IMPROVE- MENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ellis, of Sprowston, near Norwich, in
the County of Norfolk, Cordwainer, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
Scaled the 24th October 1871, and dated the 2nd May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd May 1871.
I, ROBERT ELLIS, of Sprowston, near Norwich, in the County of
Norfolk, Cordwainer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
any
The main feature of this Invention is connecting the top or wearing
piece of the heel to the lift or base by sliding it thereon in suitable
manner, and in some cases retaining it in position by pins, studs, or
other fastenings, the object being to permit of the right top being fitted
to the left boot, and vice versa, as it becomes worn on the outside edge,
thus heels may
be termed "
"reversible
changeable" or
heels. I
construct my heel in two parts, and I connect one part by a dovetail or
my
"

page_text: other similar joint so that it can be slided or pushed into position on
or to the other part. The meeting faces may be of leather, metal, wood,
or other material or a combination of materials, or one portion, say
the base, may be of leather, and the top of metal or of wood capped
with leather. The top may also be in one piece or of several pieces,
and may have a revolving top piece or plate on it.
I arrange the undercut piece or plate on the lift, and form the top
with the channel or chamber to go on to it, but this arrangement can
be reversed if desired, and as would be advisable for rotating heels or
tops, as then the solidity or strength would not be interfered with.
In the case of the ordinary half round heel my sliding arrangement
will be found of great service, because the top which has been worn
down on the outside of the right boot can be removed and be slided on
to the base or the lift of the left boot, and vice versa, to be worn down
on the other side. The plate or piece can be arranged sideways or 1
fore and aft of the boot so that the top can be slided on to it, and I
prevent it coming off during wear by pins or studs which can be turned
or twisted in any suitable manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 2nd November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT.
ELLIS, of Sprowston, near Norwich, in the County of Norfolk,
Cordwainer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-onė, in the thirty-
fourth year of Hér reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Ellis, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, 3
or such others as I, the said Robert Ellis, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, 13

page_text: and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS
AND SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Ellis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Ellis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
The main feature of this Invention is connecting the top or wearing
piece of the heel to the lift or base by sliding it thereon in any suitable
manner, and in some cases retaining it in position by pins, studs, or
other fastenings, the object being to enable the top piece of the right
boot to be fitted on or to the left boot, and vice versa, as it becomes
worn on the outside edge, thus my heels may be termed "changcable"
or "reversible" heels. The heels are constructed in two parts, one
part having a dovetailed channel or recess in it, and the other having a
correspondingly shaped plate or projection which can be slid or pushed
therein.
The Invention is clearly exemplified in the accompanying Drawings,
and the following detailed description thereof.
Figures 1 and 2 represent respectively a lift a and a top 6 forming
the heel proper of a boot or shoe; the lift a is here shown of solid
material moulded into shape and with a dovetailed shaped projection or
plated with inclined edges or surfaces e, e, against which corre-
spondingly shaped edges f,f, in the top 6 bear when the top is slid
position in the manner before explained, a pin or stud being afterwards
driven through the top and into the lift to prevent the top shifting
while the boot or shoe to which the heel is fitted is in wear. The top b
in Figure 2 is shown as being made of two pieces of leather, the inner
piece in which the dovetailed shaped channel is formed having the
inclined surfaces formed before the two are fastened together by the
row of nails round the outer edge. Both heels are to be made in
the same manner as regards the dovetailed projection or plate with

page_text: inclined edges and the inclined edged channel or recess so that when
the tops are worn down on the outer sides they can be removed from
those lifts, and then refastened on to the opposite ones, so that the wear
will be upon the outsides, and upon the parts that were previously at the
insides of the boots or shoes, thus the entire exterior treading surfaces can
be worn down gradually, and in an even manner. In Figures 1 and 2 it
will be seen that the dovetailed channel or recess in the top and the dove-
tailed plate on the lift are arranged fore and aft of the heel, but they can
be arranged at right angles thereto, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, in which
the same letters of reference correspond to those in Figures 1 and 2.
]
In some cases the fastening pins or studs 9, 9, can be arranged in the
tops, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lips of which can be turned up
or down to press against the inner face of the lifts to retain the tops
in place. This plan offers important facilities to the wearer to shift the
tops from one boot or shoe to the other as he finds it necessary to do
so, and with little or no trouble, the pins being so fitted that they can
easily be turned by the fingers.
Figures 7 and 8 are views of a heel in which the dovetailed plate or
projection with the inclined edges is upon the top and the channel or
recess is in the lift, this plan can be adopted in either of the first
mentioned methods whether the tops are to be slid into position fore
and aft of the boot or shoe, or at right angles thereto.
In all the Figures referred to I have shown a half round heel for
gentlemen's boots or shoes, but it will be seen by Figures 9 and 10 that
the Invention is applicable for the heels of ladies' boots or shoes as a
well, neither is the Invention confined to what are known as high
heels," although I have shown all the Figures as being of the "high
heel" class.
.
66
Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14 represent how I propose to arrange a
revolving top in combination with my plan of making heels for boots
and shoes, here the revolving disc or top piece is arranged on or to a
lining or base piece i which has the plate or projection with the inclined
edges on it to take into the recess in the lift. In these last mentioned
views I have shown the recess as being parallel, but it and the plate may
be shaped in any other manner as found desirable.
Figure 15 is a view of a heel in which the inclined edges are dispensed
with, the holding power being obtained by the fillets j, j, taking under
the over "laps" k, k. .

page_text: It will be understood that my tops and lifts can be arranged with
any kind of joint of a character analogous to those shown in the Drawings
so that the tops can be slid or slipped into position on the lifts and be
there retained by pins or studs.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the
construction of heels for boots and shoes in two parts, such parts being
arranged to take in, on, or to one another in the manner herein-before
described and as shown in the Drawings!
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ellis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of November One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
Witness of Robert Ellis'
signature,
W. B. WATTS,
Merchant's Clerk,
Norwich.
ROBERT ELLIS. (L.S.)