Improvements in or relating to Heels for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sep., 1895-Accepted, 26th Octt., 1895
Improvements in or relating to Heels for Boots and Shoes.
A communication from AUGUSTE WINKLER, Proprietor of a Milk-cure
Establishment, of 17 Reitbahnstrasse, Dresden, A, Saxony, in the German
Empire.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 shoe and boot-heels so constructed that the lowest strip
or layer, i.e. the "tread " may with very little trouble, and without necessity for
invoking the shoemaker's aid, be exchanged for another like or unlike tread, adapted
for a specific purpose..
This interchangeability of tread may advantageously be utilised in various ways.
Even in the case of substituting a like tread only, the following advantages will be
enjoyed :-
:-
If the old tread has worn unevenly, (and this occurs generally on the outer
edge of the tread), the two treads of a pair are interchanged, one with the other
and, with further use, they will both be worn straight again as the slant
edges are now on the inside. Thus by changing each heel-tread over to the
other foot, instead of having new heels put on, a double wear is obtained and also
consequently, considerable economy, as compared with the ordinary fixed treads.
By this substitution of new for worn-out treads there is also a saving in the price
of labour.
Further the ordinary tourist treads for mountain climbing may be taken off and
replaced by a rubber-tread specially adapted by studs or honeycombing for walking
on smooth ice, or glaciers, or other smooth and slipping surfaces.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. is a perspective elevation of one of the new heels with ordinary treads;
Fig. 2 a vertical section through the heel with a rubber-tread thereon;
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are underside views of various treads as seen from beneath,
and
Fig. 6 is a similar view of the metal frame which is secured to the stump of the
heel and holds the exchangeable treads fast in their place.
The heel-stump A is of the usual construction, having the form of the usual
boot or shoe-heel, except as regards its thickness or depth which is, of course
smaller. On its inferior surface the frame B is secured by screws b; and the
hollow part of the frame is covered with leather, for the purpose of providing an
even surface to receive the tread. A feature of B is the downwardly projecting
edge or border B¹ which, as shown in Fig. 1 encircles the tread C; but the
frame B might be formed simply as a flat disc, the surrounding border B¹ being done
away with.
In the former case, however, as shown in the drawing, the interchangeable treads
are fitted into the border B¹.
In Figs. 1 and 3 an ordinary tread is shown; and with a view to giving it a
sufficient thickness, considering the wear, it is advantageous to put two tread-
pieces, one over the other and join them together by pins, which, as a protection
against too rapid wear, is highly to be recommended; an underside view of a

page_text: "
double tread thus pinned is shown in Fig. 3. In Figs. 2 and 4, C' is a rubber-
tread, whereof the actual tread-surface is roughened by a reticulation of pyramidal
projections. This is specially adapted as a protection against slipping, and for use
on smooth and slipping surfaces such as parquet-floors or flat ice; on parquet-floors
this makes the walking noiseless. In lieu of this roughened tread naturally the
surface may be smooth instead of reticulated.
In Fig. 5, C 2 shows a tread studded with nails for mountain tours. Treads
armed with nails or boot-irons of various kinds, for climbing, may also be
employed.
When bedded upon the heel-stump the treads are secured by the encircling
edge B¹; but for the purpose of fastening them more securely to the stump, it is well
to screw a wood-screw D through the tread and into the heel-stump A; nevertheless
more screws than one, if desired, may be employed for the purpose; their heads
should preferably be countersunk into the tread so far as to entirely prevent all
possibility of the screw-heads being worn away.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;--
1. A heel wherein the lowest leather strip or "tread" (which may be an ordinary
leather-tread such as C a leather-tread specially studded with nails such as C 2 a
leather-tread with boot-irons or nails of any kind or a smooth or roughened rubber
tread such as C) is secured to the same by a metallic frame (B) with encircling
border (B) and a central screw (D) or several such screws so as to be readily
interchangeable.
2. The improved heel for a boot or shoe substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 or Figure 3 or Figure 4 or Figure 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1895
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.