Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 3rd May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 8th June, 1888
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES ALBERT SHAW, of 11, Court Street,
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Solicitor of Patents.]
I, HENRY HARKIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to that class of lasts for boots and shoes which are provided
with blocks; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as
herein after more fully set forth, by which certain defects are overcome, and a more
desirable article of this character produced than is now in ordinary use.
To prevent the block from becoming disconnected from the body and misplaced
or lost during the various processes of lasting and finishing the boot or shoe, it
is usual to form transverse holes, in the body and block and tie them together with a
string.
This mode of securing the block to the body of the last is, however, objectionable
as the string is liable to be caught by the spindle of the jack and cut off or broken as
said spindle enters the socket, in the body, thereby rendering the block liable to
be mislaid or lost if not immediately re-connected by a new string, and if so
re-connected, delaying the work to perform the operation.
The string is also liable to accidentally fall down between the upper and last before
the last is put on to the jack, and the boot or shoe to be lasted and partially finished
with it in that position, thereby forming a "ridge" or corrugation in the upper which
it is difficult to remove.
My invention is designed to obviate these and other objections, and to that end
I make use of means which will be readily understood by all conversant with such
matters from the following explanation:
A centrally arranged hole is bored in the upper portion of the block, said hole
extending longitudinally through said block from its outer end to near its lower
side.
A centrally arranged groove is cut longitudinally in the bottom or lower face of the

page_text: block said groove and the centrally arranged hole intersecting at or near its lower
side and forming an opening in the interior of the last in which the body or main
portion of the cord is disposed or housed when the block is seated, as hereinafter
described.
I deem it preferable not to extend the groove outwardly through the top of the
block, but to leave its upper or outer end closed, to prevent the entrance of small
pieces of leather, tacks or the like, to interfere with seating the block; but said groove
may be extended outwardly through the upper end of the block if desired.
I also deem it preferable to so form the centrally arranged hole that its lower or
inner end will open through the lower face of the block at or near its lower side, but
if preferred it may open through the extreme lower end of the block, or at any other
suitable point in that vicinity.
In the rear portion of the body of the last I form a transverse hole. This hole
extends from a point at or near the centre of the block-seat outward through the
side of the body its outer end being enlarged or counter-sunk to receive the knot of a
cord, as hereinafter described.
Disposed in the centrally arranged hole and groove, there is a cord, one end
of which is inserted in the transverse hole, and provided with a knot, the other end of
the cord being also provided with a knot.
The knot in the transverse hole is drawn into the counter-sink or enlarged outer
end of the said hole to prevent it from interfering with the upper of the boot or shoe ;
and the knot on the other end of the string is preferably so tied as to rest against the
upper end of the block when the last and block are in position for use in the boot
or shoe.
Instead of forming a transverse hole in the body, to receive one end of the
attaching-cord, a vertical socket or hole, may be formed in said body at or near the
centre of the block-seat, and near the upper end thereof, in which one end of said cord
may be inserted and secured to the body by means of a plug. Any other suitable
means may also be employed for securing the cord to the body, as, for instance,
a staple or screw; but I prefer the transverse hole and knot, as these afford a simple
and inexpensive means of attaching the cord, and enable it to be readily removed.
when broken or worn out, to substitute a new one.
In the use of my improvement it will be obvious that the block may be readily
withdrawn when in the boot or shoe by pulling on the end or knot, of the cord.
I do not confine myself to forming the groove in the block as it may be formed in
the body or partly in said body and partly in said block, as preferred; or to any
special means of securing the cord, to the body of the last; or to the use of the knots,
as instead of the knots collets or clips may be attached to the cord to serve the same
purpose; and instead of opening through the upper end of the block, the hole,
may open at or near a point on the outer end if preferred.
It will also be obvious that when my improved last is in use in the boot or shoe
the body or principal portion of the cord, is entirely concealed or housed in the last,
its ends only being exposed, and that it is not liable to be broken by the spindle of
the jack, to accidentally get between the upper and last, or to otherwise interfere with
the work.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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 that class of lasts for boots and shoes which are provided
with blocks; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangements of parts, as
hereinafter more fully set forth, by which certain defects are overcome, and a more
desirable article of this charater produced than is now in ordinary use.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 represents a last in which the block is secured to the body by a string in
the ordinary manner.
Figure 2 a side elevation of a last embodying my improvement, the cord and block
being represented as withdrawn.
Figure 3 a side elevation showing the block in position for use in the boot or
shoe, a portion of the body of the last, and also of the block and cord being represented
as broken off.
Figure 4 a vertical longitudinal section of my improved last, showing the con-
struction of the block and arrangement of the cord therein, and
Figure 5 a view showing an alternative method of securing the cord to the body of
the last.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different Figures of the
drawings.
In the drawings, A represents the body of the last, and B the block. To prevent
the block from becoming disconnected from the body and misplaced or lost during
the various processes of lasting and finishing the boot or shoe, it usual to form
transverse holes x, in the body and block and tie them together with a string m, as
shown in Figure 1.
This method of securing the block to the body of the last is, however, objectionable
as the string is liable to be caught by the spindle C, of the jack and cut off or
broken as said spindle enters the socket t, in the body A, thereby rendering the
block liable to be mislaid or lost if not immediately re-connected by a new string,
and if so re-connected, delaying the work to perform the operation.
The string m is also liable to accidentally fall down between the upper and last
before the last is put onto the jack, and the boot or shoe to be lasted and partially
finished with it in that position, thereby forming a "ridge" or corrugation in the
upper which it is difficult to remove.
My invention is designed to obviate these and other objections, and to that end I
make use of means which will be readily understood by all conversant with such
matters from the following explanation.

page_text: A centrally arranged hole f, is bored in the upper portion of the block B, said hole
extending longitudinally through said block from the point r at its outer end to the
point on its lower side, as best seen in Figure 4.
A centrally arranged groove z is cut longitudinally in the bottom or lower face of
the block said groove and the hole f, intersecting at or near the point v and forming
an opening in the interior of the last in which the body or main portion of the cord is
disposed or housed when the block is seated, as hereinafter described.
I deem it preferable not to extend the groove outwardly through the top of the
block, but to leave its upper or outer end closed, as shown at i, to prevent the
entrance of small pieces of leather, tacks, &c. to interfere with seating the block; but
said groove may be extended outwardly through the upper end of the block if
desired.
I also deem it preferable to so form the hole f, that its lower or inner end will
open through the lower face of the block at or near the point ; but if proferred it
may open through the extreme lower end of the block, or at any other suitable point
in that vicinity.
In the rear portion of the body of the last I form a transverse hole b. This hole
extends from a point at or near the centre of the block-seat. h, outward through the
side of the body, as shown by the dotted lines b, in Figures 2 and 3, its outer end
being enlarged or counter-sunk to receive the knot of a cord, as hereinafter
described.
Disposed in the hole f, and groove z, there is a cord D, one end of which is inserted
in the transverse hole band provided with a knot d, the other end of the cord being
also provided with a knot l.
The knot d is drawn into the counter-sink or enlarged outer end of the said hole b,
to prevent it from interfering with the upper of the boot or shoe; and the knot lis
preferably so tied as to rest against the upper end of the block when the last and
block are in position for use in the boot or shoe as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Instead of forming a hole b, in the body A, to receive one end of the attaching-
cord D, a vertical socket or hole y, may be formed in said body at or near the centre
of the block-seat h, and near the upper end thereof, in which one end of said cord
may be inserted and secured to the body by means of a plug j. Any other suitable
means may also be employed for securing the cord to the body, as, for instance, a
_staple or screw; but I prefer the hole b, and knot d, as these afford a simple and
inexpensive means of attaching the cord, and enable it to be readily removed when
broken or worn out, to substitute a new one.
In the use of my improvement it will be obvious that the block B, may be
readily withdrawn when in the boot or shoe by pulling on the end k, or knot 1, of the
cord D.
I do not confine myself to forming the groove z, in the block B, as it may be
formed in body A, or partly in said body and partly in said block, as preferred; or to
any special means of securing the cord D, to the body of the last; or to the use of
the knots, 1, d, as instead of the knots, collets, or clips, may be attached to the cord to
serve the same purpose; and instead of opening through the upper end of the block,
as shown, the hole f may open at or near the point w if preferred.
It will also be obvious that when my improved last is in use in the boot or shoe the
body or principal portion of the cord D, is entirely concealed or housed in the last, its
ends only being exposed, and that it is not liable to be broken by the spindle of the
jack, to accidentally get between the upper and last, or to otherwise interfere with the
work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a last for boots or shoes the combination of a body, a block, and a cord
connecting said block and body, one end of said cord being attached to the body and
the other to the block, and said last provided with an opening in its interior in which

page_text: the main portion of said cord is disposed or housed when the block is seated, sub-
stantially as described.
Second. In a last for boots or shoes, the combination of the following instru-
mentalities, to wit; a body; a block adapted to be seated on said body; and a cord
for connecting said block and said body, the body or main portion of said cord, when
the block is seated, being disposed or housed partially in a hole extending lengthwise
through said block, and partially in a groove in the interior of the last, one end of said
cord being secured to the rear portion of said body and the other protruding through
the rear or outer end of said hole and provided with a knot or means for preventing
it from being accidentally pulled into said hole, substantially as described.
Third. In a last for boots or shoes, the body A, provided with the hole b, the
block B, provided with the hole f, and groove z, and the cord D, provided with the
knots l, d combined and arranged to operate substantially as specified.
Fourth. In a last for boots or shoes, the block B provided with the hole f, and
groove z, in combination with the string D, inserted in said hole and having one of its
ends provided with the knot I, and the other secured to the rear portion of the body A,
substantially as described.