IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas Hutchings, of Charlton, in the County
of Kent, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE
Sealed the 5th September. 1861, and dated the 11th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas Hutchings
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1861.
I, JOHN THOMAS HUTCHINGS, of Charlton, in the County of Kent, Boot and
Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS
FOR THE FEET, AND IN TOOLS FOR CUTTING THE SOLES OF SUCH ARTICLES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the application of vulcanized india-rubber, or
india-rubber compounds to those materials at present used for the uppers. of,
boots, shoes, and other coverings for the feet. I am aware that many attempts
have been hitherto made for effecting a similar purpose, but without success,
principally owing to the injurious, action of oily and greasy matters on india-
rubber. Now I apply a binding to the welt of boots and shoes made of a
woven fabric, and suitable to the strength required, composed of flax, hemp,
or cotton, together or separately; I saturate the fabric with india-rubber or
gutta percha solution, preferring the former, and after exposure to air and

page_text: quite dry, I cut it, by preference, transversely into strips and apply the welts
in the usual manner, first laying a saturated strip round the lasted upper, so
as to form a waterproof foundation for the welted seam, which is made in
the usual manner.
In some cases I use the saturated fabric alone as a welt
after the seam is completed. I lay a coating of solution over the surface of
the seam and insole, which, when dry, I coat in the same manner, again dry
it, and turn over the binding (namely, the saturated strip sewn in under the
welt) in such manner as to completely envelop the whole of the welt and
seam, thereby protecting the welt and seam inwardly from the destructive
influence of the vapors arising from perspiration, and outwardly from wet. I
now prepare the outer sole, and if for strong goods, such as shooting, army,
policeman's, cricket, and other such like boots requiring to be somewhat rigid
in the waist part, I prefer making the back part of the sole with leather, so
as to form a bed for the heel to be built upon as well as to form the waist or
stiffened part. For the forward part of the sole I use the compound material
before named, preferring what is generally called india-rubber packing, which
I attach to the leather or waist part, first splitting the end of the leather part
which is to receive the end of the front part. I make the connection secure
with solution and brass pins worked as finger screws. Having thus prepared
the soles, I solution and dry them as before described, treating the insole and
welted parts in a similar manner, and when dry they will be in a fit state to be
applied to the outsole. For a cricket boot or shoe I insert the usual kind of
spikes in the following manner:-I take two plates, one ornamental or not,
for the surface or outer side of the sole, and a plain one for the inner surface,
through these plates the plugs or spikes are inserted and received in such
manner as not to cause ridges or unevenness on the parts pressing against the
foot. I manufacture ordinary walking boots in a similar manner to that
before described, but in some cases I prefer using the sole provisionally regis-
tered by me on the 30th January 1861, No. 1205. I construct my knife, for
manufacturing the compound and other soles of strips of saw steel connected
by screws or otherwise to a block the shape of the sole to be cut; and where
one knife is to be used for cutting soles of different sizes I make the block in
two or more parts capable of being moved from each other and set or retained
by screws. For boating shoes I form the uppers of canvas or other suitable
material, and apply all round the shoe, extending for a certain distance
upwards from the sole; a waterproof protection.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thomas Hutchings in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMAS HUTCHINGS, of Charlton, in the County of Kent, Boot and Shoe
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Thomas Hutchings, Her special licence that I, the said John
Thomas Hutchings, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Thomas Hutchings, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS
FOR THE FEET, AND IN TOOLS FOR CUTTING THE SOLES OF SUCH ARTICLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Thomas Hutchings, 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.
T
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Thomas Hutchings, 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:-
My Invention consists principally in the application of vulcanized india-
rubber or india-rubber compound soles to all kind of material used for the
uppers of boots, shoes, and other coverings for the feet. I am aware that
attempts have been made for effecting a similar purpose, but without success,
principally owing to the difficulty of combining oily, greasy, or japaned
material with india-rubber. Now, I apply to the welt of boots and shoes a
binding composed of a woven fabric, and suitable to the strength required,
made of hemp, flex, cotton, or any other suitable material. I saturate the
:
.

page_text: fabric with india-rubber or gutta percha solution, preferring the former, and,
after exposure to air and dry I cut it, by preference transversly into strips; I'
lay such strips round the uppers, first lasting the upper to the ordinary kind of
leather insole, to which the upper the strip and welt is made secure by sewing
as to form a waterproof foundation, as also a base for the india-rubber:
outsole to be attached unto. In some cases, such as for very light articles and
infants wear, I use the saturated fabric alone as a welt. After the seam is
completed I lay a coating of solution over the surface of the seam and insole,
which, when dry, I coat in the same manner, again dry it and turn over the
binding (namely, the saturated strip sewn in under the welt,) in such manner
as to completely envolop the whole of the welt and seam, thereby protecting
the welt and seam inwardly from the destructive influence of the vapors
arising from perspiration, and outwardly from wet; and if for strong goods,
such as shooting, army, policemens', cricket, and other such like boots ré-
quiring to be somewhat rigid in the waist part, I prefer making the waist part 1
firm by applying gutta percha as a shank peice. For the outsole I use the
india-rubber compound material before named, prefering what is generally
called india-rubber packing. Having prepared the outsole by cutting into
shape I solution and dry as before described, treating the insole and welted
parts in a similar manner, and when dry will be in fit state to be applied-to 2
the outsole.
!.
For yachting, boating, archery, fencing, tennis, gymnastic, turf, and cabin
shoes, as well as dress and ladies' boots and shoes, I prefer compound-material
of a finer and more flexable quality, and the outer surface made of a multi-
capsular form, by which contrivance the wearer will not be liable to slip, and 2
also relieved from cumbrous weight of sole, and which multi-capsular form I
make either by moulding, punching, or otherwise. For shooting, army,
policemiens'; and such like strong boots and shoes, I sometimes insert into the
sole metal plugs, such plugs being preferable to nailing. I make each plug
secure with two metal washers, one on the upper and one on the lower surface s
of the outsole; the plugs I also rivet at the under side.
I manufacture walking, riding, and other kind of boots and shoes, also clogs
and goloshoes in a similar manner to that before described; but in some cases
such as racquet boots and shoes I prefer the sole having a plain surface.
For cricket boots and shoes I insert the usual kind of spiks in the following
manner: I take three metal plates, ornamental or not, for the surface or
outer side of the sole, and plain ones for the inner surface, between theso
plates the plugs or spikes are inserted and received in such manner as not to
chuse ridges or unevenness on the parts pressing against the feet.

page_text: For yachting and boating boots and shoes I form the uppers of canvas or
other suitable material, and apply round them, extending for a certain distance
upwards from the sole, a waterproof protection. I construct my knife for
cutting the compound soles of strips of saw or other thin steel connected by
screws or otherwise to a block.
I may here notice that in the Provisional Specification filed with my
application for the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, I mentioned
that boots requiring rigid waist parts I prefered making the back part of the
sole with leather, and joining it to the india-rubber part; at that period I was
experimenting, and as I have not been able to bring it to a satisfactory result,
I hereby disclaim that portion of my Invention.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for an
improvement in the manufacturing of boots and shoes and other coverings for
the feet, together with the manner in which the same may be carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion what I desire to secure under
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of india-
rubber soles to all kind of curried, japanned, and other kind of leather or
material suitable for making the uppers of boots and shoes, the multi-capsular
pattern sole, the binding of the welts, the method of spiking or pluging the
soles, and the waterproof protection as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas Hutchings, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN THOMAS HUTCHINGS. (L.S.)