Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2Q~2977
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This invention relates to a horseshoeing tool, and
in particular to a multi-function horseshoeing tool.
The art of shoeing horses, i.e. removing worn shoes,
trimming the hoof, and mounting a fresh shoe on the hoof has
not changed substantially for decades. Several tools are
required to carry out the task. The tools include a puller
for pulling nails or pulling off the shoe; a cutter and a
nipper for trimming the hoof, a claw hammer for removing and
inserting nails, a block, which is used with the hammer for
blocking nails, and a clincher for bending the sharp ends of
nai-ls protruding from a hoof.
The object of the present invention is to avoid the
need for a large number of tools by providing a relatively
simple horseshoeing tool, which is capable of performing the
functions of all of the tools listed above.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a
horseshoeing tool comprising first elongated arm means; second
elongated arm means for pivotal connection to said first arm
means; jaw means on one end of each said first and second arm
means for gripping a shoe for removal thereof, and for cutting
a hoof; hammer means on said one end of said first arm means
for hammering a nail into a hoof; slot means in said one end
of said first arm means for pulling a nail; blocker means on
said one end of said second arm means for use with said hammer
means to bend the pointed end of a nail protruding from a
shoe; and clincher means on the other end of said second arm
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means for cooperating with said jaw means on said first arm
means to enable clinching of a nail protruding from a hoof.
The invention will be described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate
preferred embodiments of the invention, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of a horseshoeing tool in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an end view of the tool of Fig. 1 as
seen from the right thereof;
Figure 3 is a top view of the tool of Figs. 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of
the horseshoeing tool of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a side view of one arm of the tool of
Fig. 4;
Figure 6 is an end view of the arm of Fig. 5;
Figure 7 is a top view of the arm of Fig. 4;
Figure 8 is a side view of a second arm of the tool
of Fig. 4;
Figure 9 is an end view of the arm of Fig. 8;
Figure 10 is a top view of the arm of Fig. 8;
Figures 11 to 16 are schematic, perspective views of
the tool of Figs. 1 to 3 in use; and
Figure 17 is a schematic side view of the tool of
Fig. 4 in use during a nail clinching operation.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the basic elements of one
embodiment of the horseshoeing tool of the present invention
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~ include a pair of arms generally indicated at 1 and 2, which
are pivotally interconnected scissors-fashion by a pin 3. The
pin 3 is removably mounted in the arms 1 and 2, and is held in
place by a cotter pin 4.
One arm 1 includes a thin straight, elongated shank
defining a handle 6. A slot 7 is provided in the wider end or
shoulder 8 of the handle 6 for receiving the shoulder 9 of the
arm 2. The shoulder 8 is generally circular, extending
outwardly to one side of the longitudinal axis of the handle
6. An arcuate neck 10 joins the shoulder 8 to a head
generally indicated at 12. The head 12 includes a rectangular
cross section hammer 13 on one end and a tapering jaw 15 on
the other end thereof. In one assembled condition of the
arms 1 and 2 (Fig. 1), the hammer 13 is on the outside of the
tool and the jaw 15 is on the inside thereof. Serrations or
teeth 16 extend across the bottom surface of the hammer 13.
The top surface 18 of the head 12 is slightly convex, the jaw
15 being in the highest or outermost plane thereon. A keyhole
slot 19 with a countersunk bottom end 20 (for receiving nail
heads) is provided in the jaw 15.
The arm 2 is defined by an elongated, rectangular
cross section shank or handle 21 with an inwardly curving
bottom end 22 (i.e. the end 22 curves towards the arm 1 at the
bottom end thereof). The bottom end 22 tapers inwardly and
downwardly to a generally oval foot 24, which, as described
hereinafter in greater detail, defines part of a clincher
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device. For such purpose, serrations or teeth 25 are provided
on the bottom and outer surfaces of the foot 24. A pair of
spaced apart holes 26 extend through the handle 21 above and
proximate the foot 24 for receiving the pin 3 when the arms 1
and 2 are disassembled and reassembled in a different
configuration from that shown in Figs. 1 to 3.
The shoulder 9 near the top end of the handle 21 is
connected to a head generally indicated at 29 by an arcuate
neck 30. In the assembled condition of Fig. 1, the shoulder
9 rotates in the slot 7. The straight bottom edge 32 of the
wider head opposes the arcuate top edge 33 of the shoulder 8.
A vertical stop 34 is provided at the top end of the edge 33
for limiting movement of the heads 12 and 29 towards each
other.
The head 29 includes a narrow outer end 35 with a
concave outer surface 36, which has teeth 37 on the bottom end
thereof. The top end of the head 29 tapers inwardly, defining
a jaw 38 in opposition to the jaw 15. A hardened steel anvil
39 is provided in the inner convex top end 40 of the jaw 38.
With reference to Figs. 4 to 10, the second
embodiment of the tool is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to
3, including a pair of jaws generally indicated at 41 and 42,
which are pivotally interconnected near their top ends by a
pin 43. The pin 43 is held in place by a cotter pin (not
shown) which can be removed to change the configuration of the
tool.
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The arm 41 includes a thin, straight handle 45 with
a wider, circular shoulder 46 containing a slot 47 for
receiving the circular shoulder 49 of the arm 42. The
shoulder 46 extends outwardly from one side of the
longitudinal axis of the handle 41. A tapering, arcuate neck
50 joins the shoulder 46 to a head generally indicated at 52.
The head 52 includes a rectangular cross section, gently
outwardly tapering hammer 53 on one side and a tapering jaw 55
on the other side thereof. In one assembled condition of the
tool (Fig. 4), the hammer 53 is on the outside of the tool and
the jaw 55 is on the inside thereof. Serrations or teeth 56
extend across the bottom surface of the hammer 53. The top
surface 58 of the head 52 is convex, the jaw 55 being in the
highest plane thereof. A keyhole slot 59 with a nail head-
receiving, countersunk bottom end 60 (Fig. 7) is provided inthe jaw 55. Thus, the arm 41 is similar to the arm of the
tool shown in Figs. 1 to 3.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 8 to 10, the arm 42 is
similar to the arm 2, including an elongated, rectangular
cross section handle 64 with a bottom end 65 which extends
inwardly to a location beneath the bottom end of the arm 41.
The elongated, inclined bottom end 65 of the arm 42 includes a
hole 66 for receiving the pin 43, a flat bearing surface 67,
and an arcuate row of teeth 68 on the upwardly curving free
end 69 thereof. The teeth 68, are employed when the tool is
used as a clincher device. As in the first embodiment, a
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circular shoulder 72 is provided at the top of the handle 64.
The shoulder is connected by an arcuate neck 74 extending
upwardly and outwardly from the shoulder 72 to a rectangular
cross section head 75. Most of the neck 74 is as thick as the
head for lending strength and weight to the head end of the
tool. A tapering jaw 77 extends inwardly from one side of the
head 75, and a lanceolate claw 78 extends outwardly and
downwardly from the other side thereof.
The use of the tool of Figs. 1 to 3 will be
described with reference to Figs. 11 to 16 of the drawings.
In order to shoe a horse, the first operation is to remove
the worn shoe 84 from the hoof 85 of the horse. For such
purpose, the two arms 1 and 2 of the tool are interconnected
scissors-fashion using the pins 3 and 4 with the jaws 15 and
38 in opposition (Fig. 1). With the jaws 15 and 38 (Fig. 1
or 55 and 77 (Fig. 4) in opposition, the necks 10 and 30
(Fig. 1) or 50 and 74 (Fig. 4) define a generally inverted
heart-shaped loop for receiving the shoe 85. The tool is used
in the same manner as a pair of pliers, the jaws 15 and 38
being inserted beneath the shoe 84 and squeezed together to
pry the shoe loose. Once the shoe 84 has been removed, the
hoof 85 is trimmed (Fig. 12) - again using the tool in the
condition shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Of course, for a horse which
has never been shod, the first, shoe removal step is
eliminated.
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A new shoe 84 is placed on the hoof and nails 86 are
hammered into place using the hammer 13 on the arm 1 alone
(Fig. 13). If a nail 86 must be removed from the hoof 85 at
any time, the arm 1 is used alone (Fig. 14), the head of the
nail being inserted into the countersunk portion 20 of the
slot 19, and the arm rotated in the same manner as a claw
hammer.
With the shoe 84 in place, the pointed ends of the
nails 86 are blocked using the two arms 1 and 2 free of each
other. For such purpose, the narrow, convex end 35 of the
head 29 (arm 2) is placed against the hoof 85, and the hammer
15 on the arm 1 is used to drive the nail 86 home while
bending the pointed end outwardly.
Finally the two arms 1 and 2 are reassembled (Fig.
16) with the end 22 of the arm 2 extending through the slot 7.
The arms 1 and 2 are used scissors-fashion with the teeth 16
of arm 1 engaging the shoe 84, and the teeth 25 of the arm 2
engaging the side of the hoof 85 and the end of the nail 86.
The tool is again used scissors-fashion to clinch the nail,
i.e. to bend the nail over towards the shoe 84.
Figure 17 illustrates the use of the second
embodiment of the invention (the tool of Figs. 4 to 10) as a
clincher. When clinching a nail, the arm 42 rotates from the
position shown in solid outline to the position shown in
phantom outline in Fig. 17.
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The tool of Fig. 4 also includes the claw 78 on the
end of the head 75 opposite the jaw 77. The claw is used like
a pry bar to loosen shoes firmly attached to hooves.
