Patent Application
20180007886
This invention relates to a method for producing a customised horseshoe comprising a step of finishing the colour thereof.
It aims in particular to provide the finishing of the colour of a shoe made of aluminium or of an aluminium alloy, either by anodisation of its surface and the coloration of the latter, or by application of a decorative coating such as a plating.
In order to preserve the qualities of the foot of the horse, it is known to protect the foot by placing a horseshoe on the hoof.
Although in the past, the forming of a horseshoe was solely within the competence of the farrier, ordinary shoes are increasingly manufactured in a factory.
Although the horseshoes obtained as such have a shape that is substantially uniform and flat, they allow, during the shodding of a horse, the farrier to save a non-negligible amount of time.
In order to lighten horseshoes while still providing a suitable resistance, shoes manufactured in a factory are, for competition, typically made from aluminium, and no longer from steel.
However, as such shoes are then difficult to form, the farrier must typically choose a shoe of which the shape and the dimensions are as close as possible to the horseshoe adapted to the hoof to be shod.
The implementation of such a shoe can then cause a certain discomfort to the horse, in particular when a foot of the latter has frailties, a navicular pathology for example.
In order to provide the horse with more comfort, in particular by taking the morphology of each foot into account but also any associated pathologies, methods for producing customised shoes have been proposed recently.
These methods aim to carry out orthopaedic fittings no longer for a use a posteriori, but preventively.
For example, fittings with joined branches are known, i.e. closed at the rear, in order to increase the bearing surface, reduce the penetration of the shoe into the ground and as such allow for the prevention of a tear.
Moreover, many developments have also been carried out in order to combine in the same product, performance, comfort and protection of the shod foot.
Methods for producing composite shoes are as such known, which comprise a metal frame assembled to one or several parts made from a damping material.
The structure of these shoes provides not only a substantial reduction of the fitting but also allows for a damping of impacts.
However, although the non-metal part can be subject to coloration, the metal part of the fitting, for the visible portion, remains in its natural colour. This can result in a mixture of colours that confers to the fitting, as a whole, an unsightly appearance.
There is therefore a pressing need for a method of producing a composite fitting that makes it possible to define a uniform colour of the latter or to choose the colours that determine the various colours thereof.
It would also be interesting to be able to carry out fittings of a single colour, which would then be distinctive of an exceptional stud farm or fittings that are partially plated with a precious metal, such as gold.
This invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of prior art and to respond to the constraints mentioned hereinabove by proposing a method for producing a customised horseshoe, that is simple in its design and in its operating method, reliable and economical, that provides a finishing of its colour, and in particular of its metal while still conferring on the latter greater resistance to corrosion.
Another object of this invention is such a method that allows for the production of a composite fitting with a uniform coloration.
To this effect, the invention relates to a method for producing a customised horseshoe, said shoe being designed to fit the form of a hoof of a specific horse for which it has been produced, said shoe comprising a metal part that is at least partially apparent.
According to the invention, said method comprises a step of finishing consisting in a treatment of at least one portion of the outer surface of said metal part in order to colour the latter, said treatment comprising a step of anodising and a step of colouring, or the application of a decorative coating.
Of course, such a treatment is carried out once the metal part has a geometry that is identical, or substantially identical, to the final shape sought in said horseshoe. This also implies that before carrying out this treatment, the metal part has possibly undergone one or several of the following operations: degreasing, stripping in order to remove a natural oxide coating, polishing and drying.
The horseshoe can be comprised of only the metal part and this method then allows for a finishing of the colour of this entirely metal shoe.
Alternatively, the horseshoe can be a composite shoe. In this latter case, it comprises in addition to this metal part, one or several non-metal resilient parts. This method thus aims for a preparing of the metal part before the assembly thereof with this or these non-metal parts, with the latter also able to be the object of a coloration in order to confer the final aesthetic aspect sought to the horseshoe.
It clearly results that this metal part of the composite shoe is not embedded in a plastic material that would be coloured but is indeed apparent, or is partially visible, in the final horseshoe.
Preferably, the horseshoes are processed in a batch over at least one step of their treatment which allows for a substantial gain in production. However, as each shoe is custom-made, it is then necessary to provide traceability for these shoes. In various particular embodiments of this method, each one has its particular advantages and able to undergo many possible technical combinations:
This step aims to create a layer that has a strong outer roughness that is favourable for its catching with a decorative coating which can be a sheet for example.
Purely for the purposes of information, for a metal part made of aluminium, such a layer can be a porous film of alumina obtained via anodic oxidation of the outer surface of this part.
Purely for the purposes of information, a base layer comprised of a precious metal alloy is deposited galvanically.
In addition, in order to reinforce the resistance of gold plating for example, a surface layer of a gold alloy that has a purity greater than or equal to 22 carats for example can be deposited galvanically.
Alternatively, in order to carry out a golden colour decorative coating which is resistant to wear and tear, during a first step, on the surface of the horseshoe, at least a first layer of titanium nitride is vacuum deposited, then during a second step, this first layer is activated by ionic bombardment in a vacuum in such a way that it is able to receive, afterwards a layer of gold or of a gold alloy with a high degree of purity, deposited via the galvanic method, with the definitive colour desired. During this second step, at least partially simultaneously a second thin layer of gold and/or of a gold alloy is deposited. This deposition of gold atoms is carried out in a vacuum via evaporation, by ion projection or by cathode sputtering, while still continuing with an ionic bombardment of the titanium nitride surface. During this second step, the power of this ion bombardment is reduced progressively.
The gold alloy is, preferably, with a high number of carats, for example a gold alloy with at least 22 carats comprising, as an alloy element, Indium, Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium, Copper, Silver, Palladium, Zinc or Antimony.
The method of coloration by adsorption comprises the introduction of a colouring agent in the openings of pores of the oxide layer of the metal part made of aluminium, with this introduction of the colouring agent being carried out by immersion or by spraying.
The implementation of organic elements in order to provide for the coloration makes it possible to colour the metal part treated as such in red, blue, green, black, etc.
The method of electrolytic coloration consists in an electrodeposition under alternating current of a salt, generally tin, in the anodised layer. The quantity of salts deposited makes it possible to obtain colours ranging from light bronze to dark bronze, blue, green, grey and black saturation.
For the purposes of information, when the metal part is made of aluminium, the cold sealing method comprises the immersion of this part into a solution that contains compounds with a fluoride or silica base in the presence of nickel salts.
Likewise, when the metal part is made of aluminium, the hot sealing method comprises the immersion of this part in deionised water at a temperature typically between about 90° C. and about 100° C.
Preferably, having determined beforehand a colour value that is representative of said metal part treated as such, a shade of colouration that is identical or substantially identical to said value is chosen to colour said at least one portion of this non-metal part or of these non-metal parts in such a way that said horseshoe has a single colour.
This part made of non-metal material can be charged uniformly with particles that lighten the latter. This can be purely for the purposes of information particles of cork. It can further comprise particles that resist wear and tear such as metal particles.
Conventionally, the assembly of the non-metal parts and of the metal part in order to form the composite fitting is, for example, obtained by gluing.
This non-metal part is for example made from a plastic material such as a polyurethane.
Alternatively, this metal part can be obtained by cutting in a metal plate, which may have been machined beforehand before cutting in order to define the holes, the associated holes and/or the bevel of the upper surface, for example.
More generally, the horseshoe having a multilayer structure, at least one of these layers is obtained by a method of production via three-dimensional printing.
The layer obtained as such can be metal (Aluminium, iron, titanium, etc.) or polymer. For example, it can be obtained using an agglomerating metal powder, also called “sinterable powder”.
Generally, and in particular during a batch treatment of the metal parts, it is necessary to be able to identify the metal part that was custom developed for the foot of a specific horse. The identifier or identifiers which are made on the metal part must be able to remain visible after the treatment of the shoe, particularly after the finishing of its colour.
Preferably, this marking is carried out by removing material from the outer surface of said metal part. Advantageously, this removal of material is obtained via laser treatment.
Alternatively, the marking can be carried out by deposit of material on the outer surface of said metal part. Preferably, such a deposition of material would then be carried out after polishing the metal part.
Purely for the purposes of information, this marking can comprise a repeated portion for each one of the metal parts produced for a specific horse and a portion that makes it possible to associate one of these metal parts with the foot of this horse for which it is intended.
Preferably, when the colour retained for the coloration of the metal part is light, a shade is chosen that provides a high contrast with this colour, for example a black colour. A sufficient contrast is thus assured in order to authorise a rapid and precise reading of the identifier or identifiers before and after coloration. Moreover, it is advantageously observed that this separate layer or layers of colour placed in the cavity created by the removal of material are not affected by a polishing and scrubbing operation of said metal part before finishing of the colour of the metal part.
In a particular embodiment, such a coloration of the bottom of said cavity can be obtained by an adding of outer material. For example, a metal or a metal alloy is deposited in the bottom of the etching, so as to create a colour contrast between the bottom of the etching and the rest of the outer surface of the metal part.
Alternatively, and preferentially, the steps of removing material and of forming at least one coat of a separate colour are carried out simultaneously or one directly after the other by means of femtosecond laser pulses.
The expression “carried out directly one after the other” means that these steps are executed successively, without any intermediate operation other than a possible momentary stoppage of the laser pulses in order to modify the laser emission parameters such as the emission power, diameter of the laser beam, the number of passes of the laser beam, or the sweeping speed.
Through the implementation of femtosecond laser pulses on a metal part made of aluminium, the formation of a black deposit is observed in the bottom of the cavity created by the removal of material at the outer surface of this metal part.
As these operations are accomplished on the same station, possibly simultaneously, a substantial amount of time is advantageously saved during the production of the customised horseshoe.
Furthermore, the removing of material and the coloration are then carried out without any external adding of material.
Purely for the purposes of information, these operations are carried out by a first pass of deep etching at 150 mm/s at 30 watts and 50 Khz, pass by means of a wavelength of 1064 nm. Then a second scrubbing pass at 1000 mm/s at 30 watts and 80 Khz, a front pass of a laser beam with a wavelength of 1064 nm.
Advantageously, the metal parts intended to undergo identical operations are treated by batch. These metal parts are then grouped together to be treated simultaneously. Purely for the purposes of information, such a batch can include the four metal parts custom produced for a specific horse, which are potentially intended to have the same final aesthetic appearance.
The reading of the identifier or of the identifiers of each metal part is advantageously carried out automatically, remotely and consequently without contact. This identifier or these identifiers can as such be suited to be read via optical reading.
Such a prior identification of the various metal parts of a batch allows not only a following of these parts during their treatment but also makes it possible to ensure that no part introduced in error into an incorrect batch, undergoes an unsuitable operation.
As one or several batches are placed in a device for batch processing for the purpose of carrying out at least one processing step, a maximum duration is advantageously determined allocated to each step of batch processing. This determination is, for example, carried out by referring to a file wherein prior results have been recorded.
The device for batch processing comprises at least one means for storing metal parts in a batch as well as a means for displacing each means of batch storage. When these metal parts are intended to be immersed in a bath, the dimensions of this bath are, of course, suited to receive one or several means of batch storage in such a way as to simultaneously treat a large number of metal parts.
An optical reading device can be mounted on a mobile arm in order to scan at least one portion of the means for storage so as to read at least one identifier of each metal part.
The optical reading device implemented in order to read the identifiers is advantageously suited to convert each barcode such as a Datamatrix, into numerical data and to transmit this data to a remote server.
The remote server then records the data transmitted by this optical reading device in a database. This database contains a traceability file that lists the various metal parts of the batch processed and the associated data sent by the optical reader.
Purely for the purposes of information, for each metal part, the traceability file contains at least the following information:
The remote server also checks in real time the conformity of each operation that metal part is to undergo with the definition file of the horseshoe, which comprises the parameters determined beforehand for this customised shoe as well as all of the operations that this shoe is to undergo.
This invention further relates to a horseshoe comprising a metal part and at least one non-metal resilient part assembled to said metal part, with the latter being at least partially apparent.
According to the invention, this metal part comprises over at least a portion of its outer surface a plating, said at least one non-metal part has a shade that is identical, or substantially identical, to that of said plating in such a way that said shoe has a single colour.
Preferably, this plating is a precious metal chosen from the group comprising Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Osmium, Rhenium, Ruthenium and/or an alloy of one of these metals with one or several other metals.
The coloration of the non-metal part or parts can be carried out in the mass or on the contrary be carried out on the outer surface of each non-metal part by a screen printing or inkjet unit, or by a unit for applying a self-adhesive coloured layer.
Other advantages, purposes and particular characteristics of this invention shall result from the following description, provided for the purposes of explanation and in no way limiting, with respect to the annexed drawings, wherein:
Firstly, note that the figures are not to scale.
Prior to the machining of the horseshoe 10, the latter here being made entirely of aluminium, the measurements required for the production of this shoe adapted to the hoof of a specific horse to be shod were determined. An identifier of this horse was also associated with these measurements as well as an alphanumeric code allowing the foot to be located in relation to the front or rear of the horse.
By way of example, the data file comprising these measurements as well as the identifier of this horse comprises a code “FL” which makes it possible to associate the measurements determined as such with the front left foot of the horse.
In order to carry out these operations, this hoof was visualised at least partially, for example by means of an optical reading device, in order to acquire an image of this hoof and the measurements were determined using a dedicated piece of software that runs on a central unit such as a personal computer or a workstation.
The reading device such as a digital camera, is advantageously connected to this central unit in order to directly transmit the data acquired as such.
These measurements were then processed in order to deduce a provisional shape of the horseshoe 10. Possibly, a step of correcting the parameters of the horseshoe 10 determined as such, corresponding to at least an adjustment of the outer curve, or of the contour, of the horseshoe was carried out by the operator. This operator is here a farrier.
The final parameters for this horseshoe 10 were then recorded in the form of a numerical data file, which constitutes a definition file of the customised horseshoe 10.
The operations described hereinabove were carried out successively for each other foot of this horse.
All of these shoes are here obtained using the same sheet of aluminium by using all of the data obtained as such. For each one of these shoes, a marking is made beforehand on the sheet via localised removal of material by femtosecond laser processing (
Typically, to carry out this etching, a femtosecond pulse beam (not shown) produced by a femtosecond laser is applied on a zone of the outer surface of the sheet in order to generate a unique identifier 11 for each one of the shoes to be machined. This identifier is here a two-dimensional barcode such as a Datamatrix.
Recall that a femtosecond pulse, also called “ultra short”, has a duration typically between a few femtoseconds and a few hundred femtoseconds (1 femtosecond=1 fs=10−15 second).
Simultaneously to this marking 11, a black coloration of the bottom surface of this etching is carried out which makes it possible to visually reveal this unique identifier 11 of the horseshoe 10 in relation to the rest of the surface thereof.
Then, the aluminium sheet is machined in order to produce each one of the custom horseshoes 10. As a manipulation as well as an individual treatment of each shoes are not required, time is as such saved.
Each horseshoe obtained as such is visually inspected in order to ensure that it is compliant with the shoe that was predefined by calculation.
This set of horseshoes is advantageously grouped together with custom-made shoes for other horses and intended to undergo the same operations in order to form a batch to be processed.
The shoes of the batch formed as such are then placed on a support device for simultaneous treatment of all of the elements of the batch.
Before the start of the treatment, an optical reading of the identifier 11 of each horseshoe 10 is carried out in order to make it possible on the one hand to check that no error of assigning the horseshoe 10 to this batch has occurred and on the other hand in order to ensure a following of the operations undergone by each horseshoe 10. Possibly, the identifier 11 of each shoe can be read between each operation.
Then, this batch of horseshoes is immersed in a cleaning solution such as an alkaline solution in order to remove any contaminant. Then these horseshoes are stripped, or deoxidised in an acidic solution.
A simultaneous polishing via electrolysis of the shoes of this batch is then obtained by immersion of the batch in a hot aqueous solution containing a mixture of nitric, phosphoric and sulphuric acids.
This batch of aluminium horseshoes is then anodised in an acidic solution and a coloration is carried out by a method of electrolytic coloration.
The horseshoes of this batch treated as such are exposed to a cold sealing method (
Finally, the horseshoes of this batch are dried.
It is advantageously observed that the coloration in black of the identifier obtained during the etching of this identifier via femtosecond laser beam on the outer surface of the horseshoe 10, is not affected by the polishing of the shoe and provides a sufficient contrast of the identifier after coloration of this shoe for an optical reading of this identifier.
The layer 13 intended to be in contact with the ground is a sole made of rubber used to dampen the impacts. Between this sole 13 made of rubber and a metal part 14 made of aluminium coming directly in contact with the hoof 12, is placed a sole 15 made of moulded polymer. For the purposes of information, this here is a charged and fibred polymer obtained by a method of pultrusion/extrusion.
This horseshoe 10 advantageously has a low density while still having adequate mechanical resistance. In order to ensure the following of the production of this horseshoe 10, an identifier 16 was etched with a laser beam on the outer surface of the shoe intended to come in contact with the hoof of the horse, with this identifier remaining advantageously visible after finishing of the horseshoe.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 50442 | Jan 2015 | FR | national |
| 15 60448 | Oct 2015 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2015/053752 | 12/24/2015 | WO | 00 |
