Improvement in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
I JOHN CUTLAN 8 Cranwich Road Stanford Hill London N. Machinist do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the manufacture of boots and shoes. Boots and shoes
can be made with any material that is bought by the yard such as canvas. Cut the
canvas in yard lengths, place them one on the other to about five or six inches thick
when clamp all together firm, then take a sheet of zinc or any other metal the size
of layer of canvas or other material, then take the boot or shoc pattern lay it on
the metal sheet, mark it out, when done take a punch and punch holes on the
marks. After which place the metal sheet on the canvas or other material, mix
whiting with water or any other solution, take a hard brush and force the mixture
through the holes in the sheet on to the canvas or other material, by that means
you get the pattern you require on the canvas. You then cut the shape which has
been transferred to the canvas with a band knife and when cut they are fitted
ready for the maker. He first tacks the inner sole on the bottom of the last, then
puts the upper on the last pulls it tight on the last and tacks the upper to the
innersole. The outer sole is cut to the shape required and a channel is cut, around
the sole near the edge. The sole is then tacked on to the inner sole, then the
shoe is taken off the last and is sewn round by machine in the.channel cut in the
sole. The heel is then fastened to boot or shoe and it is put on the last again,
The bottom of
the stitches being covered with the channel cut in the sole.
sole is made smooth and is then pared around the edge of sole by machine. The
boot or shoe is then japanned with the last in and is put in an oven heated to
about 150 deg.
As many coatings can be put on as required canvas or any other material, shoes
made in this way are quite water-proof and look like japanned leather and will wear
just as well, and can be worn either summer or winter. A shoe made in this way
costs but half the price as one made with japanned leather.
Dated this 10th day of December 1800
JOHN CUTLAN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
1 JOHN CUTLAN of 8 Cranwick Road Stamford Hill in the County of Middlesex
Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvement in the manufacture of boots and shoes
and has relation to that class of boot and shoe which is ordinarily known as
japanned or patent leather.
Boots and shoes of this class as hitherto made have had their uppers constructed
of leather which has been japanned or prepared before the boots or shoes have been
made and great care has been needed in the manufacture of the boots or shoes in
order that the surface of the leather might not be injured and the expense of
manufacture owing to the dearness of the material and the skilled labor employed
has been very great.
In my new process I do not employ previously prepared patent leather at all for

page_text: uppers neither do I manufacture boots and shoes from any previously japanned
material but I use for "
uppers a material such as canvas, duck twill or other
strong equivalent material I, work this material up into boots or shoes upon lasts
and after the boot or shoe is finished I coat the boot or shoe whilst still upon the
last with coatings of japan varnish suitably drying and baking the varnish as
each coat is applied.
In this manner I am able to produce boots or shoes having the polish and
appearance of patent leather boots or shoes with uppers that are not so liable to
crack as in patent leather shoes and that are waterproof and by this process I very
greatly reduce the cost of manufacture.
In order that my invention and the method of carrying the same into effect may
be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect I will describe in greater
detail the process of manufacture.
For the manufacture of uppers I take canvas, duck, twill or other equivalent
suitable materials the qualities requisite in the materials being they should he fairly
strong with reasonably smooth surfaces and capable of being stretched and shaped
over a last though the materials should not be such as will easily tear or stretch.
I cut from this material pieces of the proper shape for the uppers and sew and
fit these together in the ordinary manner ready for use by the bootmaker to place
upon a last.
When I am going to manufacture a large number of boots and shoes of one
pattern, I find it convenient to take several pieces of the material and to pile
them one above another and clamp them all together and mark the pattern upon
the top piece by the use of a metal stencil plate with. the pattern punched upon it
all that require to mark the-pattern being-to brush over the stencil plate with a
hard brush and whitening or other marking substance-and-thus-leave-the-pattern
stencilled-upon the top layer.
I can then cut out the material for the uppers by cutting round the marked
material with a band knife or other suitable appliance thus cutting through all-the
layers of the material at the same time and producing a large number of pieces at
one operation.
"I then proceed to make up the boot or shoe-upon-a-last-with-inner-sole.outer_sole
and heel in the ordinary manner as though I was manufacturing an ordinary boot
-or-shoe-and I have in my Provisional Specification described an ordinary process of
manufacturing a machine sewn leather boot or shoe.
The ordinary process of manufacturing a machine sewn leather boot or shoe as
described in my Provisional Specification consists in first tacking the inner solc to
the bottom of the last then putting the upper on the last then pulling the upper
tight on the last then tacking the upper to the inner sole, then tacking an outer
sole to the inner sole the outer sole having been previously cut to shape and
channelled for the thread in the usual manner.
The boot or shoe is then taken off the last and is sewn round by machine in the
channel cut in the sole then the heel is fastened on and the boot or shoe is again
placed-upon-the-last.
The bottom of the sole is then smoothed and the edges of the sole properly
pared and the boot or shoe still left upon the last is then ready for the japanning
or polishing process.
In the japanning process the boots or shoes are subjected to a considerable
temperature and I must add this caution that if the soles or hees are of gutta
percha the gutta percha parts must be added after the japanning process has been
completed or the gutta percha would be destroyed by the heat of the japanning
oven.
For my japanning process I use a japan such as is prepared by regular japan
boilers and I find that the most suitable kind is that commonly prepared in the
trade by boiling down linseed oil for about six hours or thereabouts so that its
consistency when cool is that of a thin jelly or thick gum or treacle.
This gum or jelly I colour according to the color which I wish my finished

page_text: boots or shoes to have. If black is required Prussian blue is stirred into the japan
and I find that a good mixture is in the proportion of about one eighth part blue
to 16 parts jelly. If any other color is required artist's colored powders may be
added to the jelly until the required shade or depth of color is produced.
In carrying out the japanning process I find the following method of working
produces good results :
I take the boot or shoe which is still upon the last and which is by preference
tight lasted and dipping my fingers into the japan. I rub the japan adhering
thereto well into and all over the uppers of the boot or shoe and over the sides of
the sole and heel and those portions which require to have a polished appearance.
I then with a steel comb well known in the japanning trade comb off the superfluous
japan I then with my hand rub the boot until the surface is smooth and I then put
the boot or shoe in an ordinary japanning oven heated to about 150° Fahrenheit.
The temperature should not rise above 160° nor fall below 120° but I find 150°
about the best working temperature I from time to time remove the boot or shoe
from the oven to test the sufficiency of the baking.
In japanning a boot or shoe I usually find that 4 coats of japan are sufficient to
produce a good smooth surface and with the first three coats of japan I usually
allow about 6 hours baking for each coat the time varying according to the
temperature of the oven.
With each of these three coats the japan must not become completely dried and
hard or the next coat above it would not adhere, but the boots or shoes must be
removed from the oven whilst they are still not completely dry and hard but very
slightly sticky to the touch.
After each of the first 3 bakings I rub down the japan with pumice stone so as
to get a smooth surface and I then apply a fresh coat of japan to the boot or
shoe which I then smooth and bake in a similar manner to the first coat of
japan.
If after the first three coats have been put on and baked the uppers present a
sufficiently smooth and even surface I then apply a fourth coat of japan and comb
it and smooth it as before but after applying this last coat I leave the boot or shoe
in the oven until the japan is completely dried and hard, the baking in this case
generally taking about 12 hours.
If it is desired that the boot or shoe should not be merely a plain japanned boot
or shoe but should be ornamented by any fancy pattern as by means of patterns of
flowers fruit or any other pattern so that the design may appear to be painted upon
the boots or shoes I produce that effect by stopping the last baking of the boot or
shoe whilst the japan is still sticky and press upon the japan a gelatine or other
transfer so that the pattern adheres to the boot or shoe and I then with my fingers
wipe over the boot or shoe again with some of the japan jelly to which no coloring
matter has been applied I smooth the japan carefully over with my hand and I then
rebake it in the oven until the surface is quite dry and hard.
When the baking has been completed I remove the boots or shoes from the oven
remove the lasts and allow the boots or shoes to cool down in a dry and airy
place and after allowing them a few days to harden they will be ready for
the market.
Those boots and shoes in which gutta percha is used must have the gutta
percha soles or heels fixed to them in the usual manner after the japanning
process is finished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The process of manufacturing boots and shoes consisting essentially in forming
the boots or shoes of canvas or other equivalent unjapanned material and sub-
sequently japanning the same substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. As a new article of manufacture boots or shoes formed of canvas or other
equivalent unjapanned material and subsequently japanned substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described.
JOHN CUTLAN.