Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Cleaning of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Cleaning of Boots
and Shoes.
JOHN MACFARLANE, Engineer, 112, Dalry Road, Edinburgh, and OLIVER
PRESCOTT MACFARLANE, Accountant, 1, Ashmount Road, Hornsey Lane,
London, N., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the cleaning of boots and shoes
and comprises a simple device intended to be fixed to a wall or to a pillar or other
convenient support.
It consists of three principal parts, viz. 1, the wall or breast plate. 2, the fore
arm. 3, the heel lever.
In the breast plate provision is made for firmly fixing it to a support by means of
bolts or wood screws, clamps or thumb screws.
The fore arm springs from the breast plate and may form one piece therewith or
be firmly jointed thereto. It extends first horizontally at right angles then dips
downwards but with a slight forward inclination and terminates with a toc piece
shaped to form a suitable support for the fore part of the boot or shoe to be cleaned.
The top edge of the horizontal part is provided with teeth & forms a rack or
ratchet.
The heel lever is attached to the fore arm and works on a pin placed near to and
below the bend, which pin forms the fulcrum of the lever. The upper branch or
handle of the lever carries a pawl fitted to work into the rack forming the top of
the horizontal part of the fore arm and the lower part terminates with a heel piece
The heel
shaped to form a suitable support for the heel part of the boot or shoe.
piece may be fitted with a spring piece so that it will follow the curve of the boot
when the lever is brought into operation and an indiarubber facing may be used
when it is wanted to increase the gripping power of the heel piece.
To use the apparatus it is only necessary to insert the toe piece and heel piece in
the front and heel respectively of the boot or shoe and pull the lever forward by its
upper end or handle until the boot or shoe is firmly gripped by the pressure out-
wards of the heel piece from the toc piece (the gripping action being somewhat
analogous to the action in a glove stretcher). The pawl which works over the
ratchet, keeps the lever in place until the cleaning operation is complete when the
pawl being raised by pressing on the tail piece with which it is provided, the heel
lever is released and the boot or shoe can be removed.
When wanted we attach to the wall plate a little cabinet to hold the brushes and
blacking and we construct and arrange this so that it forms an extra support to the
fore arm and thus increases its rigidity. The cabinet may be fitted with a bottle
holder for liquid blacking or with a shallow dished holder for cake blacking or it
may be made to hold both bottle and cake blacking at the same time. The shallow
dished holder when this is the case may be made to serve as a stopper or covering
to the bottle.
Where for want of space the horizontal part of the fore arm must be shortened
so as to leave little room to get the brush round the heel of the boot or shoe we
make a joint in it between the wall plate and the rack. By means of this the fore
arm may be turned to the right or left and the heel of the boot or shoe can then be
readily got at. The joint is made to lock and unlock so that the rigidity of the
fore arm is maintained. This joint will also serve to turn the fore arm parallel
with the wall or other support when the apparatus is not in use.

page_text: The toe-piece with.which the fore arm terminates may be made flexible so as to
adjust itself readily to the size and shape of the boot or shoe and present an even
surface to the brush.
Dated this Fourteenth day of August 1890.
JOHN MACFARLANE.
O: P. MACFARLANE.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Cleaning, of Boots
and. Shoes.
1, JOHN MACFARLANE, Engineer, and OLIVER PRESCOTT MACFARLANE,
Accountant, both of 1, Ashmount Road, Hornsey, 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 :-
Our invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the cleaning and polishing of
boots, shoes and the like.
The object of our invention is to provide an improved device or apparatus for
stretching and holding boots shoes or the like in a convenient position, and thereby
enabling the cleaning and polishing thereof to be efficiently, rapidly and advan-
tageously performed, and moreover preserving the said boots or shoes in their
proper shape, and stretching and removing wrinkles or creases therefrom.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure is a side elevation partly in section, and
Figure 2 is a front elevation illustrating our improved device or apparatus for
facilitating the cleaning and polishing of boots shoes or the like.
Figures 3 and 4 are elevations partly in section showing slight modifications
thereof hereinafter described.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is a portion of a wall or other surface to which the device or apparatus is
secured, B is a plate intended to be secured to the wall or other surface A. by
means of bolts, screws or in any other convenient manner, and provided with a boss
or projection B having a square or other suitably shaped hole or socket 12 therein.
Cis a bent or curved arm one extremity of which is provided with a correspondingly
shaped projection or piece C adapted to fit in the hole or socket 12. The said
projection or piece C and socket B2 are preferably formed slightly taper so as to
ensure a tight fit and prevent any shaking or vibration of the arm when the
apparatus is in use. C is a plate or piece firmly secured to or formed on the other
extremity of the bent or curved arm C and intended to fit in the toe or front of the
boot or shoe. D is a lever pivoted at D' in a slot C³ provided in the said beut
or curved arm C. The extremity of the long arm or one arm of the said lever D
is slightly bent or curved as shown, and is provided with a cross piece D intended
to engage in the heel or rear part of the said boot or shoc. E is a hooked catch or
pawl pivoted at E' to the short arm or other arm of the said lever D.
C Care
ratchet teeth formed on the arm C, or on a rack firmly secured thereto. The
hooked catch or pawl E normally engages with one or other of the said ratchet
teeth C under the action of a spring F.
G is a receptacle having a plate or extension G by means of which it is
secured to the wall or other surface A; the said plate G fitting behind the
plate B. GG2 are compartments formed in the receptacle G and intended to
receive the brushes for cleaning and polishing purposes. Ga is a compartiment
for the bottle or other receptacle containing the blacking. The compartment G³
is preferably open in the front and is provided with a wire or other ring or

page_text: G is
guard G to maintain the bottle or other receptacle in position therein.
a recess or depression formed in the bottom of the compartment G³ for cake-
blacking or the like. The receptacle G is preferably stamped or otherwise formed
out of tin or other sheet metal, and the front portions of the compartments G³ are
provided with holes or perforations Ge for the purpose of permitting free access
of air to the brushes.
In using the apparatus, the arm C and lever D being in the position shown
in full lines in the drawing, the boot or shoe which it is desired to hold or
secure in position for cleaning or polishing is placed in position upon the toe
piece C² and heel piece D as shown in chain lines in Figure 1. The lever D
is then moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and is retained
or locked firmly in position by the hooked catch or pawl E, the boot or shoe
being gripped by the toe piece C on the arm C pressing in one direction, and
the cross piece or heel piece D2 on the lever D pressing in the other direction,
so as to take a firm hold of the said boot or shoe and to strain stretch or tree
it, straighten the sole, and remove any creases or wrinkles therefrom.
To remove the boot or shoe from the apparatus the hooked catch or pawl E
is raised and disengaged from the tooth with which it was engaged, and the
lever D returned to the position shown in full lines in the drawing.
Figure 3 illustrates a slight modification wherein the socket B and projection
or piece C are formed circular, and the latter is provided with a projection or
feather C adapted to engage in a recess notch or slot B formed in the said
socket B', so as to prevent any rotary movement of the piece C' therein.
Figure 4 illustrates another slight modification wherein the heel piece or lower
extremity of the lever D is fitted with a spring piece D³ to enable it to follow
the curve of the boot or shoe when the lever D is operated.
It is obvious moreover that we can somewhat further modify the construction of
our improved device for facilitating the cleaning of boots, shoes and the like
without departing in any way from the nature of our said invention, for instance
the crossbar or heelpiece D2 is sometimes covered or faced with leather, india-
rubber or other suitable material in order to increase the gripping power thereof,
and prevent injury to the lining of the boot or shoe.
The toe piece C2 is sometimes formed of thin plates of steel or the like, or other-
wise constructed so as to be flexible and to adjust itself readily to the size and
shape of the boot or shoe that may be placed thereon and present an even surface
to the brush. In some instances the horizontal part of the arm C is shortened in
order to economize space, and only a slight clearance is left between the wall or
other surface A. when the boot or shoe is stretched in position upon the device, thus
rendering it difficult or impossible to get the brush round the heel of the said boot
or shoe. In this case we connect the arm C to the wall plate B by means of a
hinge or joint, thereby enabling the said arm C to be moved or turned to the right
or left and the heel or rear portion of the hoot or shoe to be readily got at.
Suitable means are provided morcover for enabling the arm C to be locked or
secured in position at right angles, and at any other desired angle to the wall or
surface A. When out of use the arm C may be turned or folded so as to lie flat
against, or parallel to the said wall or surface A.
We sometimes so construct and arrange the receptacle G that it forms a stay or
support for strengthening and increasing the rigidity of the arm C. The dish, tray
or receptacle for the cake blacking is sometimes so arranged that it forms a stopper
or cover for the bottle or other vessel containing the liquid blacking.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. An apparatus for the purposes above specified, comprising two arms which
are pivoted or jointed together and adapted to be inserted in the boot, shoe or the

page_text: like, and then expanded and secured so as to firmly hold the same in the desired
position.
2nd. The improved device or apparatus for facilitating the cleaning and polishing
of hoots, shoes or the like comprising an arm provided with a suitable toe piece, a
straining or stretching lever pivoted thereto, and adapted to fit into the said boots
or shoes, and suitable means for retaining the said lever in an expanded position,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
3rd. The improved device or apparatus substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2, or to Figure 3 or to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing and
for the purpose hereinbefore specified.
Data thi 0141 downt ADHAN 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.