Improvements in Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boots and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM LINGARD, of 54, Lambton Quay, Wellington, in the Colony of
New Zealand, Insurance Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to boots and shoes, and is designed to provide means
for lessening the concussion or shock resulting when the wearer is walking.
Increased comfort and ease in walking are attained when my boots and shoes
are worn, and the heel does not wear down readily.
Into the heel and sole of the boot or shoe I introduce cushions or pads which
afford elasticity to the heel and sole, and these cushions are constructed with a
rim preferably of soft india rubber, though other resilient materials may be
used. The top and bottom of the cushion are made of sheet india rubber by
preference secured to the rim. An air cavity is thus made by the rim and the
top and bottom of the cushion.
Air at, or higher than, the pressure of the atmosphere fills the cavity. In
the case where the air is at atmospheric pressure I may make the top and bottom
of the cushions convex, so that when the same is reduced to the thickness of
the rim,, the confined air will be under compression.
I may use a combination of materials in making the rim, as for example,
india rubber and a thickness or thicknesses of cork placed on edge.
The resiliency afforded by the air may be reinforced if desired by pillars
preferably of india rubber placed between the top and bottom of the cushion.
By making the heel and sole as described herein, their utility will not be
destroyed in case the cushions should be ruptured and the air allowed to escape,
as the rim will continue to provide resilience sufficient to afford great comfort
to the wearer of the boot or shoe, and this utility will be increased when a series
of india rubber pillars are provided in the cushions.
I prefer to make the back of the rim of the cushion deeper than the front
to provide greater elasticity at this part, and this wedge shape of rim has the
effect of affording great stability to the heel, and obviates the tendency the heel
would have to collapse laterally and lose its shape if the rim was made of equal
depth throughout.
The sole is constructed with a cushion similarly to the heel, but a cushion
may be used in the heel and not in the sole if desired.
The section of the rim may be varied, as for example, its face may be concave
and I thus obtain a broad face whereto the top may be cemented without reducing
the elasticity of the cushion.
Dated this 27th day of July 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM LINGARD, of 54, Lambton Quay, Wellington, in the Colony of
New Zealand, Insurance Manager, 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 boots and shoes and is designed to provide means
for lessening the concussion or shock resulting when the wearer is walking.
Increased comfort and ease in walking are attained when my boots and shoes
- are worn, and the heel does not wear down readily.
Into the heel and sole of the boot or shoe I introduce cushions or pads which
afford elasticity to the heel and sole, and these cushions are constructed with a
rim preferably of soft india rubber, though other resilient materials may be
used. The top and bottom of the cushion are made of sheet india rubber by
preference secured to the rim. An air cavity is thus made by the rim and the
top and bottom of the cushion.
Air at, or higher than, the pressure of the atmosphere fills the cavity. In
the case where the air is at atmospheric pressure I may make the top and bottom
of the cushion convex, so that when the same is reduced to the thickness of
the rim, the confined air will be under compression.
I may use a combination of materials in making the rim, as for example,
india rubber and a thickness or thicknesses of cork placed on edge.
The resiliency afforded by the air may be reduced if desired by pillars preferably
of india rubber placed between the top and bottom of the cushion.
By making the heel and sole as described herein, their utility will not be
destroyed in case the cushions should be ruptured and the air allowed to escape,
as the rim will continue to provide resilience sufficient to afford great comfort
to the wearer of the boot or shoe, and this utility will be increased when a series
of india rubber pillars are provided in the cushions..
The accompanying drawing will now be referred to for the purposes of a
detailed description.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a sole and heel made according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a section of the sole on the line A-A, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section of the heel on the line B-B Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a heel of modified construction.
Figure 5 is a section of the same on line C-C Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a section of a heel cushion shewing a modified section of rim.
Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts where they occur throughout
the several views.
Upon the drawing, (1) is the cushion, (2) a thickness of leather beneath the
cushion, (3) thicknesses of leather above the cushion these said thicknesses of
leather and the cushion form the heel. The cushion comprises a rim (4) made
of soft india rubber, and a top (5) and bottom (6) which may be secured to the
rim by cementing or otherwise to make the joint airtight, or the bottom may
be moulded solid with the rim and the top cemented or vice versa.
is thus formed within the cushion.
An air space
The front portion (4") of the rim is made wide, and the cushion is secured
in the heel by sewing through the leather of the heel and this wide part of the
rim, and by cementing the cushion to the leather.
The cushion may be reinforced by pillars (8) of soft india rubber and preferably

page_text: shaped as shewn, and these said pillars may be made hollow as shewn at (9), or
be reinforced by webs (21) Figure 3.
I prefer to make the back of the rim of the cushion deeper than the front
to provide greater elasticity at this part, and this wedge shape of rim has the
effect of affording great stability to the heel, and obviates the tendency the heel
would have to collapse laterally and lose its shape if the rim was made of equal
depth throughout.
The sole is constructed similarly to the heel. (10) is the cushion and (11)
the thickness of leather beneath the cushion, (12) a thickness of leather above the
cushion. (13 & 14) are the top and bottom respectively of the cushion. (15) is
an air space, and (16 & 17) rubber pillars. The rim (4) in the sole is of equal
depth throughout.
Figure 4 represents the rim (18) of the cushion composed of india rubber (19)
and layers of cork (20) placed on edge.
On Figure 6 the rim is shewn with a curved or concave face (22). I thus
obtain a rim with a broad face whereto the top (5) may be cemented without
reducing the elasticity of the cushion.
I have described and illustrated the form which I prefer my invention should
take, but I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the details
set forth as they may be modified in several ways without departing from the
scope of my invention, as for example the size, shape, and number of the pillars
may be varied and the rim of the heel cushion may be made equal in depth
throughout and the section of the rim may be varied as desired.
The cushion may be used in the heel and not in the sole if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In boots and shoes, in combination, a cushion comprising an elastic rim,
and a top and bottom joined to the rim and forming an air space which is air-
tight, substantially as set forth.
2. In boots and shoes, in combination, a cushion comprising an elastic rim,
a top and bottoni joined to the rim and forming an air space which is airtight,
and elastic pillars extending from the top to the bottom of the cushion, sub-
stantially as set forth herein.
3. In boots and shoes, in combination, a cushion comprising a rim made of
soft rubber and thicknesses of cork placed on edge, and a top and bottom joined
to the rim and forming an air space which is airtight, substantially as set forth.
4. The improvements in boots and shoes, consisting of parts constructed,
arranged and operating, substantially as set forth herein.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1899.
BOUIT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.