IMPROVEMENTS IN KNEE AND THIGH BOOTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN RICHARD DEAN of the Strand in the City of Westminster, Bootmaker,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN KNEE AND
THIGH BOOTS, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a novel mode of constructing knee and thigh boots,
whereby greater economy of manufacture and lightness and warmth, especially for
fishing, are obtained than heretofore, and the difficulties inherent in putting on or
taking off knee or thigh boots, especially when wet, will be overcome.
In carrying out my invention, I form the leg and foot of the boot of two
thicknesses of thin leather, with thin sheet cork between.
The outer skin may be of ornamental or other leather, and the inner of ordinary
leather such as is used for linings. The thicknesses of leather and cork are sewn
together, and may in addition, be caused to adhere together by any suitable
adhesive material. By this means I obtain a boot which will have the substance
of a thick leather boot without the weight, and which, especially for fishing boots,
will be warm and comfortable.
In order to overcome the difficulties inherent to putting on and taking off knee
or thigh boots, I remove, either from the instep, the sides or the back, or from
either side of the instep or other convenient part, an oval, semicircular, or other
suitably shaped piece or pieces, and replace it or them with a spring or springs of
vulcanized india rubber or other suitable elastic material, which I secure to the
boot in any convenient manner, so as to be waterproof; or instead of removing
any portion of the boot, I may leave the joins partly open and insert a spring of
rubber or other material. Or instead of the rubber or other elastic material, I may
employ a gusset of leather or other suitable material of larger size than the piece
removed. The stretching of the rubber spring, or the looseness of the leather or other
gusset, will allow of the boot being drawn on or pulled off with great facility..
But this stretching or looseness of the boot at the instep or elsewhere would
tend to inconvenience the wearer by allowing the foot to move about in the boot;
and to avoid this inconvenience, and at the same time form a covering for the
elastic or other portions, especially if on the instep, I secure to the heel of the boot,

page_text: on either or both sides, a strap or straps of any convenient shape, which I fasten
to a buckle or buckles conveniently attached to the heel of the boot.
In this manner I am enabled to secure the boot firmly to the foot, and at the
same time allow for the facile removal of the boot when required.
It will be evident that the elastic springs, or leather or other gussets, may
equally be applied to ordinary knee or thigh boots.
For hunting purposes, these boots will prove of great advantage, as the wearer,
on mounting, can loosen the heel strap or straps, which will permit of the boots
being readily pulled off should the rider be thrown and bis foot catch in the
stirrup.

page_text: I, JOHN RICHARD DEAN of the Strand in the City of Westminster, Bootmaker
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN KNEE AND
THIGH BOOTS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a novel mode of manufacturing knee and thigh boots
whereby greater economy of manufacture, lightness and warmth, especially for
fishing, than heretofore are obtained, and the difficulties inherent in putting on or
taking off knee or thigh boots, especially when wet, will be obviated.
In carrying out my invention I form the leg and upper of the boot of two
thicknesses of thin leather with thin sheet cork between.
:
In order to overcome the difficulties inherent.on putting on and taking off knee
or thigh boots I remove either from the instep or other convenient part a suitably.
shaped piece or pieces, and replace it or them with a spring or springs of vulcanized
india rubber or equivalent material or a gusset of leather or other suitable material
which I secure to the boot in any convenient manner so as to be waterproof, the
spring or gusset being covered with a strap or its equivalent to preserve it from
injury by abrasion or otherwise, or I may leave the joins or seams partly open and
insert a spring of rubber or other material.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown in Fig. 1 a side view of a high boot
constructed according to my invention with the heel strap applied thereto. Fig. 2
being a similar view of a boot without the heel strap, and Fig. 3 a cross section of
a portion of a boot showing the application of the spring.
A is the upper and B the leg of the boot. The boot I form of two thicknesses of
leather with thin cork between.
The outer skin may be of ornamental or other leather, and the inner of ordinary
leather such as is used for linings. The thicknesses of leather and cork are sewn
together, and may in addition be caused to adhere by means of some suitable
adhesive solution. By this means I obtain a boot which will have a substance
equal to thick leather without the weight, and which especially for fishing boots
for which purpose it is particularly designed, will be warm and comfortable.
With a view to overcome the difficulties inherent in putting on and taking off
high boots whether constructed in the manner just described or of ordinary leather,
I cut out from the front of the boot leg at or about the point marked C, an oval or
other suitably shaped piece or pieces as shown in dotted lines in Figs: 1 and 2 and
I replace it or them by a spring or springs D (Fig. 3) of india rubber, or other
elastic fabric or a gusset of leather or other suitable material which is sewn in
between the outer and lining leather, as shown in the Fig: 3.
For fishing or shooting boots in which it is desirable to provide for keeping out
the water, I prefer to use a spring of india rubber as it can with facility be made
watertight.
The stretching of the elastic spring or the looseness of the gusset will allow of
the boot being drawn on or pulled off with great facility.
But this stretching or looseness at the instep will in the case of walking boots
be liable to inconvenience the wearer by permitting the movement of the foot in
the boot. To avoid this inconvenience and also with a view to protect the springs
or gussets from injury by abrasion or otherwise, I cover the inserted springs or
gussets with straps of leather E sewn to the upper, and their ends I connect by a
buckle or preferably secure to a stud conveniently attached to the heel of the boot,

page_text: Each of these straps E I prefer to form with an enlarged part E which I secure on
three of its sides to the upper and leg of the boot as seen at Fig. 1 the fourth side
being left open to allow for the stretching of the boot during the insertion of the
foot.
For riding purposes the ends of the strap may be dispensed with, the board or
covering part E¹ only being retained to cover the spring as shown in Fig. 2.
An additional advantage, derivable from the employment of a spring or gusset is
that the boot may be cut somewhat smaller in the heel than heretofore and will
therefore not only fit better but the working of the wearer's heel in the boot will
be to some extent obviated.
For hot climates the spring may be made of some elastic webbing or sheet india
rubber pierced with holes, or the gusset may be made of some suitable ventilating
material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of the uppers and legs of high boots the combination of
two thicknesses of thin leather and one of thin sheet cork, as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
2. The combination in a boot front of an applied or inserted piece of elastic or
flexible material and a strap or its equivalent covering the same substantially in
the manner and for the purpose above set forth.
.