AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Caleb Hill, of Cheddar, in the County of Somerset,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 16th September 1864, and dated the 21st March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Caleb Hill at the:
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st March 1864.
I, CALEB HILL, of Cheddar, in the County of Somerset, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing the outer soles of
boots and shoes whereby their durability is increased, and their renewal when
worn is greatly facilitated. The Invention applies chiefly to club sole boots
and shoes, and consists in inserting in the outer sole a metal frame, which
takes somewhat the figure of the sole, and extends from the waist to near the
toe of the boot, and lies flush with the sole. This frame at about the middle
of its length is provided with a hinge joint to allow of the inner half being raised
up, and a sliding bolt or its equivalent fitted to the waist of the boot serves to
retain the moveable part of the frame in position. The inner edges of the '
frame are inclined so as to overlap the bevilled edges of a removeable sole
piece which is slidden into the frame when the moveable portion thereof is
raised. By depressing the raised part and then securing it by the sliding bolt,

page_text: the sole piece is held in its place. This sole piece will form the greater
portion of the sole, and when worn may be readily replaced by a new piece,
thus making the improved boot particularly applicable for soldiers' wear. By
making the side seams in the upper leather correspond in position with the
joint in the metal frame, the tendency of the "uppers" to crack will be
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Caleb Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CALEB
HILL, of Cheddar, in the County of Somerset, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing, date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said. Caleb Hill, Her special license that I, the said Caleb Hill,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said'
Caleb Hill, 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHоES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Caleb Hill, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Caleb Hill, do hereby declare the
nature of, my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing the outer soles of
boots and shoes, the object being to increase their durability by permitting of
the easy renewal by the wearer of the sole when worn. The Invention

page_text: applies chiefly to club sole boots and shoes, and consists in inserting in a metal
frame an inner sole, piece of leather, or other suitable material. This
metal frame takes somewhat of the figure and forms part of the sole, it being.
flush with the face of the sole and extending from the waist to near. the toe of
the boot. The construction of this frame may vary without affecting its
utility, its use being to retain in position a sole piece which will take the
main part of the wear from the boot, and admit of the easy removal and
replacement of the sole.piece.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two forms of frame for
holding the removable sole piece.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a boot sole, shewing the Invention applied thereto.
The metal frame, it will be seen, is in this example composed of two parts
A and A*, it being divided at about. the middle of its length, and the parts
connected together by a hinge joint.. The part A is fixed by pins or screws
to the inner sole of the boot, and the part A* is made fast by a bolt B (shewn
detached at Figures 2) affixed to the waist of the boots, which bolt when
thrust forward effectually retains the moveable part of the frame in position.
The inner edges of the frame are inclined inwards, so as to overlap the edges of
the removeable sole piece C, which are bevilled to fit the frame. This sole
piece C is slidden into the frame while the moveable portion A* is raised, and
when pressed home the part A* is brought down upon it and secured by the
sliding bolt B. This sole piece it will be seen forms the greater portion of
the outer sole, and when worn may be readily replaced by a new piece,
thus rendering the improved boot particularly applicable for soldiers' wear.
By making the side seams in the upper leather correspond in position with
the joint in the metal frame, the tendency of the "uppers" to crack will be
materially diminished.
Fig. 3 shews a modified form of frame intended for lighter boots. The
metal frame D embraces a smaller space than that shewn'at Fig. 1, that is,
it does not extend to the edge of the outer sole. It is affixed to the main
sole by screws d, d, and is surrounded by a filling piece of leather E, which
lies flush with the face of the frame. The inner edges of the frame are
bevilled, as described with respect to the first example, and as shewn in the
cross section Fig. 4, in order to overlap the edges of the removeable sole
piece, to permit of the insertion of the sole piece F, a detachable cross bar
D* is used to form the end of the frame. Before applying this bar the sole
piece is slidden into its place, and it is then secured by screwing down the
cross bar as shown at Fig. 3. The heel of the boot is made with a circular
tip, which admits of being shifted when worn on one side.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my. Invention of an improvement
in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and explained the manner of carrying.
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent. I claim, applying to the main soles of boots and shoes
a metal frame for receiving a removeable sole piece in the manner and for
the purpose above described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Caleb Hill; have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the 20th day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.