Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 8th Apr.,
1899
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of boot or shoe trees in which the foot-piece
is composed of a plurality of longitudinal sections, one of which is affixed to the
body or instep portion of the foot-piece, while another (one or more) is movable
longitudinally upon the fixed section, the sections being formed and connecte:1
so that a movement of the movable section forward, or toward the toe end, will
simultaneously elongate the foot-piece and decrease its width, while an opposite
movement of said movable section will simultaneously shorten the foot-piece and
increase its width. The present invention has for its object to provide a foot-
piece of this character, in which the movable section or sections shall auto-
matically assume the position required to elongate and reduce the width of the
foot-piece, and shall be yieldingly maintained in said position, so that when a
boot or shoe is removed, the foot-piece will automatically assume its narrowest
form, permitting the removal of the boot or shoe with less strain upon the upper
than heretofore, the foot-piece being normally held in shape to readily enter a
boot or shoe and to be widened by the operation of placing the boot or shoe upon
it. The invention consists in the improvements which will now proceed to
describe.
The improved boot and shoe tree comprises a section of the foot-piece, the same
being formed on the body portion, which includes the instep and is provided with
means for detachable connection with the heel section of the tree.
their inner
It also com-
prises two movable sections which are adapted to slide upon the fixed section and
may be engaged therewith by. any suitable means. In this case the body section
may be provided with recesses in its sides in which the side sections
are fitted to slide, the side sections being provided at
sides with slotted plates, with which are engaged headed screws affixed
to the body section. Pins projecting from the forward portion of
the body section enter slots in the side sections. The slots in the slotted
plates are suitably curved, so that they co-operate with the screws and pins in
properly guiding the movable sections in their longitudinal movements. The
fixed section is wedge-shaped, or has its sides inclined at different angles, so that
when the movable sections are moved forward as the foot-piece is elongated and
its width is reduced to the minimum, and when said sections are moved back-
wardly, the foot-piece is shortened and has its maximum width.
In carrying out my invention, I provide means for yieldingly maintaining the
foot-piece in its adjustment of minimum width, so that when the heel portion of

page_text: the boot or shoe is released, the foot-piece will automatically contract in width
and will thus release the fore part and permit its ready removal.
The preferred embodiment of my invention is that in which helical springs are
located in slots formed in the inner sides of the movable sections, the forward
ends of said springs being secured to the fixed section and their rear ends to the
movable sections. The stress of the springs normally forces the movable sections
from one position to another, thus reducing the width of the foot-piece.
I may employ a single spring, the central portion of which is bent over an
abutment in the fixed section, the end portions of said spring being located in
slots formed in the sides of the fixed section. The ends of the springs are engaged
with the movable sections.
The foot-piece may be composed of a body section which constitutes one side
of the foot-piece, and a single movable section which constitutes the other side of
the foot-piece, the meeting surfaces of said sections being inclined, so that longi-
tudinal movements of the movable sections will reduce and increase the width of
the foot-piece. In this case, a spring is employed, connected at one end with the
body section and at the other end with the movable section.
I may if desired adopt a construction similar to that above described, excepting
that the spring-receiving slots are formed in the sides of the fixed section.
My improvement above described enables a boot or shoe to be easily and quickly
drawn onto the foot-piece and without strain on the upper, the foot-piece being
widened only after the toe portion of the upper has been drawn against the toe
end or ends of the movable section or sections, so that there is no objectionable
longitudinal strain on the upper during the drawing-on operation. The foot-
piece of a tree usually stands in a vertical position, with the toe portion uppermost;
hence the movable sections, if not yieldingly raised in accordance with my inven-
tion, assume the normal position, and the upper has to be drawn on to the foot-
piece when it is in its adjustment of maximum width, thus in many cases subject-
ing the upper to an undesirable strain, particularly when it has a laced or buttoned
top. My improved tree permits the ready application of boots or shoes of the
character last mentioned.
My improvement also facilitates the operation of removing a boot or shoe, the
foot-piece automatically narrowing and forcing the boot or shoe forward from the
fixed section when the heel is released.
I do not limit myself to the details of construction above described, and may
variously modify the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Dated this 31st day of January 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
.45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, 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:-
This invention relates to that class of boot or shoe trees in which the foot-piece
is composed of a plurality of longitudinal sections, one of which is affixed to the
body or instep portion of the foot-piece, while another (one or more) is movable
longitudinally upon the fixed section, the sections being formed and connected
so that a movement of the movable section forward, or toward the toe end, will

page_text: simultaneously elongate the foot-piece and decrease its width, while an opposite
movement of said movable section will simultaneously shorten the foot-piece and
increase its width. The present invention has for its object to provide a foot-
piece of this character, in which the movable section or sections shall auto-
matically assume the position required to elongate and reduce the width of the
foot-piece, and shall be yieldingly maintained in said position, so that when a
boot or shoe is removed, the foot-piece will automatically assume its narrowest
form, permitting the removal of the boot or shoe with less strain upon the upper
than heretofore, the foot-piece being normally held in shape to readily enter a
boot or shoe and to be widened by the operation of placing the boot or shoe upon
it. The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to
describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,―
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree
embodying my improvement.
Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents an elevation showing the inner side of one of the movable
sections shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 represents a view similar to Figure 2 showing the movable sections
retracted, to widen the foot-piece.
Figure 6 represents a view similar to Figure 2, showing a modification herein-
after referred to.
Figure 7 represents a sectional view, showing the foot-piece having but one-
movable section.
Figure 8 represents another modification.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures:
In the drawings, and referring first to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
a represents the fixed section of the foot-piece, the same being formed on the
body portion, which includes the instep a¹ and is provided with means for detach-
able connection with the heel section of the tree (not shown). bb repre-
sent two movable sections which are adapted to slide upon the fixed
section a, and may be engaged therewith by any suitable means. As here shown,
the body section is provided with recesses in its sides in which the side sections
are fitted to slide, the side sections being provided at their inner sides with
slotted plates c, with which are engaged headed screws d affixed to the body
section. Pins e c projecting from the forward portion of the body section enter.
slots ff in the side sections. The slots in the plates c and the slots f f are
suitably curved, so that they co-operate with the screws d and pins e in properly
guiding the sections 66 in their longitudinal movements. The fixed section a is
wedge-shaped, or has its sides inclined at different angles, so that when the
sections are moved forward as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the foot-piece is
clongated and its width is reduced to the minimum, and when said sections 6 bare
moved backwardly, as shown in Figure 5, the foot-piece is shortened and has its
maximum width.
In carrying out my invention, I provide means for yieldingly maintaining the
foot-piece in its adjustment of minimum width, so that when the heel portion of
the boot or shoe is released, the foot-piece will automatically contract in width,
and will thus release the fore part and permit its ready removal.
The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2, in
which gg represent helical springs located in slots h h formed in the inner sides
of the sections bb, the forward ends of said springs being secured to the fixed
section and their rear ends to the movable sections b b. The stress of the
springs g g normally forces the sections 66 from the position shown in Figure 5 to
that shown in Figures 1 and 2, thus reducing the width of the foot-piece.
In Figure 6, I show a single spring g', the central portion of which is bent over
an abutment in the fixed section a, the end portions of said spring being located

page_text: in slots h¹ h¹ formed in the sides of the fixed section a. "The ends of the spring'g!
are engaged with the 'movable sections 6 b..
In Figure 7, I show a foot-piece composed of a body section a which con-
stitutes one side of the foot-piece, and a single movable section 62 which con-
stitutes the other side of the foot-piece, the meeting surfaces of said sections
being inclined, so that longitudinal movements of the movable sections will
reduce and increase the width of the foot-piece. In this case, a spring gis
employed, connected at one end with the section a³ and at the other end with the
section 62.
In Figure 8, I show a construction similar to that shown in Figure 2, excepting
that the spring-receiving slots lettered h² are formed in the sides of the fixed
section a.
My improvement above described enables a boot or shoe to be easily and quickly
drawn onto the foot-piece, and without strain on the upper, the foot-piece being
widened only after the toe portion of the upper has been drawn against the toe
end or ends of the movable section or sections, so that there is no objectionable
longitudinal strain on the upper during the drawing-on operation. The foot-
piece of a tree usually stands in a vertical position, with the toe portion uppermost ;
hence the movable sections, if not yieldingly raised in accordance with my inven-
tion, normally assume the position shown in Figure 5, and the upper has to be
drawn onto the foot-piece when it is in its adjustment of maximum width, thus
in many cases subjecting the upper to an undesirable strain, particularly when
it has a laced or buttoned top. My improved tree permits the ready application
of boots or shoes of the character last mentioned.
My improvement also facilitates the operation of removing a boot or shoe, the
foot-piece automatically narrowing and forcing the boot or shoe forward from
the fixed section when the heel is released.
I do not limit myself to the details of construction above described, and may
variously modify the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, comprising a plurality of longitudinal
sections having meeting faces which are obliquely arranged, so that the foot-
piece may be simultaneously elongated and narrowed, or simultaneously shortened
and widened, and means for yieldingly elongating and narrowing the foot-piece,
whereby it automatically assumes its narrowest form when a boot or shoe is
removed, and is adapted to be widened by the operation of applying the boot or
shoe.
2. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, comprising a plurality of longitudinal
sections having meeting faces which are obliquely arranged, so that the foot-
piece may be simultaneously elongated and narrowed, or simultaneously shortened
and widened, and a spring arranged to normally maintain the foot-piece in its
elongated and narrowed form.
3. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, comprising a wedge-shaped central
section, two side sections movable thereon lengthwise of the last and guided
thereby in paths which are oblique to each other, and a spring or springs arranged
to normally maintain the side sections at the forward extreme of their move-
ment.
Dated thin 21at do.. of Ta
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.