An Improved Fastening for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fastening for Boots and Shoes.
We, BERNT GULDBRANDSEN SÖRUM, Gun-maker, of Skien, and JOHAN MAGNUS
JAKOBSEN BERG, Shoe-maker, of Porsgrund, both in the Kingdom of Norway, 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 follow-
ing statement:
Our invention relates to an improved fastening suitable for all kinds of shoes
and boots.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Figure 1 is a plan of a shoe provided with our improved fastening placed on
the instep:
Figure 2 is a side view of a shoe having the fastening placed on the side shoe:
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views of details.
Our fastening consists of two flat, angular strips of steel a, a, (Figure 3) sewn
in the quarter of the shoe in such a manner that they are located straight over
the instep of the shoe, to which, on account of their flexibility they will adapt
themselves in a handsome curved form (see Figure 1).
(Or a single steel strip a may be used and in this case it is placed on the side
of the shoe, as shewn in Figure 2). The edges of the opening in the shoe are
drawn together by means of a spiral spring 6 one end e of which is secured to
the arm a of one of the strips a and the other end, which forms a knob or finger-
piece e, passed on to a button f fastened to the arm d of the other strip a, as
shewn in Figure 1.
b
Or when only one steel strip a is used, one end c of the spring may be
fastened to the leather of the shoe, and the other end passed on to a button f
fastened to the upper part of the single steel strip a, as shewn in Figure 2.
It is evident, that the herein described fastening is very easy to button and
unbutton, the elastic connection of the two parts of the leather is effected in a
practical manner, and the fastening has a handsome appearance. Waste of
time and labour in lacing boots and shoes and inconvenience arising from laces
breaking are completely avoided by the use of our fastening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A fastening device for shoes and boots of all kinds characterized by a spiral
spring connecting the two edges of the opening in the shoe or boot, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. In a fastening for shoes and boots of the kind claimed in Claim 1 the com-
bination of a spiral spring (6) having one end (c) fastened to. one part of the
shoe-leather and its other end (e), forming a knob or finger-piece passed onto a
button (f) on the other part of the shoe-leather, substantially as set forth.
3. In a fastening for shoes and boots of the kind claimed in Claim 1, the com-

page_text: bination of two steel strips, or a single steel strip, (a) sewn in both edges, or in
only one edge, of the opening in the shoe or boot, with a spiral spring (b) con-
necting the upper end of both the steel strips (a), or only the one steel strip,
and the shoe quarter itself, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 26th day of September 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co..
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.