IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edgar Edmonds, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.'
communication from abroad by Vincent Dupouy, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris,
France.
" A
Scaled the 20th December 1878, and dated the 22nd June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edgar Edmonds at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd June 1878.
EDGAR EDMONDS, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents.
BOOTS, SHOES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." (A. communication from abroad by Vincent
Dupouy, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France.)
According to this new system of boot, an inner sole of wood is employed,
carrying the wooden heel piece affixed to it, or preferably forming part of the
same.
The wood employed may be of any kind, but those woods of fibrous and flexible
natures are preferred, being more tenacious and compact, such as asb, beech, and
woods generally used for whip handles.
This wooden sole is employed in combination with other suitable materials. It is
first mounted with a narrow leather band running round its contour, which abuts
against the turned-in edge of the upper leather or vamp, the band being fixed to
the sole by nails or small screws, when it afterwards serves to fasten the exterior or
outer sole. In the space formed by this band of leather a filling of cork is arranged,
slightly thicker in the middle, and level with the leather band at the edges. In the
middle and above the sole thus formed is placed a thin strip of leather, held by
screws screwed into the wood itself of the inner sole, or into nuts sunk in the wood.
This strip of leather, diminishing in thickness towards the edges, forms a slightly

page_text: domed or convex surface, elastic and supple, which is then covered with the ordinary
leather sole sewn to the band of leather first mentioned.
The heel piece is exteriorly covered by leather, partly by turning up the end of
the sole near the heel, partly by a band of leather, and nailed to it by small nails,
and finally, after having received a thickness of cork, covered by another thickness
of leather, if required, the heel is terminated either by a thickness of leather on an
iron plate, with the edge turned up and toothed, being driven into the thickness
terminating the licel.
Lastly, the heel may be pierced with a hole for ventilation in hot and dry climates,
the hole being plugged by a piece of wood, or of wood covered with leather, and 1
attached to a thin flexible wire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edgar Edmonds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
December 1878.
.
EDGAR EDMONDS, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BOOTS, SHOES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." (A communication from abroad by Vincent
Dupouy, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France.)
According to this new system of boot, an inner sole of wood is employed,
carrying the wooden heel piece affixed to it, or preferably forming part of the
same.
The wood employed may be of any kind, but those woods of fibrous and flexible
natures are preferred, being more tenacious and compact, such as ash, beech, and
woods generally used for whip handles.
This wooden sole is employed in combination with other suitable materials. It is
first mounted with a narrow leather band running round its contour, which abuts
against the turned-in edge of the upper leather or vamp, the band being fixed to-
the sole by nails or small screws, when it afterwards serves to fasten the exterior or
outer sole. In the space formed by this band of leather a filling of cork is arranged,,
slightly thicker in the middle, and level or flush with the leather band at the edges.
In the middle of and on the sole thus formed is placed a thin strip of leather, held
by screws screwed into the wood itself of the inner sole, or into nuts sunk in the
wood. This strip of leather, diminishing in thickness towards the edges, forms a
slightly domed or convex surface, clastic and supple, which is then covered with the
ordinary leather sole, sewn to the band of leather first mentioned.
The heel piece is exteriorly covered by leather, partly by turning up the end of
the sole near the heel, partly by a band of leather and nailed to it by small nails, and
finally, after having received a thickness of cork, covered by another thickness of
leather, if required, the heel is terminated either by a thickness of leather or an iron
"tip," with the edge turned up and toothed, which then receives another and final_
thickness of leather embedded between its teeth.
Lastly, the heel may be pierced with a hole for ventilation in hot and dry climates,

page_text: a thin cord, flexible wire, or other attachment fastened to it.
These improvements will be better understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings.
Figure 1 is an exterior side view of a boot, with the improvements indicated.
Figure 2 is a view from beneath, with the outer sole and the last thickness of the
heel removed.
Figure 3 is a transverse section through c, d.
A is the ordinary body of the boot or shoe.
B is the inner wooden solo, varying in thickness according to the lightness, supple-
ness, and elasticity desired to be given to the boot or shoe. The grain of the wood
is arranged longitudinally.
C, narrow leather band running round the lower edge of the sole and placed on
the turned-in edge of the upper leather or vamp, which turned-in edge is nailed
with small nails.
D, small screws, serving to fix the leather band to the wooden sole well inside.
E, sole of supple or flexible material, such as india-rubber, but preferably of cork,
level or flush with the leather band, and slightly domed in the middle.
F, transverse strip of leather fixed on to the cork sole E.
G, G', screws fixing this leather strip and the cork sole to the wooden sole. They
are screwed into the wood itself, or each into a nut sunk into the wood.
H, exterior leather sole, turned up or raised near the heel at H³.
I, wooden heel, covered with leather.
J, iron "tip," with turned-up toothed edge, which may be covered or not by the
leathor covering of the heel, and having a thickness K driven or embedded into it.
This iron "tip" is fixed to the wooden heel by nails, which pass through the
thickness or layer of cork, serving as a seat for the heel.
L, hole for ventilation, filled up by a plug when not in use.
M, cord or other attachment, fastened to the plug, which may be withdrawn from
the interior of the boot or shoe, and to which it is not in any way fastened.
By these improvements a boot or shoe is obtained, which is ventilated and health-
ful, as flexible or elastic, and as durable as boots of ordinary make, and also more
economical.
The object of interposing cork between the outer sole and the inner wooden sole,
also between the iron plate or "tip," or the last thickness of the heel, and the body
itself of the heel is to increase the degree of suppleness or flexibility, and to deaden
the noise.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The application to boots and shoes generally of a wooden sole and heel,
with a narrow band running round its edge or contour, and with a filling of cork or
caoutchouc, the whole having an ordinary outer sole sewn to the said narrow band,
as described, and substantially as shown in the Drawings.
Secondly. The wooden heel, with a covering of leather and lined with cork, which
is or may be provided with a toothed iron "tip," in the middle of which is embedded
the thickness of leather, terminating the heel as described, and substantially as
shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edgar Edmonds, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
EDGAR EDMONDS. (LS.)