IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of W. P.
Thompson and Co., Patent Agents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO HEELS FOR BOOTS AND
SHOES." A communication from abroad by Jean Leycuras, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Patent
Agents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO HEELS
FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by Jean Leycuras, of
Paris, in the Republic of France.
I will give it in the form of a literal translation of the Specification as
forwarded to me by my Paris correspondent with orders to file in this form.
The present application for a Patent relates to a kind of heel for shoes charac-
terized by the existance or by the formation of a groove either at the upper
circumference or in the upper face of the heel, be the heel in one piece or several,
and be the form, dimensions, and material of any ordinary character.
My Invention further relates to modes of mounting this kind of heel consequent
on the special arrangement that characterizes it, and which presents great advan-
tages as regards rapidity of manufacture and solidity; whilst no nails or screws are
visibly exteriorly, and they, the nails, are directed into the heel in such manner
that they cannot wound the feet. I have described in the annexed Drawings
numerous specimens of my system of heel with groove or recess, and will now
indicate below the different modes of mounting that it permits. The Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5 show a lateral elevation of a heel with the groove or indentation round
its periphery.
The Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 represent different modes of mounting which

page_text: d, counterfort.
e, brads or nails; they are fixed at one and the same time through the heel, the
vamp, the counterfort, the lining, the internal part of the little supplementary band,
2
and the upper part of the envelope.
The exterior part of this band having been raised up is glued upon the vamp
and smoothed down with an iron in such manner that one cannot see any break of
continuity.
Fig. 10 represents a mode of mounting analogous to the last, in which the com-
plimentary small band of leather of the preceding case is replaced by an exterior
prolongation of the vamp beyond the line in which the pegs, screws, or other attach-
ments are placed; this prolongation of the vamp is pressed back to mask the
attaching or mode of fixing, is glued, ironed down, as has been described above, to
render the joint imperceptible.
a, upper part of envelope applied against the upper bank of the groove.
c, lining reaching to the bottom of the groove.
d, counter fort reaching also to the bottom of the groove.
b, vamp enveloping the counterfort and passing beyond the groove a short
distance f.
e, brads, screws, or other attachments fixing together the parts a, b, c, d, upon
the heel.
These parts having been fixed without having had any thing to draw back the
projecting part f. of the vamp, is folded back upon the part b, as shown in dotted
lines upon
the Figure, and thinned, glued, ironed down in such manner as to mask
the joint and to render the seain imperceptible.
In Figure 11 is represented another mounting similar to the preceding, except as
far as relates to the edge of the vamp destined to be turned back upon the heads of
the nails or their equivalents.
To mask the heads of the nails or their equivalent the leather of the vamp is
notched obliquely at the place where the nails have to be driven; the nails are
driven and the little tongue of leather fastened down by glue, so that it shall not
riso again.
a, upper part of the envelope applied upon the groove.
b, vamp descending straight to the bottom of the groove.
:
c, little tongue of leather formed by a cut of the knife passed obliquely through a
mall part of the thickness of the vamp.

page_text: It is below these tongues that one drives in the nails or their equivalents, which
fix at the same time the vamp 6, the counterfort c, the lining d, and the envolope a.
Fig. 12, same arrangement as the preceding.
Fixing at one stroke without turning back solely the envelope is exterior, and it
is in this envelope that the heads of the nails are covered (in the manner indicated
already by the vamp). a, envelope; b, vamp; c, counterfort; d, lining; e, nail; ƒ
small tongue behind which the head of the brad or nail is hid.
In all these modes of mounting which have been described the brads, screws, or
their equivalents could be replaced by a band of sheet iron locking all the thick-
nesses of leather against the upper jaw or bank of the groove; this band of shoet
iron, which would be fixed upon the front of the heel in any convenient manner,
would be visible or masked; it could be masked either by the vamp, by the enve-
lope turned back, by the little band of supplementary leather which has been
mentioned for masking the heads of the nails by folding itself back, or in any other
convenient manner. Figure 13 shows a heel without groove made in advance, but
in which the envelope is thick enough to make upon the wood a projection sufficient
for the lining, the counterfort, and the vamp, not to exceed together the thickness of
the envelope.
In this Figure the envelope a is fixed in part by the nails e with head submerged,
and the vamp b, the counterfort c, and the lining & are fixed at one go-by points
or screws with heads submerged. In this case the vamp is not bent back. In the
same system any of the mountings already described could be equally well
employed.
The Figures 14, 15, and 16, represent a heel in which the groove is made
annularly in the upper face of the heel.
For the mounting, the envelope a, the vamp b, the counterfort c, the lining d
will be drawn back and fixed at one go in the bottom of the annular groove by the
nails e, or their equivalent. There will be no need to turn back the vamp upon the
heel to effect the nailing, screwing, or other attachment.
Fig. 17 represents a transverse section of a heel with groove round the periphery
and undercut above. All the modes of mounting indicated for heels with grooves
without undercutting are applicable in this case. Solely the bottom of the groove
being pierced at intervals the holes which traverse all the thickness of the rim open
into the undercutting; the attaching of the pieces together can be made by needle-
work as well as by nails or screws. The undercutting could be filled by cork or
any other filling where the springs upon which are placed the first sole are lodged.
Figures 18 and 19 represent a heel of which the upper part above the groove is
boxed in with an iron plate, of which the edges are bent up all round the heel, and
descend to the bottom of the groove.
For mounting, I can fix first the envelope in the bottom of the groove, and noxt
embox the iron over, making it to slide behind and before, and attach above by
any suitable means the vamp, the counterfort, the lining bent over at their lower
parts, and the first sole.
There is no necessity to turn back either the vamp, the lining, or the counterfort.
The attachment upon the iron is made from above, and not laterally in the groove.
The iron is furnished with a little hinged foot which lies upon the anterior face
of the heel, and is retained there by a pin, as shown in Figure 19.
The part of the iron turned up could be covered with a piece of leather that can
be fixed with a few brads or screws with heads submerged in the thickness of the
leather in the manner described above. This mounting has the advantage of
permitting the taking off of the heel and of replacing it easily.
a, block of the heel.

page_text: the vamp, this latter can be placed vertically behind. The bending can then be
effected without the least difficulty by turning down, however long and inclined
(in the inside) the heel may otherwise be.
My system of grooved heel is applicable advantageously in the case where one
desires to have very elevated heels without them appearing exteriorly.
I have represented one of these beels (Fig. 25.) It will be seen that the heel
being mounted will seem to have its height equal only to the distance of the groove
above the ground, whilst that in reality it is very much more elevated; the
employment of a heel of this kind and of a smaller heel will serve for persons who
have legs of unequal length; the difference of length will be thus compensated
without the heels appearing one higher than the other. The infirmity can thus
be hidden.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th October 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Patent
Agents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO HEELS
ron BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by Jean Leycurns, of
Paris, in the Republic of France.
The following is a literal translation of the final Specification as forwarded to
me in French by my above correspondent with orders to file.
The present application for a Patent relates to a kind of heel for shoes
characterized by the existence or by the formation of a groove either at the upper
circumference or in the upper faco of the heel, be the heel in one piece or several,
and be the form, dimensions, and material of any ordinary character. My Invention
further relates to modes of mounting this kind of licel consequent on the special
arrangement that characterizes it, and which present great advantages as regards
rapidity of manufacture and solidity, whilst no nails or screws are visible on the
exterior, and they, the nails, are directed into the heel in such manner that they
cannot wound the feet.
I have shown in the accompanying Drawings numerous specimens of my system
of heel with groove or recess, and will now indicate below the different modes of
mounting that its permits of.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 show in lateral elevation a heel with a groove or inden-
tation round its periphery.
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 represent different modes of mounting which can
be applied to it.
In. Figs. 6 and 7, a is the upper part of the covering of the heel applied upon
the
groove; b, part bent back of the vamp applied upon the upper part of the groove and
against the covering; this part b could just as well be inserted between the lining and
the stiffener, and even be nailed or sewn to the stiffener; c, lining not bent extending
to the bottom of the groove; d, stiffener arranged in the same manner as the
lining; e, brads or scrows driven into the bottom of the groove and fixing upon
the heel with a single blow the covering, the lining, the stiffener, and the vamp.
For this operation the vamp is turned down over the heel, as in Fig. 6, and when
the brads, screws, or pegs of any kind have been inserted, the vamp is raised and
masks the nails or screws, as in Fig. 7.
In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a second mode of mounting in which the vamp
is not turned back. I use in this mode of mounting a little band of leather which
is sewn with the covering, the lining, the stiffener, and the vamp, or even simply
fixed in the bottom of the groove whero it would be nailed, screwed, or sewn; this
little band projects slightly at the exterior of the heel in such manner as to be
able to be turned over the heads of the brads to mask them. a, envelope applied
in the bottom of the groove or indentation of the heel; f, littlo band of leather
applied upon the bottom of the groove and extending beyond the heel a sufficient
distance (Fig. 8) so as to be afterwards bent back above the vamp and hide the
nails; b, vamp; c, lining; d, stiffener; c, brads or screws, et cetera; they fix upon
the heel at one and the same blow, the vamp, the stiffener, the lining, the internal
portion of the little supplementary band, and the upper part of the covering. The
exterior portion of this band having been raised up is glued upon the vamp and
smoothed down with an iron in such manner that ono cannot see any break of
continuity.
Fig. 10 represents a mode of mounting analogous to the last, in which the sinall
complementary band of leather of the preceding case is replaced by an exterior

page_text: prolongation of the vamp beyond the line in which the pegs, screws, or other
attachments are fixed; this prolongation of the vamp is then turned back to mask
the attachment or mode of fixing, and is glued and smoothed down with an iron,
as has been described above, in order to render the junction imperceptible.
a, upper part of covering applied against the upper cheek of the groove; c, lining
reaching to the bottom of the groove; d, stiffener also reaching to the bottom of
the groove; b, vamp surrounding tho stiffener, and passing beyond the groove a
short distance f; c, brads, screws, or other attachments fixing together the parts
a, b, c, d, upon the heel. These parts having been fixed without having had
anything to draw back, the projecting part of the vamp is folded back upon tho
part b (as shown in dotted lines upon the Figure) and thinned off, glued, and
ironed down in such manner as to mask tho joint and render the same
imperceptible.
In Fig. 11 is represented another mounting similar to the preceding, except as
far as relates to the edge of the vamp destined to be turned back upon the heads
of the nails or their equivalents. To mask the heads of tho nails or their equiva-
lents the leather of the vamp is notched obliquely at the place where the nails
have to be driven. The nails are driven, and the little tongue of leather fastened
down by glue, so that it shall not rise again. a, upper part of the covering
applied upon the groove; b, vamp descending straight to the bottom of the groove;
c, little tonguo of leather formed by a cut of the knife passed obliquely through a
Binall part of the thickness of the vamp. It is below these tongues that one drives
in the nails or their equivalents, which fix at the same time the vamp b, the
stiffener c, the lining d, and the covering a.
Fig. 12, same arrangement as the preceding, fixing at ono stroke without turning
back, only the covering is on the outside, and it is in this covering that the heads
of the nails or their equivalents are covered up (in the manner already indicated
for the vamp). A small band of metal can also be employed nailed or screwed to
the bottom of the groove, upon which has been sewn the vamp, the stiffener, tho
lining, and the covering. a, covering; b, vamp; c, stiffener; d, lining; e, nail;
f, small tongue, behind which the head of the brad or nail is hid.
In all the modes of mounting which have been described above the brads, screws,
or their equivalents could be replaced by a band of sheet iron pressing all the
thicknesses of leather against the upper jaw or bank of the groove. This band
of sheet iron, which would be fixed upon the front of the heel in any convenient
manner, would be visible or masked. It could be masked either by the vamp or
by the covering turned back, or by the little complementary band of leather which
has been mentioned for masking the heads of the nails by folding half back or in
any other convenient manner.
Fig. 13 shows a heel without groove made in advance, but in which the covering
is thick enough to make upon the wood a projection sufficient for the lining, the
stiffener, and the vamp not to exceed together the thickness of the covering. In
this Figure the covering a is fixed separately by the nails e with heads submerged,
and the vamp b, the stiffener c, and the lining d are fixed at one stroke by nails or
screws with heads submerged. In this case the vamp is not bent back; it is must
be understood however that it is optional with me to turn it back, as in the case
of Fig. 7, for example. In the same system any of the mountings already described
could be equally well employed.
Figs. 14, 15, and 16 represent a heel in which the groove is made annularly in
the upper face of the heel. For the mounting the covering a, the vamp b, the
stiffener c, and the lining & will be folded over and fixed at one blow in the bottom
of the annular groove by the nails e or their equivalent; there will be no need to
turn back the vamp upon the heel to effect the nailing, scrowing, or other mode of
attachment. It will be seen howevor that the pieces could without inconvenience
be turned back upon the heel, then fixed into the groove, and afterwards raised.
I reserve to myself this mode of mounting for the case of the annular groove, as
well as for the case of the lateral groove, with which this Specification deals.
j

page_text: Fig. 17 represents a transverse section of a heel with a groove round the
periphery and undercut above. All the modes of mounting indicated for heels
with grooves without undercutting are applicable in this case. Sinco however the
bottom of the groove is pierced at intervals with holes, which traverse all the
thickness of the rim and open into the undercutting, the attaching of the pieces
together can be done by needlework as well as by nails or screws. The under-
cutting could be filled up with cork or any other stuffing, or springs may be lodged
in it, upon which the first sole is placed.
Figs. 18 and 19 represent a heel, of which the upper part above the groove is
boxed in with an iron plate, the edges of which are bent down all round the heel
and descend to the bottom of the groove. For mounting the covering can first be
fixed in the bottom of the groove, and then boxed in with iron above and smoothed
down in front and behind; the vamp, the stiffener, and the lining (folded back at
their lower parts), and the first sole are then attached above by any suitable means.
There is no necessity to turn back either the vamp, the lining, or the stiffener, as
the attachment to the iron is made from above and not laterally in the groove.
The iron is furnished with a little hinged foot which lies upon the anterior face of
the beel, and is retained there by a pin, as shown in Fig. 19. The part of the iron
bent down could be covered with a piece of leather that can be fixed with a few
brads or screws with heads submerged in the thickness of the leather in the manner
described above. This mounting has the advantage of permitting the easy taking
off and replacing of the heel; a, block of the heel; b, iron; c, attaching foot;
d, pin.
I will indicate yet one more mode of mounting of a heel with peripherical
groovo. In this mounting the lining, the stiffener, and the vamp are applied flat
upon the upper circumference of the heel into the bottom of the groove; the
covering is applied in the same way but turned back. The whole is fixed in the
bottom of the groove by any suitable means and the covering bent down over
the heel; the covering alone is then turned back, and it is this which masks the
attachment.
I have represented in Fig. 20 a heel a without a groove, boxed in at its cir-
cumference by an iron f forming a groove. The bottom of this groove is at the
level of the upper face of the heel, and it is pierced with holes t, which permit
the retaining of the leather thero by sewing. I would here remark that in all
case of heels with grooves it is possible to fasten the pieces by sewing, and that
for this end it is not indispenable that the heels should be arranged as in Figs. 17
and 20; in fact, if it is supposed that the groove is perforated with holes which
pass through the heel, it is seen that sewing can be done as easily as nailing or
screwing. As to the mode of mounting it will be any one of those I have indicated
already for the heel with peripherical groove. The iron is attached to the front
part of the heel by means of feet p and pins g. The replacement of the heel will
therefore be easy; it suffices to undo the covering and raise it, to withdraw the
pins, and push the heel out from the rear to the front; when out all the rest
remains in place.
In the heels shown in Figs. 17 and 20 the first sole could be sewn or otherwise
fastened to the covering, the lining, the stiffener, and the vamp.
I have represented in Figs. 22, 23, and 24 a heel of my system applicable to
sandals, that is to say, to shoes which are unprovided with upper ("quartiers").
These heels do not possess grooves except upon one portion of their upper cir-
cumference, laterally to receive the vamp, which ought not to go to the rear of the
shoe. Fig. 22 shows the block in side elevation; Fig. 23 shows it in transverse
section, the plane of cutting being taken at the groove; Fig. 24, longitudinal
section, the plane of which does not cut the groove. a, covering; b part of vamp
turned back on reaching the hinder extremity of the groove; c, external part of
vamp bent back above the heel; d, attachment of the vamp and envelope in the
groove; e, first solo; f, brads or screws fastening the first solo and the vamp

page_text: on the upper part of the heel, and at the lower extremity the covering and the
first sole.
In all the mountings that I have just described, and in those in which the vamp
is bent down over the heel so as to be fixed in the groove, I reserve to myself the
attaching of the lining upon the vamp directly by sewing. This mode of operating
is convenient in this, that the vamp and the lining are turned back together, and
that when they are raised it is easy to insert between them the stiffener, which
has been fixed in the groove with the covering and the vamp. I can also mount
the heel first, and then nail, screw, or sew on tho vamp and the lining.
A last specimen is shown in Fig. 21. The groove of the heel is furnished with
a leather c, which projects to a small extent beyond the upper part of the heel.
The mounting can be effected by nailing or screwing the covering a under and
with the leather, and by sewing on the upper edge of the leather and to its interior
the vamp b, the stiffener d, the lining e, and the first sole 8. The heads of the
nails which fasten the leather of attachment could be hid by submerging them in
the thickness of the leather, as has been already described, or by making the
covering extend above the leather of attachment a suitable distance, in order that
when bent back it may completely hide the leather of attachment; it is then glued
and ironed down.
In all these modes of mounting the first sole could be bent into the groove and
fastened with the other leathers, or else nailed or screwed upon the upper face of
the heel. The stiffener and the lining are stitched together after they are mounted
upon the heel. The heels can be mounted first upon the last, and the front vamp
afterwards. The front vamp can even be sown with the hind vamp before tho
mounting of this latter upon the heel; in this case for the modes of mounting
which require the turning down of the vamp this latter can be placed vertically
behind;
the bending can then be effected without the least difficulty for raising
again, however long and inclined (on the inside) the heel may otherwise be. This
cut is not indispensable, and the mounting can easily be effected without its being
necessary to cut the vamp. My system of grooved heel is applicable advantageously
where one desires to have very high heels without their appearing externally. I
have represented one of these heels in Fig. 25. It will be seen that the heel when
mounted will seem to have its height equal only to the distance of the groove
above the ground, whilst in reality it is much more elevated. The employment of
a heel of this kind and of a smaller heel will serve for persons who have legs of
unequal length, the difference in length will be thus compensated for without one
of the heels appearing higher than the other, and the infirmity will thus be hidden.
In the case of leather beels with a peripherical groove, it will be seen that the
upper face of the groove might give way if not supported. To avoid this incon-
venience, the upper or both faces of the groove are well covered with a band of
leather. This sort of armature of leather could also be replaced by a similar
armature of metal. One could also for the same purpose make use of a plate solid or
hollowed out, of the same shape as the upper face of the heel, and nailed, screwed,
or sewn upon this face; the plate could be made of good leather, of metal, of wood,
or of any other substance sufficiently rigid to insure that the upper part of the heel
shall not be put out of shape. As for the mounting of this heel, it could be any
one of those which have been described for heels with peripherical groove, and in
these heels, as in the others, the covering of the heel could be inserted between the
vamp and the stiffener, or between the lining and the stiffener, or even between the
groove and the lining.
Finally, I would have it remarked that in all my mountings I can suppress the
covering of the heel, which could then be varnished, blacked, polished, et cetera.
In all the kinds of mounting which have been indicated the front of the vamp
could be mounted or sewn, as in the shoes with Louis XV. heol, or as in all other
kinds of shoes.
Having now described the Invention by giving a literal translation of the
Specification communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be

page_text: understood that what I believe to be new and desire to protect under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The manufacture of grooved heels above described, the groove being formed
directly in the block of the heel, or else formed by the adaptation of a piece of
suitable material to the heel, or else being due to the thickness of the covering of
the heel, or a combination of any or all of these, substantially as described.
Second. The various methods of mounting above described and explained in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The application of the system of heel and the different modes of mounting
herein described to any kind of shoes, men's, women's, or children's, Louis XV.
shoes or others, for ordinary use or for full dress, and whether the block forming
the heel be of leather, wood, horn, or of any other suitablo material.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.