IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS OR SHOES WITH INDIA-RUBBER SOLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lilley and William Banks Skinner, both of
Harrow Road in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS OR SHOES WITH INDIA-RUBBER
SOLES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lilley and William
Banks Skinner at the Office of the Commissioners of. Patents on the
17th August 1883.
THOMAS LILLEY and WILLIAM BANKS SKINNER, both of Harrow Road in the
County of Middlesex ." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS OR
SHOES WITH INDIA-RUBBER SOLES
Our invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes having india-rubber
soles.
Heretofore in the manufacture of this class of boots and shoes the india-rubber
soles have been applied either by sewing cementing or glueing the same to thin
leather soles. India rubber soles have never been applied to boots or shoes having
leather uppers except in the manner just stated. Canvas shoes have been provided
with India-rubber soles, but these have been made in the form of a galoche and
afterwards vulcanized to the upper.
According to our said invention we apply india-rubber soles to boots or shoes
having leather, canvas or other uppers and in such a manner that the sole when
applied has the same appearance as an ordinary leather sole and is thoroughly
water tight.
In carrying our said invention into practice we place the boot or shoe upper
upon a last having a thin leather sock thereon. The edges of the upper instead of
being nailed are stuck to this sock in any suitable manner. A thin piece of canvas
or other suitable material saturated with india-rubber and of the same shape but
slightly larger than the sole of the said bout or shoe is now applied and adheres to
the sock so that the edges of the upper are enclosed between the sock and the said

page_text: piece of material, the edges of which are turned beneath it to make them firm and
strong.
The boot in this state is removed from the last and stitched through the sock
the edge of the upper and the piece of material last applied.
Although we consider this stitching advantageous as affording an extra security
for preventing the upper and sole from coming apart, we may dispense with it
without departing from the nature of our invention.
We now take an india-rubber sole which may have a heel or not as desired and
be roughened in any suitable manner or smooth, and vulcanize the same to the
piece of saturated material in a well known manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed. by
the said Thomas Lilley and William Banks Skinner in the Patent Office on
the 16th February 1884.
THOMAS LILLEY and WILLIAM BANKS SKINNER both of Harrow Road- in the
County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS OR
SHOES WITH INDIA-RUBBER SOLES
Our Invention consists in a new method of securing india-rubber soles to various
-kinds of leather tops, (technically, known as "uppers") of boots and shoes; also to
'uppers" of canvas and any other fabrics it may be desired to use for the purpose
of making boots or shoes.
"1
This is done by means of the following process:-viz-The top or
upper" is
pulled over the last and cemented with an india-rubber solution on to an inner
sole of felt, canvas, or any other material that may be deemed most suitable for
'the class of work to be produced. After this is done a piece of fabric prepared
with indin-rubber solution or otherwise and cut into the shape of the sole is then
.placed upon the bottom of the boot or shoe and stitched by a machine close to the
edge all round through the "upper" and the inner sule, thus forming a basis upon
which the india-rubber sole can be fixed.-The india-rubber sole is then attached
to the boot or shoe in the same manner as that commonly adopted in the
manufacture of the ordinary india-rubber or "Plimsoll" shoe.
+
The advantages of this invention are that the process of making the "Plimsoll"
shoes (which are shoes with india-rubber bottoms and canvas "uppers") can be
applied also to the manufacture of boots or shoes with leather "uppers," or
uppers" of any other material.
"
The method hitherto adapted of fastening india-rubber soles on to leather
uppers" has been by first putting on a leather sole and than fixing an outer sole
of india-rubber on to it-The tendency of this undersole of leather is to make the
boot or shoe stiff, clumsy and expensive

page_text: Our invention obviates this and enables us to produce boots and shoes with
leather uppers
" and india-rubber bottoms, without any leather in the soles,
which are at once light, perfectly elastic and considerably cheaper than those
heretofore produced.
In witness whereof we the said Thomas Lilley and William Banks Skinner have
hereunto set our hands and seals this sixteenth day of February in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
THOMAS LILLEY
(L.S.)
Witness:-
W. J. FREEMAN
WILLIAM BANKS. SKINNER (L.S.)
Clerk to Messrs Lilley & Skinner
Harrow Rd. W.