IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTJACKS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD PUDSEY DAWSON, of Delbury Hall, Craven Arms, in the county of
Shropshire, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTJACKS " to be as follows:-
My invention consists essentially of an improved bootjack provided with
moveable jaws, which grip the boot to be removed when pressure is brought to
bear upon a plate or treadle.
The construction of the apparatus is substantially as follows:-
A base plate has at one end thereof two jaws, pivotted horizontally, so that the
outer ends of the said jaws project beyond the base plate and the inner ends lie
upon or over the said plate The outer ends of the 'said jaws are formed of a
suitable shape to embrace the heel of a boot when placed therein.
A plate or treadle, preferably made in the shape of. a boot sole is pivotted on
the base plate so that the toe end is over the inner ends of the moveable jaws.
On the underside of the treadle plate a triangular piece is fixed provided with
two converging slots to receive the inner ends of the aforesaid moveable jaws;
so that when the treadle is depressed the inner ends of the jaws are separated and
the projecting ends consequently brought nearer each other.
A spring or other suitable device is placed under the forepart of the treadle so
that it is held up and the jaws kept open.
To use the apparatus, the heel of one boot is placed in the open jaws, and the
treadle pressed down with the other foot, when the boot will be gripped with
sufficient force to enable the foot to be withdrawn therefrom.
The advantages of my improved apparatus are that it is instantly self adjusting
to any sized boot; that the boot cannot slip; that the grip can be regulated by
the pressure of the foot; that the heels of boots, especially if of patent leather are
not damaged; and that the construction is so simple that it cannot well get out of
order.
My improved bootjack may be made of metal, or of metal and wood, or other
suitable material combined as desired.
Dated this twenty third day of December 1884

page_text: 3.
I, RICHARD PUDSEY DAWSON of Delbury Hall, Craven, Arms, Salop in the county
of Shropshire, Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
My invention consists essentially of an improved bootjack provided with
moveable jaws which grip the boot to be removed when pressure is brought to
bear upon a plate or treadle.
The construction of the apparatus is substantially as follows: A base plate has
at one end thereof two jaws, pivotted horizontally so that the outer ends of the
said jaws project beyond the base plate and the inner ends lie upon or over
the said plate. The outer ends of the said jaws are formed of a suitable shape to
embrace the heel of a boot when placed therein..
A plate or treadle, preferably made in the shape of a boot sole, is pivotted on
the base plate, so that the toe end is over the inner ends of the moveable jaws.
On the underside of the treadle plate a triangular piece is fixed, provided with
two converging slots to receive the inner ends of the aforesaid moveable jaws, so
that when the treadle is depressed the inner ends of the jaws are separated and
the projecting ends consequently brought nearer each other.
A spring or other suitable device is placed under the forepart of the treadle so
that it is held up and the jaws kept open.
To use the apparatus, the heel of one boot is placed in the open jaws, and the
treadle pressed down with the other foot, when the boot will be gripped with
sufficient force to enable the foot to be withdrawn therefrom.
In order that the construction of my improved bootjack may be more clearly
understood, will now proceed to further and more particularly describe the same
by reference to the accompanying, two sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is an
elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a cross-section through the line X X in
Figure 1, of an improved bootjack, constructed according to my invention;
The same letters refer to the same parts in each figure.
.
A is a base, resting upon the floor at one end and raised slightly therefrom by a
small block or distance piece B at the other end, after the manner of an ordinary
boot-jack, CC are two jaws suitably formed to receive the heel of a boot, and
pivotted to the base A by screws D D₁ the said screws also pass through a cross-
bar E, which acts as a guide to the jaws C C-A foot plate F is hinged to the
base A by a pin passing through the brackets H H screwed to the side of the base.
A triangular projection J is affixed to the underside of the front of the foot plate
and two converging slots K K¹ are formed, therein to receive the ends of the
jaws C C¹, such ends being properly shaped for that purpose.
A spring L is provided to raise the end of the foot plate and as the slots in the
projection J incline towards each other in the form of a V, the outer ends of the
jaws are thus opened to their full extent.
When the plate F is pushed down by the pressure of the foot, the said jaws are
brought together and grip the heel of the boot or shoe, which has previously been
placed between them.

page_text: The advantages of my improved apparatus are that it is self-adjusting to any
sized boot; that the boot cannot slip; that the grip can be regulated by the
pressure of the foot; that the heels of boots especially if of patent leather are not
damaged; and that the construction is so simple that it cannot well get out of
order.
My improved bootjack may be made of metal, or of metal and wood or other
suitable material combined as desired.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. An improved bootjack constructed in the manner and for the purposes,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
2. A boot-jack having a hinged foot plate and moveable jaws to grasp a boot,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 21st day of September 1885.
AMBROSE MYALL, C.E.,
Agent for the Applicant.