IMPROVE- MENTS, IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER. COVERINGS FOR THE FEET
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McLennan, of Glasgow, in the County, of
Lanark, North Britain, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS, IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER.
COVERINGS FOR THE FEET."
!
Sealed the 4th May 1858, and dated the 23rd February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McLennan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd February 1858.
I, WILLIAM MCLENNAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER
COVERINGS FOR THE FEET," to be as follows, that is. to say :-..
This Invention relates more especially to the manufacture of boots_ and
shoes with moulded gutta percha soles, the actual lasting of the boot or shoe.
being accomplished in the moulding apparatus, by means of which the gutta
percha soles are shaped and attached to the boot or, shoe. In carrying_out
this Invention in practice,,the operator receives the stitched." upper." of the
shoe in its unlasted condition, and he then places it upon an adjustable last,,
which he inserts within an adjustable moulding frame...This frame_is_carried:
upon a supporting bar set upon the upper end of a fixed vertical spindle, so
that it has a power of free horizontal motion all round.:: The actual moulding.
frame is in two pieces connected together at the two ends, their contiguous

page_text: inner surfaces being formed to correspond with the contour of the intended
sole. The opening in this moulding frame is fitted with thin pieces of metal,
one for the forward part of the sole and the other for the heel, for the purpose
of producing a satisfactory moulding surface, at the same time that they
expand freely for the introduction and withdrawal of the shoe. When the
upper of the shoe is inserted it is screwed up so as to be held firmly in the
frame, and a thin piece of leather is then laid upon the last, the edges of the
upper" being then turned over upon the piece of leather. The edges of the
upper are perforated with small holes, so that when the softened gutta percha
is laid upon the leather on the last, and the top moulding piece of metal
forming the face of the sole brought down to mould it, the pressure forces the
gutta percha into these interstices, giving it a good hold upon the leather.
When the moulding is accomplished the frame is opened up, and the shoe
withdrawn with the sole attached. The necessary solidity for the. " contour"
is given by putting in a special portion of gutta percha which is moulded out
to form by the same action which shapes the main sole. The thin piece of
leather which is placed upon the adjustable last in the moulding frame is
shaped to the required form by being stretched over a thin brass mould plate
furnished with clipping holders to retain the leather until it is dry. When
nails or wearing points of metal are to be introduced, this is done by using a
plate carrying such points on one side. This plate is moulded into the gutta
percha, leaving the points flush with the surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William McLennan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MOLENNAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Brass-
founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William M°Lennan, Her special license that I, the
said William McLennan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William McLennan, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to

page_text: time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION
5 OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William McLennan, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal; should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William M.Lennan, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates more especially to the manufacture of boots and
shoes with moulded gutta percha soles, the actual lasting of the boot and shoc
being accomplished in the moulding apparatus, by means of which the gutta
percha soles are shaped and attached to the boot or shoe. In carrying out
this Invention in practice, the operator receives the stitched "upper" of the
shoe in its unlasted condition, and he then places it upon an adjustable last,
which he inserts within an adjustable moulding frame. This frame is
carried upon a supporting bar set upon the upper end of a fixed vertical
spindle, so that it has a power of free horizontal motion all round. The
actual moulding frame is in two pieces, connected together at the two ends,
their contiguous inner surfaces being formed to correspond with the contour
of the intended sole. The opening in this moulding frame is fitted with
thin pieces of metal, one for the forward part of the sole, and the other for the
heel, for the purpose of producing a satisfactory moulding surface, at the same
time that they expand freely for the introduction and withdrawal of the shoe.
When the upper of the shoe is inserted, it is screwed up, so as to be held
firmly in the frame, and a thin piece of leather is then laid upon the last, the
edges of the "upper" being then turned over upon the piece of leather. The
edges of the upper are perforated with small holes, so that when the softened
gutta percha is laid upon the leather on the last, and the top moulding piece
of metal forming the face of the sole brought down to mould it, the pressure.
forces the gutta percha into these interstices, giving it a good hold upon
the leather. When the moulding, is accomplished, the frame is opened up,

page_text: and the shoe withdrawn with the sole attached. The necessary solidity for
the "counter" is given by putting in a special portion of gutta percha, which
is moulded out to form, by the same action which shapes the main sole. The
thin piece of leather which is placed upon the adjustable last in the moulding
frame is shaped to the required form by being stretched over a thin brass mould
plate furnished with clipping holders, to retain the leather until it is dry.
When nails or wearing points of metal are to be introduced, this is done by
using a plate carrying such points on one side. This plate is moulded into
the gutta percha, leaving the points flush with the surface.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
· now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures upon the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of
*showing certain modifications under which my improvements may be judi-
ciously carried out in practice.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawing is an elevation or side view,
partially in section; of the machine or apparatus for moulding and attaching
the soles to the "uppers" of boots and shoes; Figure 2 is a plan of the sole
cover; and Figure 3 is a plan of the moulding apparatus, corresponding to
Figure 1 Figure 4 is an elevation or side view of the metal last used in con-
junction with the moulding apparatus shown in Figure 1, for attaching the
soles to the "uppers"; Figure 5 is a plan, showing the mode of moulding or
forming the "insole" for boots and shoes; and Figure 6 is a side view,
corresponding to Figure 5. In manufacturing boots and shoes according to
this Invention, the moulding or shaping apparatus shown in Figure 1 on my
Drawing forms an important feature in such manufacture. The moulding
apparatus as arranged in this modification consists of a curved bar A, the ends
of which are turned upwards at right angles to the horizontal portion. Each
of these upwardly turned parts has a cross piece B formed thereon or attached
to it, and above this the ends are rounded, and have an external screw thread
cut in them. The bar A has, near its central part, a hole made in it, so
that it may be readily placed upon the upper extremity of the vertical rod C,
upon which the moulding apparatus and parts connected therewith are
supported, and is made to turn freely thereon, so that the apparatus may be
placed in any position the workman may require. The cross pieces B. of
the bar A serve to support a skeleton mould or shaper, which is made in
two parts, D and E; these parts are connected to each other by a pin and
nut at the backward or heel end of the mould, and by a band of vulcanised
india-rubber or other elastic material secured to the two parts D and E,
near their front ends. The backward extremities "of the jaws D and E,

page_text: nearest to the heel part of the mould, are bevelled in the direction of their
length, to admit of the two parts being opened or distended at the opposite
end. Circular apertures are made in the squared ends of the parts D
and E, to enable. them to be passed over the vertical ends of the bar A,
and the two halves are held down upon the cross pieces B by corresponding
parts F. Above the parts D and E of the skeleton mould is fitted a sole
cover or holder G; this portion of the moulding apparatus is shown detached
from the apparatus in Figure 2 of my Drawing. It consists of a bar of metal,
the under side or lower portion of which is shaped to the contour of the sole of
the boot or shoe. The backward end of the bar which forms the upper part
of the sole cover or holder G is curved inwards to fit and partly encircle the
cross-piece F, and when in its place on the parts D and E, the heel or back-
ward end of the bar is held down by the milled nut H. The other end of the
sole cover G has a hole made therein, so that it may be passed over the front
end of the bar A, and it is here held down by the thumb nut I. The two
parts D and E of the skeleton mould are made to open so as to admit of the
insertion of the last. The squared portion of the front ends of the halves D
and E have a circular recess made in cach, in which is secured the ends of a
helical spring J; the pressure of this spring against the back part of the
recesses forces the front part of the halves D and E asunder sufficiently wide
to admit of the ready insertion of the last and "upper." The halves D and E
are brought closely together by means of the lateral screw K, which screws
into an internal screw formed in the half D of the skeleton mould. The two❤
parts D and E of the mould are also brought accurately together, as regards
horizontal adjustment, by means of a projecting picce of metal, which is
secured to the part E by a screw L; this piece of metal is bevelled off at the
edges to correspond to the dove-tailed groove M, which is made in the front
part of the half mould D. The curved bar A has two vertical hand screws N
and O fitted to it, which serve to support the front and back parts of the last.
The screw N, which supports the toc part of the last, has secured to its upper
extremity, a piece of brass P, the upper surface of which is curved to a concave
figure corresponding to the external form of the front or toe part of the last.
The front part of the toe piece P is made with a projecting fin Q, which fits
into recesses cut for the purpose in the halves D and E; the fin Q slides freely.
between the halves D and E to admit of the adjustment of the toe piece P.by,
means of the screw N. The last which is used in conjunction with the
moulding apparatus is shown separately in Figure 4 of my Drawing, and is
also shown in position in Figure 1. This last R. is made of metal; in this
case iron is used for the purpose; the extremity of the heel part, which is

page_text: made to extend beyond the "upper," is hollowed out to receive the upper end
of the screw O, when the last is placed in the moulding apparatus. A curved
spring S is fastened by means of a screw to the inner portion of the last, which
at this part is made with a groove or recess for the purpose. The upper part
of the spring S is notched,, as shown in Figures 1 and 4; the spring presses
against and serves to hold in position the instep piece T. This instep piece
consists of a blade spring T, which is jointed to the last R by means of the
brass joint U, so that the free extremity of the instep piece T may be placed
in either of the notches of the spring S, and be retained in that position by the
pressure, of the spring towards the front part of the last. The bottom or sole
of the last R has fitted to it a piece of brass V, which corresponds in its con-
tour to the figure of the sole; the piece of brass V forms an "insole" presser,
its office being to prevent the "insole" from bulging upwards during the
making, as will be presently described. The insole presser V is secured to
the last R by the thumbscrew W, which passes through the presser, and
enters an internal screw made for the purpose in the sole of the last R.
In manufacturing boots or shoes according to this Invention, the insole, if
made of leather, is moulded to the form of the sole of the last prior to placing
it thereon. To this end a piece of brass or other metal is made exactly corre-
sponding in figure to the sole of the last, and upon this a piece of wetted
leather is placed. This piece of leather is cut somewhat larger than the
intended insole," and when placed upon the metal mould its edge is drawn
over or beyond the mould, as shown in Figure 6 of my Drawing. The "insole"
X is secured to the mould by means of wire clips Y, which are bent so as to
form a series of spring clips, the pressure of which serves to keep the leather
in close contact with the mould. The leather is allowed to remain on the.
insole mould until dry, when it will have assumed the figure corresponding
to the mould; the superfluous leather which extends beyond the edge of the
mould is then trimmed off, and this completes the making of the "insole."
After removing the clips Y, and the "insole" from the mould, it is transferred
to the last R, the insole presser V is adjusted in its place, the screw W is
passed through it, which secures the presser and the insole firmly to the last
R. Provision is made in this Invention for forming the "counter" or
stiffening at the heel of the boot of moulded gutta percha. Before placing
the "upper" of the intended boot or shoe upon the last R, a piece of gutta
percha suitable for the "counter" is softened by heat, bent to form, and is
placed inside the heel part of the "upper," which is then put on the last R.
The upper" is now carefully adjusted in its place, the toe part being drawn
over the front part of the last and fastened down by a nail; there is a hole

page_text: in the fore part of the last which is plugged with wood, into which plug the
retaining nail is driven. The edges of the "upper" which now stand up
above the "insole" are then perforated by means of a shoemaker's hand
punch. The last is then transferred to the moulding apparatus and adjusted
in position by means of the screws N and O, the front end of the last being
supported by the toe piece P, and by the vulcanized india-rubber spring Z.
The screwing up of the parts D and E serves to compress the softened gutta
percha around the heel of the "upper," and mould the "counter" to the
required figure. The cavity in the heel part of the moulding apparatus is
hollowed out to mould the "counter" to the proper figure; the moulded
gutta percha which forms the "counter" is shown at à, in Figure 1 of my
Drawing. The edges of the "insole" beneath the surplus or projecting part
is then spread over with softened gutta percha, or other suitable adhesive
material, and the perforated part of the upper is then pressed down upon the
adhesive material spread on the insole. The surplus part of the upper is now
drawn tightly over the edge of the last by means of pincers, so as to cause
the upper to fit closely to the last. Durjag this operation the insole presser V
keeps the insole" well down upon the last, and prevents it from bulging
upwards, whilst the surplus part of the upper is being pressed thereon. The
screw W and insole presser V are then removed, and the sole of the shoe or
boot presents the appearance shewn in Figure 3 of my Drawing. A portion
of the adhesive material used for cementing the "upper" to the "insole"
passes through the perforations made therein, and when' cold and solid firmly"
rivets it as it were to the insole. Before this solidification takes place, and
immediately after the removal of the presser V, a heated or softened piece of
gutta percha which is to form the sole is laid upon the insole, and the turned
in part of the upper. The sole cover G is then slipped into its place, and rests.
upon the outer surface of the sole, the thumb nut I is screwed down so as to
press the cover forcibly down upon the sole. The parts are allowed to remain
in this position until the adhesive material and the sole have become hard, the
sole cover is then taken off, the last is removed, and the manufacture of the
boot or shoe is complete. Boots or shoes may also be 'made in this apparatus
without an insole; according to this mode, the surface of the last R is coated:
with melted gutta percha or other adhesive material as far in as the surplus:
part of the upper." The turned in part of the upper is then pressed down
upon the adhesive material, and the sole in a heated or softened state is then
laid upon the turned in part of the " upper," and pressed down by the
sole cover G, in the manner herein-before described. A modification of the
mode of making boots and shoes first herein described, consists in using

page_text: gutta percha in lieu of leather for the "insole." A thin piece of this material
is laid upon the sole of the last R, and is held down by the presser V;
the edge of the gutta percha is cut round to the shape of the last, and
the "insole" is at once ready for the "upper." When the softened outer
sole is laid upon the insole and the turned in part of the "upper," a
portion of the gutta percha is forced through the perforations by the
action of the presser V, and the two surfaces of gutta percha are in this
manner blended together, holding the upper firmly between them.
In apply-
ing heat for the purpose of softening the gutta percha, it is convenient to use
a jet of gas, the flame of which is directed by means of a blow pipe to any
point required; in this manner the gutta percha may be readily and quickly
softened at any part, and without removing the moulding apparatus from its
position on the supporting spindle. Boots or shoes made according to this
system may have leather soles applied thereto, in lieu of gutta percha, if
preferred; in this case the leather sole is attached to the "insole" and "upper"
by means of a coating of gutta percha, or other highly adhesive material.
The solution of gutta percha or other material is spread over the surface of the
insole and the turned in part of the "upper;" the leather sole is then applied
thereto, and pressed down by means of the sole cover, in the manner herein-
before described. An important feature in these improvements is, that by this
system of manufacture, boots and shoes may be made up after the "uppers
have been finished by boys or persons comparatively unskilled in the work.
"
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of manufacturing boots and shoes, or other
coverings for the feet, in which the "uppers" are put on a metal "last," and
are attached to the "insole" by means of an adhesive material, and the outer
solo cemented thereto by the aid of a moulding apparatus, as herein-before
described.
6
Second, the system or mode of perforating the turned in part of the
upper," for the purpose of ensuring a more perfect adhesion of the sole to
the "upper than heretofore, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of manufacturing boots and shoes, or other

page_text: coverings for the feet, without a leather "insole," and in which the "upper" is
attached to the sole by the portion of the gutta percha which passes through
the perforations in the upper, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the use and application of metal lasts to the purpose of manu-
facturing boots and shoes, in conjunction with a moulding or pressing
apparatus, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of constructing metal lasts with an adjustable
instep piece, for the purpose of regulating the size of the boot or shoe across
the instep, as herein-before described.
Sixth, the use and application of a metal insole presser, for the purpose of
holding the insole firmly down upon the last, as herein-before described.
Seventh, the system or mode of forming the "counters" or heel stiffenings
of.boots or shoes of gutta percha or other similar plastic material, and of
moulding the same to the required figure by means of a moulding apparatus,
as hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McLennan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM MCLENNAN. (L.S.)