HORSE CARE APPARATUS

Abstract

A hoof care apparatus is comprised of a generally cup-shaped body comprising a cylindrical side wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface being sized and shaped for the receipt of and mating engagement with the bottom rim of a cylindrical dispenser containing a liquid hoof care product; and a tongue projecting radially from the outer surface of the side wall of the cylindrical body which serves as a hoof pick. The dispenser can be supported by the apparatus on a surface in an upright position when not in use.

Claims

1. A hoof care apparatus, comprising: a. a generally cup-shaped body comprising a cylindrical side wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface being round in cross-section and terminating in a floor, said inner surface and said floor defining a cavity, said cavity being sized and shaped for the receipt of and mating engagement with the bottom rim of a cylindrical dispenser containing a liquid hoof care product; and b. a tongue projecting radially from said outer surface of said side wall of said body for removing debris from the hooves of equines.

2. The hoof care apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body and said tongue are integrally formed together.

3. The hoof care apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body and said tongue are separate components permanently joined together.

4. The hoof care apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said body and said tongue is comprised of a polymer.

5. The hoof care apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said body and said tongue is comprised of a metal.

6. A hoof care apparatus, comprising: a. A cylindrical dispenser for a liquid hoof care product, said dispenser having a bottom rim at one end, and a dispensing applicator at the opposite end; c. a cup-shaped body comprising a cylindrical side wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface being round in cross-section and terminating in a floor, said inner surface and said floor defining a cavity, said cavity being sized and shaped for the receipt of and mating engagement with said rim of said cylindrical dispenser; and b. a tongue projecting radially from said outer surface of said side wall of said body for removing debris from the hooves of equines, whereby said dispenser may be supported by said body on a surface in an upright position.

7. The hoof care apparatus of claim 7, wherein said body and said tongue are integrally formed together.

8. The hoof care apparatus of claim 7, wherein said body and said tongue are separate components permanently joined together.

9. The hoof care apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of said body and said tongue is comprised of a polymer.

10. The hoof care apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of said body and said tongue is comprised of a metal.

11. The hoof care apparatus of claim 7, wherein said rim of said dispenser is pressure fitted to said inner surface of said side wall of said body.

12. The hoof care apparatus of claim 7, wherein said rim of said dispenser is bonded to said inner surface of said side wall of said body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the hoof care apparatus of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hoof care apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the hoof care apparatus of FIG. 1; and

[0021] FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the present invention attached to a typical aerosol can.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] It should be clearly understood at the outset like reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural elements, portions or surfaces consistently throughout the several drawings herein, as such elements, portions or surfaces may be further described or explained by the entire written specification, of which this detailed description is an integral part. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read (e.g., cross-hatching, arrangement of parts, proportion, degree, etc.) together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. It should also be noted that in order to promote clarity and ease of understanding by the reader, or merely for ease of illustration, the figures are not drawn to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated from one figure to the next. As used in the following description, any reference to terms of orientation such as “horizontal”, “vertical”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “up”, “down”, “inward” or “outward”, “proximate”, “distal”, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “vertically”, “forwardly”, “rearwardly”, “leftward”, “rightward”, “upward”, “downward”, “inwardly” or “outwardly”), generally refer to the orientation of a surface or structure relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that a component may be designed as multiple components or that multiple components may be designed as a single component.

[0023] Reference is first made to FIG. 1 in which there is illustrated a side elevational view of the hoof care apparatus of the present invention designated generally by reference numeral 10. The apparatus is comprised of two primary components, namely a generally cup-shaped body 12 for attachment to a hoof care product dispenser 100 as herein described, and a generally wedge-shaped tongue 14 which is used for picking of a horse's hooves. Tongue 14 may be integrally formed with body 12 or may be a separate component attached thereto.

[0024] Hoof care product dispenser 100 (hereinafter more simply referred to as “dispenser 100”) is a container for the storage and dispensing of a liquid hoof care product. In one embodiment, dispenser 100 is of the aerosol can variety being constructed of thin metal such as either tinplate (tin-coated steel), tin-free steel or aluminum. Dispenser 100 is a circular cylinder typically with vertical sides although in some embodiments the sides may be tapered such that it is generally conical in shape. The fabrication of dispenser 100 results in a bottom “rim” at the base of the dispenser. The rim comprises a narrow ring having an outside diameter slightly larger than that of the rest of the dispenser. The top of the dispenser is typically dome-shaped and includes a dispensing valve there through and having an actuator or “button” for release of the fluid contents which are stored under pressure. Other forms of dispensers may also be used including non-aerosol alternatives. A lid may be either hingedly attached to the top of the dispenser or attached via friction fit.

[0025] Body 12 and tongue 14 are preferably but not essentially manufactured by an injection molding process using a variety of materials including metals (for diecasting), elastomers and thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Many different polymers or “resins” may be used including thermosetting plastics such as epoxy and phenolic, or thermoplastics such as nylon, polyethylene and polystyrene, provided they possess rigidity and hardness characteristics suitable for picking of hooves. In some embodiments a molded rubber or silicon may be used provided it has suitable resiliency and malleability for purposes herein described.

[0026] Body 12 is comprised of a cylindrical side wall 16, circular in cross section (FIG. 2), having an outer surface 18 that is either flat or tapered (as shown) and a thickness suitable for withstanding the torque and other forces associated with picking of hooves without breaking or cracking. Side wall 16 further includes an inner surface 20 terminating at its base in floor 22. Together, side wall 16 and floor 22 form a cavity 24 which is sized and shaped for the receipt of and mating engagement with the bottom of dispenser 100, and more specifically to the bottom rim thereof.

[0027] Mating engagement of the bottom rim of dispenser 100 within cavity 24 may be accomplished via an interference fit, also known as a press fit or friction fit wherein union of the two parts is achieved by friction after the parts are pushed together, rather than by any other means of fastening. Accordingly, the inner diameter of wall 16 is slightly less than the outer diameter of the bottom rim of dispenser 100. The top inner edge 26 of wall 16 may be chamfered (beveled) to form a guide for the pressing movement of the dispenser rim into cavity 24 thus helping the pressing operation to be smoother, more easily controlled and to require less force, and to assist in aligning the rim with the cavity. In alternate embodiments, the parts may be fastened permanently together using an epoxy or adhesive which essentially “welds” them together.

[0028] Tongue 14 projects generally radially from the outer wall of body 12 and, as stated, is generally wedge shaped having a top surface 28 extending normal to wall 16 of body 12, and a bottom surface 30 extending an acute angle relative to wall 16. Bottom surface 28 and top surface 30 merge at distal tip 32 of tongue 14 which is preferably but not essentially blunted. Top surface 30 further includes side edges 34 that can be used for scraping off debris from the outer wall of a horse's hoof.

[0029] Reference being made to FIG. 3, it is important to note that the bottom 36 of floor 22 is flat so that when apparatus 10 is mounted to the bottom of the dispenser 100, the dispenser can be stood up on end to provide for easy storage and accessibility and to prevent its contents from spilling or fouling the applicator.

[0030] By means of the above described construction it should be appreciated that there is provided a shankless hoof pick apparatus for use in conjunction with an ordinary aerosol can containing a hoof care product wherein the can body serves as the handle of the pick. Hoof care apparatus 10 may be removably attached to the dispenser 100 and reused, or may be sold as a disposable unit when permanently attached to the dispenser.

[0031] It will be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

[0032] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

[0033] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiments herein set forth, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the foregoing specifications, but rather only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.