Improvements relating to the Drying and Stretching of Boots and Shoes, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1 90
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Drying and Stretching of Boots and
Shoes, and to Apparatus therefor.
We, JOHN HERBERT KIRK, of Rashcliffe Iron Works, Huddersfield, in the County
of York, Machine Maker, and HENRY SENIOR, of Highfield Brewery, Shepley, in
the County of York, Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to drying and stretching boots and shoes, more especially
those of the "Wellington" type, and to apparatus therefor, and comprises improve-
ments in the ordinary boot-trees whereby the same are constructed hollow and
watertight.
According to our said invention we construct each part or section of the boot-tree,
that is to say the two or more leg pieces and the foot piece, of thin sheet metal, copper
being preferred, made to the required shape of the leg and foot respectively of the
boot or shoe and made watertight by soldering or brazing the joints.
We provide in each said hollow piece an inlet opening by which water may be
introduced, and we provide for closing the said inlet by a screw or any other suitable
stopper.
The action of our improved apparatus is as follows:-Each part or section of the
said apparatus having been filled with hot water and the stopper inserted, the parts
are introduced into the boot or shoe and a suitably shaped wooden wedge is forcibly
inserted between the leg pieces so as to wedge the same tightly and hold them securely
in position in the well known manner. A damp boot or shoe thus treated will soon
be thoroughly and evenly dried in every part from the inside by the action of the hot
water, and in the case of "Wellington " boots especially will be made so as to be capable
of drawing on the foot again with comparative ease.
In some cases we may hinge the foot section to one of the leg sections, preferably
the forward or front section, and further join the two parts by a flexible or other pipe
connection which will provide a free communication between the parts so joined. In
this way the greater bulk of water contained in the leg part will mix with the smaller
quantity contained in the foot piece and so prevent the latter cooling as rapidly as it
would if it were a separate vessel.
ited this IIth day of September 2009.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Drying and Stretching of Boots and
Shoes, and to Apparatus therefor.
We, JOHN HERBERT KIRK, of Rashcliffe Iron Works, Huddersfield, in the County
of York, Machine Maker, and HENRY SENIOR of Highfield Brewery, Shepley, near
Huddersfield aforesaid, Brewer 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 :-
Our invention relates to a method of drying boots and shoes and to apparatus
therefor and for stretching the same.
According to our invention we provide hollow boot trees in lieu of the ordinary
solid boot trees employed for stretching boots and shoes and we construct the said
boot trees of thin sheet copper or other suitable metal. For Wellington boots we
prefer to construct the said apparatus in three parts or sections, that is to say, two leg
DJ7

page_text: sections and one foot section, formed of the required shape to fit the boot, but for
ordinary boots and shoes we find that two sections one for the toe or front and the
other for the heel or back are quite sufficient. Each section, which is made watertight
by soldering or brazing the joints, is formed with an inlet opening by which hot water
may be introduced, and the said inlet opening is provided with a screw or other suitable
stopper for closing the same.
It is evident that by inserting a tightening wedge between the sections of our hollow
boot trees when in position in the boot, the said sections will serve to stretch boots in
precisely the same manner as, and with efficiency equal to that attained by, ordinary
solid boot trees. Moreover, hot water being introduced into the said sections, the
apparatus is adapted for drying boots or shoes from the interior and with great evenness
all round.
In the accompanying drawings we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently carried into practice.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved apparatus for drying and stretching
ordinary boots and shoes, and
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the said apparatus as applied to a boot shown in
section..
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of our improved apparatus constructed for drying and
stretching Wellington boots.
Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the front leg section of fig. 3, and
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the said apparatus as applied to a Wellington boot
shown in section.
Referring to fig. 1, A is a vessel constructed of thin sheet copper having soldered
or brazed joints and shaped to fit the toe and forward portion of a boot, the rear face a
being flat, and B is a similarly constructed water tight copper vessel constructed to
fit the heel and rear portion of a boot, and having a flat face b to fit against the opposing
flat face a of the section A. Both vessels A, B are provided at their upper ends with
an inlet opening fitted with an ordinary screw stopper (.
The action of our improved apparatus for drying boots is as follows:-The two
sections A, B are first inserted in the boot to be dried as shown in fig. 2 and
then filled with hot or boiling water and allowed to stand until the drying is
completed.
If it is desired to use the vessels A, B for stretching only, a wedge D is merely
inserted between the opposing faces of the vessels in the same manner as is done with
ordinary solid boot trees. The wedge D may also be used while drying.
Referring now to figs. 3 and 4 wherein we have shown the apparatus we prefer to
use for Wellington boots, A is the foot section constructed of sheet copper and having
an inlet opening provided with a screw stopper a; B is the similarly constructed front
leg section having a screw stopper b and hollowed out at its lower extremity b' to fit
on the curved top of the foot section A; and C is the similarly constructed back leg
section having a screw stopper c and being of sufficient length to pass down behind
the foot section A and reach to the heel of the boot. The opposing faces 62, c¹ of the
vessels B, C are made flat, and between these flat faces a wedge D may be inserted
when desired either for stretching purposes or ensuring contact of the leg sections
with the boot when drying. The rear face a' of the foot section A in which is formed
the inlet opening is sunk in a little below the rim so that the screw stopper a will clear
the leg section Č.
The action both in drying and stretching Wellington boots is the same as above
described with reference to ordinary boots and shoes.
It is obvious that our improved method of drying boots and shoes as above described
is very advantageous in that the drying takes place from the interior, and is very
uniform all round. Wellington boots especially dried in this manner may be drawn
on the foot again with comparative ease which is not the case when they are dried
before a fire:
In some cases we hinge the foot section A fig. 3 to either of the leg sections B, C,
preferably. the former, and we connect the two hinged vessels by means of a flexible

page_text: or other pipe connection in order that the water may circulate from one section to the
other and thus prevent the too rapid cooling of the foot section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The method of drying boots and shoes from the interior by means of hot
water contained in hollow water tight vessels placed within the said boots or shoes
substantially as specified.
2. The apparatus constructed substantially as described with reference to fig. 1 or
with reference to figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings and operating in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as specified.
Dated this 12th day of June 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.