IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Atkinson Ellis, of Regent Square, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 23rd October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Atkinson Ellis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd October 1878.
THOMAS ATKINSON ELLIS, of Regent Square, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES."
This Invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes, the object of the
improvements being to so make the soles and heels thereof that they may be easily,
quickly, and economically repaired without requiring the aid of skilled labour so
long as the uppers and welts are in good condition.
My improvements consist in constructing and applying to the sole of the boot or
shoe, which is made in the ordinary manner, a number of plates formed of oblong
pieces of suitable sheet metal, the sides of which are turned up so as to form flanges,
the said flanges forming an acute angle with bottom of the plates. These plates are
formed with a suitable number of holes, through which pass screws or rivets for
fixing the plates to the sole of the boot or shoe. These plates are placed at suitable
distances apart, either across or along the sole. Into these flanged plates I now
slide slips of leather, wood, or other suitable material, cut with sloping edges so as
to correspond with the angle of the flanges, and of the proper length to correspond
with the width or length of the sole (as the case may be) at the part thereof at
which they are placed; the thickness of these strips is greater than the height of
the said flanges, so as to project some distance beyond them. Gutta percha or
other suitable cement, unaffected by moisture, may be employed to fix the strips of
leather, wood, or other material, so as to prevent the strips from moving endwise,
the flanges of the plates preventing them moving outwards.
By these means I thus obtain a very strong outer sole or clump, which will easily
give to the motion of the foot in walking (even when hard wooden shoes are

page_text: employed), in consequence of the said strips being placed, as herein-before described,
at a short distance apart.
When the sole of the boot or shoe requires repairing, by the strips or any of them
forming the outer sole or clump becoming worn, it will be merely necessary to
slightly heat the same to melt the cement, when-the-strips requiring to be renewed
can be drawn out and fresh ones placed in the plates, duplicate strips being supplied
with each pair of boots when purchased or obtained, or made afterwards. It is of
Fcourse-understood that the strips must not be worn down below the flanges of the
herein-before described plates, otherwise the said flanges-would-also-be-worn..
Instead-of-employing a number of separate plates as herein-before described, I
may employ one plate of the size and shape of the sole; and formed with a number.
of projections or flanges corresponding with the flanges of the herein-before described
plates.
Into
I forin the heel of the boot or shoe of a plate of the size and shape of the heel,
the circular part of such plate being formed with a flange inclining inwards.
this flanged plate (which is screwed or fastened to the heel end of the sole), I then
slide a corresponding shaped piece of leather or wood, and fix the same by cement,
as described, for the strips for the sole. The heel may be repaired in a similar
manner to that described for the sole.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Atkinson Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
April 1879.
THOMAS ATKINSON ELLIS, of Regent Square, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES."
This Invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes, the object of the
improvements being to so make the soles and heels thereof that they may be easily,
quickly, and economically repaired without requiring the aid of skilled labour so
long as the uppers and welts are in good condition.
My improvements consist in constructing and applying to the sole of the boot or
shoc, which is made in the ordinary manner, a number of plates formed of oblong
pieces of suitable sheet metal, the sides of which are turned up so as to form
flanges, the said flanges forming an acute angle with the bottom of the plates.
These plates are formed with a suitable number of holes, through which pass
screws or rivets for fixing the plates to the sole of the boot or shoe. These plates
are placed at suitable distances apart, either across or along the sole. Into these
flanged plates I now slide strips of leather, wood, or other suitable material, cut
with sloping edges so as to correspond with the angle of the flanges, and of the
proper length to correspond with the width or length of the sole (as the case may
be), at the part thereof at which they are placed; the thickness of these strips is
greater than the height of the said flanges, so as to project some distance beyond
them. Gutta percha or other suitable cement may be employed so as to prevent
the strips from moving endwise, the flanges of the plates preventing them moving
outwards.
By these means I thus obtain a very strong outer sole or clump, which will easily
give to the motion of the foot in walking (even when hard wooden strips are
employed), in consequence of the said strips being placed, as herein-before described,
at a short distance apart.
When the sole of the boot or shoe requires repairing, by the strips or any of them
forming the outer sole or clump becoming worn, it will be merely necessary to
slightly heat the same to melt the cement, when the strips required to be renewed
can be drawn out and fresh ones placed in the plates, duplicate strips being supplied
with each pair of boots when purchased or obtained, or made afterwards. It is of
course understood that the strips must not be worn down below the flanges of the
herein-before described plates, otherwise the said flanges would also be worn.
Instead of employing a number of separate plates, as herein-before described, I
may employ one plate of the size and shape of the sole, and formed with a number
of projections or flanges corresponding with the flanges of the herein-before described
plates.
I form the heel of the boot or shoe of a plate of the size and shape of the heel,
the circular part of such plate being formed with a flange inclining inwards. Into
this flanged plate (which is secured or fastened to the heel end of the sole) I then
slide a corresponding shaped piece of leather or wood, and fix the same by cement,
as described, for the strips for the sole. The heel may be repaired in a similar
manner to that described for the sole.
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the sole
of a boot made according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the same;
Figure 3 is a section or line A, B, of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan of the sole of a
boot, shewing the plates applied thereto; Figure 5 is a detached plan of one of the
plates on the sole of the boot; Figure 6 and 7, end view and section of same
respectively; and Figure 8, detached plan of the heel plate. Similar letters in all
the Figures represent similar parts.
a, a, a, a, are the sheet metal plates, and b, b, the turned up sides of the same,

page_text: forming inclined flanges; c, c, are the holes in the plates, through which pass the
screws d, d, for fixing the plates a to the sole e of the boot or shoe; f, f, are the
strips of leather (or of wood or other suitable material), cut with sloping edges and
_ slightly recessed if required, such strips f being passed between the flanges b of the
plates a, as shewn. It will be observed-that-these strips must be of greater
thickness than the height of the flanges b, to allow for wear. To prevent the strips
from moving end wise, any suitable cement may be employed between the upper
surfaces-of-the-plates_a_and the under side of the strips f
g is the plate for the heel of the boot, and the flange of same, inclining inwards.;.
holes for screwing-or rivetting the same to the heel of the boot; k is the piece
of leather with inclined edges, which I slide into the plate g, ceinent being used if
required to fix the same as hercin-before described for the strips f forming
the sole.
From the preceeding description it will be understood that the outer soles and
heels of boots or shoes made according to my improvements may be easily and
quickly repaired by simply removing any or all of the strips and heel piece k, and
replacing them with duplicate pieces, as herein-before described.
In the Drawing I have shewn the flanged plates placed transversely or across the
sole, as being preferable, but it will be understood that they may be placed longi-
tudinally; also the plates, instead of being placed together, as shewn in the Drawing,
may be placed at some distance apart.
Having thus described my Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with
for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in the Drawing, as the
same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention,
but what I do claim is,-
Firstly. The construction and application to the soles of boots or shoes of a number
of flanged plates (or their equivalent) for receiving strips of leather, wood, or other
suitable material, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described, and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The combination with the flanges plates of strips of leather, wood, or
other suitable material, to form an outer sole or clump for boots or shoes, as and for
the purposes herein-before described.
Thirdly. The construction and application to the heels of boots or shoes of the
flanged heel plate, as and for the purposes herein-before described.
Fourthly. The combination with the flanged heel plate of the piece of leather or
other suitable material to form the heel of a boot or shoe, as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
Fifthly. I claim a boot or shoe, having the outer sole or the heel or both made
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Thomas Atkinson Ellis, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred seventy-nine.
THO³. A. ELLIS. (L.S.)