A NEW OR IMPROVED APPLIANCE TO BE WORN ON A BOOT OR SHOE TO PREVENT PERSONS SLIPPING, AND ATTACHING OR SECURING THE SAME
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bland, of Luton, in the County of Bedford, for
an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPLIANCE TO BE WORN ON A
BOOT OR SHOE TO PREVENT PERSONS SLIPPING, AND
ATTACHING OR SECURING THE SAME."
THE MODE OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bland at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1881.
HENRY BLAND, of Luton, in the County of Bedford. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPLIANCE TO BE WORN ON A BOOT OR, SHOE TO PREVENT PERSONS SLIPPING,
AND THE MODE OF ATTACHING OR SECURING THE SAME."
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of removeable
expanding and contracting appliance to be worn on a boot or shoe, in order to
afford a better foothold, or prevent persons slipping when walking or running, also
to the mode of attaching or [securing the same. The said appliance is also suitable
for use in games, such as cricket, foot-ball, tennis, and the like, or as an ice creeper.
My improved appliance consists essentially of four narrow thin steel links or strips
jointed to three clamps at their extremities and to a metal loop or connecting
piece at the rear end, the whole forming an expanding light frame. The front
clamp is bent over so as to take a firm hold of the toe of the sole, and the two side
clamps are similarly bent over so as to embrace firmly the two opposite sides of
the sole near the waist of the boot or shoe. The two longer links; forming the
front portion of the appliance, are provided with conical steel spikes to improve the
foot hold; whilst the two shorter links forming the rear portion of the appliance act
as toggle jointed levers, which, when tightened or drawn towards the heel, tend to
produce a simultaneous grip of the three clamps upon the toe and sides of the sole,
such grip being brought and maintained in action by the aid of a strap or its
equivalent passing through the loop attached to the rear joint, and carried round
the heel of the wearer, this strap being supported in its proper position by a second
strap passing across the instep. The above described expanding appliance can be
readily removed and replaced, and will fit various sizes of boots or shoes, whilst the
spikes being secured to the metal strips or links by rivetting or otherwise will be
much more firmly held upon the foot than when they are simply inserted into the
leather sole direct. Moreover all injury to the sole and the changing of the boot or
shoe for the particular purpose required is entirely obviated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Bland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th July
1881.
HENRY BLAND, of Luton, in the County of Bedford. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPLIANCE TO BE WORN ON A BOOT OR SHOE TO PREVENT PERSONS SLIPPING,
AND THE MODE OF ATTACHING OR SECURING THE SAME.'
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
removeable expanding and contracting appliance to be worn on a boot or shoe, in
order to afford a better foothold, or prevent. persons slipping when walking or
running, also to the mode of attaching or securing the same.
The said appliance is also suitable for use in games, such as cricket, foot ball,
tennis, and the like, or as an ice creeper. My improved appliance consists essentialy
of four narrow thin steel links or strips jointed to three clamps at their extremities
and to a metal loop or connecting piece at the rear end, the whole forming an
expanding light frame. The front clamp is bent over so as to take a firm hold of
the toe of the sole, and the two side clamps are similarly bent over so as to embrace
firmly the two opposite sides of the sole near the waist of the boot or shoe. The
two longer links forming the front portion of the appliance are provided with
conical steel spikes to improve the foot hold, whilst the two shorter links forming
the rear portion of the appliance, and which may or may not be provided with
spikes, act as toggle jointed levers, which, when drawn back towards the heel, tend
to produce a simultaneous grip of the three clamps upon the toe, and the two
opposite sides of the sole near the waist, such grip being brought or maintained in
action by the aid of a strap or its equivalent passing through the metal loop
attached to the rear joint, and carried upwards slightly so as to pass round the
back of the boot or shoe just above the heel of the wearer. This strap may be
supported in its proper position if found desirable by a second looped strap passing
across the instep, through the loops of which strap the tightening strap is passed.
The above described expanding appliance can be readily removed and replaced, and
will fit various sizes of boots or shoes, whilst the spikes, being secured to the metal
strips or links by rivetting or otherwise, will be much more firmly held upon the
foot than when they are simply inserted into the leather sole direct. Moreover all
injury to the sole and the changing of the boot or shoe for the particular purpose
required is entirely obviated.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
;
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents an underside plan view of one form of my
improved appliance fitted to the sole of an ordinary boot or shoe, and adapted for
use in cricket and other like games where it will be subjected to severe strains
Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the same appliance detached;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a boot or shoe drawn to a smaller scale, showing the
mode of securing the said appliance and the arrangement of the securing straps;
Figure 4 is a plan showing the upper surface or that next the sole of the boot or shoe,
of a slightly modified and lighter construction of the said appliance as adapted for
ordinary walking purposes or as an ice creeper.
:
A, A, and B, B, are the four narrow thin steel links or strips; C, C, and C¹ are
the three clamps; D is the metal loop, through which the fastening strap or its
equivalent E is passed; a, a, are the holding steel spikes secured into the two
longer links A, A, as shown in Figure and in some cases also into the shorter

page_text: links or toggle jointed levers B, B, as shown in Figure 4. The front ends of the
links A are each separately connected by a joint pin b of its own to the front or
toe clamp C¹, whilst the rear ends of the same links are jointed to the outer ends
of the shorter links B, B, as well as to the side clamps C, C, by other joint pins b'
passing through the two links and clamp. The contiguous or inner ends of the
shorter links B, B, are jointed together, and to the metal loop D by the joint
pin 6. The several joint pins b, b; b', b¹¹, may be so shaped as to form holding
spikes in themselves, as shown in the Drawings. The clamps each consist of a
piece of metal bent up into the form of a hook or hooks at c, the base d of the
clamp fitting against the underside of the sole and receiving the joint pins b, b,
or b'. These several clamps are each made self adjusting by being left free to
swivel or turn more or less on the joint pins, and consequently fit the edge of the
sole, both at the toe and sides, with great accuracy. The hooked part c overlaps
slightly the projecting surface of the sole at the part below the upper leather of
the boot or shoe. E is the main securing strap or its equivalent, which passes
through the metal loop D, and is then carried backwards and upwards slightly so
as to pass round the back of the boot or shoe just above the heel of the wearer,
this strap being maintained in position if found desirable by the looped cross
strap F passing over the instep, as will be clearly understood on referring to
Figure 3. The appliance having been sufficiently expanded or opened out to admit
of the several hooks of the clamps passing over the edge of the sole it is when
adjusted in its proper position readily and effectively secured onto the boot or
shoe by simply tightening the strap E, which by drawing backwards the joint of
the toggle levers B, B, causes the appliance to contract laterally, and its clamps to
grip forcibly the edges of the sole. The appliance can be instantly loosened and
removed when no longer required for use by simply releasing the strap E.
Although I prefer to connect each of the two side clamps C, C, with the links or
strips A and B by a single joint pin b', as shown, and to connect in like manner
the contiguous or adjoining ends of the shorter links B, B, with the metal loop D
by a single joint pin 61, it is obvious that two separate joint pins, as shown in the
front clamp in Figure 1, may be used if desired in all cases.
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 would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar construction and arrangement of removeable expanding and
contracting appliance specially designed to be fitted to the soles of boots and shoes
in order to afford a better foot-hold and to prevent slipping, and the mode of
holding or securing the said appliance in position by means of hooked clamps, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of spiked jointed-links or strips of metal or other
suitable material and hooked clamps, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bland, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
aight hundred and sight