IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE HEELS AND SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Franklin Hocking, of No. 8, Quality Court, Chancery
Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE HEELS AND SOLES OF BOOTS
AND SHOES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Franklin Hocking at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th April 1881.
FRANKLIN HOCKING, of No. 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE HEELS AND
SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
This Invention has for its object certain improvements relating to the heels and
soles of boots and shoes, whereby the heels and soles of boots and shoes are rendered
more durable.
My Invention consists in applying conical or tapered metal plugs or rings to the
under or outside leather of the heels and soles of boots and shoes.
According to one method of putting my Invention into practice, I punch or bore
the under leather of the heel or sole with a series of tapered holes, which holes are
punched or bored from the upper, or what will be the inside of the leather before
it is fixed on the heel or sole. The tapered holes have their taper or countersink
on the upper or inside of the leather; into these tapered holes I insert tapered
metal plugs, such as steel, iron, copper, or brass plugs. The plugs are flush with
the leather on both sides or projecting on the under side, and are held in their
place by the taper or countersink. The leather with the plug is then nailed or
otherwise attached onto the heels or soles, as the case may be, the metal plugs
showing like studs on the underside of the heel or sole. The metal plugs are
preferably circular, and can be formed by casting, turning, or punching them out
of sheet metal of the required size. Square, trinangular, or like tapered studs may
be substituted for the round ones if desired.
According to another method the tapered studs according to my Invention can
be placed in the heel or sole of the boot or shoe from the underside, in which case
the plug is provided with a central hole to receive a screw or nail, which serves
to keep the stud in its place, and likewise may be used as a means of attaching the
heel or sole leathers.

page_text: In the practice of my Invention tapered studs or cone plugs, according to the
first described construction, may be pitched round near the outside of the heel; the
heel leather being fastened on with intermediate ordinary nails or cone plugs,
according to those first described, may be interspaced with cone plugs under the
second description, the latter serving as an attachment for the heel leather.
A cone plug of larger size may be situated in the centre of the heel if desired,
and such central plug can have a central hole tapped to suit the heel screws of
skates.
My Invention affords a simple method of adding to the durability of heel and
sole leathers, and can be applied generally to heels and soles of boots and shoes,
or particularly to those parts of the heels and soles which suffer most from
wear.
:
The plugs can be placed in heel and sole leathers and supplied to unskilled
people, who can readily apply such leathers to boots and shoes over existing heels
and soles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Franklin Hocking in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1881.
" IMPROVE-
FRANKLIN HOCKING, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London.
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE HEELS AND SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
This Invention has for its object certain improvements relating to the heels and
soles of boots and shoes whereby the heels and soles of boots and shoes are rendered
more durable.
My Invention consists in applying conical or tapered or other metal plugs
or rings to the under or outside leather of the heels and soles of boots and shoes.
According to one method of putting my Invention into practice, I punch or bore
or pierce the under leather of the heel or sole with a series of holes, which holes
are punched or bored from the upper, or what will be the inside of the leather
before it is fixed on the heel or sole. The holes have their taper or countersink
on the upper or inside of the leather; into these holes I insert tapered metal plugs,
such as steel, iron, copper, or brass plugs, or other kind of metal. The plugs are
flush with the leather on both sides, or projecting on the under side, and are held
in their place by the taper or countersink. The leather with the plug is then
nailed or otherwise attached onto the heels or soles, as the case may be, the metal
plugs showing like studs on the underside of the heel or sole. The metal plugs are
preferably circular, and can be formed by casting, turning, or punching them out
of sheet metal of the required size. Square, triangular, or like tapered studs may
be substituted for the round ones if desired.
According to another method the tapered studs, according to my Invention, can
be placed in the heel or sole of the boot or shoe from the underside, in which case
the plug is provided with a central hole to receive a screw or nail, which serves
to keep the stud in its place, and likewise may be used as a means of attaching the
heel or sole leathers.
In the practice of my Invention tapered studs or cone plugs, according to the
first described construction, may be pitched round near the outside of the heel or
sole, the leather being fastened on with intermediate ordinary nails or cone plugs,
according to those first described, may be interspaced with cone plugs under the
second description, the latter serving as an attachment for the leather.
A cone plug of larger size may be situated in the centre of the heel if desired,
and such central plug can have a central hole tapped to suit the heel screws of
skates.
My Invention affords a simple method of adding to the durability of heel and
sole leathers, and can be applied generally to heels and soles of boots and shoes,
or particularly to those parts of the heels and soles which suffer most from wear.
The plugs can be placed in heel and sole leathers and supplied to unskilled
people, who can readily apply such leathers to boots and shoes over existing heels
and soles.
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of my Invention, I will now
proceed to describe more in detail how the saine may be carried out into practical
effect, and for that purpose I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings marked
with letters and figures of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation, like letters and figures of reference being used to denote the same or
corresponding parts throughout the various views.
In the Drawings,—
Figure 1 represents a conical or tapered metal plug such as I use in the practice
Ination

page_text: Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, further illustrate my Invention.
Figures 25 and 26 show how my Invention can be applied to cricket and like
shoes.
Figure 27 is a plan of the outer or tread side, and
Figure 28 is a plan of the inner side of a sole provided with plugs according to
my Invention.
Figure 29 is a section of Figures 27 and 28.
Figure 30 is a plan of the outer or tread side, and
Figure 31 is a plan of the inner side of a further carrying out of my Invention.
Figure 32 is a section of Figures 30 and 31.
Figure 33 is a plan of the outer or tread side of a sole showing another method
of applying the plug according to my Invention.
Figure 34 is a detail of Figure 33.
Figure 35 is a sectional view of Figure 34.
Figure 36 is a modification of Figure 34.
Figure 37 is a sectional view of Figure 36.
Figures 38, 39, show the application of my Invention to boot heels.
Figure 40 is a side elevation of a shoe partly in section showing the application
of my Invention.
Figure 41 is a sectional elevation of a boot heel showing the application of my
Invention as a provision for skate screws.
Figure 42 is a plan of Figure 41.
Reference to the Drawings,-
It will be seen that A represents the conical or tapered metal plug according to
my Invention, and that the plug A may take various shapes; for example, in
Figure 1 it is a plain cone, in Figure 3 a star cone; in Figure 5 the cone A has
a slight head; in Figure 5A a headed cone without taper is shown, which may in
some cases be used instead of the cone, Figure 5; in Figure 7 the cone has a slight
head, and is of star section in the shank; in Figure 9 the cone is shown as a ring,
the centre of which may be filled up with leather, as shown in full lines, or the
centre or hole B may be made as shown in dotted lines, which when filled up with
leather requires an ordinary peg to secure the leather to the upper or inner sole;
in Figure 11 the cone A is shown of duplex form; in Figure 13 the cone A is
shown in multiple form; in Figure 15 the cone A is shown with a projection a;
in Figure 17 the cone A is shown put into the sole from the tread side, and secured
to the upper sole by the screw C; in Figure 19 the cone A is shown screwed into
the leather from the tread side, and is provided with an angular hole for screwing
and unscrewing same, also for a provision for a peg if wished; in Figure 21 the
duplex cone A is shown for putting into the sole from the tread side and securing
to the inner sole by the pegs C, C; Figure 23 shows a section of the cone A and
peg C of single type for placing into the soles from the tread side; in Figure 25
the cone A is constructed as a spike for cricket shoes. The above examples are
equally applicable to heels.
In the practice of my Invention I punch or bore or pierce the under or tread
leather of the heel or sole of the boot with a series of holes, which holes are
punched, or bored, or pierced from the upper or under side of the leather; for
example, b, Figure 29, è being the outer or tread side of the leather. Into these
holes I insert the metal plugs A by a hammer or pressure until the plugs A are
flush with the leather on both sides, or projecting on the tread side, as in Figures
15 and 25. The plugs are held in their place by the taper or countersink, and the
tread of the sole assumes the appearance shown at Figure 27, Figure 28 representing
the other or inner side. In the heels the plugs may be placed as shown at Figure 38.
The outer sole with the plugs being nailed, pegged, stitched, or otherwise attached
to the inner sole, the same with the heels, as it is not always desirable to have the
sole or heel studded all over, the metal studs may be put in pieces of leather

page_text: conforming to the shapes of that part of the sole or heel to which they are to be
applied, as shown in Figures 30, 31, 32, and 39, e, b, representing the applied pieces
with their plugs, and g representing the inner sole to which they are attached by
the small pegs h. In Figure 33 a circular method of this arrangement is shown.
The leather discs e with their conical metal plugs A are attached to the sole g by
the central peg C and the small pegs h; these circular pieces e may be applied
by the cone pegs A, C, from the tread side, as shown at Figure 37. The heel piece
of the cone plugs, Figure 39, may be flush with the heel or project therefrom as
desired. In Figure 40 the position of the cones A, the outer sole e, the inner sole g
will be seen, as also the position of the heel cones A. In Figure 41, K is a skate
screw, the wood of the skate; e, the outer leather of the heel; g, the inner
leather of the heel; A, the tapered cone plug with a central screwed hole to receive
the skate screw k.
Having now described my Invention, and shown how the same may be put into
practical operation, I would have it understood that the essential feature of my
Invention is the punching, boring, piercing, or otherwise removing or displacing
the leather of the outer sole or heel, and the filling up of such holes with conical
or tapered or other plugs of any suitable metal, and I would also state that my
Invention is not limited to the precise form of conical, or tapered, or other plug,
as shown in the Drawings, but also consists in the use of sole and heel leathers
provided with such metal plugs.
Under this my Invention I claim,-
First. In heels or soles of boots or shoes the punching, or piercing, or removing,
or displacing of the leather, and the replacing of such leather by conical, or tapered,
or other plugs of metal, as herein described and shown in the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Second. The punching, or piercing, or removing, or displacing leather from
irregular pieces of leather, and the replacing of such leather by conical or tapered
or other plugs of metal, and the after application of such irregular pieces of leather
to the heels or soles of boots or shoes, as herein described and shown in Figures 30
to 39 inclusive of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Third. The use of conical, or tapered, or other form of metal plugs inserted into
the outer leathers of heels or soles of boots and shoes from the upper or inner side
of such leathers, as herein described and shown at Figures 1 to 16 inclusive, and
also shown at Figures 27, 28, 29, 38, and 40 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth. The use of conical or tapered metal plugs inserted into the outer heels
or soles of boots and shoes from the outer or tread side of such heels or soles, as
herein described and shown at Figures 17 to 24 inclusive, also Figures 36 and 37
of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Fifth. The use of conical or tapered metal plugs elongated or having spikes
formed thereon, and inserted into the outer heels or soles of boots and shoes from
the upper or inner side of such heels or soles, as herein described and shown in
example at Figures 15, 16, 25, and 20 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Sixth. The use of a tapered metal plug inserted into the outer heel of boots or
shoes as an attachment for skate screws, as herein described and shown in example
at Figures 41 and 42 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Franklin Hocking, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
FRANKLIN (L.S.) HOCKING.