IES20070506A2 - A horseshoe, and a stud for inserting in the horseshoe - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with a horseshoe assembly comprising a horseshoe having a pair of apertures each defining a female bayonet element and a pair of studs which may be releasably engaged with the horseshoe, each stud having a male bayonet element for co-operating engagement with one of the female bayonet elements.

Description

The present invention relates to a horseshoe, and in particular, to a horseshoe comprising at least one ground engaging stud, and the invention also relates to the ground engaging stud.

According to the invention there is provided a horseshoe assembly comprising a horseshoe and at least one stud releasably securable to the horseshoe via securing means; characterised in that the securing means employs a quick release action.

Preferably, the securing means comprises a male bayonet element and a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned female bayonet element Preferably, the male bayonet element is provided on the stud and the female bayonet element is provided on the horseshoe.

Preferably, the male bayonet element comprises a shank extending from the stud, and a pair of bayonet members projecting substantially radially from the shank.

Preferably, the female bayonet element comprises a receiving bore for accommodating the 20 shank, and a pair of bayonet member accommodating means projecting substantially radially from the receiving bore for permitting the passage of the bayonet members therethrough.

Preferably, the female bayonet element comprises a pair of bayonet member receivers rotationaily offset with respect to the bayonet member accommodating means. 070506 Preferably, the bayonet members releasably engage the bayonet receivers for facilitating removal of the stud from the horseshoe.

Preferably, the bayonet member accommodating means are provided by a pair of axially 5 extending bayonet member accommodating slots extending radially into the horseshoe from the receiving bore.

Preferably, the bayonet member accommodating means comprises a circumferentially extending inclined bearing surface extending substantially radially from the receiving bore and circumferentially from each bayonet receiver.

Preferably, the bearing surface is inclined from the corresponding bayonet member accommodating slot to the corresponding bayonet receiver for drawing the shank into the receiving bore, as the shank is rotated through the predetermined angle for engaging the bayonet members in the corresponding bayonet receivers.

Preferably, each bearing surface inclines from the corresponding bayonet member accommodating slot to the corresponding bayonet receiver.

Preferably, each bayonet receiver is formed by a radially extending groove formed into the bearing surface.

Preferably, the bearing surface inclines from each bayonet receiving groove towards both bayonet member accommodating slots. 070506 Preferably, each bayonet member accommodating slot extends substantially axially along the receiving bore into the shoe element.

Preferably, the assembly comprises biasing means for urging the bayonet members into 5 engagement with the corresponding bayonet receivers.

Preferably, the biasing means comprises a spring loaded washer located concentrically about the shank.

Preferably, the spring loaded washer is a disc washer of partial dome shape.

Preferably, the assembly comprises a pair of studs located at or adjacent a respective free end of the horseshoe.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is an underneath perspective view of a horseshoe according to the invention, Figure 2 is a top perspective view of the horseshoe of figure 1, Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the horseshoe of figure 1, 070506 Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the horseshoe of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional end elevational view of a portion of the 5 horseshoe of Fig. 1 on the line V-V of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional side elevational view of the detail of Fig. 5 on the line VI-VI of Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with a portion of the horseshoe removed, Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with a portion of the horseshoe removed, Fig. 9 is an end elevational view of another portion of the horseshoe of Fig. 1, Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of another portion of the portion of the horseshoe of Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a detail of the horseshoe of Fig. 1. >o Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a horseshoe according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, for securing to the hoof of a horse (not shown), although it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the horseshoe according to the invention may be adapted for securing to any other 070506 animal with a similar type hoof to that of a horse. The horseshoe 1 comprises an arcuate shoe element 3 of forged metal. A pair of studs 4 also according to the invention are secured to respective free ends 5 of the shoe element 3.

Each stud 4 is of metal and comprises a ground engaging element 6 which tapers to a distal point 7 for gaining grip in soft ground for the horse. A shank 9 extends axially from the ground engaging element 6 of each stud 4 for engaging a corresponding receiving bore 10 extending through the shoe element 3. The receiving bore 10 extends from a ground engaging face 11 of the shoe element 3 to a hoof engaging face 12 of the shoe element 3, and is counter-bored at 13 from the hoof engaging face 12 as will be described below.

A pair of bayonet members 14 extend sidewardly from the shank 9 on respective opposite sides thereof for engaging corresponding bayonet receivers provided by bayonet receiving grooves 15 formed into a circumferentially extending bearing surface 16 formed by the counter-bore 13. Bayonet member accommodating slots 18 extend axially along the receiving bore 10 and radially into the shoe element 3 from the ground engaging face 11 to the bearing surface 16 for accommodating the bearing members 14 as the shank 9 is being urged into the receiving bore 10. The bearing surface 16 extends between each bayonet receiving groove 15 and the two bayonet member accommodating slots 18 and is inclined from the bearing member accommodating slots 18 to the bayonet receiving grooves 15, so that as the shank 9 is being rotated through a predetermined angle of 90° for urging the bayonet members 14 from the bayonet accommodating slots 18 along the bearing surface 16 070506 to align with the corresponding bayonet receiving grooves 15, the shank 9 is drawn into the receiving bore 10 from the ground engaging face 11.

A spring loaded washer 20 is located between an abutment surface 20 of the ground 5 engaging element 6 of each stud and the ground engaging face 11 of the shoe element 3, and accommodates the shank 9 of the corresponding stud 4 into the receiving bore 10, so that as the shank 9 is being rotated in the receiving bore 10 through the predetermined angle of 90° for aligning the bayonet members 14 with the corresponding bayonet receiving grooves 15, the washer 20 is compressed, thereby urging the bayonet members 14 into engagement with the corresponding bayonet receiving grooves 15 with a snap-fit action for releasably retaining the bayonet members 14 in the bayonet receiving grooves 15, and in turn the corresponding stud 4 in the shoe element 3. The incline on the bearing surface 16 can most clearly be seen in Figs. 7, 8 and 11 and inclines upwardly from the bayonet member accommodating slots 18 to the bayonet receiving grooves 15 in the direction of the arrows A of Fig. 11. The spring loaded washer 20 in this embodiment of the invention is a disc washer of dome shape of the type which will be weii known to those skilled in the art.

As can be seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the length of the shank 9 is less than the depth d of the shoe element 3, so that clearance is provided between the end of the shank 9 of each stud 4 and the hoof engaging face 12. This permits ready and easy securing and removal of the studs 4 in and from the shoe element 3. 070506 In use, to secure a pair of studs 4 to the shoe element 3, the shank 9 of each stud 4 is inserted through the corresponding washer 20 and into the receiving bore 10 through the ground engaging face 11 with the bayonet members 14 aligned with and slideable through the bayonet member accommodating slots 18. When the bayonet members 14 are just clear of the bayonet member accommodating slots 18, the shank 9 is rotated in the bore 10 by a spanner engaging a hexagonal portion 22 of the ground engaging element 6 of the stud 4, and rotated through 90°. As the shank 9 is being rotated through 90° in the receiving bore 10, the bayonet members 14 bear on the bearing surface 16, which in turn causes the shank 9 to be drawn further io into the receiving bore 10, thus compressing the washer 20 between the ground engaging element 6 and the ground engaging face 11 of the shoe element 3. As the bayonet members 14 are poised on the edge of the bayonet receiving grooves 14, the compressive force acting on the washer 20 is at its maximum, and when the shank 9 is rotated through the full 90°, the bayonet receiving members 14 engage the corresponding bayonet receiving grooves 15 with a snap-fit action. Thus, the studs 4 are securely engaged and retained in the shoe element 3 of the horseshoe 1. To remove each stud 4 from the shoe element 3, a spanner is again engaged on the hexagonal portion 22 of the ground engaging element 6, and the shank 9 is again rotated through 90°, thus disengaging the bayonet members 14 from the corresponding bayonet receiving grooves 15, and aligning the bayonet members 14 with the bayonet member accommodating slots 18. Once the bayonet members 14 are aligned with the bayonet member accommodating slots 18, the shank 9 can be withdrawn from the receiving bore 10, thus disengaging the stud 4 from the shoe element 3. 070506 While the receiving bore 10 and the counter-bore 13 which defines the bearing surface 16 and the bayonet receiving grooves 15 as well as the bayonet member accommodating slots 18 have been described as being formed in the shoe element, in certain cases, it is envisaged that inserts may be provided for engaging corresponding bores in the shoe element, and the receiving bore 10, the counterbore 13, the bayonet receiving grooves 15 and the bayonet member accommodating slots 18 would be formed in the insert. Suitable securing means would be provided for securing the insert in the shoe element.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A horseshoe assembly comprising a horseshoe and at least one stud releasably securable to the horseshoe via securing means; characterised in that the securing means employs a quick release action.

2. A horseshoe assembly according to Claim 1 in which the securing means comprises a male bayonet element and a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned female bayonet element; and wherein the male bayonet element is provided on the stud and the female bayonet element Is provided on the horseshoe.

3. A horseshoe assembly according to Claim 2 in which the female bayonet element comprises a receiving bore for accommodating the shank, and a pair of bayonet member accommodating means projecting substantially radially from the receiving bore for permitting the passage of the bayonet members therethrough.

4. A horseshoe assembly according to Claim 3 in which the bayonet member accommodating means are provided by a pair of axially extending bayonet member accommodating slots extending radially into the horseshoe from the receiving bore.

5. A horseshoe assembly according to Claims 4 in which the bayonet member accommodating means comprises a circumferentially extending inclined bearing surface extending substantially radially from the receiving bore and 070506 circumferentially from each bayonet receiver; and in which the bearing surface is inclined from the corresponding bayonet member accommodating slot to the corresponding bayonet receiver for drawing the shank into the receiving bore, as the shank is rotated through the predetermined angle for engaging the bayonet members in the corresponding bayonet receivers.