An Improved Re-enforcing or Armouring Device for the Soles, and Heels of Boots and Shoes...
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th, Oct., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Re-enforcing or Armouring Device for the Soles, and
Heels of Boots and Shoes...
We, THE WELLS CO. LIMITED of 19 Yeoman Lane, Leicester, Shoe Grindery
Manufacturers, Leather Merchants and Importers, and JAMES HEWITT Managing
Director of the said Company, of the same address 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 reference to a new or improved re-enforcing or armouring
device for use in connection with the soles and heels of boots and shoes.
The invention is designed as an improvement upon the wear resisting metallic
body shown and described in the specification and drawings of a prior Patent.
No. 15709 of 1886 of which the said James Hewitt one of the present applicants.
is the duly registered owner.
The device forming the subject of the said patent is constructed with one prong
or tang only and it is found in actual wear that the said device frequently falls
bodily out of the sole or heel of a boot or shoe so that a hole is left and as the
side support of the portion of leather intermediate of two of the said devices.
becomes thereby removed such leather is free for lateral expansion and in doing
so necessarily loosens the next adjacent device which sooner or later drops out and
thus the wear resisting qualities of the sole or heel are no longer present.
The improvement forming the subject of the present invention is one, which
having regard to the hereinbefore named disadvantages of its predecessor, will be
at once appreciated as it is designed to ensure the metallic re-enforcing devices.
against dropping out of their seating thus securing a continuity in the resisting
properties of a sole or heel loaded with our improved devices.
The invention will be understood upon reference to the accompanying drawing
which is a perspective view (on an enlarged scale) of the improved re-enforcing or
armouring device for soles and heels of boots and shoes constructed in accordance
with this invention.
A represents the body of the device which is of metal and fitted in a hole
punched through the sole or heel of a boot or shoe.
B indicates two prongs projecting from one side of the device and adapted
to enter either the middle sole and innersole or the heel of a boot or shoe-
respectively.
The use and purpose of the device are the same as set forth in the prior patent.
hereinbefore referred to, but the provision of two or more tangs or prongs, not
only compresses the leather between them and thus retards their working loose, but
it is found by experiment that these improved devices do not drop out during wear,
as one prong metallic devices are apt to do and thus increased durability is.
obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
A metal re-enforcing or armouring body for embedding in the sole or heel of a

page_text: boot or shoe and provided with a plurality of tangs or prongs substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 12th day of October 1896..
Witness:-
E. N. LEWIS,
THE WELLS COMPANY, LD.
JAMES HEWITT,
Managing Director.
JAMES HEWITT.
Berridge Street Chambers,
Leicester.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.