Device for producing an adhesive shoe and / or adhesive shoe adapted to a hoof for a horse's hoof and method therefor

Abstract

A device (1) for producing an adhesive shoe and / or adhesive boot adapted to a hoof (2) of a horse comprises a wrap-around band (4) for fastening to a hoof wall, which band holds at its free end a base plate (5) adapted to the size of the hoof (2) and having a plurality of injection openings (12).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for producing an adhesive shoe and / or adhesive shoe adapted to a horse's hoof and to a method for producing an adhesive shoe and / or adhesive hoof shoe adapted to a hoof using a device.

[0002] It is common practice to nail or glue a horseshoe to a horse's hoof, for example a horseshoe, whereby in both cases the horseshoe is intended to remain on the horse's hoof for a complete shoeing period of approximately four to seven weeks. A connection between the horseshoe and the hoof is thus created using nails or glue. When changing the horseshoe, the old horseshoe is removed and then, after the hoof has been professionally trimmed, a new horseshoe is attached to the horse's hoof with a new connection made of nails or glue. When nailing, the horse's hoof wall is partially destroyed by the nails as the horseshoe is attached to the hoof, creating potential areas for further damage (e.g. mechanical or biological).

[0003] In the case of a diseased hoof or a hoof with a relatively thin circumferential hoof wall, nailing the horseshoe is often not possible, as, for example, a break in the hoof wall cannot be ruled out. Nailing is also usually not possible with a worn horseshoe and a torn hoof wall.

[0004] When bonding, especially when using two-component adhesives such as epoxy resin, the outer layers of the skin can be permanently damaged, resulting in similar disadvantages to nailing. Furthermore, the bonding technique is relatively expensive, very time-consuming, and requires considerable expertise to perform.

[0005] US Pat. No. 1,761,241 A also discloses a horseshoe with three detachably attached L-shaped fingers, which have several inward-facing teeth and points for attachment to a hoof. Furthermore, the horseshoe has an elastic tread.

[0006] EP 3 103 331 B1 discloses a shoe for a hoof of an equine, comprising a base plate and associated lifts, wherein the lifts have hoof wall fastening means configured to reversibly and detachably fasten the lifts to a hoof wall of the equine. The lifts have an angular cross-section, wherein at least one hoof wall leg is configured for attachment to the hoof wall of the equine, and at least one base plate leg of the lifts is configured for attachment to the base plate. The base plate has a shaft for partially accommodating the lift, wherein the shaft and the lift are configured to be reversibly and detachably connected to one another.The hoof wall fasteners comprise part of a hook and loop fastener and the base plate legs have textured surfaces with teeth that point in a common direction and engage with teeth in the surfaces of the shafts.

[0007] DE 1 299 467 A describes a device for producing an elastic hoof covering adapted to a horse's hoof. For this purpose, a solidifying plastic compound is applied to the hoof using a mold. The mold comprises two side walls that can be clamped to the hoof and a base plate. Pouring openings and vents on the mold serve to fill the plastic compound. The side walls are two pivoting mold halves with a spring-loaded closure.

[0008] DE 20 2005 010 360 U1 discloses a plastic horseshoe support for gluing to a horse's hoof. The horseshoe support consists of two to five individual parts. Recesses in a collar, which surrounds the hoof, and a base part serve to introduce an adhesive between the individual parts of the horseshoe support and the hoof.

[0009] Hoof boots are also known for protecting hooves. These boots typically have a profiled base and a section surrounding the hoof wall. Hoof boots are used on unshod horses to protect against excessive hoof wear. Hoof boots are also used when transitioning from horseshoes to barefoot.

[0010] Hoof boots that adhere to the hoof are often referred to as adhesive boots in practice and are generally suitable for all equestrian disciplines, including recreational riding. They are suitable, for example, for foals whose hooves need to be corrected due to flat feet, hocks, or other foot deformities, as nailed orthopedic shoes are virtually unsuitable for small hooves with thin hoof walls. Adhesive boots have also proven effective in treating hoof diseases and injuries in adult horses and are used for damaged, particularly brittle, hoof walls to allow the hoof to regenerate.

[0011] Another material known as artificial horn is used as a horn substitute to repair damaged hoof walls. Artificial horn is also used, for example, to correct or relieve the strain on worn hooves, allowing horn to regrow. It is also possible to glue on horseshoes made of artificial horn.

[0012] The invention is based on the object of creating a device and a method of the type mentioned above which enables individual care of a hoof.

[0013] According to the invention, the object is achieved in that a loop band for fastening to a hoof wall holds at its free end a base plate adapted to the size of the hoof, which base plate has a plurality of injection openings, and the loop band consists of a flexible plastic material which is adapted in both its width and its length to the hoof to be worked on or treated.

[0014] According to the method, the object of the invention is achieved in that the wrapping band and the base plate are attached to a hoof of a horse, a casting compound is injected through the injection openings into the cavities present between the wrapping band and the base plate on the one hand and the hoof on the other hand, and after the casting compound has hardened, the wrapping band and the base plate are removed.

[0015] With the device and the method, the fitting and treatment of even a diseased hoof or a hoof with a relatively thin circumferential hoof wall, where nailing the shoe is problematic, is possible without any problems.

[0016] The wraparound band and base plate can be one-piece or separate parts. The base plate is selected from a range of base plates of different sizes so that it approximately covers the underside of the hoof. The wraparound band has a length that roughly corresponds to the circumference of the hoof wall to be treated. It is obvious to the expert that, analogous to conventional horseshoes, base plates of different sizes must be provided for horses with different sized hooves. For example, a pony requires a smaller adhesive shoe or boot than an adult horse.

[0017] The wraparound band can be adapted across its width to the geometry of the hoof wall, tapering slightly to a relatively constant shape. The wraparound band can be made of a fabric material or a relatively dimensionally stable yet flexible plastic. The wraparound band is attached to the hoof in such a way that it extends beyond the underside to wrap around the base plate and hold it to the hoof.

[0018] Once the wraparound band and base plate are attached to the hoof, a relatively fast-curing casting compound is injected through the injection holes, filling the spaces between the wraparound band and base plate on the one hand, and the hoof on the other. After the casting compound has cured, the wraparound band and base plate are removed, and the cured casting compound can be machined.

[0019] The casting compound can, for example, be left on the hoof for a normal period of time to regenerate the horse's hoof horn. Various state-of-the-art products are available as casting compounds; synthetic horn is preferred, which has proven effective in practice. The hoof can then be subjected to normal wear and tear and is protected by the individually fitted adhesive shoe or adhesive hoof boot.

[0020] In one embodiment, the base plate and the wraparound band have a shoulder and / or a groove for mutual support, along with a corresponding tongue and / or undercuts with corresponding recesses. The aforementioned connection techniques are intended, on the one hand, to enable relatively simple joining of the base plate and the wraparound band during hoof treatment and, on the other hand, to prevent the casting compound from escaping from the cavity in the hoof defined by the wraparound band and the base plate.

[0021] The geometry of the wraparound strap is preferably adapted to the hoof wall and has at least one closure element. Wraparound straps of different heights and lengths are available to accommodate different hooves. Suitable closure elements include any fasteners known from belts, such as pin buckles, double-pin buckles, plate buckles, belt buckles, O-rings, D-rings, or the like, as well as hook-and-loop fasteners or snap fastener arrangements. The aforementioned closure elements represent an exemplary list and are not intended to be exhaustive.

[0022] In a further embodiment, the wraparound band is provided with injection holes. This allows cavities in the hoof wall covered by the wraparound band to be filled with the casting compound. To enclose the hoof in sections with a relatively thick-walled cast hoof boot, the wraparound band preferably has spacers on the inside.

[0023] To reduce the risk of slipping when the horse is fitted with adhesive shoes or boots, the base plate has raised interior sections for the production of a tread pattern. These raised sections can, of course, at least have draft angles to allow for relatively easy removal of the base plate after the casting compound has hardened. The tread pattern can be grooved or have stud-like raised sections.

[0024] In order to treat hoof misalignments and / or unevenly worn hooves and / or to create relief zones, the base plate is further developed and equipped on the inside with wedge-shaped bevels and / or elevations or depressions.

[0025] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations. The scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims.

[0026] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing.

[0027] It shows: Fig. 1 a first perspective view of the device according to the invention, Fig. 2 a view of the device according to Fig. 1 from the bottom, Fig. 3 a first perspective view of a base plate of the device according to Fig. 1, Fig. 4 a second perspective view of the base plate of the device according to Fig. 1, Fig. 5 a first perspective view of a wrap band of the device according to Fig. 1, Fig. 6 a second perspective view of a wrap band of the device according to Fig. 1, Fig. 7 a first schematic representation of the device according to Fig. 1 with a hoof in partial cut and Fig. 8 a second schematic representation of the device according to Fig. 1 with one hoof in partial cut.

[0028] The device 1 serves to produce an adhesive shoe or an adhesive shoe individually adapted to a hoof 2 of an equine, wherein the adhesive shoe is only on the underside of the hoof 2, i.e. essentially on the tread or the sole 15, and the adhesive shoe extends circumferentially around the hoof wall 3 in extension to the adhesive shoe.

[0029] The device 1 essentially comprises a wrapping belt 4 and a base plate 5. The wrapping belt 4 is made of a flexible plastic material, the width and length of which are adapted to the hoof 2 to be worked on or treated. Fastening elements 7 forming a hook-and-loop fastener are arranged along the free ends 6 of the wrapping belt 4. Widthwise, the wrapping belt 4 is essentially straight, starting from the end associated with the base plate 5, and then merges into a slope 8 adapted to the hoof wall 3. Spacer elements 9 are arranged on the inside, i.e. on the side facing the hoof wall 3. Furthermore, the wrapping belt 4 has injection openings 12.At the free end of the wraparound band 4 assigned to the base plate 5, a type of spring 10 is formed, which engages as a rear grip in a corresponding undercut of the base plate 5 or rests against a shoulder 11 of the base plate 5 in order to hold it on the sole side of the hoof 2.

[0030] The base plate 5 is naturally also sized to match the size of the hoof 2. The base plate 5 and the wraparound band 4 can be selected from a range of different sizes. For a particularly high-quality treatment, the hoof 3 to be treated can be scanned three-dimensionally, and a wraparound band 4 and a base plate 5 can be constructed from the scan data and manufactured using a 3D printer. To create a walking profile, the base plate 5, which has injection openings 12, is provided with elevations 13 that represent profile recesses in the adhesive shoe.

[0031] To treat an unevenly worn hoof 2 and / or to correct misalignments, the base plate 5 is provided on the inside with wedge-shaped bevels 14 or the like, wherein elevations and / or depressions of the base plate 5 can also be designed to specifically relieve the hoof 2 so that horn can form in specific places on the hoof 2.

[0032] To produce an adhesive shoe adapted to the hoof 2, the hoof 2 is first professionally cleaned and prepared. The selected wraparound band 4 and the base plate 5 can then each be coated on the inside with a release agent, for example, wax or a plastic with sliding properties. The wraparound band 4 is placed around the hoof wall 3, the base plate is placed against the sole 15 of the hoof 2, and the wraparound band 4 secures the base plate 5 with its closure elements 7. A relatively fast-curing casting compound 16, which is made of synthetic horn, for example, is injected through the injection openings 12 in the base plate 5. After a curing time, the wraparound band 4 can be loosened and removed from the hoof wall 3. The base plate 5 is then loosened and removed.

[0033] If an adhesive shoe adapted to the hoof 2 is to be manufactured, in addition to the previously explained processes, pouring compound 16 is also injected into the injection openings 12 in the wrapping band 4, which forms a monolithic adhesive shoe with the sole-side pouring compound 16. Reference symbol 1 device 2 hooves 3 hoof wall 4 Wrapping belt 5 Base plate 6 End of 4 7 locking element 8 slopes of 4 9 Spacer element 10 springs 11 paragraph 12 Injection port 13 Survey 14 slopes 15 Sole 16 Pouring compound

Claims

[1] Device (1) for producing an adhesive shoe and / or adhesive boot adapted to a hoof (2) of a horse, characterized by that a wrapping band (4) for fastening to a hoof wall (3) holds at its free end a base plate (5) adapted to the size of the hoof (2) and having a plurality of injection openings (12) and the wrapping band (4) consists of a flexible plastic material which is adapted both in its width and in its length to the hoof (2) to be worked on or treated. [2] Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the base plate (5) and the wrap-around belt (4) have a shoulder (11) and / or a groove and a corresponding tongue (10) and / or undercuts with corresponding undercuts for mutual support. [3] Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the wrapping band (4) is adapted in its geometry to a hoof wall (3) and has at least one closure element (7). [4] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the wrapping belt (4) is provided with injection openings (12). [5] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the wrapping band (4) has spacer elements (9) on the inside. [6] Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the base plate (5) has internal elevations (13) for producing a running profile. [7] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the base plate (5) is provided on the inside with wedge-shaped bevels (14) and / or elevations or depressions. [8] Method for producing an adhesive shoe and / or adhesive hoof shoe adapted to a hoof (2) with a device (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the wrapping band (4) and the base plate (5) are fastened to a hoof (2) of a horse, a pouring compound (16) is injected through the injection openings (12) into the cavities present between the wrapping band (4) and the base plate (5) on the one hand and the hoof (2) on the other hand and after the pouring compound (16) has hardened, the wrapping band (4) and the base plate (5) are removed. [9] Method according to claim 8, characterized by that the wrapping belt (4) and the base plate (5) are coated with a release agent.

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