IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOGS
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Vickers Scarborough and
Daniel McMillan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th April 1860.
We, JOHN VICKERS SCARBOROUGH, of Belfast, in the Country of Antrim,
Ireland, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, and DANIEL MCMILLAN, of the same
Place, Clog Maker, do hereby declare the naturo of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOGS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates in the first place to the manufacture of ordinary
boots and shoes as well as clogs with wooden soles, arranged and constructed
in such manner as to possess the same amount of elasticity and ease in bending
as those made wholly of leather. Under one modification or mode of manu-
facture a wooden sole and heel is made of suitable light wood, preference being
given to the wood of the sycamore tree, or that of the mountain ash. This
wooden sole is shaped to the required figure to suit the tread of the foot and
is made more or less thick according to the particular purpose for which it is
intended. A right-angled groove is formed completely round the upper part
of the sole; this groove is intended to admit of the edge of the upper leather
and the welt being fastened to the wood. At the waist of the sole, or that
part between the tread and the heel, a transverse groove is made through the

page_text: 64
the sole is blackened
upper part of the wood.
The part thus cut out is about one inch in width
and extends downwards to the depth of the marginal groove, the edges of the
groove being bevelled inwards from the upper surface of the wood. In the centre
of the space thus formed a vertical saw cut is made partly through the wood
of the sole, so that the front and back parts are now connected only by the
uncut portion. The broad transverse groove is coated with a solution of gutta
percha, and when the coating is dry the groove is filled up with a piece of
softened gutta percha, which is pressed down into the groove and under its
overhanging bevelled edges so as to be level with the upper surface of the
wood. To cause the gutta percha to adhere well the surface of the wood is
roughened and the gutta percha is further secured to the sole by means of
nails. screws, or rivets. That portion of the "upper" which comes opposite
the joint is roughened by means of a rasp and coated with gutta percha
solution so as to adhere to the gutta percha joint. The "upper" after being
crimped" on to the last is taken off and tacked round the marginal groove
of the sole. A welt, previously coated with solution, is then nailed to the sole
and upper, the welt is cut sufficiently wide to admit of its being turned down
Over the nails so as to form a "ran" or welt similar to a leather shoe. The
face of the welt is then set with an iron and the edge of
as well as the heel and burnished like an ordinary boot. The sole is now cut
through at the unsevered part of the joint, whch imparts to the boot the same
ease in bending the foot and elasticity of tread as an ordinary leather sole
combined with superior lightness. To prevent the sound of the wood in
walking a leather sole is let into a grooved space made for the purpose in the
sole, and the heel is in a similar manner faced with leather. The second part
of this Invention relates to apparatus for making what are known as gutta-
percha boots and shoes, for which British Letters Patent were granted to me
lated December 7th 1858 and numbered 2804. The present Invention
relates to the improved arrangement of the moveable toe piece which presses
down the front part of the last; according to this arrangement the toe piece is
connected to the lower extremity of a vertical screw which works through n
laterally projecting part of the adjustible presser which forces the last down.
The toe piece is prevented from turning round by means of two vertical pins
which stand up from the upper face of the toc piece and pass through holes
nade in the overhanging arin of the presser. The under face of this toc piece
is bevelled away so as to fit accurately the lower part of the instep of the last
without leaving any mark on the leather. Another improvement consists in
making the heel guard with angular projecting parts which slightly overlap

page_text: the contiguous parts of the sole guard so as to ensure the two guards being
quite level in the mould and thus obtain an accurately finished edge to the
moulded sole. These guides, as arranged according to the present Invention,
are made with the lower edges turned inwards at right angles to the vertical
part so as to prevent the formation of a feather or projecting film of gutta
percha upon the edge of the sole.