IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Christmas Andrews, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF BOOTS AND SHOES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO
OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 2nd March 1880, and dated the 6th September 1879.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Christmas Andrews
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1879.
ALFRED CHRISTMAS ANDREWS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
"
My Invention relates chiefly to various improvements in boots and shoes, as
hereinafter described, parts of which improvements are applicable to other like
articles.
"
One part of the said Invention has special reference to boots of a heavy class and
which are desired to be kept water-tight, such, for instance, as those used by
soldiers, sportsmen, and others, and I construct such boots as follows, that is to
say: I provide the same with an expanding upper, and with what is known as a
Blucher" front and with & Wellington "back and leg, or with parts similar
thereto. The back may be either cut in one piece or made of separate joined pieces,
and there is a gore on each side lying flat between the back and front pieces which
overlap each other at the sides, that is to say, the back piece may overlap the
front piece or the front piece may overlap the back piece at the sides; the fastening
is effected by straps and buckles. In one form of my improved boots where the
front piece overlaps the back piece, the straps are fastened on one side to the back
opposite to the buckles on the other side, the straps lying upon and keeping in
position the said front pieces.
I also construct a boot in which a flap or overlapping piece is joined to one
of the front edges of the back piece, covering to a certain distance the front edge
of the said boot on the other side; straps are attached to, or form part of, the said
flap, and are arranged to engage with buckles in a suitable position for fastening
the boot. In this form of my said Invention the gores form one continuous piece
which is also the tongue of the boot, whereas when I make a boot according to my

page_text: improvements with the front overlapping the back I cut the front in one piece, or
preferably make a join under the first strap. The gores commence about two
inches from the edge of the sole and are carried to the top of the boot or as far as
desired, and are stitched one edge to the back and the other edge to the front. If
in one continuous piece they are stitched to the two edges of the back where the
overlapping flap is attached.
From the above description it will be readily understood that a gore of one inchi
wide will provide an addition of two inches to the opening of the leg part, and
thus the operations of putting on and taking off the boot are considerably facilitated
under all conditions.
For lace boots I join the tongue to the front by means of a piece dovetailed
into the tongue at the lower part thereof, and through an overlapping lower piece
I provide holes for the passage of the lace through which the latter first passes
before reaching the ordinary lace holes or hooks of the boot, and the tongue is
attached to a gore on each side, the said gores also being stitched to the back piece,
thus keeping the back and front in the right position.
My said improvements further comprise providing lacing or other open boots
with gussets of elastic material which are inserted in the flaps of the said boots
in whatever manner they may be cut; in a boot, for example, wherein the front
edges of the quarters or back as in a "Blucher" or lace boot are divided from the
bottom of the front edge in an upward direction to near the top, (or to any other
distance,) the division so made would form a facing, and by opening this at its
lower edge space is provided to admit a gusset having its widest portion at the
part where elasticity is most required to meet the bend of the foot. A boot so
made would possess elasticity similar to an ordinary elastic side boot, and at the
same time provides means whereby the wearer may regulate and control the
pressure on the ankles, such a boot being moreover more simple to make and less
expensive than an ordinary elastic side boot; the backs may be cut less to meet
the opening for the elastic material, or facings may be used with a suitable back.
The fastening may be effected by buttons, laces, hooks, or other suitable devices.
My said Invention also comprises an improved fastening for attaching buttons to
boots, shoes, and similar articles. This fastener is made with a doubled wire
which is bent so as to form at one end a point and at the other end two small
eyes, it is then bent over end to end until it is about of semicircular form, and the
small end or point is turned rather abruptly outward about one sixteenth of an
inch, forming a lip on which one side of a pair of plyers (or other suitable tool) is
designed to rest when the said button-fastener has been passed upward through
the leather or other material and through the button-shank, the other end of the
tool engaging with the fastener underneath directly across the two aforesaid eyes,
pressure being then applied to the tool the fastener becomes firmly closed upon
both sides of the material, and the button so becomes secured in the proper position
by a loop or book of wire, namely, the said curved fastener.
My said Invention further comprises a tip of peculiar construction for the
heels of boots and shoes. This tip may be of metal, glass, or other suitable
material.
It is well known that the uneven wearing of boot-heels is soon followed by a
tilting over toward the lowest side, the pressure caused thereby on the front part
of the boot causing that part also to run over on the same side, and consequently
to become uncomfortable to the wearer and unsightly; the injury thus commenced
is rapidly accelerated, the actual wearing parts of the heels as heretofore made
whether of leather entirely or with leather having metal tips, being of equal
strength at all points. My improved heel-tip is on the contrary made widest
where the wear is greatest, gradually decreasing in width along the parts where
the wear decreases, and terminating in a point, or nearly so, at each end of the
tip, thus securing an even wear on the whole surface of the heel, and consequently
keeping the front part of the boot upright under all the conditions of wear, and
providing increased comfort and durability.

page_text: The noise or rattle of ordinary tips resulting partly from the method heretofore
employed for fastening them has hitherto prevented their use on the better class
of boots, and it is an important part of my present Invention to provide means for
remedying this defect. I provide the tip with countersunk holes which are filled
up with plugs of leather or other suitable material, which is a bad conductor of
sound, such as india-rubber, gutta-percha, or the like, and through this material
thin wire nails are driven into the boot-heel, the plugs thus forming a secure
holding and deadening the sound when the boots are in use; the holes at the
bottom are made sufficiently large to prevent contact between the wire nails and
tips, so that any noise which might be caused by such contact is avoided.
The said tips may be made of various forms to suit different individuals, but
will in all cases be so constructed that the part of the heel where the greatest
wear exists will be provided with a wider portion of the tip than other parts, and
thereby the heel will be prevented from wearing unevenly.
I also provide boots with improved loops for the purpose of pulling them upon
the foot, these loops taking the place of the ordinary web loops heretofore used.
My improved loop is made of a piece of leather or other suitable material which is
sewn inside the upper part of the back, front, or sides of the leg part of the boot,
and is then turned over and carried down the outside thereof, the lower end being
sewn thereto, thus leaving a loop large enough to insert the finger. This loop lies
close to the boot and is very strong and convenient.
. I also provide an improvement for securing the loose ends of straps after they
have been secured to buckles, and for this purpose I attach the buckle by means
of a piece of leather or similar material which passes over one bar of the buckle
and secures it. The said piece of leather is left unsewn at the edge furthest from
the buckle. Into this piece I provide a slit which receives the end of the strap
and securely holds it, giving a very neat appearance and being very convenient for
fastening and unfastening; moreover it is very strong.

page_text: <
SPECIFICATION in pursuance, of the conditions of the, Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Christmas Andrews in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1880.
ALFRED CHRISTMAS ANDREWs, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
My Invention relates chiefly to various improvements in boots and shoes, as
hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawings,-
Figure 1 is a side view of a boot made according to Invention.
Figure 2 is a front view of the same.
my
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are similar views of another boot.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 are plans shewing heels of boots or shoes provided with my
improved tips.
Figure 10 is a side view, and
Figure 11 a front view of a strap boot.
Figure 12 is a side view, and
Figure 13 a front view of another strap boot.
Figure 14 is a horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 12.
Figures 15 and 16 are side and front views of a lacing boot.
Figures 17, 18, 19, and 20 illustrate my improved fasteners.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
"
The first part of the said Invention has special reference to boots of a heavy class
which are desired to be kept water-tight, such, for instance, as those used by soldiers,
sportsmen, and others. The improvements relating to this part of my Invention
consist in making such boots as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings, that
is to say, I provide the same with an expanding upper a, and with what is known
as a Blucher" front b and with a "Wellington" back and leg c, or with parts
similar thereto. The back c may be either cut in one piece, as in Figure 3, or made
up of separate pieces joined, and there is on each side a gore d lying flat between
the back and front pieces, one of which overlaps the other at the sides, that is to
say, the back-piece c may overlap the front piece b, as in Figures 1, 2, 3, or the front
piece b may overlap the back piece c at the sides. The fastening of the boot is
effected by straps and buckles g, h, in one form of my improved boots where the
back piece overlaps the front piece, as in Figures 1, 2, 3, or where the front overlaps
the back, as in Figures 12, 13, 14. In the latter case the straps are fastened on one
side to the back opposite to the buckles on the other side, the straps lying upon the
said front piece and keeping it in position.
I modify this part of my Invention, as shewn in Figures 10 and 11, as follows,
that is to say:-The boot has a flap or overlapping piece c¹ joined to one of the front
edges or forming part of the back piece, and covering to a certain distance the front
edge of the said boot on the other side; straps g are attached to or form part of the
said flap, and are arranged to engage with buckles h in a suitable position for
fastening the boot. In this modification of my said Invention the gores & form one
continuous piece which is also the tongue of the boot, whereas when I make a boot
according to my improvements with the front overlapping the back, as in Figure 14,
I cut the front in one piece, or preferably make a join under the first strap. The
gores commence about two inches from the edge of the sole, and are carried to
the top of the boot or as far as desired, and are stitched one edge to the back and
the other edge to the front; if in one continuous piece they are stitched to the two
edges of the back where the overlapping flap is attached.
I may also make light boots with my improved expanding uppers, and for ladies'
use I may form the gores of silk, satin, or other like material.

page_text: From the above description it will be readily understood that the expanding
upper made and applied to a boot according to my Invention effects the object
thereof in a very effectual and advantageous manner, as a gore of one inch wide
will allow an additional space of two inches to the opening of the leg part of the
boot, and thus the operations of putting on and taking off the same are considerably
facilitated under all conditions, while the fit and appearance of the boot will not be
impaired.
*
The second part of my improvements relates to laced boots, and consists in joining
the tongue d to the front of the boot, as shewn in Figures 4, 5, and 6, that is to say,
I unite the tongue d to the front by a kind of dovetailing of the parts together.
The piece d' is inserted behind the overlapping part d³ of the tongue at the lower
part thereof, and the parts d³ of the tongue are placed behind the part d', as shewn
in Figures 5% and 5b, which are sections drawn to an enlarged scale on the lines y*, y,"
and y', y', Figure 5. In the said overlapping lower piece d³ I provide holes for the
passage of the lace ; which passes through these holes to the ordinary lace holes or
hooks of the boot, thus keeping the back and front in the right position. The
tongue is attached to a gore on each side, the said gores also being stitched to the
back piece.
The third part of my said improvements is illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, and
consists in providing lacing or other open boots with gussets k of elastic material,
which are inserted in the flaps of the said boots in whatever manner they may bo
cut. In a boot, for example, wherein the front part of the quarters or back c, as in
a "Blucher" or lacing boot, are divided from the bottom of the front edge in an
upward direction to a point c* near the top (or to any other distance) the division
so made would form a facing, and by dividing or opening this part at its lower edge
space is provided to admit an elastic gusset having its widest portion at the part
where elasticity is most required to meet the bend of the foot. A boot so made
would possess elasticity similar to an ordinary elastic side boot, and at the same time
the wearer may regulate and control the pressure on the ankles, such a boot being
moreover more simple to make and less expensive than an ordinary elastic side-
boot. Instead of having the front of the quarters or back c divided as abovo
described the back may be cut to meet or conform to the back edge of the gusset or
elastic material, and the part m may be a facing. The boot may be provided with
buttons, laces, and hooks, or other suitable fastening devices.
The fourth part of my said Invention consists in an improved fastener for
attaching buttons to boots, shoes, and similar articles. This fastener, as shewn in
Figures 17 and 18, is made with a doubled wire, which is bent so as to form at
one end a point n and at the other end two small eyes n', its end n forming a lip
on which one side of a pair of pliers (or other suitable tool) is designed to rest
when the said button-fastener has been passed upward through the leather or
other material and through the button shank, as shewn in Figure 18, the other
end of the tool engaging with the fastener underneath directly across the two
aforesaid eyes, pressure being then applied to the tool the fastener is firmly closed
upon both sides of the material and forms a loop or hook of wire, whereby the
buttou is firmly and permanently secured in the proper position.
In Figures 19 and 20 I have shewn this fastener so modified that when secured
in the leather its eyes and its point are both on the underside of the same, as
shewn in Figure 20.
The fifth part of my said Invention consists in a tip of peculiar construction for
the heels of boots and shoes, as shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 9. This tip may be of
metal, glass, or other suitable material.
It is well known that the uneven wearing of boot-heels is soon followed by a
tilting over toward the lowest side, the pressure caused thereby on the front part
of the boot causing that part also to run over on the same side, and consequently
to become uncomfortable to the wearer and unsightly; the injury thus commenced
is rapidly accelerated, the actual wearing parts of the heels as heretofore made,
whether of leather entirely or with leather having metal tips, being of equal

page_text: strength at all points. My improved heel-tip o is on the contrary made widest at
the part o¹ where the wear is greatest, gradually decreasing in width along the
parts where the wear decreases and terminating in a point o² at each end of the
tip, thus securing an even wear on the whole surface of the heel, and consequently
keeping the front part of the boot upright under all the conditions of; wear, and
providing increased comfort and durability. The said tip may be of the form
shewn in Figures 7 and 8, or the form shewn in Figure 9. In Figure 7 I have
shewn the tip provided on its upper side with a small lug o*, which when the tip is
secured upon the heel is enclosed between the outer and the inner portions of the
same.
The noise or rattle of ordinary tips, resulting partly from the method heretofore
employed for fastening them, has hitherto prevented their use on the better class
of boots, and it is an important part of my present Invention to provide means for
remedying this defect. I therefore provide my improved tip with countersunk holes
p, which are filled up with plugs 9 of leather or other suitable material which is a
bad conductor of sound, such as india-rubber, gutta-percha, or the like, and through
this material thin wire nails r are driven into the boot-heel; the said plugs afford
a secure hold for the nails and deaden the sound when the boots are in use; the
holes at the bottom (or widest part) are made sufficiently large to prevent contact
between the wire nails r and the tips, so that any noise which might be caused by
such contact is avoided.
The said tips may be made of various forms to suit different individuals, but
will in all cases be so constructed that the part of the heel where the greatest wear
exists will be provided with a wider portion of the tip than the other parts of the
heel, and thereby the uneven wearing of the latter will be prevented.
The sixth part of my Invention consists in providing boots with improved
loops s, for facilitating the pulling them upon the foot. These loops take the place
of the ordinary web loops heretofore used. My improved loop 8 is made of a piece
of leather or other suitable strong material which is sewn inside the upper part of
the back, front, or sides of the leg part of the boot, and is then turned over and
carried down the outside thereof, the lower end being sewn thereto, thus leaving
a loop large enough to insert the finger. This loop lies close to the boot and is
very strong and convenient, and does not present the unsightly appearance often
presented by the ordinary loops.
The seventh part of my Invention consists in means for securing the loose ends
of straps after they have been secured to buckles. For this purpose I attach the
buckle by a piece u, of leather or similar material, which passes over one bar of
the buckle and secures it. The said piece of leather is left unsewn at the edge u¹
farthest from the buckle. In this piece I provide a slit at u² which receives the
end of the strap and securely holds it, giving a very neat appearance and being
very convenient for fastening and unfastening. This part of my Invention may
be applied to various leather goods or articles other than boots and shoes.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
The above described improvements (or either or any of the same applied or
embodied in a boot or shoe in combination with the other portions thereof), sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Christmas Andrews, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
ALFRED CHRISTMAS ANDREWS. (L.S.)