Improvements in Ventilated Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ventilated Boots and Shoes.
I, MICHAEL ALEXANDER KENNEDY, of 683, Atlantic Avenue, in the City of
Boston, in the County of Suffolk, in the State of Massachusetts, United States
of America, 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 ventilated boots and shoes, and
the object of the invention is to design a rubber insole which shall draw the
air through the valve in the heel of the boot and circulate it freely around the
foot and it consists essentially of a rubber insole, extending the full length of
the boot, having a multiplicity of inclined perforations and channels connected
to a channel formed in the rubber between the sole and heel portions and com-
municating with the valve in the heel, the parts being constructed in detail as
hereinafter more particularly explained.
Fig. 1 is a sectional perspective view of a boot with my valve in section and
the top covering of the insole partly turned back to show my rubber fabric
insole.
Fig. 2, is a plan view of the rubber fabric showing the upper side.
Fig. 3, is a plan view of the rubber fabric showing the under side.
Fig. 4, is a perspective detail of the outer casing of my valve.
Fig. 5, is a perspective detail of the inner casing of my valve.
Fig. is a section of the rubber fabric.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A is the rubber insole, B is the solid rubber between the heel and toe por-
tions, of the sole, C is the valve and A' is the ordinary insole. The rubber
insole A is honeycombed with perforations a running in an oblique direction
through the rubber into channels a¹ and a². The channels and a² run cross-
wise and lengthwise with the shape of the sole A and are connected to the
valve and the heel of the boot by a channel B! through the shank B. This
channel in the shank is preferably much wider and larger in every way than
the channels a¹ and a². The covering or ordinary insole A' of canvas or other
suitable material has a limited number of perforations Aª and is placed immedi-
ately over the holes or perforations a.
The importance of having the perforations a inclined from the channels a¹
and is fully demonstrated by their great collapsibility and it will be seen
that any pressure on the smooth upper surface completely collapses the rubber
causing a momentary vacuum in each perforation thereby drawing a fresh
supply of air from and through the passages a¹ and a².
C is the valve used as a part of my device and is of simple construction. The
heel D being comprised of several lifts d as is usual. Before the undermost
lift is put on a hole d' is bored through the upper lifts and then the bottom lift
is put on and a hole is bored laterally from the front of the heel, so as to

page_text: connect with hole d' and extend slightly past it as indicated. The hole d¹
of course extends through the heel portion of insole A.
E is the outer casing, which is open at each end and is provided with spicular
projections e at the inner end having an incline outwardly so that when the
casing E is inserted into the hole d³, such spicular projections will hold such
casing in position. The casing E. has a slight internal bevel at e¹ and is pro-
vided with an upper slot e², which comes directly opposite the hole d¹.
Fis the inner casing, which is also provided with a slot f the normal position
of which is directly opposite the slot e². fl is a disc closing the inner end of the
casing F and 2 is a rubber disc forming a cushion. f is a perforated screen
at the opposite end which is designed to prevent the ingress of mud or foreign
matter into the casing.
The inside of the casing F is ground and is provided with a shoulder f³ and
ball At the opposite end of the casing F is formed a projection F1 by
means of which the casing F may be turned around, so as to close the slot 2 in
the casing E. This is only necessary when the wearer of the boot would have to
tramp through a good deal of water.
In order to hold the inner casing in position I preferably bevel inwardly at el
as herein before described the inner end of the outer casing and turn a rim f
on the inner end of the inner casing, which fits closely against the beveled edge
as indicated.
The action of a shoe constructed with my insole and valve is as follows:-
The air enters through the valve as the foot is raised and the rubber is ex-
panding and passes forward through the channel B and under and into the
slantingly perforated body of the rubber. It will be noticed that the main
perforated body of the rubber is raised from the sole proper by projections
formed by the cross channels and longitudinal channels. The object of having
these cross channels is to ensure the circulation of the air through the entire
sole, or in other words to make practical use of every hole or perforation in
the sole and thereby accomplish the purpose for which my shoe sole is designed.
Of course the form of the projections is immaterial.
By the construction described am enabled to obtain about one-third more
air, a greater resiliency and a longer life than in any shoe heretofore known
the greater resiliency being caused by there being comparatively little rubber
and a great quantity of air underneath the foot.
My device also has a longer life than any ventilated shoe sole known to me
on account of the strain being more equally distributed and its complete
collapsibility.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. In a boot or shoe the combination with the sole, heel and ordinary insole
and valve opening and valve, of the rubber fabric insole having a multiplicity
of inclined perforations extending therethrough, and a multiplicity of pro-
jections on the one side partially covering the perforations and whereby the
interstices are left open to form channels or passages into which the perfora-
tions extend as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a boot or shoe the combination with the sole, heel, upper and ordinary
insole and valve opening and valve in the heel of the rubber fabric insole having
a multiplicity of inclined perforations extending therethrough, and a multi-
plicity of projecting circular treads having recessed centres and whereby the
interstices are left open to form channels or passages into which the perforations
for the most part extend as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a boot or shoe the combination with the sole, heel, ordinary insole and
collapsible rubber insole, of a cylindrical valve casing arranged horizontally in
the heel of the shoe, a ball valve adapted to snugly fit said casing and a passage

page_text: way leading from the valve casing to the collapsible sole of a greater diameter
than the ball valve whereby said valve under the suction caused by said sole
will not close said passage way, as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a ventilated boot or shoe, in combination, a rubber fabric insole having a
multiplicity of inclined perforations extending therethrough and projections
forming air channels on the under side, a hole or opening leading through the
lifts of the heel and the sole into the air spaces in the collapsible inner sole,
an outer casing provided with spicular projections and an upper slot, an inner
casing provided with a suitable slot corresponding to the slot in the outer casing
an open end and a suitable valve to close such end as and for the purpose
specified.
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, l'insbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.