have hoof problems or the horn quality is poor. This is because the shoe according to the invention can advantageously be removed at any time, allowing the horse to move or stand barehoof. This avoids the absence of hoof contact with the ground, which is the case with other iron shoe arrangements or other known hoof shoes which must be permanently fixed to the hoof, and the natural stimulus of the ground exerted on the naked hoof improves horn quality.
If in a particularly advantageous development of the invention the pressurizable element is provided in the rear and side area of the hoof on the inner side of the wall, the result is a shoe that is very simple to get into or very simple to put on.
Even better fastening of the shoe according to the invention to the hoof is afforded if in a further advantageous development of the invention a band is arranged in the front area of the hoof and attached to the wall.
If in further advantageous developments of the invention the band is attached to the wall by means of an elastic web and at least one strap, the band can be opened by being tipped over the elastic web so as to facilitate getting into the shoe. The at least one strap can then be used to fasten the band to the wall and thus to fasten the shoe to the hoof.
A simple facility to take up sweat within the shoe can be arranged by providing the base part with webs on its side facing the hoof and with clearances located between the webs. This furthermore provides good ventilation to the sole of the hoof.
To allow simple manipulation when removing and fitting the shoe, the pressurizable element can be designed in the form of a tube and provided with a valve.
In an advantageous development of the invention the base part can be of two-part design, the part facing away from the hoof being replaceable and it being possible to fix calks to the side of the base part facing away from the hoof. This makes the shoe adaptable to a wide variety of types and surfaces of terrain. It furthermore allows the part facing away from the hoof and exposed to wear to be replaced when worn out. The calks permit advantageous adjustment of the shoe to very deep turf.
Simple fitting of the base part can be achieved in that the calks can be mounted on that part of the base part which faces away from the hoof in such a way that the part of the base part facing away from the hoof can be fastened to the part of the base part facing the hoof by means of the calks.
If in a further development of the invention female threads are located in the part of the base part facing the hoof and the calks are provided with male threads that can be screwed into the female threads, the result is a simple facility for fastening the calks to the base part of the shoe. At the same time this attaches the two individual parts of the base part together, giving the calks a dual function.
To achieve a simple repair facility for the shoe, the pressurizable element can be replaceable.
If the wall is made of an elastically deformable material, the shoe can be adapted even better to the hoof of the animal.
In a further advantageous development of the invention it can be provided for a support to be mounted on the inner side of the base part and/or the inner side of the wall and/or the inner side of the band. Gel or rigid foam can be used as material for this support. The advantageous result is improved shock-absorption in all gaits of the horse with the avoidance of chafed areas.
To achieve even better protection of the horse's hooves, the support comprising gel or rigid foam can be covered with fabric.
If pins mounted in guide bolts and made of hard metal can be fitted on the part of the base part facing away from the hoof, the result is improved grip for the horse on wet grass, on asphalt or on ice.
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Abbott Yvonne R.
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Jordan Charles T.
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