Improvements in Uppers of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left 9th Dec. 1896-Accented 9th Jan
4407
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Uppers of Boots and Shoes.
I, CHARLES BARCLAY, of 73 Paynes Lane, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Elastic Web Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me from abroad by Edward Daniel Friswell of Bridgeport,
Conn.. U.S.A., Elastic Web Manufacturer,) to be as follows:-
This invention to certain improvements in boots and shoes of that kind having
elastic web at the sides..
The object of the invention is to provide a boot or shoe in which the elastic
web can be wholly or in part detached from the upper to facilitate the putting
on or removal of the boot or shoe, and to keep the feet cool when the wearer is
not walking.
In a boot or shoe made in accordance with this invention the elastic web is only
attached to the boot at one side instead of both sides and at its lower part. The
free edge of the web is bound with leather or sewn to or otherwise attached to a
facing-strip having eyelets. The eyelets engage suitable clasps or fasteners on
the upper, and by means of which the web and the leather can be readily united
or separated.
At the lower part of the facing-strip is attached a piece of elastic web which
can also be readily fastened and unfastened to the upper substantially in the
manner aforedescribed.
....
1000
PERCY R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Uppers of Boots and Shoes.
I, CHARLES BARCLAY of 73 Paynes Lane, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Elastic Web Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from abroad by Edward Daniel Friswell, of Bridgeport,
Conn., U.S.A., Elastic Web Manufacturer), and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to the class of shoes commonly known as "elastic sides "-
that is shoes provided with elastic gores, which are the cnly means of retaining
the shoe in place upon the foot. Shoes of this class fit neatly and present an
attractive appearance. They are however subject to the objections that there is
no way of relieving the pressure upon the ankle when the shoe is worn indoors,
aud that the great stretch necessarily given to the elastic gores in putting on and
removing the shoe frequently stretches the elastic gores out of shape, so that the
fit of the shoe is seriously impaired. In order to overcome these objections, and

page_text: produce a shoe. which may be even more readily put on or removed than the
ordinary elastic side shoe without overstretching the elastic, which will be
thoroughly durable, and which-may-be loosened at the ankle, so as to produce,
approximately, the effect of a slipper, while at the same time the shoe will be held
in place on the foot, I have devised the novel shoe of which the following
description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,
numbers being used to designate the several parts.
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of my novel shoe, shewing two modes in which
the shoe is fastened; Fig. 3 is a similar view shewing another mode of fastening,
the parts being in the unfastened position; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on
the line x-x.
1 denotes the front piece; 2, the back piece; 3, the outer elastic gore; 4, the
inner elastic gore; 5, a supplemental elastic gore, and 6 the vamp.
By the term "outer elastic
gore
"I mean the gore on the outer side of the
shoe, and by the term "inner elastic gore" I mean the elastic gore upon the inner
side of the shoe.
The novel features of my invention are that the inner elastic gore is detached
from the back piece and the front lower edge of the back piece is detached from
the vamp on the inner side of the shoe, so that the free edge of the back forms a
tongue, which I have specifically indicated by 7, the point of attachment of the
back piece to the vamp being indicated at 16. In the fastened position the free
edge of the back piece-i.e. the tongue-passes under the free edge of the inner
elastic gore, as clearly shewn in the drawings.
At the free edge of the inner elastic gore I preferably place, to insure durability,
a facing strip 8. The supplemental elastic gore is preferably made triangular in
shape, the upper edge being a selvage edge and lying obliquely to the horizontal
plane, the front edge being attached to the facing strip and the lower edge to the
vamp of the shoe.
In Fig. 1, as a means for fastening the shoe, I have shewn the facing strip at the
free edge of the inner elastic gore, as provided with eyelets 9 and the free edge
of the back piece as provided with ordinary lever fasteners 10, which pass
through the eyelets and are turned down against the holding plates 11, to which
they are attached.
In Fig. 2, I have shewn the facing strip and the back piece as provided with
lacing hooks 12 and the shoe as fastened by a cord 13 engaging said hooks, and
in Fig. 3 I have shewn the facing strip, as provided with button holes 14 and
the back piece with buttons 15 (shewn only in dotted lines).
It will of course be understood that the mode of fastening the shoe is not the
essence of my invention, it being simply necessary to provide a means of fastening
which may be readily unfastened so as to permit the wearer to get perfect comfort
when it is not desired to have the shoe fit the foot and ankle closely, but which
may be as readily fastened when it is desired to have the shoe fit closely. It is an
important feature of my improved construction that the. fastening, is placed back
of the ankle on the inner side of the shoe, thus. being wholly out of the way and
at a portion of the shoe best adapted to be opened and to carry. the fastening
devices, there being a natural depression back of the ankle; at which point, the
..fastening devices are placed in my novel shoe.
The construction of the shoe and its operation will be clearly understood from
Fig. 4 in connection with Fig. 3. It will be seen that when the fastening is
detached the back piece and the inner elastic gore are wholly separated. The
supplemental elastic gore is not an essential feature of construction, although
I preferably place this supplemental gore between the facing strip and the vamp.
This gore assists in holding the shoe in place when the fastenings are detached,
giving, in fact, to the shoe the grip of an ordinary low cut shoe. The supplemental
gore is moreover placed so low down that it does not require to be stretched very
much in putting on or taking off the shoe but will, however, hold the shoe firmly
at the aukle when fastened in any ordinary or preferred manner.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) An elastic sided shoe having the usual inner and outer elastic gores, the
inner elastic being detached from the back piece and the front lower edge of
the back piece detached from the vamp so as to form a tongue and means for
fastening the free edge of the inner elastic gore to the tongue substantially as
described.
(2.) An elastic shoe having the usual inner and outer elastic gores the inner
elastic gore being detached from the back piece and provided with a faciug strip
and the front lower edge of the back piece detached from the vamp so as to form
a tongue and means for fastening the facing strip on the inner elastic gore to the
tongue.
(3.) An elastic sided shoe having the usual inner and outer elastic gores, the
inner elastic gore being wholly detached from the back piece and the front lower
edge of the back piece detached from the vamp and a supplemental elastic gore
the upper edge of which is a selvage, the front edge of which is attached to the
inner elastic gore and the lower edge attached to the vamp and means for fastening
the inner elastic gore to the back piece, substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of November 1896.
PERCY R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.