Improvements in Adjustable Boot Trees.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Boot Trees.
I, JAMES MACDONALD, of 3, Dundas Street, Edinburgh, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to Improvements in Adjustable Boot Trees.
In accordance with my invention the trees can be readily expanded both in
the direction of the length of the boot and in the direction of the width of the
boot. The foot is divided through the centre of its length and is expanded by
means of a wedge shaped nut travelling on a screwed spindle within the central
part of the foot of the tree. The said spindle is rotated from the top of the
tree by an upright spindle working through the upper part of the tree, the said
upright spindle being connected to the other spindle carrying the nut by means
of a universal joint. The heel portion may be forced out by means of an upright
spindle carrying two nuts on a right and left handed screwed portion of the said
spindle. Levers are so connected to the nuts and to the inside of the heel
portion that as the spindle is rotated the nuts are separated or brought towards
The foot and
each other and the heel portion thus drawn in or thrown out.
heel portions may be hinged together in such a manner that the tree can be
straightened out to facilitate its entrance into the boot. The toe of the foot
may be similarly hinged for the same purpose. The tree may be of wood
hollowed out to receive the adjustable mechanism, or it may be metal cased, the
hollow construction allowing ventilation for the boot or shoe. When of hollow
metal the heel portion may be connected to the rest of the tree telescopically.
Dated this 9th day of May 1893.
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agent.

page_text: The foot-portion A is preferably made of wood and is divided longitudinally into
two parts. A, A, which are normally held close together by two plate springs a².
One of these springs is, (see Fig. 1) screwed to the part A' and the other is
screwed to the part A². The free ends of the springs are expanded outwards (see
Fig. 3) and connected hingewise, to a cross bar a³.
The divided foot portion can, when desired, be expanded laterally by means of
a flattened wedge shaped nut a which travels on the screwed spindle a'. The
wedge also travels in and is guided by grooves a cut in the inner sides of the
parts A', A². These grooves, as shown at Fig. 3, are tapered or narrowed towards
the toe so that, as the wedge nut a is travelled downwards, the foot expanded
laterally. The lower end of the screwed spindle is pivotted in a cross bar a³ the
ends of which enter loosely into holes a made in each part A', A². The screwed
spindle is operated by the long handle a' which is connected to the spindle by the
universal joint a³.
As will be seen at Figs. 1 and 2 the heel and ankle portion B, which is
preferably made of sheet metal, is hollow and divided into two parts B¹, D.
The part B', which fits telescopically within the part D, is capable of being
thrust out, or expanded, and drawn in, or contracted, by means of the screwed
spindle which has a right and left handed screwed thread on it and is turned
by the handle 6. The lower end of the spindle is pivotted in the cross bar a³
which latter, at its outer ends, see Fig. 2, is secured to the sides of the part D.
Fitted on the spindle 6' are two nuts b, b which are connected to the double set
of cross levers 62, 63. These levers are pinned at 6, to lugs on a bar 67 secured
to the inside of the heel. The levers have guide slots c² in them through
which pins c³ on the levers b³ project.
As will be seen the foot-portion A is separate from the heel portion B and the
latter can, by turning it on the hinge formed by the springs a² and bar a³, be
straightened out or bent back to facilitate the insertion of the tree within the
boot.
The back of the part D, is indicated by the dotted line at D', and the front of
the part B is made as shown at Fig. 1 with swells B2 which fit telescopically
within the part D.
In order to enable the boot to be stretched so as to allow for corns, bunions, and
the like, I provide a number of india-rubber or other studs E having spring
shanks e (see Figs. 44 and 54). At the part where it is desired to stretch the boot
one of the studs is inserted into one of the series of boles, see dotted lines at E'
Fig. 1, made in the outside of the parts A¹, A. If desired the parts A², A², may
be made with two, three, or more series of holes F through which laces are
passed for the purpose of giving the operator more control over the boot tree.
With this construction of boot tree by operating the handle a' the foot part can
be widened out or contracted as desired and by operating the handle 6³ the heel
part can be lengthened or shortened at will, so as to suit different sizes of boots.
As the heel part is made of sheet metal and is hollow, free ventilation of the
boot is permitted. If desired the foot part may be made of sheet or cast metal
and it may be operated outwards and inwards by a mechanical arrangement
somewhat similar to that shown for operating the heel portion B.
In Fig. 4 the heel portion is shown as made of wood and the parts D, B¹ are
operated in a manner similar to that shown at Fig. 1 for operating the foot portion
i.e., by means of a screwed spindle and a wedge nut. In this case the spindle G
has a handle G' at its upper end and a flattened wedge shaped nut H which travels
up and down the spindle and in the tapered grooves I, I, made in the parts D, B¹.
These parts are normally kept in contact by a bent plate spring J or Ji (see dotted
lines) and the lower end of the spindle is pivotted in a loosely fitted cross bar K.
The part B is provided, in this case, with two plates L, one on each side (see
dotted lines Fig. 4) which, as the part B' is operated, slide telescopically on the
part D. The springs a² are, in this case, pinned to the part D. M is a recess
made in the part D for the universal joint a³.

page_text: If desired with this arrangement two wedge nuts may be fitted on the spindle G
one above the other for the purpose of giving a uniform movement, throughout its
length, to the part B¹.
In Fig. 5 a modified form of the apparatus suitable for stretching shoes is shown,
the construction and action of the foot portion is the same as that shown at Fig. 1
and of the heel portion as that shown at Fig. 4. In this case, of course, the heel
portion is shorter and the screwed spindle a' is extended up through the heel
portion and is provided with a handle at its upper end.
If so desired two or more travelling wedges a may be fitted on the spindle a¹
Fig. 1.
The boot trees can be made of various sizes and in pairs, consisting of a right
and left, so as to fit various sizes of boots and shoes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
:-
1. A boot tree having the foot portion made in two parts which can be extended
laterally by means of one or more travelling wedges or their equivalent, sub-
stantially as herein before set forth.
2. A boot tree having the heel portion made in two parts which are capable of
being forced apart or drawn together, in order to lengthen or shorten the tree,
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
3. A boot tree having the foot portion so hinged or connected to the heel
portion that the latter can be laid back and the tree straightened out so as to
facilitate its entrance into the boot, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the drawings annexed.
4. The construction of boot tree substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
at Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings annexed.
5. The modified construction of tree having travelling wedges in the heel portion
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of February 1901
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.