IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITE SOLES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES BURBRIDGE of the firm of Messrs W. Warne and Co of the India
Rubber Works, Tottenham in the County of Middlesex, India Rubber Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITE
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 :—
The present Invention relates to improvements in composite soles for boots and
shoes, that is to say, to boots and shoes in which two or more substances such as
leather and rubber are employed in the manufacture of the wearing surface.
The Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of shoes for lawn
tennis, cycling and other athletic exercises in which it is desirable to secure a
durable sole, and a firm foothold.
To effect this object boots and shoes have been made with rubber soles united to
an inner sole of leather or canvas by cement or india-rubber solution.
It is found however that in use rubber soles thus applied are liable to become
detached at the edges and eventually peel off.
To remedy this, rubber soles have been united to a foundation of leather or
canvas by stitching around the margin through both substances.
In this case however the stitches are very liable to cut through the rubber and
being placed around the margin of the sole where the rubber is exposed to
considerable wear, the stitching is soon destroyed owing to the fraying of the
rubber.
Now the object of the present Invention is to provide a composite sole for boots
and shoes in which the rubber shall be securely held in place upon the boot or
shoe and be protected from injury around its edges where it would otherwise be
most liable to wear out.
In constructing composite soles for boots and shoes according to my Invention
I make use of moulded rubber such as is now ordinarily employed for soling boots
and shoes.
Thus it may be plain or corrugated or moulded with studs or projections of
round, oval, pyramidal or other suitable form upon its surface.
I mould a sole piece of rubber with projecting or raised front and rear portions
of the kind above indicated but with a smooth or plain portion all around the said
raised portions, and preferably also with a plain portion beneath the instep, and I
Din all

page_text: retain this rubber sole in place upon or against an inner solo of leather or canvas
by means of an outer sole of leather having apertures or openings cut in it to allow
the projecting or raised parts of the rubber sole to protrude.
The plain edges or margin, and preferably also the instep of the rubber sole, are
thus firmly clamped between the inner and outer soles of leather or its equivalent.
The rubber sole is cemented to the inner sole in the usual manner and the outer
leather sole is channelled around its edge to receive the stitching which unites all
three soles together.
By this construction and arrangement of parts the rubber sole cannot become
detached at its edges and peel off, while its margin is protected from wear by a
durable edging of leather.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which Figure 1 is
a longitudinal sectional view of a shoe having a composite sole constructed according
to my Invention.
Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the composite sole.
Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections of the sole showing the way in which the
rubber is secured by clamping its edges between two thicknesses of leather.
Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of another form of composite sole the principle
of construction remaining the same, and
Figure 6 is a cross section of this form of sole on the line 1-2 of Figure 5.
The same letters of reference indicate like or corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
I would remark that in boots and shoes of this class it is not desirable to have
projecting heels, and in this Specification the covering for the entire under surface
of the boot or shoe is designated by the term "sole."
Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is the inner sole of leather, canvas or
other durable and suitable material, secured to the "upper" in any well known
manner.
B is the non-slipping sole of rubber having in front and rear projecting or raised
portions B B2, which are here shown as moulded with projections of pyramidal
form, but which might be plain or corrugated or moulded with studs or projections
of other forms. Around this non-slipping sole B and across the instep between the
projecting front and rear portions B₁ B the rubber sole is of less thickness, and
has preferably a smooth surface as indicated at b b in Figure 1.
C is the outer sole of leather or equivalent durable corresponding exactly in
contour to the soles A and B, but having openings or apertures cut in its front and
rear portions of a size and shape to fit accurately around and between the projecting
or raised portions B1 B2 of the rubber sole B. This outer sole C is intended to be
applied to the sole B after the latter has been united by cement or otherwise to
the inner sole A.
The sole C is channelled around its edge and is then united to the sole A by
stitching as indicated by the dotted lines c c in Figure 2.
I preferably cause the stitching to pass through the margins of all the three
soles A, B, and C, as shown clearly in the cross section Figure 3, but the rubber
sole B may be very securely fastened and retained in place by clamping its edges
between two thicknesses of leather as shown in Figure 4, the stitches in that case
not passing through the rubber.
In Figure 5 I have shown a composite sole for boots and shoes in which a rubber
sole having projecting studs upon its surface is employed, and an outer sole of
leather C is perforated to fit accurately over and around the studs or projections
on the surface of the said rubber sole B, which studs or projections protrude
through the outer sole C and provide the desired non-slipping surface for the
wearer. In this case also the rubber sole is firmly gripped between two thicknesses
of a more durable material than itself, such as leather, and its edges are protected
from fraying out by the margin of the outer leather sole C.
In some cases I may stitch the three soles together across the instep as indicated
by the dotted lines c¹ c¹ in Figure 2, as well as around their margins.

page_text: I would also remark that a thickening piece A¹ of leather or rubber may be
inserted between the inner sole A and the rubber sole B towards its rear extremity
as shown at Figure 1, for the purpose of slightly raising the heel of the wearer.
It will be seen that the rubber surface which rests on the ground projects some
eighth of an inch or more beyond the surface of the leather outer sole, or protecting
margin C, and thus the foot when squarely planted rests upon a non-slipping
surface of considerable extent, but that when the foot is turned obliquely the
margin of leather comes in contact with the ground and presents thereto a
durable surface or edge in which the stitching is securely embedded. I would
remark that the soles A and B may be united by wire or rivets, but I prefer to uso
waxed thread.
By this improved construction of composite sole for boots and shoes their
durability is greatly increased and the expense and annoyance of frequent repairs
avoided.
I do not limit the application of my composite sole to boots and shoes for athletic
exercises, as the same inay be applied to fishing boots and waterproof boots, in
combination or not as desired with nails for increasing the durability of the sole on
stony grounds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. Constructing composite soles for boots and shoes in the manner and for the
purpose described with reference to th Drawing.
2. In a composite sole for boots and shoes the combination with an inner sole A
of leather or canvas, and a non-slipping sole B having projecting or raised
portions B1 B2 and smooth, portions such as bb, of an outer sole, such as C, of
leather fitting closely against the said smooth portions and having openings formed
in it to allow of the protrusion of the raised portions of rubber, the said sole C
being secured to the inner sole A by stitching or rivetting substantially as and for
the purpose described.
3. In a composite sole for boots and shoes the combination with an insole and
"upper" of any suitable description, of a rubber sole such as B and an outer
leathern sole partially overlapping the rubber sole as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In composite soles for boots and shoes, a rubber sole secured in place and
having its edges protected from wear by means of two thicknesses of leather
or flexible material other than rubber affording a firm hold for the stitches,
substantially as set forth.