IMPROVE- MENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RENDERING LEATHER AND OTHER FLEXIBLE SEMANAS IMPERYTOITS TO WATER
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George John Drury, of Canterbury, in the
County of Kent, Iron Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RENDERING LEATHER AND OTHER
FLEXIBLE SEMANAS IMPERYTOITS TO WATER
"
Sealed the 16th April 1875, and dated the 17th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George John Drury at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th October 1874.
I, GEORGE JOHN DRURY, of Canterbury, in the County of Kent, Iron
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RENDERING LEATHER AND OTHER
FLEXIBLE SUBSTANCES IMPERVIOUS TO WATER," to be as follows:
-
My Invention relates more particularly to an improved means of
rendering the soles of boots, shoes, and other coverings for the feet

page_text: impervious to water; but the Invention may also be applied to the
upper leathers of these articles, so as to render them waterproof.
The Invention consists in adapting to the sole of the boot or shoe a
thin piece of some flexible metal or metallic alloy, such as tinfoil, lead,
or an alloy of lead and tin, or an alloy similar or analogous to that 5
usually employed in the manufacture of capsules for bottles.
In carrying out my Invention I place this thin flexible metallic sole
between the insole and the outer sole of the boot or shoe, and secure it
in place either by cement or by sewing through the edges of the soles
in the ordinary manner, the thin sheet metal being sufficiently soft 1
to admit of being pierced by the awl or other instrument used in
attaching the sole to the upper leather. Or the piece of sheet metal may
be placed inside the boot or shoe and covered with the lining, which is
secured in place in the ordinary manner.
For making waterproof boots (for which purpose the upper leathers 1
must also be waterproof) I adapt the sheet metal or tinfoil to the inside
of the upper leather, and line the boot in the ordinary way.
Leather used for other purposes, such as for making portmanteaus,
may be rendered impervious to water in the same manner. Or I should
rather say that if the damp should pass through the outer skin of 2
the compound fabric thus produced it will be prevented from getting
through the entire fabric and obtaining access to any articles contained
in the portmanteau.
In articles made of any substance which is to be covered externally
with leather I sometimes cover the naked foundation with the thin 2
flexible metal or tin foil before placing the outer skin thereon. The
article thus made will be impermeable to water, and the foundation will
thus be preserved from the action of damp.
Leather for other purposes may be rendered waterproof by lining it
with tinfoil or any analogous alloy, which may be secured thereto by 3
means of any suitable cement, and afterwards lined with linen, cloth,
or any other suitable fabric if desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George John Drury in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
JOHN DRURY, of Canterbury, in the County Kent, Iron Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George John Drury, Her
special licence that I, the said George John Drury, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George John
Drury, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RENDERING LEATHER AND OTHER
FLEXIBLE SUBSTANCES IMPERVIOUS TO WATER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George John Drury, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George John Drury, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-

page_text: impervious to water; but the Invention may also be applied to the
upper leathers of these articles or portions thereof, so as to render them
waterproof.
The Invention, when applied to the soles of boots or shoes consists
in adapting to the sole of the boot or shoe a thin piece of some flexible
material or metallic alloy, such as tinfoil, lead, or an alloy of lead and
tin, or an alloy similar or analogous to that usually employed in the
manufacture of capsules for bottles.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn my Invention as
adapted to the sole of a side spring boot; Fig. 1 is a side view of the
boot; and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken at the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 1, but with the sole part turned uppermost.
In the Figures a, a, is the outer sole, and 6 an inner sole; and I
place between this insole and the outer sole of the boot or shoo the thin
flexible metallic sole c, c, and I secure it in place either by cement or 1
by sewing through the edges of the soles in the ordinary manner, the
thin sheet metal being sufficiently soft to admit of being pierced by the
awl or other instrument used in attaching the sole to the upper leather.
Or the piece of sheet metal may be placed inside the boot or shoe and
covered with a lining sole, which may be secured in place in the
ordinary manner.
For making waterproof boots (for which purpose the upper leathers
must also be waterproof) I adapt the sheet metal or tin foil to the inside
of the upper leather for such a distance up as may be desired, and I
line the boot in the ordinary way. Movable socks or cork insoles may
be made impervious to water in a similar manner, and may be placed
inside the boot or shoe in the usual manner.
Or I should
Leather used for other purposes, such as for making portmanteaus,
may be rendered impervious to water in the same manner.
rather say that if the damp should pass through the outer skin of the
compound fabric thus produced it will be prevented from getting
through the entire fabric and obtaining access to any articles con-
tained in the portmanteau.
In articles made of any substance which is to be covered externally
with leather I sometimes cover the naked foundation with the thin
flexible metal or tinfoil before placing the outer skin thereon. The.

page_text: article thus made will be impermeable to water, and the foundation will
thus be preserved from the action of damp.
Leather for other porposes may be rendered waterproof by lining it
with tinfoil or any analogous alloy, which may be secured thereto by
means of any suitable cement, and afterwards lined with linen, cloth,
or any other suitable fabric if desired.
It will be obvious that the Invention may also be applied to clump
soled boots.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in boots, shoes,
and other coverings for the feet, and having also described the appli-
cation of the Invention for rendering leather and other flexible
substances impervious to water, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, rendering the above-mentioned articles
impervious to water by combining with the ordinary materials (usually
employed for making them) thin flexible metallic sheets, such as tin-
foil or analogous alloy, which is capable of being pierced by the awl,
needle, or other instrument used in attaching the sole to the upper
leather, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George John Drury, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
AHATAT
TA