IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVER- INGS FOR THE FEET, MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, AND LIKE SUB- STANCES
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Egbert Reuben Burnham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
May 1861.
I, EGBERT REUBEN BURNHAM, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
India-rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVER-
INGS FOR THE FEET, MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, AND LIKE SUB-
STANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a system of embossing, corrugating, or otherwise
forming fine lines or patterns on the inner surfaces of the outer soles, and on
the surfaces of the inner soles or fillings, or either of them during the manu-
facture of these parts of boots, shoes, and other coverings for the feet made of
india-rubber, gutta-percha, and other like gums and substances and combi-
nations of the same with cloth, felt, or similar materials, all of which are
usually fastened together by adhesive compounds, or by their own stickiness or
amalgamation at ordinary temperatures.
The object of embossing, corrugating, or otherwise forming lines or patterns,
is to prevent blisters or bubbles from arising on the soles during the process of
vulcanization by the expansion of any air that may have been confined
between the outer and inner soles or fillings at the time when the said soles
have been joined together, and to produce stronger and better articles. It
has been usual hitherto to apply to that side of the inner soles or fillings
coming in contact with the outer soles a layer of cotton or other fabric to

page_text: permit the confined air to follow the threads of the said fabric to the edges of
the inner soles or fillings, and escape without expanding the outer soles. By
embossing, corrugating, or otherwise ornamenting, any air confined between
the soles above-named, will follow the lines or patterns to the edges of the
fillings, where it will escape without expanding and injuring the outer soles,
whilst the expense of the cotton fabric is not incurred, and greater tenacity
obtained than can be got when cotton or other fabric or fibre intervenes.
The Invention may be carried into effect by machines or apparatus con-
structed in many forms or ways; but I prefer using the machines, patented by
me, as of date the Twenty-ninth day of December, One thousand eight hun-
dred and sixty, intituled "Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for
Stamping, Shaping, or Forming certain Kinds of Goods Manufactured of
India-rubber, Gutta Percha, and like Substances," No. 8187. In these
machines the under or stationary dies could be cut or ornamented with the
lines or other pattern, or the apron or endless band made, say, of a woven
fabric and india-rubber, or wire gauze could be used to transfer lines from
the warp and weft to the plastic substance operated on. A machine with
rollers, one or more of which could be engraved or ornamented, might also be
used with great advantage for the same purpose. Both of these machines.
would have a tendancy to expel any air contained in the rubber-or other-sub-
stance, and this is of great importance, as it is well known that rough rollers
expel air from such compounds as are herein referred to much better and
quicker than smooth rollers.