Improvements in Lasts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL DE MULTIOA
Improvements in Lasts.
I, JAMES BOWLER, Last and Boot Tree Maker of 33 Raphael Street
Knightsbridge in the County of London do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in lasts rendering the same easy of removal from the boot.
The advantages of the improved last over the ordinary style of last are-
1. That the former-be it deformed or otherwise-can be removed from the boot
in one minute whereas four or five hours are often occupied in removing the latter.
2. The boot is not strained in any part and there are no broken waists forced
vamp seam or broken back straps and the boot remains when last is removed in the
perfect state of finish and solidity of work as left by the workman.
The invention consists in making the last in three parts, the block being cut
closer to the toe than the ordinary last and fastened by a screw and peg. The
base of the last is cut in two through the waist and connected by a strong hinge,
the whole when fixed having all the solidity and rigidity of the ordinary last.
The great feature of the invention is the ease with which the last is withdrawn
from the boot, this being accomplished by removing the block forming the
counterpoise and inserting a last hook in a hole in the heel of the last which
opens at the before mentioned hinge in the waist and is then freely removed from
the boot.
Dated this Wourth day of February 1895.
Improvements in N
I, JAMES BOWLER 33 Raphael Street Knightsbridge in the County of
Middlesex, Last and Boot Tree Maker, 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 relates to an improvement in lasts and the object of my said
invention is to fashion a last in such a manner that it may be easily withdrawn
from the boot when the latter is finished without in any way damaging the boot.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood reference is made
to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a last made in accordance therewith
and in which
Fig. 1 is a view of a last complete shewn as inserted in the boot and
Fig. 2 shews the parts disjointed and as withdrawn from the boot when the
latter is completed.
As shewn in the figures the last is made in three pieces the base of the last a is
cut through the waist the heel and the toe portions being connected together by
the hinge b as seen in Fig. 2.
The block c is secured to the base at the fore end by a dowel or pin e which
enters a hole formed for its reception in the shoulder f while the rear end is secured

page_text: by a screw g or other device to the base the whole together forming a complete
and rigid last which has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of an
-ordinary last.
Hitherto the workman after completing the boot has experienced a great
difficulty in withdrawing the last and frequently a considerable time was lost in the
operation while the force exerted in effecting the withdrawal was liable to injure
the boot by breaking the waist or the back straps or straining the vamp seams.
The whole of these objections are overcome by my improved last as the
withdrawal of the last is perfectly easy and is effected in the following manner.
When the boot is completed the screw g is taken out and the block c removed.
Then with a last hook the heel of the base is slightly raised and a slight
backward pull towards the heel withdraws the last.
The advantages of my improved last will thus be apparent to those familiar
with the art to which it relates it is also equally applicable to a last of a foot
deformed in any way.
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 :-
A last constructed substantially as and in the manner described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1895.
HENRY W. MASTERS,
Applicant's Agent.