IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE, AND THE FIXING OR FASTENING, AND THE MOBILITY, ADJUSTMENT, AND RE-ADJUSTMENT OF CIRCULAR AND POLYGONAL HEEL PLATES FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOGS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elliott Monkhouse, of Number 6, Caledonian Terrace,
Cook's Ground, in the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, Working Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE, AND THE FIXING OR FASTENING, AND
THE MOBILITY, ADJUSTMENT, AND RE-ADJUSTMENT OF CIRCULAR AND POLYGONAL
HEEL PLATES FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOGS,"
Sealed the 18th January 1861, and dated the 23rd November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elliott Monkhouse at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1860.
I, ELLIOTT MONKHOUSE, of Number 6, Caledonian Terrace, Cook's Ground,
in the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Working
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE, AND THE FIXING OR FASTENING,
AND THE MOBILITY, ADJUSTMENT, AND RE-ADJUSTMENT OF CIRCULAR AND POLYGONAL
HEEL PLATES FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOGS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a circular or polygonal plate, plain or perforated,
or embossed or otherwise ornamented, and with a solid boss underneath the
centre of the plate. I prefer a circular plate. The boss is constructed to fit
[Price 8d.1

page_text: tightly into a corresponding hole in the boot, shoe, or clog heel, whereby it
acquires firmness to hold it in its seat. There is a hole drilled through the
boss to receive a screw, which fixes or fastens the plate firmly to the heel of
the boot, shoe, or clog. I use only one screw, passing from the centre of the
heel plate through the boss, but more screws may be used, passing through
holes which may be drilled through other parts of the plate. The screw or
screws are so screwed in or fastened that the head or heads thereof pass down
below the surface of the heel plate, and is or are thus entirely protected from
wear or injury whilst the wearer is walking.
I prefer making my heel plates of metal; but I do not confine myself to
metal, as they can be made of metal, wood, bone, ivory, compressed leather,
gutta percha, or any other suitable material.
The advantages of my moveable circular or polygonal heel plates are,
first, that they can be used without any alteration in the manufacture or
construction of boots or shoes as usually made; secondly, they can be worn
on the heels of any ordinary boots, shoes, or clogs, as they only require a hole
bored in the centre of the heel of each boot, shoe, or clog with a carpenter's
bit or brace-bit to receive the boss of each of my moveable circular or poly-
gonal heel plates. The boss of my heel plate is put into the hole of the boot,
shoe, or clog heel, and screwed tightly down. The corners of the boot or shoe
heel should then be bevilled back and finished off in the ordinary way. As
one side of my heel plate wears down in any particular part the screw or
screws thereof by which it is fastened should be a little loosened, so that the
heel plate may be turned round to another part of the heel of the boot, shoe,
or clog, in order that another surface may be exposed to wear, which operation
can be continued until the heel plate be worn out. Should the heel plates
become loose they may be tightened by means of a screw driven, but in no
case will they come off in walking if they have been properly fixed or fastened
in manner herein-before described. The boot or shoe heels being made or
rendered round, adaptable to the use of my said heel plates, they are prevented
thereby from cutting the trousers, and a smartness is given to the boot, shoe,
or clog which cannot be produced without the round heel.
In order that my moveable circular and polygonal heel plates herein-before
described can or may be worn on all kinds or descriptions of low-heeled boots
and shoes I introduce a round heel, which can be made of wood, gutta
percha, or any other suitable material, which heel being screwed on the boots
or shoes from within, without any other alteration, my heel plates can or may
be then screwed on such round heels, so that a common pair of low-heeled

page_text: lady's boots or shoes can be thus rendered into a pair of military-heeled boots
or shoes at a little more than half the cost of a pair of military heels to boots
or shoes as commonly manufactured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elliott Monkhouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELLIOTT
MONKHOUSE, late of No. 6, Caledonian Terrace, Cook's Ground, in the Parish
of Saint Luke, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, but now of No. 8, Cam-
bridge Terrace, King's Road, in the same Parish, Working Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Elliott Monkhouse, Her special licence that I, the said Elliot Monkhouse,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Elliott Monkhouse, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE, AND THE FIXING OR FASTENING, AND
THE MOBILITY, ADJUSTMENT, AND RE-ADJUSTMENT OF CIRCULAR AND POLYGONAL
HEEL PLATES FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Elliott Monkhouse, 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 Elliott Monkhouse, 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 by the following
statement;

page_text: My Invention consists in a circular or polygonal plate, plain or perforated
(or vandyked or scolloped), or embossed or otherwise ornamented, and with a
solid boss underneath the centre of the plate. I prefer a circular plate. The
boss is constructed to fit tightly into a corresponding hole in the boot, shoe, or
clog heel, whereby it requires firmness to hold it in its seat. There is a hole
drilled through the boss to receive a screw, which fixes or fastens the plate
firmly to the heel of the boot, shoe, or clog. I use only one screw, passing
from the centre of the heel plate through the boss; but more screws may be
used, passing through holes which may be drilled through other parts of the
plate. The screw or screws are so screwed in or fastened that the head or
heads thereof pass down below the surface of the heel plate, and is or are thus
entirely protected from wear or injury whilst the wearer is walking.
I prefer making my heel plates of metal, but I do not confine myself to
metal, as they can be made of metal, wood, bone, ivory, compressed leather,
gutta percha, or any other suitable material, or of a combination of metal and
gutta percha, or a combination of metal and leather, to prevent sound and noise
in walking.
The advantages of my moveable circular or polygonal heel plates are,
1st, that they can be used without any alteration in the manufacture or
construction of boots or shoes as usually made; 2ndly, they can be worn on
the heels of any ordinary boots, shoes, or clogs, as they only require a hole
bored in the centre of the heel of each boot, shoe, or clog, with a carpenter's
bit, or brace bit, to receive the boss of each of my moveable circular or poly-
gonal heel plates. The boss of my heel plate is put into the hole of the boot,
shoe, or clog heel, and screwed tightly down. The corners of the boot or shoe
heel should then be bevilled back and finished off in the ordinary way. As
one side of my heel plate wears down in any particular part the screw or
screws thereof by which it is fastened should be a little loosened, so that the
heel plate may be turned round to another part of the heel of the boot, shoe,
or clog, in order that another surface may be exposed to wear, which operation
can be continued until the heel plates be worn out. Should the heel plates
become loose they may be tightened by means of a screw-driver, but in no
case will they come off in walking if they have been properly fixed or fastened
in manner herein-before described. The boot or shoe heels being made or
rendered round, adaptable to the use of my said heel plates, they are prevented
thereby from cutting the trousers, and a smartness is given to the boot, shoe,
or clog which cannot be produced without the round. heel.
In order that my moveable circularand polygonal heel plates herein-before

page_text: described can or may be worn on all kinds or descriptions of low-heeled boots
and shoes, I introduce a round heel, which can be made of wood, gutta
percha, or any other suitable material, which heel being screwed on the boots
or shoes from within, without any other alteration, my heel plates can or may
be then screwed on such round heels, so that a common pair of low-heeled
lady's boots or shoes can thus be rendered into a pair of military-heeled boots
or shoes at a little more than half the cost of a pair of military heels to boots
or shoes as commonly manufactured.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elliott Monkhouse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
ELLIOTT MONKHOUSE. (L.S.)