Improvements in or connected with Heels for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Heels for Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRI MENIER of 56 Rue de Chateaudun Paris in the Republic of France
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
-
This invention relates to heels for boots and shoes made of elastic or flexible
material and combined with a flexible metal wearing plate or protector composed
of a curved part or segment of a ring forming a wearing surface at the rear edge
of the heel and secured by flexible arms embedded in the flexible body of the heel
and attached directly to the sole so as to firmly connect the wearing segment to the
latter. The wearing segment is thus rigidly supported in a lateral direction but is
free to yield in a vertical direction and accommodate itself to the movements of the
flexible body of the heel. The flexible arms or plates are secured in position by
screws nails or rivets preferably combined with arrangements such as the cylinders
described in the Specification annexed to the Letters Patent granted to me and
dated 31st January 1891 No. 1813.
The flexible arms may be arranged in the form of a cross imbedded in the heel
the arms being formed in one with the wearing segment and being curved upwards
so as to be directly attached to the sole at their front extremities.
Heels composed of flexible material such as india rubber and constructed with
wearing plates or segments according to this invention are extremely durable and
elastic. They yield on coming in contact with the ground so that the noise and
shock usually attending the employment of metal wearing plates is obviated; they
are not liable to slip and can be readily replaced or renewed when worn.
Dated this 27th day of June 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Heels for Boots and Shoes.
I HENRI MENIER of 56 Rue de Chateaudun Paris in the Republic of France
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 heels for boots and shoes made of clastic or flexible
material and combined with a metal wearing plate composed of a curved part or
segment of a ring forming a wearing surface at the rear edge of the heel and
connected to the sole by arms imbedded in the flexible body of the heel as hereinafter
described. The wearing segment is thus rigidly supported in a lateral direction
but is free to yield in a vertical direction and accommodate itself to the movements
of the flexible body of the heel.
.
Heels for boots and shoes have heretofore been made of leather, or of india rubber
and in various other ways but owing to the great amount of strain which this part
In order to
of the foot covering is exposed to in walking it rapidly wears away.
obviate this disadvantage nails, iron plates and other protecting devices have been
employed but although they reduce the wear, they present the very serious
disadvantage of producing a shock or concussion on coming in contact with the
ground and tend to increase the fatigue of walking.
Heels constructed according to this invention possess great elasticity and yield
on coming in contact with the ground owing to the flexible nature of the material

page_text: such as india rubber of which they are composed. They are moreover, extremely
durable owing to the addition of the aforesaid metallic part which is flexible
although firmly attached to the sole so as to be incapable of being displaced
laterally.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
In these drawings
Figure 1 represents in vertical section an example of a heel arranged according
to this invention the section being taken on the line 1-2 Figure 2 and Figure 2
represents the heel plate or wearing ring in plan.
Figure 3 illustrates in vertical section on the line 1-2 Figure 4, a modified
form of wearing ring hereinafter described and Figure 4 represents the said ring
in plan.
As represented in Figures 1 and 2 the elastic mass or body D of the heel is
surrounded at the rear and lower part or edge with a semicircular metal plate or
wearing ring A extending upwards to a part of the height of the heel. This plate
being made in one or more pieces of suitable section and attached to the mass or
body of the heel by any convenient means is connected to flexible arms B embedded
in the.elastic mass. These flexible arms are slightly curved as indicated in Figure 1
so that their extremities come in direct contact with the sole C and at this point
are not affected by the elasticity of the heel D and can consequently be attached
to the said sole in a rigid and permanent manner.
In order that the nails, screws or rivets employed to fix these flexible arms to
the sole may not be exposed to strain in walking and cause this strain to bear solely
upon the semicircular plate A these nails screws or rivets are preferably inserted
into cylinders or bushes a made of ebonite, metal or any other suitable material as
described in the Specification annexed to the Letters Patent granted to me and
dated 31st January 1891 No. 1813 which pass through, the heel.
The cylinders a are made hollow or perforated for the reception of nails screws
or rivets as described in my said former Specification.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate another arrangement for obtaining a flexible or yielding
connection between the wearing ring A and the sole. In this case the said ring is
formed in one with arms B extending upwards into the body of the heel D and
retaining the ring or wearing segment A. firmly in position and supporting it rigidly
in a lateral direction. These arms are free to yield in a vertical direction being
secured in position by a screw or nail e inserted in a cylinder bearing against the
sole and passing through an eye a connected to the arms B the opening of the said
eye being made of such a size as to allow of sufficient play or freedom of motion
between it and the cylinder to enable the arms B to yield and allow the wearing
plate A to accommodate itself to the movements of the flexible body D of the
heel.
This arrangement enables the arms B to be placed on edge in the heel and thus
present less resistance to the compression of the rubber D in which they are
embedded.
In either case the moveable or yielding arms B are essential to securing the semi-
circular part or wearing ring A in a rigid manner in a lateral direction and moreover
they connect this ring to the sole independently of its connection with the elastic
mass D.
The metallic plate or attachment formed by the semicircular metallic part A and
the arms B constitutes a combination which whilst increasing the strength of the
heel ensures its elasticity in a vertical direction and prevents any lateral displace-
ment. Rubber heels provided with these plates can be readily renewed, are very
'durable and not liable to slip owing to the adhesion of the rubber to the ground.
I do not limit myself to the precise shape dimensions materials or details of
construction of the heels and wearing plates represented in the drawing which

page_text: are given merely as examples in order to clearly elucidate the principle of -my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A protecting metal plate for boot and shoe heels capable of moving or yielding
in a vertical direction and unyielding in a lateral direction combined with a com-
pressible mass of material forming the heel and capable of participating in the
elasticity of this material being at the same time firmly secured to the sole
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved construction of heels for boots and shoes substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The improved construction of heels for boots and shoes substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The combinations and arrangements of parts constituting the improvements
in or connected with heels for boots and shoes substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.