Improvements in Boots and Shoes Constructed with India Rubber Soles and with Leather, or with Combined Leather and Cloth Uppers.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Apr., 1887.
Improvements in Boots and Shoes Constructed with India Rubber
Soles and with Leather, or with Combined Leather and
Cloth Uppers.
I, TIMOTHY GREEN DOUGLAS, Castle Mills Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Midlothian
India Rubber Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
These improvements relate to boots and shoes whereof the soles are made of india
rubber and the uppers of leather alone, or leather and canvas combined, and consist
in making the attachments of the soles and uppers by means of india rubber cement,
prepared with sulphur or sulphides for subsequent vulcanization, the composition
of which cement is well known to rubber Manufacturers. These improvements
are particularly applicable to those shoes known as tennis shoes which have heretofore
been made with canvas and leather uppers attached by sewing to leather soles, which
soles are then frequently covered by india rubber soles attached to the leather ones by
means of ordinary india rubber or gutta percha cements which are liable to get hard
and soft with ordinary climatic changes of temperature, and which are less adhesive
and secure than the vulcanized cement I employ. The insecurity of the ordinary cement
has led to the use of other additional attachments between the inner leather and the
outer india rubber soles, such as sewing, but these modes are not suited to the
economical employment of india rubber soles for such shoes.
In carrying out my improvements with combination cloth and leather uppers,
I prefer, to first sew the leather to the cloth, both being cut and shaped to form
the upper. The edges of the upper by which it is attached to the sole are then
cemented on both sides with the vulcanizable rubber cement by which the upper is to
be attached to both the insole and the outsole. The cemented edges of the upper are
turned inwards to unite with the insole on its underside, and a filling generally
of cloth coated with india rubber is then cemented on to that side of the insole.
A binding strip of india rubber coated cloth is laid over the junction of the edges
of the upper with the filling, and thus a smooth rubber cemented or rubber coated
гр.

page_text: surface is formed on which the rubber outsole (yet unvulcanized) is placed. It
will be seen that one part of this surface, viz. the part of the upper turned inwards,
will, on the outside either be all leather, or leather in some places and cloth in others,
to which the outsole has to be attached by moans of the vulcanizable rubber cement.
The adhesion of the rubber cement to the leather will be effective provided the leather
employed be free from oil or fat and the surface thereof to which the cement is
applied be roughened or rasped with a file or by similar means.
The strength and security of the adhesion however, is derived from the subsequent
vulcanizing process, the heat of which renders the rubber cement as well as the inside
surface of the outsole with which it is in contact, more glutinous, and when
completed leaves it in a fixed condition not susceptible of change by ordinary climatic
variations of temperature. The attachment of the edges of the uppers that may have
cloth exposed to come in contact with the outsoles is effected by the same
vulcanizable rubber cement as is well known.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boots and Shoes Constructed with India Rubber
Soles and with Leather, or with Combined Leather and
Cloth Uppers.
I, TIMOTHY GREEN DOUGLAS of Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh,
Midlothian, India Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
These improvements relate to boots and shoes whereof the soles are made of india
rubber and the uppers of leather alone, or leather and canvas combined, and consist
in making the attachments of the soles and uppers by means of india rubber cement,
prepared with sulphur or sulphides for subsequent vulcanization, the composition
of which cement is well known to Rubber Manufacturers. These improvements are
particularly applicable to those shoes known as Tennis Shoes which have heretoforo
been made with canvas and leather uppers attached by sowing to leather soles, which
soles are then frequently covered by india rubber soles attached to the leather ones
by means of ordinary india rubber or gutta percha cements, which are liable to
get hard and soft with ordinary climatic changes of temperature, and which are
less adhesive and secure than the vulcanized cement I employ. The insecurity of the
ordinary cement has led to the use of other additional attachments between the inner
leather and the outer india rubber soles, such as sewing, but these modes are not
suited to the economical employment of india rubber soles for such shoes.
In carrying out my improvements with combination cloth and leather uppers
I prefer, to first sew the leather to the cloth, both being cut and shaped to form
the upper. The edges of the upper, by which it is attached to the sole, are then
cemented, on both sides, with the vulcanizable rubber cement by which the upper
is to be attached to both the insole and the outsole. The cemented edges of the
upper are turned inwards to unite with the insole on its under side, and a filling-
generally of cloth coated with india rubber-is then cemented on to that side
of the insole. A binding strip of india rubber coated cloth is laid over the junction
of the edges of the upper with the filling, and thus, a smooth rubber cemented or rubber
coated surface is formed on which the rubber outsole (yet unvulcanized) is placed. It
will be seen, that one part of this surface, viz., the part of the upper turned inwards,
will, on the outside, either be all leather, or leather in some places and cloth in others,
to which the outsole has to be attached by means of the vulcanizable rubber cement.
The adhesion of the rubber cement to the leather will be effective provided the leather
employed be free from oil or fat and the surface thereof to which the cement is
applied be roughened or rasped with a file or by similar means. The strength and
security of the adhesion, howover, is derived from the subsequent vulcanizing
process, the heat of which renders the rubber cement, as well as the inside surface of
the outsole with which it is in contact, more glutinous, and when completed, leaves it

page_text: in a fixed condition not susceptible of change by ordinary climatic variations of
temperature. The attachment of the edges of the uppers that may have cloth exposed
to come in contact with the outsoles is effected by the same vulcanizable rubber
cement as is well known.
The upper whilst it is having an insole and sole applied to it as above described is
supported on a suitable last which may conveniently be either of wood or metal and is
retained on the last during the time that the shoe is submitted to heat in the
vulcanizing process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A shoe with the upper of leather or of combined leather and canvas and with a
vulcanized india rubber sole which has been secured to it by a vulcanizing process.
2. The manufacture of boots and shoes whereof the uppers are of leather alone or of
leather and canvas combined and the soles of vulcanized india rubber substantially in
the manner herein before described.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.