AN IMPROVED HEEL-STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED HEEL-STIFFENER
FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by Hiram Gustavus
Farr and Henry Clay-Copeland, both of Brandon, Rutland County, State of
Vermont, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1880.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "AN IMPROVED HEEL-STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." [A communi-
cation from abroad by Hiram Gustavus Farr and Henry Clay-Copeland, both of
Brandon, Rutland County, State of Vermont, United States of America.]
This Invention has for its object the fabrication of a heel-stiffener for boots and
shoes, in which the stiffener is composed of wood so shaped that the grain thereof
shall run longitudinally of the stiffener, thereby avoiding the stretching out of
shape of the stiffening piece which is so common when the grain of the wood runs
vertically.
In making these improved heel stiffeners I use three pieces consisting of two
outer pieces of leather, cloth, or other suitable material, between which the
stiffening piece is firmly pasted or cemented. The contour of the outer pieces
when first cut out will be described by a straight or nearly straight line forming
the bottom edge of the said pieces when glued together, and a curved line forming
the top edge of the said pieces, enclosing between it and the straight line the whole
surface of the stiffener.
The piece which forms the stiffener proper is of similar construction, but a
margin of unstiffened surface is left all round its outer edge between it and the
edges of the outer pieces. The width of the marginal space should be about from
one to three-eighths of an inch (more or less) around the upper side, and from
three to five eighths of an inch at the bottom. The stiffening piece is of wood
with its grain running longitudinally, i.e., around the heel portion when it is
inserted in the boot or shoe. The marginal space at the bottom part of the
stiffener is left without the intervening stiffening piece, so that at the bottom it
may be easily turned over into a flange like lip without breakage of the stiffening
piece. Leaving the piece out of the covers throughout the marginal space permits
the outer sides of the pieces near the entire edge to be chamfered off to a feather
edge so as not to cause any unpleasant ridge or set off in the inside of a boot or
shoe at the point where this stiffener begins or terminates.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
November 1880.
A communi-
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "AN IMPROVED HEEL STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
cation from abroad by Hiram Gustavus Farr and Henry Clay Copeland, both of
Brandon, Rutland County, State of Vermont, United States of America.
This Invention has for its object the fabrication of a heel stiffener for boots and
shoes, in which the stiffener is composed of wood so shaped that the grain thereof
shall run longitudinally of the stiffener, thereby avoiding the stretching out of
shape of the stiffening piece which is so common when the grain of the wood runs
vertically.
The Invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a general plan of the improved heel stiffener, the
outside or covering piece being partly broken away so as to disclose the stiffening
piece, which is pasted or glued within two covering pieces; Figure 2 shows the
improved heel stiffener crimped over at the bottom as it would appear in use.
For the fabrication of these improved heel stiffeners I use three pieces A, B,
and C, the two outer pieces A and C being sheets of leather, cloth, or other suitable
material, between which the stiffening piece B is firmly pasted or cemented. The
contour of the pieces A and C when first cut out will be as shown in Figure 1, and
will be described by the straight or nearly straight line a-c, forming the bottom
edge of the said pieces when glued together, while the curved line a, a¹,
c, will
show the top edge of the said pieces and enclose between it and the line a-c, the
wholo surface of the stiffener. The piece B which forms the stiffener proper is
described by the lines b, b, b, so as to leave a margin D of unstiffened surface all
round its outer edge, and between it and the contour lines a, a¹, c. The width of
the marginal space D should be about from 1 to 3/ths of an inch (more or less)
around the upper side, and from 3 to /ths of an inch at the bottom. The piece B
is of wood; this piece of wood I use with its grain running longitudinally,
i.e., around the heel portion when it is inserted in the boot or shoe. The marginal
space D at the bottom part of the stiffener is left without the intervening stiffening
piece B, so that at the bottom it may be easily turned over into a flange like lip d,
as shown in Figure 2, without breakage of the stiffening piece, which would be the
case if the said stiffening piece extended down to the line a-c. Leaving the
piece B out of the covers throughout the marginal space D permits the outer sides
of the pieces A and C near the entire edge to be chamfered off to a feather edge, Bo
as not to cause any unpleasant ridge or set-off in the inside of a boot or shoe at
the point where this stiffener begins or terminates. The pieces A, C, will preferably
be formed of leather, though canvas or other suitable material may be used for the
purpose.
am aware that heel stiffeners formed of wood surfaced with cloth or other
material have heretofore been used, but in those the wood stiffening piece is made
to extend to the full perimeter of the covering pieces, and is placed with the grain
of the wood running up and down. This construction is objectionable, as it prevents
the proper chamfering off of the edges of the covering pieces, renders it difficult to
properly crimp and bend over the bottom edge, and the wooden filling picce is
liable to split owing to the fibres being placed up and down, and the bending of
the pieces being necessarily in a transverse direction. I am also aware that other
stiffeners have been formed with a marginal flange, and having the stiffening
material in the centre; I therefore lay no claim to such features broadly con-
sidered.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performning
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
An improved heel-stiffener composed of the parts A, B, C, D, the part B being
intermediate and of wood arranged with its fibre running longitudinally of the
stiffener, all cemented together substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)