AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING BOOTS AND SHOES."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Henry Cramp, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR STRETCHING BOOTS AND SHOES."

page_text: parts of the last may be formed of wood or metal, and are made hollow
to receive the adjusting mechanism. Inside the heel part I fit a screw
whose end has on it a wedge which projects from the fore side of the
said heel part. The said screw passes through a bevel toothed pinion
which is fitted to turn within the said heel part, and whose boss forms a
nut for the said screw. This pinion is geared with another bevel pinion
which is fixed on the end of a shaft or rod, whose upper end projects
from the top of the said heel part, and is provided with a handle for
operating it. By turning this handle the aforesaid screw is operated
in the manner and for the purpose herein-after explained.
The front part of the last has its form and construction varied
according to the particular part of the boot or shoe to be stretched or
distended by it. For instance, for stretching the top of the boot over
the instep the said front part is hinged at the toe to a metal plate and
has a vertically inclined or taper aperture to receive the said wedge
when the two parts of the last are united, one inclined edge of the wedge
bears upon the incline while the other bears upon the said plate.
Consequently when the said wedge is forced forward or into the said
aperture by turning the pinion of the screw the plate and upper part of
the said front part are separated or forced apart, and the part of the
boot or shoe in which it is fitted will be thereby stretched or distended.
For stretching the boot or shoe laterally the front part of the last is
made in two portions hinged together at the end nearest the heel, and
an aperture or chamber with inclined or taper sides is formed in the
same for the admission of the wedge. The later is adjusted to enter this
aperture, and when forced into the same by turning the aforesaid pinion,
the said two portions will be expanded or separated laterally, and the boot
or shoe will be stretched or distended laterally as desired.
°
For stretching or enlarging the toc of a boot or shoe the front part of
the last is made of suitable shape at the toc portion, and has an aperture
for the reception of the said wedge. When the latter is forced forward
its end bears against the end or bottom of the said aperture and forces
the said part of the last into the toe of the boot or shoe, thereby
distending or enlarging the latter as desired.
The two parts of my improved last are connected by a small metal strin

page_text: part and secured therein by a hinged pin or stud which enters a notch in
the said bar, or they may be formed with dovetails or tongues and grooves.
or other devices for permitting them to be readily connected and
separated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Henry Cramp in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
HENRY CRAMP, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Henry Cramp, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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 IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING BOOTS AND SHOES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, 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 Alfred Henry Cramp, 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

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My Invention relates to novel apparatus for stretching boots and
shoes, and by which all parts of the boot or shoe may without injury
thereto be stretched or distended to any required extent.
I construct this improved apparatus as shewn in the acccompanying
Drawing, in which Figure 1 is an interior elevation of one part of my
said apparatus; Figure 2 shews the under side of this part of the said
apparatus; Figure 3 is an exterior side clevation of another part, and
Figures 4 and 5 are plans of the other parts of the same.
The said improved apparatus is a last made with a heel part,a and a
front part b, c, or d. These three front parts of the last are inter-
changeable, and either of them is connected with the heel part, according
to the part of the boot or shoe to be stretched. The front and back
parts of the last may be formed of wood or metal, and the heel part a is
made hollow to receive the adjusting mechanism, as shewn in Figure 1.
The said heel part a is made in two halves, the inside of one of which is
shewn in Figure 1. Inside the heel part a I fit a screw e whose end has
on it a wedge e¹ which projects from the fore end of the said heel part a.
The said screw passes through a bevel toothed pinion f which is fitted to
turn within the cavity or hollow portion of the said heel part, and whose
boss forms a nut for the said screw. This pinion is geared with
another bevel pinion g which is fixed on the end of a shaft or rod h,
whose upper end projects from the top of the said heel part, and is
provided with a handle i for operating it. By turning this handle the
aforesaid screw is operated in the manner and for the purpose herein-
after explained. The bearings for the pinions f, g, are formed in the two
halves of the heel part a in such a manner as to allow the free rotation
while preventing the endwise movement or displacement of the
pinions.
The front part of the last has its form and construction varied
according to the particular part of the boot or shoe to be stretched or
distended by it; for instance, for stretching the instep I use the front
part which has an upper portion hinged at the toe to a metal plate j, as
shewn at ¹, and has a vertically inclined or taper aperture 6¹ to receive
the aforesaid wedge e¹. When the two parts of the last are united one
inclined edge of the wedge e' bears upon the inclined surface 6º, while

page_text: the other bears upon the said plate j. Consequently when the said
wedge is forced forward or into the said aperture by turning the pinion f
of the screw e, the plate ; and upper or wood portion of the said front
part of the last are separated or opened, and the part of the boot or shoe
in which it is fitted will be thereby stretched or distended. The plate j
has side pieces or ears j³ which enclose the wood portion and guide the
same in its opening and closing.
For stretching the boot or shoe laterally I use the front part c con-
structed as shewn in Figure 4. This part of the last is also made in
two portions 1, 2, hinged together at the end nearest the heel, as shewn
at c¹; a cavity or chamber c² with incline or taper sides c³ is formed in
the same for the admission of the wedge e¹. The latter is adjusted to
into the same by turning
enter this cavity or chamber, and when forced
the aforesaid pinion f, the said two portions 1, 2, will be expanded or
separated laterally, and the boot or shoe will be thereby stretched or
distended laterally as desired.
For stretching or enlarging the toe of a boot or shoe I use the front
part & constructed as shewn in Figure 5. This front part d of the last
has such a shape or configuration as to fit properly in the toe of the
boot or shoe, and has a recess d₁ for the reception of the said wedge e¹.
When the latter is forced forward by the screw pinion its end bears
against the end or bottom of the said recess d', and forces the said part d
of the last into the toe of the boot or shoe, thereby distending or
enlarging the latter to any desired extent.
The heel part a of my improved last is connected to the part b, c,
when either is used by a small metal strip or bar k attached to the front
part of the last and forced into a socket in the heel part, and secured
therein by a hinged pin or stud m which enters a notch ¹ in the said
bar; or the two parts may be formed with dovetails or tongues, and
grooves or other devices for permitting them to be readily united and
separated when required.
It is obvious that instead of making the heel part separate from the
front part of the last, I may make a last with the said heel part in
one piece with or permanently attached to the front part, whether the
latter is for stretching the sides, the instep, or the toe of the boot or
shoe.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. An apparatus or last for stretching boots and shoes constructed
with a heel part which is fitted with a wedge and adjusting screw, and
with the devices for operating the same, as herein set forth.
Second. The said heel part of the last provided with the above
described wedge and adjusting mechanism attached to the part b,
constructed as shown in Figure 3, and operating in combination there-
with, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. The said heel part of the last provided with the aforesaid
wedge and adjusting mechanism attached to the part c, constructed as
shown in Figure 4, and operating in combination therewith, as herein
set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The said heel part of the last provided with the said wedge
and adjusting mechanism in combination with the front part d, con-
structed as shewn in Figure 5, as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth. The front or stretching part of the said apparatus, constructed
as shewn at b, c, or d, and operating in combination with adjusting
mechanism in the heel part of the said apparatus for the purpose i
specified..
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand. eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
ALFRED H. CRAMP. (L.s.)