AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE Manu- FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Mac Laren, of Edinburgh, North Britain,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE Manu-
FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 12th April 1872, and dated the 16th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Mac Laren at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th October 1871.
I, JOSEPH MAC LAREN, of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect a saving in the wear of boots
and shoes, to protect the feet from damp, and give greater firmness of
tread without detracting from the elasticity of the soles. These ad-
O vantages I attain by the use of a packing, impervious to moisture in
place of the filling at present inserted between the outer sole and
in sole. This packing or filling is usually composed of waste pieces of
leather, and is intended to fill the space formed by the use of the welt

page_text: or its equivalent, but from its porous character it serves to retain any
moisture that may be taken up by the boot. In the space between the
outer and in sole, I insert a thin metal plate preferably of steel, and
this I coat with varnish or lacquer. I.then encase it in a covering of
silk, and this again I enclose in a covering of chamois leather, securing 5
the same by stitches or otherwise. The covered plate I so proportion
that it will just fill the space in which it is intended to lie, and by the
stitching or other ordinary attachment of the outer sole to the boot or
shoe I secure the plate in position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Mac Laren in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
MAC LAREN, of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 1
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Mac Laren, Her special licence
that I, the said Joseph Mac Laren, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Mac Laren, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Joseph Mac Laren, 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.
1 NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Mac Laren, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to effect a saving in the wear of boots
and shoes, to protect the feet from damp, and give greater firmness of
tread without detracting from the elasticity of the soles. These ad-`
vantages I attain in the welt boot, by the use of a packing impervious
to moisture in place of the filling at present inserted between the outer
sole and in sole. This packing or filling is usually composed of waste
pieces of leather, and is intended to fill the space formed within the
sole by reason of the thickness of the leather forming the welt or its
equivalent, but from its porous character such packing serves to retain
the moisture that may be taken up by the boot. In the space between
the outer and in sole I insert a thin metal plate of steel, copper, or other
metal, but preferably of steel, and this I coat with varnish or lacquer to
protect it from rust, I encase the varnished plate with a covering of
silk and this again I enclose in a covering of chamois leather or other
suitable material to bring the packing to the proper thickness, I then
secure the same by stitches or otherwise. The covered plate I so pro-
portion that it will just fill the space circumscribed by the welt and in
which it is intended to lie, and by the stitching or other ordinary attach-
ment of the outer sole to the boot or shoe I secure the plate in
position.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in plan view an in sole
with the impervious packing or filling applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is.a
cross section shewing the position of the packing between the outer
and inner sole. As this filling fits snugly within the space circumscribed
by the welt, the sewing or other means of attachment of the outer to
the in sole will effectually secure it in position.
When applying my Invention to boots and shoes made without welts.
I insert within the sole a thin plate of copper or other soft metal which
will permit of being pierced by the shoemaker's awl or the sewing
machine needle. In this case I make the size of the plate to correspond
with that of the sole and I pass the stitches through the two thicknesses
of leather, and the interposed metal after the well-known manner of
sewing on the outer sole. Fig. 3 represents in cross section the sole

page_text: made after this manner, which sole it will be obvious will be impervious
to moisture.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improvement
in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, rendering the soles of boots
and shoes impervious to damp, and giving firmness of tread without
detracting from the clasticity of the soles by the means above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Mac Laren, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.