CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, CLOGS, AND SUCH LIKE COVERINGS FOR THE FEET
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Grason, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
BOOTS, SHOES, CLOGS, AND SUCH LIKE COVERINGS FOR THE FEET."
Sealed the 8th March 1864, and dated the 27th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Grason at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
October 1863.
I, THOMAS GRASON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, CLOGS, AND SUCH LIKE COVERINGS FOR THE FEET," to be as
follows:-
The Invention relates to the novel method of securing the outer soles and
heels to the inner soles or upper leather in boots, shoes, and other coverings
for the feet, and consists in the adaptation and use of V or T shaped, dove-
tailed, circular, or other similar formed ribs or runners, and corresponding
grooves or channels, as a means of connection between the "upper" part and.
the sole and heel of the boot or shoe; that is to say, the ribs or runners may
be of any form which will form a sliding key, and may be made of the leather
composing the outer, sole, or may be made of metal or other convenient
material, and inserted or, secured in the outer sole, in which instance the
corresponding groove or channel would be formed in the leather of the inner

page_text: sole or of metal, and inserted or secured therein; and the outer sole is to be
slid or slipped into the grooves in the inner, which becomes the only means of
applying or removing the sole, as the sole cannot be displaced in any other
direction than by sliding being "keyed " together. The chief feature of the
Invention being the use of the "key ribs" and grooves instead of stitching,
pegging, or screwing, as a means of attaching the soles and heels to the upper
part of boots or shoes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Grason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GRASON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Grason, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Grason, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Grason, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, CLOGS, AND SUCK LIKE COVERINGS FOR THE FEET,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Grason, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Thomas Grason, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-

page_text: The Invention relates to the novel method of securing the outer soles and
heels to the inner soles or upper leather in boots, shoes, and other coverings
for the feet, and consists in the adaptation and use of V or T shaped, dove-
tailed, circular, or other similar formed ribs or runers or corresponding
grooves or channels, as a means of connection between the "upper" part and
the sole and heel of the boot or shoe, that is to say, the ribs or runners may
be of any form which will form a sliding key, and may be made of the leather
composing the outer sole, or may be made of metal or other convenient
material, and inserted or secured in the outer sole, in which instance the
corresponding groove or channel would be formed in the leather of the inner
sole or of metal, and inserted and secured therein; and the outer sole is to be
slid or slipped on to the grooves in the inner, which becomes the only means
of applying or removing the sole, as the sole cannot be displaced in any other
direction than. by sliding, being keyed together. The chief feature of the
Invention being the use of the "key ribs" and grooves instead of stitching,
pegging, or screwing, as a means of attaching the soles and the heels to the
upper part of boots or shoes.
In order that the Invention may be more fully understood, I have hereunto
annexed a Sheet of Drawings made about full size, having similar letters and
numbers marked on all the Figures alike.
Fig. 1 represents the under side of a boot having the outer or detachable
sole and heel removed, consequently exposing the grooves by which such soles.
and heels are made attachable, the runners or elevations shewn on the
detachable sole, Fig. 2, corresponding to the afore-mentioned grooves in Fig. 1...
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section illustrating the grooves and runners adapted to
the seating when attached or combined; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the bottom.
sole alone detached; Fig. 5 is an end sectional view of the heel complete, that
is, with the junction plates on the upper and bottom soles dovetailed together;
and Fig. 6 is the bottom sole detached, shewing the projecting dovetailed
runners, also the method whereby the outer sole is attached to the sliding
plates. These views illustrate one practical method of attaching and detaching
by means of plates with runners and grooves, the inuer or permanent sole or
welt in all cases being water-tight by the application of cork or other
impervious material; the aforesaid runners on the outer or detachable sole are
slid or slipped into the grooves in the inner, which thus become the only
means of applying or removing the sole and heel, as they cannot be displaced
in any other direction than by sliding, being keyed together.
a, a, is the inner welt or sole, and the outer sole; c, c', is the dovetailed.
or other shaped grooves, into which is keyed the corresponding ribs or pro-

page_text: jections d for the purpose of locking such soles together when the sole and
heel have been firmly forced up into their right position, a spring latch k or
other convenient fastener is caused to retain them in such position until
removed at the wearer's pleasure; a washer or layer of leather or other
suitable material may be employed forming a better connection between the
two plates, also preventing any unpleasant clinking or knocking of the plates
together, such arrangement of plates being principally confined to the heel, as
the afore-mentioned grooves c', c, c, in the sole are imbedded in the welt of
the boot by means of flanges c, c, these grooves are shewn without the welt at
Fig. 7. Fig. 7° represents a narrow plate for clipping the inner sole, provided
with screws to receive the hollow screw herein-after mentioned.
"
A second part of my improvements consist in attaching and detaching the
outer sole and heel by means of a single plate to the inner welt; several
arrangements which have been found practicable being illustrated on the
Sheet of Drawings, their several peculiar arrangements on reference to the
Drawing may be thus described. In the Figs. marked 8 a single plate ƒ to
which the outer heel is secured from the inner side of such plate, is supplied
with two or more projections g, which when inserted in recesses or holes
formed in the welt are "keyed or secured in their seatings from the edge of
the heel by the pin ¹ or staples h, and so couple and firmly secure the outer
detachable heel by means of the projections g. Another class or arrangement
of fastener may be seen in the examples shewn, marked Figs. 9; the peculiarity
in these plates are that one or more dovetail or other shaped runner may be
used as a means of attaching the extreme end of such runner, fitting into a
loop or eye formed in the inner sole or welt, and locked or secured in their
places by means of a screw or other fastener. In Figs. 10 the runners are
dispensed with, the detachable heel being retained in its position by means of
screws sent in from the outer edge of the heel through projections sunk into
the permanent welt. Figs. 11 represent a single-grooved plate formed with
a hinge and projecting piece of metal m; immediately beneath this hinge is
a screw n, which when screwed into the body of the welt through a she plate o
by the hinged projection m, is retained firmly in its place by such hinged
projection being caused to swivel or lay on the surface of the plate and within
the groove, and clip the edge of the heel, such clip on the inner edge being
secured by screws driven into the welt. In Figs. 12 are shewn sections
wherein the outer sole is attached to the inner by means of T-headed screws,
the outer soles in this instance being retained by the screw on the shank of
the T head, such T head when forced down in its place or recess in the inner
sole is reversed in position, causing the T head of such screw to project at

page_text: right angles to the recess or grooves through which it has been inserted in the
inner sole, thereby securely locking or keeping the two soles and heels
together.
Thirdly, my improvements consist in sliding within circular grooves any
5 number of sliding pieces of metal or other material which may have internal
threads or worms, for the purpose of inserting or screwing thereto pegs, spikes,
or nuts, giving thereby the appearance of soles or heels, having nails driven in
from the outer side, this arrangement being shewn in the Figs. marked 13.
i is the dovetailed or other shaped groove having sliding pieces k placed
therein, these sliding pieces may be made to receive a screw having a spiked,
square, or any other convenient form of head, or may be made solid of any
material and to project below the groove, as seen at n, or another modification
of the same as shewn in Figs. 13ª, wherein screws are let through and
countersunk into the under sliding plate, these screws may have any desired
form of head screwed into them, m¹ being a description of such projections
which may be worn in place of outer soles.
Fig. 14 is a section and elevation of a split hollow screw to be used in
contradistinction to the countersunk screw now employed for retaining the
soles of boots and shoes; the hollow portion of these screws are filled up with
leather, wood, or other material which can be readily withdrawn, at which
time any remaining portion of such screws can be easily extracted.
Fig. 15
is a circular or curved plate for embracing the sides and edges of the heel
through which screws or other fixtures may be driven into the permanent
heel; and Figs. 16 illustrates the novel arrangement and construction of my
improved single plate, having a spur attached, the plate p in this instance
being after the plate shewn at Fig. 8, with the exception that a recess or hole
is formed parallel with the side of the foot through which the shaft q of the spur
is inserted, the opposite end of such shaft from the spur being provided with a
swivel or thumbscrews, which when the spur is sent up into its seating
through the heel such swivel r is reversed, thereby securely retaining it in its
place until released for withdrawing the recess or hole from which such shaft
is withdrawn, being readily filled with a duplicate shaft minus the spur.
Fig. 17 represents a dovetailed groove which can be conveniently sunk into
any desired place on the inner welt, and firmly retained there by screws
countersunk flush with the bottom surface of the groove, or may be used as
seen at c', Fig. 7.
In Fig. 18, t is a channel or groove for holding the spur, which said channel
may form part of any of the heel plates, the spur and spur shaft being secured
thereto in the manner as above described. Fig. 19 is a wedge to fill up the

page_text: vacancy under the spring latch 7 in Fig. 1. In Fig. 8* a double plate is used,
the upper one being permanently attached to the welt or stationary heel, and
has two lugs projecting from its bottom surface which pass through the
detachable heel plate, and when both plates are together a flat runner is
inserted in slots provided in the lugs for that purpose.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
.distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-
before described; but what I particularly claim is,-
First, the use of the metal plate in its various arrangements, (as shewn in
the Sheet of Drawings hereunto attached), or any slight modification of the
said arrangements.
Secondly, I claim the principle whereby an outer sole or heel can be
attached or detached to or from an inner sole or heel at the pleasure of the
.wearer; the said attachable and detachable sole or heel being fastened to
the above-mentioned plate from the inner side of the said plate, or whereby the
outer sole or heel forms in itself both the outer sole or heel and the fastener
by which such soles or heels are secured to the permanent sole or heel, that is
to say, the outward detachable sole or heel (whether formed of leather or of
any other substance) may be so constructed in the form of grooves, slots, or
runners, as to fit into corresponding grooves or channels made in the permanent
sole or heel, as alluded to in my Provisional Specification.
Thirdly, I claim the use of grooves, channels, and the peculiar shaped
screws and fasteners, as herein-before described, and as used for the purposes
herein-before described and fully set forth in this Specification and Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Grason, have hereiuto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
THOMAS GRASON. (L.S.)