An Improved Method of Lacing Boots, Shoes, Leggings, and other Articles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, '895-Accepted, 21st Sept.,
1895
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Lacing Boots, Shoes, Leggings, and other
Articles.
THOMAS LAYCOCK Boot and Shoe Upper Manufacturer Bengeworth Welling-
borough I do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of boots, shoes,
leggings and other articles when laces are generally used. By this invention I am
able to make a considerable improvement on my Patent No. 3387 of 1892, both
giving a neater appearance and enabling me to lace the boot shoe or other article
with greater ease and expedition.
In carrying out my invention I insert the eyelets in the same manner as in my
Patent No. 3387 of 1892, but instead of punching the holes through all the
substances I punch them only through the inside facing or lining and not through
the outer portion, so that when the boot, shoe, or other article is laced up, no holes
in the outer portion will be seen.
In fixing the eyelets I prefer to place two close together so as to make it easy to
thread the lace, and then leave a greater space before inserting the next two, and
so on until the required. number is fixed.
Instead of bringing the lace through to the outside as in my Patent No. 3387
of 1892 I pass it first through the two bottom eyelets on each side, the lace passing
from one to the other between the inner and outer portion of the facing. I then
cross each end of the lace and pass through the third and fourth eyelets in the
same manner as the two first and so on until the. boot, shoe, or other.article is laced
as high as required. When the lace is properly inserted the two ends can be pulled
until the edges of the boot, shoe, or other article meet close together. Instead of
using the lace double I may use it single, passing it from side to side and pulling
with the one end.
Instead of using eyelets I may use what I should term a staple, fixing the same
to the inner portion of the facing in which case the lace would pass between the
staple and the inner portion of the facing.
Or I may use what I should terin a hook or an eye, fixing, the same as. the
staple.
Or to the inner facing I may fix loops .of. leather or other suitable material, or
cut the inner portion of the facing so as to form loops, and pass the lace through
the loops and from side to side.
Instead of fixing eyelets, staples or the like in the boot, shoe or other article all
the way, I may insert them a part of the way only, and then insert hooks or studs
or the like on the outside the remainder of the way. And I may. find it advantageous
to punch one hole through the outer portion next before the hooks, so as to bring
the lace to the outside.
Or may combine my Patent No. 3387 of 1892 with my present invention, using
the latter for the bottom part and the former for the remainder of the distance.
It will be obvious that an outside facing can be used to cover the eyelets or other
fastenings, in which case the latter would be inserted through the the leg as well as
the lining or inside facing of the boot and shoe.
It will also be obvious that my invention can be used for a boot or shoe either

page_text: lacing up the front or the side, and that in the latter an imitation button boot or
shoe can be made. *
1
Dated this 26th day of
sho 1901
An Improved Method of Lacing Boots, Shoes, Leggings, and other
Articles.
I, THOMAS LAYCOCK, of Bengeworth, Wellingborough, in the County of
Northampton, Boot Upper Manufacturer, 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 improvements in the manufacture of boots, shoes, leggings
and other garments or articles where laces are generally used and to that class of
such articles in which when laced the laces are concealed from view. The object
of my invention is to arrange the eyes or the like through or over which the laces
are threaded so that neither the eyes or the like nor the laces shall be visible on
the outside of the boot or other garment or article and thereby give a neater and
more finished appearance than heretofore.
According to my invention the devices through or over which the laces are passed
are fixed to or formed upon an inside facing or lining instead of extending through
the outside of the upper as is now generally the case and without any holes coming
through to the outside except for the fastening of the lace as hereinafter
described.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe provided with lacing arrangements
according to my invention:
Figure 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the same drawn to an enlarged scale
and shewing the lacing flaps pulled open; and,
Figure 3 is a similar view but shewing the lacing flaps turned back in order to
shew the arrangement of the lace:
Figure 4 shews a view of the inside of the lacing flaps; and,
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Figure 4:
Figure 6 is a perspective view shewing my invention applied to a boot in which
the lace is adapted to be fixed at the upper part by means of the usual lacing
hooks:
Figures 7 to 14 are views illustrating modifications of my invention.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is the boot or shoe upper, b is the inside facing or lining adjacent to the edges
of the upper and to or upon which the devices over or through which the laces are
passed are fixed or formed; c, c are the lacing eyes or equivalent lacing devices,
and d is the lace.
As shewn in Figures 2 to 5 the lacing devices are in the form of eyelets fixed to
the inside lining or facing b in such a manner that the lace d can be passed from
one eyelet to another when threading the lace between the said lining and the
leather forming the outside of the upper in the manner shewn most clearly in
Figure 3.
If the ends of the laces are to be brought through the outside of the upper at
the top, simple holes are formed through the same immediately opposite to the top
eyelets in the manner described in the Specification of my British Patent No. 3387
of 1892 so as to conceal the eyelets on the lining or facing piece, or a hole may be
punched or an eyelet inserted from the outside.

page_text: It will be understood that the eyelets or other lacing devices will be placed so
far from the edges that when the lace is tightened the edges of the upper will be
drawn together so as to conceal the lace as clearly shewn in Figure 1, or the lacing
devices can be so placed that the edges may overlap when the lace is tightened.
In Figure 7 I have shewn my invention as applied to a boot in which the lacing
is not all concealed, the portion of the upper above the ankle being laced by
means of the usual lacing hooks.
Instead of using eyelets, I sometimes make the lacing devices c in the form of
staples fixed to the inner lining or facing, as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 which are
views similar to Figures 4 and 5, viz., an inner side view and a section respectively.
Or instead of staples I may use hooks as shewn in Figures 9 and 10 which are
views also similar to Figures 4 and 5 respectively. Or instead of inserting the
eyelets into the fabric I may employ eyes fixed to the lining or facing by means of
shanks, as shewn in Figures 11 and 12. Also instead of employing metal eyelets
or loops I can form the loops of pieces of leather or other fabric attached to the
facing or lining pieces in the manner indicated in Figure 13; or instead of applying
such separate pieces of fabric I may form the loops by cutting slits in the facing or
lining strip itself, as shewn in Figure 14.
The application of my invention to articles or garments other than boots and
shoes will be understood without further description.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
In boots, shoes, leggings and other garments or articles in which laces are
employed, fixing the eyes, loops or equivalent lacing devices, through or over which
the laces are passed, to an inside lining or facing upon the inner surfaces of such
articles in such a manner that when in use such eyes, loops or other devices, as
well as the laces, are concealed from view, and without the holes coming through
to the outside, substantially as described.
Dated the 20th day of July 1895
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.