Improvements in Racks or Apparatus for Supporting and Drying Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Racks or Apparatus for Supporting and Drying
Boots and Shoes.
I, CHARLES DUNCOMBE SHAFTO of Wolsingham in the County of Durham
Barrister at Law do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus in
which boots and shoes may be securely held in a convenient position for drying
them by exposing the soles to fire or other heat for example and at the same time
permitting air to circulate inside the boots and shoes.
A
The improved apparatus consists of a frame formed preferably by two upright
standards of wood or other material firmly secured to a suitable foot or base.
horizontal bar or tie rod connects the standards at their upper and lower ends
making the frame rigid. Between these standards there is arranged a series of
pairs of parallel and horizontal bars or rods secured at each end to the said
standards. The said pairs of rods are arranged one above the other and the rods
of each pair are arranged at or about the same level. A sufficient space is left
between the two parallel bars or rods of each pair to allow of the insertion of the
toe of the boot or shoe. The width of the said space being regulated according to
the size of the articles to be inserted between the rods. The vertic distances
between the said pairs of bars or rods can be varied according to the of the
boots or shoes to be supported and dried. The boots or shoes are inserted between
the parallel bars or rods with the toes presented downwards, and are thus securely
held in the required position for drying them and enabling air to circulate in their
interiors so as to promote the drying action. The said rack or apparatus may be
constructed of any size suitable either for use in hotels or private houses.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields. W.C.. Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Racks or Apparatus for Supporting and Drying
Boots and Shoes.
I CHARLES DUNCOMBE SHAFTO of Wolsingham in the County of Durham
Barrister at Law 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus in
which boots and shoes may be securely held in a convenient position for drying
them by exposing the soles to fire or other heat for example and at the same time
permitting air to circulate inside the boots and shoes.
The improved apparatus consists of a frame having a series of pairs of parallel
and horizontal or approximately parallel and horizontal bars or rods a sufficient space
being provided between the two bars or rods of each pair to allow of the insertion
of the toe of the boot or shoe-The width of the said space may be regulated
according to the size of the articles to be inserted between the rods. The vertical
distances between the said pairs of bars or rods can be varied according to the size
of the boots or shoes to be supported.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several

page_text: figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a front elevation Figure 2 an end view and Figure 3 a transverse
vertical section of an apparatus constructed according to my Invention A are two
standards secured at their lower ends to a base B and connected at their upper ends
by a bar or tie rod C thus forming a rigid frame-To this frame are secured in pairs
rods or bars d upon which the boots or shoes are supported-In the drawing I
have shewn four pairs of these bars D D2 D3 D4 but any other desired number
may be provided-These rods or bars are or may be connected to the end
standards A so as to be capable of being adjusted in position to suit boots of
different sizes for which purpose I provide slots or openings a in the standards A
through which slots the ends of the rods pass and I provide on the ends of these
rods screw threads to receive nuts b so that by screwing these nuts against the
standards the rods may be fixed in any desired position in the said slots. When it
is required to alter the positions of these rods the nuts are released and the rods
moved in the slots a into the required position and then fixed in position by again
tightening up the nuts against the standards A. The boots or shoes to be supported
or dried are inserted between the pair of rods (best suited to the size of the boot)
with the toe presented downward as shewn in Figures 1 and 3 the heel c of the boot
resting on one rod d' of the pair of rods D and the instep or thereabouts of the
boot resting on the other rod d of the said pair of rods so that the sole of the boot
is presented in a vertical or approximately vertical plane as shewn the boot being
thus securely held in the most suitable position for drying and enabling air to
circulate in the interior of the boot so as to facilitate the drying action.
The distance between the pairs of supporting rods d may be varied to suit boots
of different sizes by adjusting the position of the rods in the slots a as before
described If desired the supporting rods d may be permanently fixed in position in
the standards A the slots a in the said standards and the fixing nuts b being dispensed
with, in which case the supporting rods will be permanently arranged at different
distances apart to accommodate boots of different sizes.
The apparatus may be made of metal wood or other suitable material and of any
size suitable for use in hotels or private houses.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention I wish it to
be understood that I do not restrict myself to the details of construction herein before
described as variations may be made therein without departing from the nature of
my Invention but what I claim is.
First A rack or apparatus for supporting boots- and shoes consisting of a frame
having bars or rods arranged in pairs at suitable distances apart substantially as
herein before described.
Second. A rack or apparatus for supporting
frame fitted with bars capable of being adjusted in
sizes substantially as hereinbefore described with
drawings.
Dated the 16th day of December 1889
boots and shoes consisting of a
position to suit boots of different
reference to the accompanying