Improvements in soles for Boots and snoes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in soles for Boots and snoes.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLES FOR BOOTS AND
"SHOES" 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 the construction of insoles for
boots and shoes, adapted to be used in stitching the soles of boots and shoes by
machinery.
In the more general construction of insoles for this class of work, a channel has
been cut upon the under side of the sole, near to, and parallel with the edge, so as
to leave a rib around the edge through which the stitches are taken. This channel
has been formed by cutting a groove, and has also been produced by an inclined
under-cut toward the edge of the sole, the cut itself forming the groove through
which the stitches are made. In other cases the edge has been split from the
outside, and the upper stitched through the split. In either case the sole is very
much weakened. In case of the grooves which are admittedly the better con-
struction thus far produced, the sole dependence of the stitch for its support is
upon the flange or flap around the edge of the sole. The removal of the stock in
forming the channel greatly weakens the sole, and reduces the support for the
stitch compared with the old hand stitching directly through the sole without
forming the flange or flap on the sole.
The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties and to produce an
insole which may be used in the manufacture of boots and shoes by machinery, so
that when stitched, the sole may have the strength, and peculiar characteristics of
a band stitched insole; and the invention consists in a sole having radial recesses
cut therein, starting from the surface of the sole, and deepening toward the edge,
Paine R71

page_text: but stopping short of the edge, so as to form a series of recesses near the edge,
through which the stitches may be taken, as more fully hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
•
Figure 1 represents the sole, shewing the grooves upon the surface with the odge
pierced.
Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sections, shewing different awls or needles.
Figure 4 is a face view of the sole without the piercing through the edge.
Figure 5 illustrates a modification.
The shape of the insole corresponds to the shape of the boot or shoe to be pro-
duced in the usual manner and is of the usual material.
A represents the insole which is preferably chamfered, as shown. Upon that
surface which is to be next the outsole, and which for convenience I will call the
outer surface, I cut grooves a, radially, that is, at right angles to the portion of
the edge of the sole where the groove is cut; these grooves commence upon the
surface back from the edge and deepen toward the edge, the grooves stopping at
some distance from the edge, to leave sufficient material for the stitches; these
grooves are distant from each other according to the length of the stitches to be
produced.
The solo is applied to the boot or shoe in the usual manner of applying an
insole, The stitching is produced by passing the needle, awl, or whatever the
instrument may be, successively through the grooves, out through the edge of the
sole, as indicated in Figure 2, which shows a straight needle, or awl, or as in
Figure 3, which shows a curved needle or awl.
The holes may be pierced from the grooves outward before the stitching
commences, that is, the sole itself may be pierced with holes b.through the edge of
the sole, in line with the grooves, as seen in Figure 1, preparatory to the appli-
cation of the sole to the shoe.
It will be understood that in welted work the welt is to be applied and secured
by stitching, but in turned work the upper will be stitched to the sole, and then
the work turned, so that the reverse surface of the sole will become the wearing
surface in the shoe, in the usual manner for turned work.
By this construction the irregularity in the surface produced by channelling or
grooving is avoided, as it will be observed that the surface of the sole between the
stitches is not disturbed, and it all remains in the same plane as in hand stitching.
By this construction I overcome the difficulties which have heretofore existed in
machine stitched insoles or turned work.
While I have termed the sole an insole, the same will also be the outsole in
turned work, I therefore wish the term " insole" to be understood as including all
work to which it is applicable.
The sole itself may be produced as an article of manufacture, with or without
the piercings or grooves through the edge of the sole.
I have represented the grooves as commencing back from the edge of the sole on
the surface, and deepening toward the edge, and this is the better_construction,
but they may be of equal depth throughout, as seen in Figure 5, I therefore do
not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to any specific shape of the
groove, it only being essential that there shall be a groove in the surface of the sole,
substantially radial to its edge, and terminating at a point inside the edge, so as to
leave the stock between the end of the groove and the edge in substantially its
normal condition.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. An insole for boots and shoes, having grooves, radial to the edge, formed
on one of its surfaces, the said grooves terminating near the edge, but so as to

page_text: leave the stock of the sole between the end of the grooves and the extreme edge in
substantially its normal condition, substantially as described.
Second. An insole for boots and shoes, having radial grooves, formed on one
side, starting from the surface and deepening toward the edge, but stopping short
of the edge, substantially as described.
Third. An insole for boots and shoes, having radial grooves, formed on one side,
starting from the surface, deepening toward the edge, but stopping short of the
edge, the sole being pierced from the outer end of the grooves through the edge of
the sole, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.