A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTATORY HEEL FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Knox, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Boot and Shoe Maker, for the Invention of "A
NEW OR IMPROVED ROTATORY HEEL FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 30th July 1853, and dated the 31st January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Knox
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Peti-
tion, on the 31st January 1853.
I, THOMAS KNOX, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
5 Boot and Shoe Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTATORY HEEL FOR BOOTS AND SHOES'
to be as follows:-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Knox
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Peti-
tion, on the 31st January 1853.
I, THOMAS KNOX, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Boot and Shoe Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTATORY HEEL FOR BOOTS AND SHOES'
to be as follows:-
Fig. 1, represents my Invention in plan; Fig. 2, represents the
same in vertical section in an unfinished state; and Fig. 3, repre-
tion, on the 31st January 1853.
I, THOMAS KNOX, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Boot and Shoe Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTATORY HEEL FOR BOOTS AND SHOES'
to be as follows: -
Fig. 1, represents my Invention in plan; Fig. 2, represents the

page_text: sents the same finished in vertical section; a, is a ring of brass or
other metal of the form represented in section in Figs. 2 and 3; b,
is another and smaller ring of brass or other metal of the form
shown in section in Figs. 2 and 3. The ring b is inserted in the
ring a, as shown in Fig. 2; and the edge b', of the ring b is turned
over the edge of the ring a, as represented in the section, Fig. 3.
The ring a, is then capable of a rotatory motion. Around the ring b,
a disc of leather is put in the hollow c, and affixed to the boot or
shoe by nails passing through the holes d¹. The ring of leather
constituting the heel is put on the shoulder a' of the ring a, and
screwed thereto by nails passing through the holes e.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Thomas Knox in the Great Seal Patént
Office on the 30th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, 1
THOMAS KNOX, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Boot
and Shoe Maker, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Knox, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Knox, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Knox,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTATORY HEEL FOR BOOTS AND
SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Knox, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Knox, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon, that is to say:
Figure 1, represents my Invention in plan; Figure 2, represents
the same in vertical section; and Figure 3, represents in vertical
section the heel of a boot or shoe, with iny Invention applied thereto;
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, represent detached portions of my said
Invention, and illustrate the method of constructing and putting
together the parts of my said Invention. The same letters indicate
the same parts in the several Figures. a, is a ring of brass or other.
metal or alloy of the form shown in plan in Figure 4, and in vertical

page_text: section in Figure 5; b, is another and smaller ring of metal of the
form represented in plan in Figure 6, and in vertical section in
Figure 7. The said ring b, is inserted in the ring a, and the edge b₁
of the said ring b is turned over the edge a¹ of the ring a, as repre-
sented in Figure 8, so as to connect the rings a, b, together, and
permit of the said ring a rotating upon the said ring b. The said
turning over of the edge b' of the ring b may be done in a lathe by
the process called burnishing, or in any other convenient manner.
A disc of leather c is placed in the ring in the position represented
in Figures 2 and 3, and an annular piece of leather d is placed on
the ring a, and attached thereto by screws or otherwise, as repre-
sented in Figures 2 and 3. c, Figure 3, is the fixed portion of the
heel of the boot or shoe to which my Invention is applied, and the
several parts herein-before described, and in the relative positions
represented in the section, Figure 2, are attached to the fixed portion
of the said heel e, by nails or screws f,f, passing through the disc of
leather c, and the holes 11, 1, (see Figure 6,) of the ring b. The
said ring b, and disc of leather c, are thus connected to the said
fixed portion of the heel e, and the ring a, and annular piece of
leather d, attached to the said ring a, are capable of a rotating mo-
tion upon the ring b. A disc of leather g, having the cavity or cup g
formed in its middle, is attached to the annular piece of leather d
by nails or otherwise. The said parts a, d, g, arc thus capable of a
rotating motion on the ring b; but from the method of construction
of
my Invention (that is to say), from the fitting of the ring a, upon
the ring b, the turning over of the edge 6 of the ring b, and from
the contact of the surfaces of the leathers) e, d, the said rotating
parts a, d, g, require the application of considerable force to effect
their motion, so that the said parts, that is to say, the rotating por-.
tion of the heel, are not liable to move during the wearing of the
boot or shoe to which they are applied. The working parts of
my Invention are little exposed to moisture or the introduction of
grit.
I claim as my Invention the construction of rotating heels for

page_text: boots and shoes as herein described and illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Knox, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT.
THOMAS KNOX. (L.S.)