Improvements in the Manufacture of Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1891

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
We, HERMANN WÜRZ of 116 Louisenstrasse, Artist Painter, aud ROBERT
HEINHAUS of 13 Louisenstrasse, Manufacturer, both in Elberfeld, German
Empire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The processes heretofore employed for obtaining the correct shape of lasts for
boots and shoes and which consisted in reproducing the human foot by casting
Besides when
direct, have far from given every satisfaction and take much time.
a hollow mould has been obtained, iron is run into it to form a casting and this
latter has then to be finished so as to be able to serve as a last.
The subject of our invention is a process for obtaining in a direct manner lasts
which shall serve for the manufacture of boots. The lasts made by our method
have also the advantage of representing not the shape of the foot in repose, but an
intermediate shape of the foot that is to say intermediate between the shape of the
foot which it-takes in the various positions of walking, in the position of rest, when
the person is standing and of rest when the person sits down.
More correctly expressed it allows of obtaining the shape of the interior of the
boot which it receives by use and walking for some time. By using the lasts thus
obtained by our process for manufacturing new boots for the same person, a
certainty is obtained of giving them the same interior shape as the old boots or
those worn some time by the person and a perfect and easy fit is obtained.
We take a boot or
To carry our invention into effect we proceed as follows.
shoe which has been worn some time by the person and with comfort and ease, and
even much worn or ready to cast off. Into this boot we run some suitable liquid or
suitably prepared plastic matter which sets after a certain time, such for instance as
plaster of Paris or cement. When this material has set and dried the boot or shoe
is removed or ripped open in parts which can be repaired again. The last thus
If the material employed
obtained may serve as model for a wooden or other last.
in casting is of such a nature as to resist the pull of the leather thereon and the
fixing of the nails the casting may be used direct as a last without being obliged to
reproduce it in wood or other suitable last material.
In any case the new boots and shoes must of necessity obtain the same interior
shape as the old boots have obtained by use.
The repairing of boots or shoes may in some cases be effected by the same
process with the same certainty that if once thus repaired they will not give
trouble or discomfort afterwards.
Dated this 6th day of June 1991.
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
We, HERMANN WÜRZ of 116 Louisenstrasse, Artist Painter and ROBERT
HEINHAUS of 13 Louisenstrasse Manufacturer, both in Elberfeld German Empire
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 :-
The processes heretoforejemployed for obtaining the correct shape of lasts for boots
and shoes and which consisted in reproducing the human foot by casting direct there-
from, are far from giving every satisfaction and take much time. Besides when a
hollow mould has been obtained, iron or other suitable material is run into it to
form a casting and this latter has to be lengthened to give room for the toes and to
be finished so as to be able to serve as a last. This process requires the presence
of the person in question, is inconvenient and in result unsatisfactory. A true copy
of the sole, for instance, as it has become shaped by use could never be obtained in
that way for it is evident that the shape of the foot when standing is different from
that when sitting or from that of any of the various forms when walking and as the
cast must be made either when the person is standing or sitting it cannot be suitable
for the other positions.
Our invention consists in a process for obtaining in a direct manner improved
lasts which shall serve for the manufacture of boots. The lasts made by our process
have the advantage of representing not the shape of the foot in repose nor yet
altogether the shape when walking but an intermediate shape, so to say, of the
boot that is to say somewhat intermediate between the shape of the foot which it
takes in the various positions of walking, in the position of rest when the person is
standing and of rest when the person is sitting.
More correctly expressed our process allows of obtaining the shape of the interior
of the boot which it receives by use and walking for some time. By using the
lasts thus obtained by our process for manufacturing new boots for the same person,
a certainty is obtained of giving them the same interior shape as the old boots or
those worn with comfort some time by the person, and a perfect and easy fit is
obtained.
To carry our invention into effect we proceed as follows. We take a boot or
shoe which has been worn some time by the person and with comfort and ease and
it may be even niuch worn or ready to be cast off.
Into this boot we run some
suitable liquid or some suitably prepared plastic matter which sets or becomes rigid
after a certain time, such for instance as plaster of Paris or cement. When this
material has set and dried or hardened, the boot or shoe is removed or carefully
taken to pieces or ripped open in parts so that it can be repaired again, if it is still
worth repairing. The casting thus obtained being a fair representation of the
medium shape of the foot is then as required prepared for being employed as a
model for making an exact wooden or other last therefrom. It may for instance
need to have the counterparts of the folds of the boot upper or shoe lining evened
or levelled.
We find that wood is a suitable material for making the last copy of by a
suitable mechanical copying machine.
This last is cut in several pieces, which are held together by means of screws or
the like in the ordinary manner. A boot or shoe made from such a last is obviously
a perfect fit from the very first whereas boots made in the ordinary manner only,
become well fitting after some time often involving pain and discomfort mean-
while.
The repairing of boots or shoes may in some cases be effected by this process
with the same certainty that if once thus repaired they will not give trouble or
discomfort afterwards.
{

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The process for the manufacture of lasts for boots and shoes consisting in
filling a well fitting boot or shoe with a suitable liquid or plastic material allowing
it to set and harden removing the boot or parts of same in order to be able to
remove the casting, smoothing and finishing the latter as required and making
true copy thereof in wood or other suitable material which copy when cut into
parts and assembled by screws or the like in the usual manner serves as a perfect
last or ensures a perfect fit to boots and shoes made therefrom substantially as
set forth.
3
Second. As a new article of manufacture an improved last made to represent
the interior of a boot or the shape assumed by the foot therein during the various
positions of walking and rest.
1 1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.