Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 10th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
We HARRY WILLIAM MOBBS, Boot Manufacturer, and ALFRED LEWIS, Engineer,
both of Kettering in the County of Northampton, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements on a patent granted to the present applicants
and dated 21st of March 1885, No. 3652.
Under this patent we described a last with a diagonal division near the heel, the
divided parts being locked together by a spring catch on their insertion into the boot
or shoe. To render this last applicable to all kinds of boots, particularly those made
with elastic sides, is the object of the present invention.
Hitherto it has been the practice to fit lasts with a loose sliding block at the instep,
the withdrawing of which block facilitated the removal of the last from the boot; but,
besides the tendency to shift its position when in use, the block, when the last was in
storage, was liable to drop from the body of the last and be mis-inatched.
To avoid these inconveniences, we have invented a method of fitting and securing
the instep block to a boot last, whether the last be made of wood or metal. In the
case of metal lasts, the invention lends itself to the lightening of the last, by providing
a ready means for coreing out the main casting, without presenting to view an opening
in the surface of the last.
In the main or foot portion of the metal last, at the part which underlies the instep
block, we make an opening which extends towards the toe and expands laterally; this
is for the double purpose of lightening the casting, and of providing a transverse lip
to receive a spring catch, with which the instep block is fitted. On either side of the
opening in the casting is a dovetailed guide for receiving the instep block, which may
be cast hollow, and is grooved to slide over the dovetail guides.
Applied to the inner face of this block is a spring catch, which, as the block is
forced home, clips under the transverse lip before mentioned, and holds the block

page_text: firmly in place. A hole is made near the upper end of the block to receive the
ordinary last hook for disengaging it from the body of the last.
It should be remarked that no key or unlocking movement is necessary to remove
the block, as a force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring catch may be
readily applied through the last hook.
The dovetail guides, instead of being parallel throughout their length, are
shaped
at their commencement, to facilitate the application of the instep block to the body of
the last, when the latter is inserted in the boot.
In applying our invention to wooden lasts, we may make the contact parts of the
block and last of plates of cast metal, securing to the block plate the spring catch as
before mentioned.
100

page_text: We HARRY WILLIAM MOBBS Boot Manufacturer and ALFRED LEWIS Engineer
both of Kettering in the County of Northampton, 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
This invention relates to improvements on a patent granted to the present applicants
and dated 21st March 1885 No. 3652.
Under this patent we described a last with a diagonal division near the heel, the
divided parts being locked together by a spring catch on their insertion into the boot
or shoe. To render this last applicable to all kinds of boots, particularly those
made with elastic sides, is the object of the present invention.
Hitherto it has been the practice to fit lasts with a loose sliding block at the instep,
the withdrawing of which block facilitated the removal of the last from the boot, but
besides the tendency to shift its position when in use, the block, when the last was in
storage, was liable to drop from the body of the last, and be mismatched.
To avoid these inconveniences, we have devised simple and inexpensive means for
fitting and securing the instep block to a boot last, whether the last be made of wood
or metal. In the case of metal lasts, the invention lends itself to the lightening of the
last, by providing a ready means for coreing out the main casting without presenting
to view on opening in the surface of the last.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 shews in side view, partly in section, a boot last constructed of metal
according to our invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the last, the instep block being removed.
Figs. 3 shew the instep block detached, in side, and in inverted plan view.
A is the main or foot portion of the last; B is the detachable heel piece, and C the
instep block.
In the main or foot portion A of the metal last, at the part which underlies the
instep block C, an opening is made, which extends towards the toe, as shewn at
Figure 1, and expands laterally, as indicated by dotted lines Fig. 2; this is for the
double purpose of lightening the casting, and of providing a transverse lip a to receive
a spring catch c, with which the instep block is fitted. On either side of the opening
in the casting is a dovetailed guide a a for receiving the instep block, which may be
cast hollow, and is rebated to form lips c*, which slide over, and interlock with the
dovetail guides a* a*.
Applied to the inner face of this block is the spring catch c, which, as the block is
forced home, clips under the transverse lip a (see Fig. 1), and holds the block firmly
in place. To provide for this, the extremity of the spring has to be brought under the
lip before sliding the block over the dovetailed guides a*a*.
A hole c¹ is made near the upper end of the block to receive the ordinary last hook
for disengaging it from the body of the last.

page_text: It should be remarked that no key or unlocking instrument is necessary to remove
the block, as a force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring catch may be
readily applied through the last hook.
The dovetail guides a* a* are V-shaped in plan view, to facilitate the application of
the instep block to the body of the last, when the latter is inserted in the boot.
.
As a modification of our invention, we propose, in some cases, to adopt the arrange-
ment shewn at Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings, which offers some slight advantage over
the arrangement first described, in the ease with which the block is applied to the last.
Fig. 4 shews in side view, partly in section, the modified form of boot last. Fig. 5
is a plan view of the last, the instep block being removed, and Figs. 6 show the instep
block detached, in side, and in inverted plan view.
In this example, the dovetailed guides a are situate in rear, instead of at the sides
of the opening in the casting, and the projection forming the guides constitutes the
lip a upon which the spring c of the block C catches. When, therefore, the block is
applied to the foot piece A, the pressure requisite to engage the lips c* with the
guides a*, and move the block into the closed position, will suffice to ensure the
snapping of the catch cover the lip a, and thus no carelessness or inattention of
the workman in applying the block is likely to injure the spring. The last hook for
withdrawing the block is entered at the opening cl, instead of at the vertical opening,
as at Fig. 1 this avoids the necessity for forcing the upper off the block, to get
at the hole.
In applying our invention to wooden lasts, we may make the contact parts of the
block and last, of plates of cast metal, securing to the block plate, the spring catch, as
before mentioned; the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4, marked 1, 1, 2, 2, will shew the
extent of the cast contact parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1st. The construction of metal lasts as above described with reference to the
drawings, whereby the instep block is readily attached to the main or foot piece, and
is detached therefrom by simply pulling on the last hook.
2nd. The application to the foot piece and instep block of wooden lasts, of plates
cast metal constructed and fitted as described with reference to the drawings, to form
the contact or interlocking parts or attachment of the instep block and foot piece..
Dated this 10th day of May 1887.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.