Improvements in the Construction or Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1887
Complete Left, 14th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
Improvements in the Construction or Manufacture of Boots
and Shoes.
1, JOHN FERGUSSON GILMOUR of Langdale, Shawlands, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Iron Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES to be
as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to certain improvements in the construction or
manufacture of boots and shoes, has for its object to render the heel pieces thereof
removable so that the said heel pieces can be replaced by new ones from time to time
as they become worn or when worn on one side as is frequently the case the said
heel pieces can be removed from one boot or shoe to the other boot or shoe of the
same pair whereby equality of wear is as far as practicable ensured.
The heel pieces may be constructed of leather, wood, gutta-percha or other suitable
material or compound and they are affixed to the underside of the boots or shoes by
means of screws with countersunk and flat heads which are passed down through the
bottom of the boot or shoe and then directly into the heel pieces themselves or into
one or more nuts placed in the heel pieces to receive them. The heel pieces when one
such screw only is used are provided with one or more pins by which the correctness
of their position on the boot or shoe is at once fixed.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction or Manufacture of Boots
and Shoes.
I, JOHN FERGUSSON GILMOUR of Langdale, Shawlands, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Iron Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My Invention, which relates to certain improvements in the construction or
manufacture of boots and shoes, has for its object to render the heel pieces thereof
removable so that the said heel pieces can be replaced by new ones from time to time
as they become worn or when worn on one side as is frequently the case the said heel
pieces can be removed from one boot or shoe to the other boot or shoe of the same
pair whereby equality of wear is as far as practicable ensured.
The heel pieces may be constructed of leather, wood, gutta-percha or other suitable
material or compound and they are affixed to the underside of the boots or shoes by
means of screws which are passed down through the bottom of the boot or shoe and
then directly into the heel pieces themselves or into one or more nuts placed in the
heel pieces to receive them. The heel pieces, when one such screw only is used, are
provided with one or more pins by which the correctness of their position on the boot
or shoe is at once fixed.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of a heel piece constructed and attached to the
boot or shoe in accordance with my said Invention.
Figure 2, is a plan of the underside of the heel with the affixing parts shewn in
dotted lines.
Figures 3 and 4, are sectional elevations of modifications of my said Invention.
Figures 5 and 6 being corresponding plans of the same.
The heel piece A, figures 1 and 2, is affixed to the boot or shoe B, by a central
screw C, which is passed through the foundation portion b, of the boot and into a
screwed nut D, which is embedded at the central part of the heel piece; any latteral
movement of the heel piece is prevented by the screwed pin E, the thread of which
is passed into the heel before the heel is attached, the point of the pin embedding
itself into the underside of the shoe, as the heel piece is clamped up by the central
retaining screw (); the pin E, may be employed at a central part near the inner edge
of the heel piece or two such pins may be employed as shown in Figure 2, one at each
angle of the heel piece.
nuts may
In order to dispense with the pins E, or to give a stronger hold two screws and
be employed as shewn in figure 3, and the corresponding plan figure 5.
In order to facilitate the insertion of the screwed nuts within the body of the
heel pieces, the undersides of the heel pieces may be formed with square holes at the

page_text: bottom of which the nuts are laid, the holes being filled up with leather or other
material and in the case of heel pieces of composite material, the nuts may be
embedded in the course of the manufacture of such heels.
Figures 4 and 6 are modifications of my said improvements in which a bar or
bridge F, of metal is employed in lieu of the nuts hereinbefore referred to; the said
Bridge piece conveniently forms part of an ordinary heel iron G, the underside of the
heel being filled up with a piece of leather or other material H; steadying pins E, or
their equivalent being employed or not as found desirable.
In lieu of the Screw C, I may employ a key, which may be of similar construction to
the Screw C, but without the threads, the extremity of C, being formed with a keying
portion to lock into the nut D, which is formed with a key hole to allow the key to
be engaged and disengaged from it when putting on and taking off the heel.
In lieu also of screwing the pins E, figure 1, into the heel, a reverse arrangement
may be employed, that is to say, the pin may be fixed through the boot portion, the
point embedding itself into the heel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
In the making of Boots and Shoes the removable and reversible heel piece A,
attached to the boot or shoe by screws C, and nuts D, and with or without the pins E,
or by the mechanical equivalents of the said parts, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and in part shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 13th day of March 1888.