AN IMPROVED SPUR
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Latchford, of Upper Saint Martin's Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Bit and Spur Maker, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED SPUR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Latchford at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th September 1863.
I, BENJAMIN LATCH FORD, of Upper Saint Martin's Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Bit and Spur Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPUR," to be as follows:-
Instead of using any of the ordinary means of fastening the spur on to or
into the boot heel, I embed in the heal itself a socket passing from the back
to the front thereof, and being secured therein by a double-lugged plate or by
other suitable contrivance. In line with the neck of the spur I fit a filling or
guide piece armed with a spring, the guide piece being of the same length as
the socket, fitting tightly therein, and forming support to the spur itself when
so fitted. The head of the spring projects slightly in front of the socket and
inner face of the heel of the boot, which is formed as segment of a circle, so
that the points made by such formation may protect the spring head from
contact with the stirrup iron or other substance. To fit on the spur, pass the

page_text: guide piece and spring from the back of the heel into the socket till the
spring catches; to remove the spur, press upon the point or head of the spring,
and with the other hand draw the spur from the socket.
*SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Latchford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th March 1864.
.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
LATCHFORD, of Upper Saint Martin's Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Bit
and Spur Maker, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Benjamin Latchford, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Latch-
ford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Benjamin Latchford, 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 "AN IMPROVED.
SPUR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin
Latchford, my executors or administrators, 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. performed, 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 the said Benjamin Latchford, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto annexed,
and forming part of this my Specification, and to the letters of reference
placed on the several Diagrams, such letters serving to denote similar parts in
ench of the Figures respectively:-
The object of my Invention is to attach a spur to the heel of a boot in such
wise, that while straps, screws, and other ordinary fastenings used to fix the

page_text: spur into or on to the boot are dispensed with, the spur is securely fixed, and
may be instantly removed. To effect this object, I embed in the heel of a
boot a metal socket (which may be termed a spur box); this socket traverses
the boot heel from the centre of the back thereof to the centre of the front
where it joins the sole; this socket or box is secured in its position in the
heel by a double-lugged plate (as shewn in the Drawing), or by any other
contrivance suitable for the purpose. In line with the neck of the spur I
make a piece of metal armed with a spring; this piece is to pass into the
socket, and is of the same, length, but the spring which forms part of this
piece (which I term a filling or guide piece) is somewhat longer, and projects*
slightly beyond the front of the boot heel when applied. This guide piece
fits tightly in the socket, as with the spring it serves to support the
spur itself
when it is in position. To prevent contact of the stirrup iron or any other
substance with the head of the spring, I direct that portion of the boot heel
from whence the said head projects to be made as a segment of a circle, so
that the points or ends of such segment shall fend off the stirrup iron or other.
extraneous substance, and so protect the head of the spring from contact
therewith. The usual spur arms which clasp the boot heel may be either
used or dispensed with at pleasure, as the spur neck is fully supported by the
socket apparatus without requiring further assistance, but the base of the spur
neck, when the arms are dispensed with, may be made broader or larger than
ordinarily, and shaped as nearly as possible to fit the boot heel.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 shews in section the spur, the
guide piece, the spring and one arm of the spur, a being the rowel, 6 the
neck, and c the arm of the spur; d, the guide or filling-in piece; e, the spring,
and the head of the spring. Figure 2 denotes in plan the upper or
lower part of the socket or spur box, g, g, being the lugs by which the socket
is firmly secured to the inside of the boot heel; Figure 8 shews outline of
boot, the heel being in section to shew the position of the socket therein, and
the position of the spur when the guide piece and spring are secured in the
socket h; Figure 4 gives longitudinal section of the boot heel in order to
shew the mode of fitting the socket by its lugs g, g, into the heel, the guide
piece and spring being denoted by the dotted lines. To fix the spur, press
the spring on to the guide piece, and pass them into the socket until the base.
of the spur neck touches the heel, and the spring head is released. To take
out the spur, press up the spring head, and withdraw by pulling the spur neck
from the heel.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the means by
which I
carry it into practical effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood

page_text: that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before given and
shewn on the Drawing, as slight,modifications may be, made therein without
departing from the principle of my Invention; but I declare as of the
Invention secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent, and I
claim the exclusive use of the combination of mechanical parts essentially as
herein-before detailed, described, and illustrated, forming when so combined
"An Improved Spur."
In witness whereof; I, the said Benjamin Latchford, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this. Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One-thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
my
BENJN. LATCHFORD. (L.s.)