Improvements in Gaiters, Shin Guards, and Leggings, Applicable also for Boots for Football and other Athletic Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1891-Accepted, 25th July, 1891.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gaiters, Shin Guards, and Leggings, Applicable
also for Boots for Football and other Athletic Purposes.
29
We, WILLIAM FREEMAN Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, and JOSEPII Goffe
DAVIES Manufacturers Manager, both of "Park Factory Asfordby Street
Saint Saviour's Road Leicester in the County of Leicester, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in gaiters, shin guards, and leggings,
applicable also for boots for football and other athletic purposes to afford better
protection to the feet and legs, in the parts most liable to injury, in the form of
protectors such as blocked bulbs, or raised discs, which may be circular, oval or
other similar shape. To carry out our invention in a gaiter, we make them similar
in shape to an ordinary gaiter, preferably of leather, but cloth or other material
can be used, or a combination of these materials if desirable, or we may provide a
legging in combination with a gaiter for the purpose above described.
In making the said bulbs the part in the side quarters whether of a gaiter, shin
guard or the like which covers the ankle bone is blocked by suitable blocks or
moulds so that a circular or other shaped bulb is made in the outer leather, or
outside of the upper when this is set firm a circular piece of hard sole leather, or
such shape to correspond with the outer one, or other leather made firm by any
well known stiffening process or hard india-rubber each after having been moulded
is then placed to fit in the concave or hollowed space of the moulded side quarters,
we may then fill the space with any suitable soft padding such as wool, or other soft
and yielding material that will form a pad, the lining of leather or suitable material
used for the purpose is then attached to the outer quarters, thus a protector is
formed that will shield the ankle bone of the foot against injury either during a
scrimmage or play. In the combination legging and gaiter the front of the leg is
supplied with the said moulded bulbs, and the sides above the ankle provided with
raised bars or strips lined with cork or other suitable resisting filling material and
sewn round, they may run vertically or diagonally, secured either between the
outer leather and lining, or upon the upper leather, the circular or oval bulbs being
put in to cover the ankles.
The legging and gaiter combined, or gaiter without the legging, or shin guard is
fastened either with buckles, buttons, laces or other means, and the raised discs or
bulbs arranged as described.
In boots hard and soft shields and india-rubber cushions have been used for
protecting the ankles sewn between the lining and upper, but the ridges of the
shields are objectionable. By my invention this is overcome by the outside
quarters, or the side quarters of the upper being moulded at the parts desired, and
the inner moulded bulb corresponding thereto the edges of which are not exposed
upon any side, and no pretuberance on the inside, or hard ridge occasioned by
cutting a circular hole in the upper for hard or soft shields to be sewn therein
which is now done in boots for football and other athletic games.
Dated this 24th day of September 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gaiters, Shin Guards, and Leggings, Applicable
also for Boots for Football and other Athletic Purposes.
"
We, WILLIAM FREEMAN Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, and JOSEPH GOFFE
DAVIES, Manufacturers Manager, both of "Park Factory Asford by Street
St. Saviours Road Leicester in the County of Leicester, 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 in gaiters, shin guards, and leggings,
applicable also for boots for football and other athletic purposes to afford better
protection to the feet and legs, in the parts most liable to injury. In the form of
protectors consisting of blocked bulbs, or raised discs which may be circular, as
herein shown, or oval, or other similar shapes.
That our invention may be well understood we will now refer to the drawings
annexed in which
Figure 1. represents a leather or cloth gaiter A, provided with the raised bulb,
or bulbs B to cover the ankle on one or both sides as may be desired.
Figure 2. is a front view of a shin or leg guard A. provided with a series of the
protectors, or bulbs B, and in conjunction therewith the padded strips C.
Figure 3 represents one form of a gaiter and legging combined the ankle portion
thereof being provided with the protector, or bulb B. the leg portion may be
made as high as necessary and have the protectors therein as shown in the previous
figure.
Figure 4. is a cross sectional view of a piece of material to form the upper, A,
moulded as at b, to form the raised bulb B, stiffened at b', and covered by a disc
of cloth or other stiffener 62 pasted thereto, c', is the padding, the lining D.
coming at the back thereof, the whole being secured so that the lining does not get
out of place by sewing through the whole at d', the flattened portion or outer disc
of the bulb, 63, is caused by the pressure of the mould in the process of moulding,
or blocking to form desired.
To carry out our invention in a gaiter "see Figure 1" we make them similar in
shape to an ordinary gaiter, preferably of leather, but cloth or other material can
be used, or a combination of several materials if desirable.
Or we may provide a legging of any ordinary cut or pattern in combination with
the gaiter, one form of which is illustrated in Figure 3.
The raised bulbs B are made in the part in the side quarters whether of a gaiter,
shin guard, or the like which covers the ankle bone, the quarters are blocked in
moulds or suitable blocks of any well known kind so that a circular or other
shaped bulb is pressed out or made in the said quarter or quarters, or outer
leather, or outside of the upper, this is allowed to dry and set firm a circular
piece of cloth, or other good stiffening material or a disc of hard sole leather, or
other such dished shape to correspond with the outer one or hard india-rubber or
other leather made firm which having been moulded is then placed each to fit in
the concave or hollowed space of the moulded side quarters. These being pasted,
glued or otherwise stuck together, the space may then be filled with any suitable
soft padding, such as wool, or other soft and yielding material that will form a pad,
the lining which may be of leather or other suitable material used for the
purpose is then attached to the outer quarters and a sewing made round the
bulb, d, to hold the pad together, and keep the lining from creasing, thus the
protector is formed that will shield the ankle bone of the foot either during a
scrimmage or play. When a person is kicked the bulb whether in the gaiter, or
boot made as described by being blocked in the upper, without cutting edges to
receive hard shields as is now done, lessens any danger of stitching collapsing and
the radial rough hard edge from hurting the foot. Besides fitting better to the

page_text: sides of the foot, or to cover the boot, by using the gaiter, than by the protectors
now in use hereinafter alluded to.
In the combination of a legging and gaiter the front of the leg is also supplied
or fitted with the said moulded bulbs, and the sides may be provided with raised
bars or strips C, lined with cork or other suitable resisting filling material, and
sewn round, they may run vertically as shown in shin guard Figure 2, or diagonally
secured either between the outer leather and lining, or on the upper or outer
leather, the latter not shown. The fastenings for the gaiters, shin guards, or
leggings and gaiters combined or leg guards of any suitable part, consist of
buckles, buttons, laces, or any other well known means usually adopted for the
purpose.
We are aware that in boots for the purpose referred to hard and soft shields and
india rubber cushions have been used, sewn between the lining and upper, or
to the cut out edges, of the upper, but the ridges of the shields are
objectionable.
By our invention this is overcome the outside quarters, or the side quarter, or
side of the upper being moulded and stiffened in the manner specified, no edges are
made or exposed on any side, and no pretuberance occurs on the inside, and the
hard ridges occasioned by cutting a circular or other shaped hole in the upper for
hard or soft shields to be sewn therein is avoided, and any material ordinarily
employed in the manufacture of leggings, leg or shin guards, gaiters, or boots used
for football or other athletic purposes, can be used, in fact, protectors made in the
manner herein shown and described will be found useful in ordinary walking boots
for protecting the ankles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
In the manufacture of gaiters, shin guards, leggings or boots for football or other
athletic purposes-a moulded bulb or bulbs B, and cork lined strips C, arranged in
the manner as and for the purpose substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1891.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
"The Central" Patent Office, Leicester, Agent for the Applicants.