IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 12, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS
AND SHOES."-A communication from abroad by Henry Port, of the City
of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 19th March 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 'I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 12, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Henry Port, of the City of New York, United
States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declaro
that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Specification.
My Invention relates to the fastening of the soles to the uppers of boots
and shoes by means of rivets that are incorporated with the sole, and that pass
through the edges of the insole and the upper, and have the points of the
adjacent rivets clenched in opposite directions. In moulded soles and in
moulded shank and heel pieces of india-rubber, gutta percha, or other similar
and suitable material or compound, I prefer to incorporate the heads of the
rivets connected together in a series of one or more pieces within the sole or
portion of the sole, but the heads of the rivets may be connected on the
exterior of the sole or shank as is convenient, when the front half sole is made
of a single thickness of leather, without departing from the essential character
of my Invention, which consists in including a portion of the sole with a large
flat head to the rivet, or with the connection between two or more rivets in
such a manner that the rivets cannot be drawn without undue violence, which
also tears and destroys the sole. The points of the adjacent rivets are turned
and clenched in opposite directions to extend the attachment to the insole, and
thereby give them a more secure and firm 'fastening. I prefer to cut the
rivets in sections or series from thin sheet metal, and subsequently bend the
points at right angles to a narrow rim or skeleton shaped in conformity with
the periphery of the sole. The skeletons have suitable cross pieces where
they are necessary, and they may be made in single pieces or in several pieces,
as may be desired. The last on which the sole is rivetted to the upper and
insole has a series of recesses or notches which receive the points of the rivets
and turn them alternately in opposite directions. To ensure perfect uniformity
in the disposition and arrangement of the rivets, I punch the entire edge of
the upper and the insole by means of a die arranged with punches in con-
formity with the recesses in the last, and the rivets incorporated with the
sole.
When it is desired to make the front half sole of leather, I cut and punch it
from a side or piece of leather at a single operation.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and carried into effect,
I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
Figures 1 and 2 are a side elevation and a plan of a shoe with an entire
moulded sole made of india-rubber, and secured by rivets projecting from a
continuous skeleton formed in accordance with its outline, and incorporated
within it; Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same, exhibiting the heel
moulded with a recess, which is filled with a piece of cork a for the purpose of
reducing the weight. The edges of the sele are moulded with a feather edge

page_text: or lip 6 that fits tightly around the bottom of the shoe, and closes the joint by
its elasticity.
Figure 4 represents a moulded shank and heel piece of the same
character as the entire sole described above, and provided with two tongues c
and d at its forward end, for the reception of the leather half sole shewn in
Figure 5. The tongues on the shank enable the joint with the front half sole
to be made close and covered. The leather half sole may be secured with
rivets or otherwise in the ordinary manner, but I prefer to secure it with a
skeleton rivet plate in the manner described with moulded soles, with the
skeleton portion of course on the outer side. When the front sole is made
double the outer tongue of the shank may be included between the two
thicknesses of leather.
Figures 6 and 7 represent the skeleton rivet plates is they are cut from
the sheet of brass or other metal before the rivets are turned up at right
angles. The skeleton for the front half sole may be made with an ornamental
centre piece in place of the cross bars e, e, if desired, and that for the shank
and heel piece should be shaped in conformity with the periphery, and may be
placed on the outer side, but I prefer to mould the material around it, so that
the heads of the rivets are incorporated within it.
Figures 8 and 9 are a side elevation and a plan of the last which I
prefer to use for turning or clenching the rivets alternately in opposits
directions. It may be made wholly of iron or of wood with metal facing, as
shewn in the Drawing. The recesses f are placed alternately on each side of
the line corresponding with the rivets extending around and across the sole,
and they enclose spring bolts with concave or cup-shaped ends which turn the
joints of the rivets in the required direction. The springs sustaining the bolts
forming the bottoms of the recesses are sufficiently strong to turn the rivets,
but are not stiff enough to prevent their yielding to contact with the punches
before the latter can be broken. The projecting pins g serve as guides for the
punches and for the shank and heel piece, which are furnished with corre-
sponding holes for their reception. The holes h may also be used as guide or
peg holes.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of the die containing the punches by which
the edges of the upper and the insole are punched for the reception of the
rivets.
The punches are secured in the die by the screws k. The spring
guides fit over the pins 9 in the bottom of the last, and guide the punches
properly as they are forced through the upper and the insole, the springs
yielding to the compression as the die and last are approached together. The

page_text: spring guides are retained in the die by the overlapping heads of the screws m.
The die is fitted into a press by means of the handle n.
Figure 11 is a section of the die by which the front half sole of leather is
simultaneously cut and punched. It is fixed in the press by which it is
operated by means of the handle o, the leather from which the sole is to be
cut is placed under the die, and when the die is moved down towards it the
plate p first strikes it and holds it flat and firm, while the punches 9 and the
knife perforate and cut it to the shape required. When the die is moved
upward and away from the leather the springs s, which have been previously
compressed by the downward motion, press the plate p outwards, and discharge
the half sole from the punches and the interior of the knife. In a similar
manner and with a similar instrument an entire sole may. be cut and punched
or the insole merely cut.
If the punches
the recesses the
In using my Invention the insole and upper of a boot or shoe are first
secured on the last I have described and represented in Figures 8 and 9.
in the ordinary manner, and the edges of the upper and insole are then
perforated with the punching instrument shewn Figure 10.
project too far through the insole and strike the bottoms of
spring bolts yield without injuring the punches. If the boot or shoe is to be
entirely soled with an india-rubber or other moulded sole, I then take a sole
made with incorporated rivets and a feather edge or lip around its periphery,
as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and place it upon the guide pins of the
last, and with a suitable die that conforms to the bottom of the sole press it
at once into its place. The points of the rivets pass through the upper and
the insole, and have their alternate points turned in opposite directions by
alternately striking the opposite sides of the concave or cup-shaped bottoms of
the recesses, the springs of which are sufficiently strong to turn the points of
the thin rivets without yielding. The feather edge or lip projecting on the
periphery of the sole should be made somewhat smaller than the bottom of
the boot or shoe, so that it will fit closely against the upper and be slightly
extended in such a manner that its elasticity will constantly preserve a tight
joint between the sole and the upper. When it is desirable to have a front
half sole of leather, the shank and heel piece represented in Figure 4 is first
affixed to the upper in the manner described for fastening an entire moulded
sole, and the leather half sole that may be simultaneously cut and punched
with the instrument shewn in Figure 11 is then secured with a skeleton
plate, as illustrated in Figure 5, in a similar manner, or with rivets or other-
wise as ordinarily practised. The double tongues of the shank receive the
end of the half sole and cover the joint over which they may be secured either

page_text: with cement or rivets. After the rivets have been turned and partially
clenched in the manner described, the boot or shoe is taken from the last I
have described and placed upon another last with a plain metal facing, upon
which the clenching is perfected and completed by means of a hammer or of a
suitable die in a press.
I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, making a
moulded sole or portion of a sole with rivets incorporated, substantially in the
manner described for the purpose specified.
And I also claim the elastic lip on the edge of the sole fitting closely to the
upper, and making a tight joint with the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.s.)