IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Reynolds Miller and Miller Richard Creighton,
both of the City of Baltimore; in the State Maryland, one of the United States
of America, Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS."
aled the 31st January 1879, and dated the 6th December 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Reynolds Miller and
Miller Richard Creighton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th December 1878,
:
WILLIAM REYNOLDS MILLER and MILLER RICHARD CREIGHTON, both of the City
of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, one of the United States of America, Manu-
facturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS."
The first part of our Invention relates to a counter protector forming a part of
the boot, extending from a point in front of one of the eye or side seams over the
said seam to a point in front of the opposite eye or side seam, and secured to the
boot front by rows of stitches. The counter protector applied to the boot in
the manner described has two distinct offices, viz., that of retaining the counter or
heel stiffener in place, or preventing the said counter from being torn from the
back, and that of strengthening the eye or side seams which it covers.
The second part of our Invention relates to a counter-protector arranged in such
manner with reference to the other parts of the boot as to not effect the eye or side
seams, that is to say, the said protector is secured to the back or in the rear of the
said eye or side scams. In this case the protector las but one use,
that of re
inforcing the back and covering the counter.
The third part of our Invention relates to a novel method of applying a stay strip
to the eye or side seams of a boot, unprovided with the counter protector. before
described, and it consists in utilizing a portion of the stitches of the seam to secure
one edge of the said strips. The object of this part of the Invention is to reduce in
a side seam protected by a stay strip the stitches, and consequently the number of

page_text: perforations made by the needle, in order to not weaken the leather more than is
absolutely necessary to effect a proper attachment of the said strips.
The fourth part of our Invention relates to the combination in a boot of a
counter protector and two stay strips, the said strips being arranged to cover the
lateral edges of the said protector to which they are secured.
It further relates to a novel method of attaching the said strips to the seams,
whereby one edge of the said strips is concealed, as will herein-after fully appear.
In the further description of our said Invention which follows, reference is made
to the accompanying Drawing, in which,-
Figure 1 is an exterior side elevation of a boot provided with our improved
counter protector.
Figure 2 is a partly sectional view of a boot leg made in accordance with the said
Invention.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the improved boot on the line 1-2.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the second method herein-before described of applying
the counter protector to the boot.
Figure 6 is an exterior side elevation of a boot embodying in its manufacture
our improved stay strip or our protected eye or side seam.
Figure 7 is a view of portions of the back and front of our improved boot,
showing one side of the stay strip secured by the stitches forming a part of the
usual seam.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of the parts of the boot represented in
Figure 7, showing the front and back as extended, and the stay strip partially
fastened.
Figure 9 is a view of the same parts of the boot shown in Figure 8, the stay strip
however being represented as finally secured by an additional row of stitches.
Figure 10 is a reverse view of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is an exterior side elevation of a boot having the combined counter
protector and side seam stay strips; Figure 12 is a sectional view of Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a sectional view of parts of a boot illustrating the first step in
securing them together.
Figure 14 is a similar view of the said parts showing the second step in the
fastening operation.
Figure 15 is an inside view of the completed seam.
Figure 16 is a sectional view of parts of the boot further illustrating the nature
of the connection between them.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures, and the rows
of stitches in the various views are represented by dotted lines.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing, A is the front, and B the back
of the boot, which are secured together in the usual manner by the eye or side
seam C. The boot is provided with the ordinary heel stiffener or counter D; E is
the counter protector consisting of a piece of leather extending vertically from the
bottom of the counter or from under the insole to a point above the upper edge of
the counter, and laterally to points in front of the eye or side seams, where it is
secured preferably by a row of stitches which in the Drawing is represented by F.
By this method of securing the counter protector it will be readily understood that
not only is the counter confined in its proper position in the boot, but the strain on
the eye or side seams is greatly reduced. The protector also adınits of the counter
being reduced at its upper end to a feather edge, which prevents the formation of a
shoulder or ridge as is usually met with in boots of ordinary manufacture. The
usual row of stitches G extending vertically from the heel to the upper edge of the
counter in the rear of the eye seams in this case preferably passes through the back
counter and counter protector to bind them together. The upper edge of the
counter protector is attached to the boot back by one or more rows of stitches
indicated by H.
Referring to Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawing, it will be seen that the counter
protector is shown as fastened solely to the back of the boot, except that it projects

page_text: under the insole as before described, and that the eye or side seams are unprotected
and formed in the usual manner.
The boot and parts thereof shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the Drawing
illustrate the third part of the said Invention, viz., the eye or side seams protected
by a stay strip, the boot being unprovided with a counter protector.
In the said Figures, the front and back are united by placing then back to back,
the welt a however being usually interposed between them, and a stay strip laid
with one of its edges under the aforesaid parts (see Figure 7). These four thick-
nesses of leather are fastened together by a row of stitches, and the front and back
extended as represented in Figure 8. The stay strip is then finally secured by an
additional row of stitches c, when the seam presents the appearance indicated in
Figures 9 and 10.
Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 show the combination of the protector and
stay strip. By reference to these Figures it will be seen that the edge of the strip
united to the boot in the formation of the eye or side seam is duplicated, and it
thereby presents a rounded forward edge instead of an edge that would interfere to
some extent with the withdrawal of the foot from the boot. This duplication of
the edge of the strip may however be dispensed with, and the strip arranged as
herein-before shown and described if desired.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, what we
claim is substantially as follows:-
1st. A counter protector for a boot consisting of a piece of leather arranged to
cover and protect the counter seam secured either forward or in the rear of the eye
or side seams of the boot, and fastened with the back, or the front and back to the.
sole or insole of the said boot.
2nd. A counter protector as herein described extending from a point in front of
one of the eye or side seams over the said seam to a point in front of the opposite
eye or side seam.
3rd. The eye or side seam of a boot protected by a stay strip, one side or edge of
which strip is secured in the said seam, the other side or edge of the said strip
being folded over the said seam, and stitched or otherwise fastened to either the
front or back of the boot.
4th. In combination with the front and back of a boot, a counter protector
forming a part of the said boot, the lateral edges of which counter protector are
covered and secured to the said front and back by means of stay strips covering the
eye or side seams of the said boot.
5th. In a boot the combination of the counter protector with a side seam
protecting strip covering the side seam.
In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals,
this Twenty-second day of November, A.D. 1878.
Witnesses,
W. T. HOWARD,
18, Second Street,
Baltimore, Md.
Jos. G. CUMMIN,
British Consular Clerk,
Baltimore, U.S.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS MILLER. (L.S.)
MILLER RICHARD CREIGHTON. (L.S.)