Improvements relating to the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1837
Complete Left, 14th Feb., 1883
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
I, FRANÇOIS LEBACQ, of 69 Boulevard Hausmann, Paris, France, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the heels of boots and shoes.
A heel constructed according to my present invention comprises a piece of india
rubber which is adapted to be held by a groove formed in a metal frame fixed by
screws to the leather heel of the boot or shoe. A single screw entering a hole in a
metal plate which serves as a strengthening core at the front part of the india rubber
wearing piece and screwed into the metal frame ensures the retention of the india
rubber wearing piece in its place.
When the india rubber wearing pieces are worn it is only necessary to remove the
front screw in order to replace them or change them from the left to the right foot,
and inversely.
The said metal frame is in the form of a horse shoe and has a cross piece which
is sunk into the leather so as to be flush with the level of the lower surface of the
heel.
The frame is fixed to the leather heel by screws two being preferably located in the
said cross-piece and another in a lug at the rear.
The frame is provided with a groove which serves to receive a corresponding rib on
the india rubber piece which serves as a wearing piece.
This piece which although preferably of india-rubber can also be composed of
leatlier, paste-board, wood, or any other suitable material.
The wearing pieco when made of india rubber has a thin plate of metal, such as
steel, iron copper or the like incorporated with it around the front screw hole. The
upper part of the wearing piece is preferably of hardened india-rubber, while the
lower part is of soft india-rubber.
A recess in the rear of the wearing piece receives the lug herein before mentioned
and another recess serves to provide space for a screw head which passes into a

page_text: hole in the cross piece of the frame, and which is screwed into the leather of the
heel. This screw prevents the wearing piece of india rubber from leaving the
frame.
In winter the wearing piece of india-rubber or the like can be replaced by a piece
of steel presenting teeth, points or projections which prevent slipping. This piece is
fixed as above set forth.
The groove formed in the frame can be square, triangular octagonal, semicircular
or of any other desirable form. It surrounds by preference the entire heel, but it can
also be arranged in sections.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
I, FRANÇOIS LEBAOQ, of 69 Boulevard Hausmann, Paris, France 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 :—
My invention relates to the heels of boots and shoes.
A heel constructed according to my present invention comprises a piece of india-
rubber which is adapted to be held in by a groove formed in a metal frame fixed by
scrows to the leather heel of the boot or shoe. A single screw, entering a hole in a
metal plate which serves as a strengthening core at the front part of the india rubber
wearing piece and screwed into the metal frame ensures the retention of the india
rubber wearing piece in its place.
When the india rubber wearing pieces are worn out or when through walking they
are worn irregular it is only necessary to remove the front screw in order to replace
them, or change them from the left to the right foot, and inversely.
The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings the figures of which
are hereinafter referred to.
To the heel of leather is fixed a frame A of any suitable metal such as iron, copper,
steel, maleable cast iron, zinc or the like this frame is in the form of a horse shoo
and has a cross-piece a which is sunk into the leather so as to be flush with the lovel
of the lower surface of the heel as shown in Figure 7.
The frame A which replaces the wearing piece of leather ordinarily used in the
manufacture of heels is fixed to the leather heel by screws with sunk heads (three in
the drawing) two screws bb being preferably located in the said cross-piece a and
another in a lug c at the rear.
The frame A is provided with a groove d which serves to receive a corresponding
rib on the india rubber piece B which serves as a wearing piece.
This piece which although preferably of india rubber can also be composed of
leather, pasteboard wood, or any other suitable material. It is represented separato
in front view Figure 3, in side view Figure 4, in plan view from above Figure 5, and
in plan view from below Figure 6. Figure 7 is a vertical section through the axis of
the mounted heel, that is to say provided with its wearing piece.
The wearing piece of india-rubber has enclosed internally a thin plate e of metal,
such as steel, iron, copper or the like. It has at a rib designed to penetrate into the
groove d of the frame A. The upper part of the wearing piece is preferably of
hardened india-rubber, while the lower part is of soft india-rubber.
A recess 9 in the rear of the wearing piece receives the lug c herein before mentioned
and another recess h serves to provide space for a screw head k which passes into a
hole in the cross piece a of the frame, and which is screwed into the leather of the
heel. This scrow k prevents the wearing piece of india-rubber from leaving the
frame.
Figures 8 to 13 represent a modification of my improved heel.

page_text: Figure 8 is a cross-section and Figure 9 is a plan of the frame of metal.
The india rubber plate which is employed in combination with this frame is shown
in section Figure 10 and in plan Figure 11.
and
Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of a heel made according to my said invention
Figure 13 is a view from below of this heel, the india rubber plate being supposed
to have been removed.
The metal frame A presents on its entire periphery a bevelled flange land at ma
crosspiece which is sunk in the leather so as to be flush with the lower surface of the
heel as shown in Figure 12. Moreover, a lug n on the frame A enables the latter to
be fixed to the heel by a screw o; the holes ppp pierced in the cross piece m also
serve to receive screws q which pass into the leather of the heel Figure 12.
The india rubber plate B is shaped as shown in Figures 10 and 11 with a rim to
extend below the flange l. In this part the india rubber plate is strengthened by wire
gauze s.
The india rubber plate is slid into the frame A; a recess t made in the middle of
the plate corresponds with the lug n. When the india rubber plate B has been com-
pletely inserted, a screw n is sunk into the recess ♥ that occupies a portion of the
thickness of the said india rubber plate. The head of the screw bearing upon the
strengthening wire gauze s, the india rubber cannot in use be pierced by the head so
that the india rubber plate is very securely fixed in position.
The other figures of the drawing represent a second modification of my invention.
To the heel Figure 16 is fixed a frame M shown in section in Figure 14 and in plan
Figure 15; this frame is held by screws a sunk in the leather of the heel. The said
frame is designed to receive an india rubber plate D shown in section in Figure 17,
and in an underside plan Figure 18. The said india rubber plate is also provided
with an interior wire gauze and the holes y serve to receive screws = Figure 16 which
enter the leather outside the frame M; the screw heads bear, as above described, upon
the wire gauze.
In winter the india rubber plate can in any of the arrangements be replaced by a
piece or plate provided with steel or iron points. Figure 19 shows a plate of this
kind which is adapted for the first described arrangement.
The groove formed in the frame can be square, triangular, octagonal, semi-circular
or of any other desirable form. It surrounds by preference the entire heel, but it can
also be arranged in sections.
The same combination of a frame of metal with an india rubber plate internally
provided with wire gauze which is fitted in the frame can likewise be applied to the
soles of boots and shoes.
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
The improved heel for boots and shoes, comprising the arrangement below the heel
so as to replace the wearing piece of leather, of a frame of metal forming a groove
with which engages a wearing piece of india rubber or other similar material, either
smooth or with points or projecting teeth, which is fixed with one or more screws
engaging with the front part of the wearing piece and screwed into the leather of
the heel.
11
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1000