IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS TO EXPEDITE THE FITTING OF UPPERS' IN ALL KINDS OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Walbank, of Leeds, in the County of
York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS TO EXPEDITE THE FITTING OF UPPERS' IN ALL KINDS
OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 22nd November 1870, and dated the 24th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Walbank at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th May 1870.
I, EDWARD WALBANK, of Leeds, in the County of York, Boot and
Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO EXPEDITE THE FITTING OF ' UPPERS' IN
ALL KINDS OF BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
:-
"
This Invention relates to the fitting or forming the "uppers or top
parts of boots and shoes for the reception of the elastics to be introduced
thereinto.
The apparatus consists of two boards or leaves of any suitable material
hinged together so as to fold bookwise or close one upon the other.

page_text: Guides or projecting pins are provided on the surface of one of the said
leaves to guide the said " upper" or top part when being placed thercon
to be operated upon, and openings are cut or formed through each leave
of suitable size and form, by means of which the said uppers are fitted,
formed, or creased to the particular shape required with expedition and
uniformity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Walbank in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
WALBANK, of Leeds, in the County of York, Boot and Shoe Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Walbank, Her special licence
that I, the said Edward Walbank, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Walbank, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO EXPEDITE THE FITTING OF 'UPPERS' IN ALL KINDS OF BOOTS AND
SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Walbank, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Walbank, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that
is to say):-
This Invention relates to the fitting or forming the "uppers" or top
parts of boots and shoes for the reception of the elastics to be introduced
thereinto.
The apparatus consists of two boards or leaves of any suitable material
hinged together so as to fold bookwise or to close one upon the other.
Guides or projecting pins are provided on the surface of one of the said
leaves to guide the said " upper" or top part when being placed thereon
to be operated upon, and openings are cut or formed through each leaf
of suitable size and form, by means of which the said "uppers," or
the foundations or linings thereof, are fitted, formed, or creased to the
particular shape required with expedition and uniformity.
This Invention will be readily understood by reference to the accom-
"
Fig. 1 represents the apparatus when laid open ready for placing the
uppers," or foundations, or linings of the tops of boots and shoes
thereon; Fig. 2 is a cross section taken through the line A, B, in Fig. 1;
and Fig. 3 represents the apparatus when closed. These Drawings are
made half full size.
C and C¹ are the two leaves hinged together, and D are openings made
through each part to the size and form of the largest size of elastics
required; E and E¹ are plates which can be moved into position for
forming smaller sizes, and which by means of the set screws F and F¹
can be secured therein; G are a series of three adjustable guides or
projecting pins which are screwed into nuts G¹, and movable in the slot
plates G² fixed in the bottom leaf C'. These guides can be readily set
in suitable position according to size or form of the upper. It will
now be seen that when the plates E and guides G are set and fixed
in proper position suitable to a particular size and form of upper the
operation of placing a pair of the said uppers, or the foundations or
linings thereof against the guides on the bottom leaf or bottom part, and
closing the top leaf or top part upon them, is very simple and readily
done; then the foundations or linings are creased or bent around the
sides of the opening by the attendant operative. The apparatus is then

page_text: opened for the removal of the same, and the introduction of another pair
to be operated upon in like manner, and so on.
Fig. 4 shews an end elevation of the apparatus open and suitably
constructed for facilitating the using thereof by having the top part so
as not to open flat back (as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2), but to abut against
the bottom part, which holds it in nearly a vertical position, thereby to
save time in the opening and closing.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and shewn by
Drawings in what manner the same is to be performed or put into prac-
tical operation, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details in the construction and manner of using the same,
for instead of the two leaves or boards being hinged together they may
be constructed to slide one part over the other, or they may be separate,
and guides may be provided to enable the attendant to place them
properly together, but I prefer them to be hinged together to facilitate
the use thereof; and instead of the guides or pins being adjustable they
may be fixed according to a given size and form of "upper;" also the
opening, instead of being adjustable by means of the movable plates to
different sizes, one apparatus may be made for each special size or form,
therefore no alterations are required, which latter method I prefer. And
what I claim as of my Invention is, the constructing and modes or
methods of using apparatus for fitting or creasing the foundations or
linings of the " uppers or tops of boots and shoes in the manner
substantially as shewn by the Drawings, and herein described.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Walbank, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
Wч. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Bradford.
EDWD. WALBANK. (L.S.)