IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLE PLATES AND HEEL TIPS FOR BOOTS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Moses Slack and Ralph Slack, both of Bollington, in the
County of Chester, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SOLE PLATES AND HEEL TIPS FOR BOOTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Moses Slack and Ralph Slack
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1881.1
26
MOSES SLACK and RALPH SLACK, both of Bollington, in the County of Chester.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLE PLATES AND HEEL TIPS FOR
BOOTS.".
The object of our Invention is to manufacture sole plates and heel tips for boots
which shall be light, durable, not liable to slip, firmly attached, and readily renewed
when required.
We make the sole plates in from four to six sections (five being preferred), the
joints lying transversely across the sole so as not to interfere with the flexibility of
the same.
These transverse plates are made in malleable cast iron of an open or skeleton
form for the sake of lightness, and also to prevent slipping. Each plate is put on
with two screws, the screw holes being formed through bosses cast onto the back of
the plate and recessed from the front, so that when the screws are screwed home
the heads thereof are flush with the leather of the sole, and will not be subject to
wear till the whole thickness of the plate has become worn through. Recesses are
formed in the leather of the sole to receive the bosses when the plates are first
fitted on.
.
The sections are slightly hollowed at the back to suit the curve of the leather
sole.
We make the sole plates in different sizes (both. rights and lefts), and to prevent
mistakes we letter or number each section from a to e, or from 1 to 5, and mark
them with the size and with the letter R or L so that there will be no difficulty in
selecting a set (or portion of a set) for any size of boot, either right or left, and any
one section may be replaced if required without disturbing the others.

page_text: The heel tips are also made of malleable cast iron and of an open or skeleton
form, being secured to the heel by two or three screws, the heads of which are
recessed into bosses cast onto the back and let into the leather, as in the case of the
sole plates.
The heel tips we. also make in different sizes, and we number them to correspond
with the sole plates.
When worn away upon one edge they can be taken off and reversed, right for
left, both heels being the same in form.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
"E
by the said Moses Slack and Ralph Slack in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th November 1881.
MOSES SLACK and RALPH SLACK, both of Bollington, in the County of Chester.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLE PLATES AND HEEL TIPS FOR
BOOTS."
The object of our Invention is to manufacture sole plates and heel tips for boots
which shall be light, durable, not liable to slip, firmly attached, and readily
renewed when required.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now proceed
to describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly
understood, we have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with Figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof.
ก
We make the sole plates in from four to six sections (five being preferred)," as
shown at. a, a, Figs. 1 and 2, the joints lying transversely across the sole so as not
to interfere with the flexibility of the same.
These transverse plates a, a, are made in malleable cast iron of an open or
skeleton form for the sake of lightness, and also grooved or roughened to prevent
slipping. Each plate is put on with two screws b, b, the screw holes being formed
through bosses c, c, (see section, Fig. 3) cast onto the back of the plate and recessed
from the front, so that when the screws b, b, are screwed home the heads thereof
are flush with the leather of the sole d, d, and will not be subject to wear till the
whole thickness of the plate a, a, has become worn through.
Recesses are formed in the leather of the sole d, d, to receive the bosses c, c, when
the plate a, a are first fitted on.
The sections a, a, are slightly hollowed at the back to suit the curve of the
leather sole d, d, as shown at Fig. 3.
We make the sole plates a, a, in different sizes (both rights and lefts), and to
prevent mistakes we letter or number each section from A to E, or from 1 to 5, and
mark them with the size and with the letter "R" or "L," or with the word
right" or "left," as shown, so that there will be no difficulty in selecting a set
(or portion of a set) for any size of boot, either right or left, and any one section
may be replaced if required without disturbing the others.
The heel tips e, e, (see also section, Fig. 4) are likewise made of malleable cast
iron, and of an open or skeleton form, being secured to the heel by two or more
screws, the heads of which are recessed into bosses cast onto the back and let into
the leather, as in the case of the sole plates. The heel tips we also make in
different sizes, and we number them to correspond with the sole plates. When
worn away upon one edge they can be taken off and reversed, right for left, both
heels being the same in form.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to confine
ourselves to the exact form or shape of the plates or sections as shown in the
Drawings, but we claim as our Invention the manufacture of sole plates and heel

page_text: tips for boots, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Moses Slack and Ralph Slack, have hereunto
set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of November, in the year our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
MOSES SLACK. (L.S.)
RALPH SLACK. (L.S.)