IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE SOLES AND HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Ellis of 21 Finsbury Pavement, in the
City of London, Mechanical Engineer for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
PORTABLE SOLES AND HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June 1882.
GEORGE HENRY ELLIS of 21 Finsbury Pavement, in the City of London
Mechanical Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE SOLES AND HEELS
BOOTS AND SHOES
FOR
My improvements have for their object to provide portable wearing substances
which may be fixed by the wearer to the soles and heels of boots and shoes. I
carry out my invention as follows:-I take by preference the waste pieces or
cuttings which are now usually left in the manufacture of ordinary leather soles
and heels and stamp out of such cuttings small discs or tablets. These discs or
tablets are pierced in the centre and are fitted with conical shaped metallic linings
or "eyelets."
In place of using waste leather as aforesaid I may cut or stamp my portable
discs, tablets out of. hides or sheets, but the former method is preferable on the
ground of economy. as using a cheap waste material. I do not confine myself to
the use of leather, but any good wearing substance may be employed, such as
india-rubber; gutta percha, wood, felt, or composite material. The mode of fixing
the discs, tablets is to place them either close together, or at intervals, upon the
surfaces of boot soles and heels and attach them thereto by short sharp-pointed
screws passing through the central eyelet. It is provided and intended that the
screw heads are driven near to the bottom of the eyelets so that when the screw
heads are reached by wear, the screws may be readily removed and fresh discs or
tablets put in the place of the old ones. Where it is desired to build up a

page_text: When
completely homogeneous sole and heel I employ square tablets which may be
brought closely together; and for the rounded parts, such as toes and heels, the
edges of the tablets may be cut to fit at the time they are being put on.
the tablets are used in the round or disc shape they can be readily placed in
convenient positions over boot soles and heels without altering or cutting.
Whether the discs or tablets are brought closely together, or arranged at convenient
distances apart, they do not interfere with the flexibility of boot soles. In practical
use it will be found that only a small number of the discs or tablets, (where the
wear is most severe) will require occasional renewal, in order to maintain boot soles
and heels in good repair.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Henry Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th December 1882.
•
GEORGE HENRY ELLIS of 21 Finsbury Pavement, in the city of London,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE SOLES AND HEELS FOR BOOTS
AND SHOES
"
My improvements have for object to provide portable wearing substances which
may be fixed by the wearer to the soles and heels of boots and shoes.
I carry out my invention as follows:-
I take by preference the waste pieces or cuttings which are now usually left in
the manufacture of ordinary leather soles and heels and stamp out of such cuttings,
small discs or tablets. These discs or tablets are pierced in the centre and are fitted
with conical shaped metallic linings or "eyelets."
In place of using waste leather as aforesaid I may cut or stamp my portable discs
or tablets out of hides or sheets, but the former method is preferable on the ground
of economy, as using a cheap waste material.
I do not confine myself to the use of leather, but any good wearing substance
may be employed, such as india rubber, gutta percha, wood, felt or composite
material.
The mode of fixing the discs or tablets is to place them either close together, or
at intervals, upon the surfaces of boot soles and heels and attach them thereto.
by short sharp pointed screws passing through the central eyelet. It is provided
and intended that the screw heads are driven near to the bottom of the eyelets so
that when the screw heads are reached by wear, the screws may be readily removed
and fresh discs or tablets put in the place of the old ones.
In order to enable my invention to be better understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figures 1, 2, 3
and 4 represent plans drawn to a scale of about half full size of soles and heels of
boots provided with portable wearing substances manufactured according to my
invention; figure 5, is a section drawn to an enlarged scale of one of the discs or
tablets provided with its central eyelet and figure 6 section of part of the sole of a
boot shewing the tablet applied thereto. Similar letters in all the figures represent
similar parts.
a, a, a, are discs or tablets of leather, india rubber, gutta percha, wood, felt or
other suitable material as hereinbefore described and of either square form as shewn
in figures 1 and 2, or of circular form as shewn in figures 3, and 4. Each disc or
tablet is pierced in the centre with a conical hole b, as shewn in figures 5, and 6,
in which is placed the metallic lining or eyelet c, the said eyelet being fixed in the
disc or tablet by any suitable eyeletting machine or like apparatus; d, is a sharp
pointed screw which passes through the central eyelet c, so as to fix the disc or
tablet to the sole or heel of the boot or shoe. As will be seen by reference to
figure 6, the screw head is driven nearly to the bottom of the eyelet so that when
the screw head is reached by wear the screw may be readily removed and a fresh
disc or tablet be put in the place of the old one.
Where it is desired to build up a completely homogeneous sole and heel I employ
square tablets which may be brought closely together as shewn in figure 1, and for
the rounded parts, such as at the toes and heels, the edges of the tablets may be
cut to fit at the time they are being put on; figure 2, is a plan shewing the
tablets in the centre of the sole and heel placed at a distance apart. When the
tablets are used in the round or disc shape they can be readily placed in convenient

page_text: positions over boot soles and heels without altering or cutting as shewn in figures 3
and 4. Whether the discs or tablets are brought closely together as shewn in
figures 1 and 3 or arranged at convenient distances apart as in figures 2 and 4, they
do not interfere with the flexibility of boot soles. In practical use it will be found
that only a small number of the discs or tablets (where the wear is most severe)
. will require occasional renewal, in order to maintain boot soles and heels in good
repair.
Having thus described my said invention and the manner of performing the same
I wish it to be understood that What I claim is:-
Firstly. The manufacture and use for forming the soles and heels of boots and
shoes of discs or tablets of suitable material such as herein described and provided
with a central lining or eyelet, to allow of the disc or tablet being fastened to the
sole or heel of the boot or shoe in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Secondly. I claim a boot or shoe having the sole and heel provided with a
number of discs or tablets of the construction herein described in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
In Witness whereof I the said George Henry Ellis have hereto set my band
and seal this sixth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.