1. A hoof mounting for a farrier training system, comprising:
a positioning block, said block having a fixture for attaching to a distal end of a central shaft, said shaft disposed within an artificial leg of a farrier training system, said shaft extending outwardly therefrom;
said block having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a rear surface, first and second side surfaces and first and second securing ledges, said ledges extending laterally from said first and second side surfaces;
said positioning block further comprises a surrounding groove, said groove surrounding at least said front surface and said first and second side surfaces, said groove being spaced downwardly from said top surface and spaced above said first and second securing ledges;
an artificial hoof, said hoof having an open interior space, said space having, a partially open top, a closed bottom, a closed front wall, closed first and second side walls and an open back;
said first and second side walls having mating grooves, said mating grooves being sized and shaped to fit slidably about said securing ledges;
at least one securing channel, said channel extending from a closed portion of said partially open top into one of said mating grooves;
a fastening latch, said latch having a vertically oriented locking portion and an activating tab, said locking portion being slidably mounted to said rear surface of said positioning block;
said locking portion being sized, shaped and disposed to fit slidably within said securing channel when said block is disposed within said artificial hoof;
said locking portion of said latch being urged upwardly by a resilient member to engage said securing channel;
a support platform, said support platform having upper and lower parallel, planar surfaces, being sized and shaped to fit between a lower surface of said artificial leg of a farrier training system and a top surface of said artificial hoof; and
said support platform having a central notch, said notch sized and shaped to fit slidably within said surrounding groove.
2. The hoof mounting for a farrier training system, as described in claim 1, wherein said locking portion of said fastening latch is slidably mounted to said rear surface of said positioning block by a pair of vertical channels, said channels being sized and shaped to fit slidably about first and second side edges of said locking portion.
3. The hoof mounting for a farrier training system, as described in claim 1, wherein said resilient member is a spring, said spring attached between said positioning block and said fastening latch.
4. The hoof mounting for a farrier training system, as described in claim 1, wherein said positioning block is pivotally mounted to said lower end of said central shaft.
5. The hoof mounting for a farrier training system, as described in claim 1, wherein said bottom surface of said positioning block is spaced upwardly from said closed bottom of said artificial hoof when said positioning block is secured within said hoof by said fastening latch.
6. The hoof mounting for a farrier training system, as described in claim 1, wherein said first and second securing ledges comprise a taper from a rear end to a front end of said ledges and said mating grooves comprise a mating taper from a posterior end to an anterior end of said grooves, thereby providing a tightening fit as said control block is introduced into said artificial hoof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A side electrode for a spark plug, comprising:
a side wire having a first end and a second end;
an opening proximate to the first end, the opening extending from a first surface of the side wire to a second surface of the side wire, wherein the first surface has a flared portion proximate to the opening; and
an electrode tip secured to the first end of the side wire, the electrode tip having a tip portion and a shaft portion, wherein the tip portion is located on the second surface and the shaft portion is secured to the side wire by engaging the flared portion.
2. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the electrode tip is a rivet.
3. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the electrode tip is a rivet with a hollow core.
4. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the electrode tip is a cylinder.
5. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the electrode tip is a cylinder with a hollow core.
6. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the electrode tip is formed from at least a precious metal, a precious metal alloy, a base metal or a combination thereof.
7. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein portions of the electrode tip comprises clad.
8. (canceled)
9. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the shaft portion is impacted with an impact device to engage the shaft portion to the flared portion.
10. The side electrode as in claim 9, wherein the impact device is configured to form a cross-sectional shape on the shaft portion during impact.
11. The side electrode as in claim 1, wherein the tip portion is coined on the second surface.
12. The side electrode as in claiml, wherein the tip portion is secured to the shaft portion by a resistance welding process.
13. A side electrode for a spark plug, comprising:
a side wire having a first end and a second end;
an opening proximate to the first end, the opening extending from a first surface of the side wire to a second surface of the side wire, wherein the first surface has a flared portion proximate to the opening; and
an electrode tip secured to the first end of the side wire, the electrode tip having a first member and a second member, the first member and the second member each having a tip portion and a shaft portion, wherein the tip portion of second member is located on the second surface and the tip portion of the first member is secured to the side wire by engaging the flared portion.
14. The side electrode as in claim 13, wherein the first member is secured to the second member by a resistance welding process.
15. The side electrode as in claim 13, wherein the first member is a first rivet and the second member is a second rivet.
16. The side electrode as in claim 13, wherein the first member and the second member of the electrode tip are each formed from at least a precious metal, a precious metal alloy, a base metal or a combination thereof.
17. The side electrode as in claim 13, wherein the tip portion of the first member is impacted with an impact device to engage the tip portion of the first member to the flared portion.
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
21. (canceled)
22. (canceled)
23. A spark plug, comprising:
an insulator shell;
a center electrode disposed in the insulator shell such that one end of the center electrode protrudes from the insulator shell;
a metal shell exterior to the insulator shell;
a side electrode having a side wire with a first end coupled to the metal shell and a second end facing the protruding end of the center electrode forming a spark discharge gap therebetween, an opening proximate to the first end of the side wire, the opening extending from a first surface of the side wire to a second surface of the side wire, wherein the first surface has a flared portion proximate to the opening; and
an electrode tip secured to the first end of the side wire, the electrode tip having a tip portion and a shaft portion, wherein the tip portion is located on the second surface and the shaft portion is secured to the side wire by engaging the flared portion.
24. The spark plug as in claim 23, wherein the electrode tip is a rivet.
25. The spark plug as in claim 23, wherein the electrode tip is a cylinder.
26. (canceled)
27. The spark plug as in claim 23, wherein portions of the electrode tip comprises clad.
28. (canceled)
29. (canceled)
30. (canceled)