CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66; Chancery Lane; in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
"the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND
OTHER
Sealed the 15th October 1858, and dated the 15th April 1858.
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his .Petition, on
the 15th April 1858...
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS,' SHOES, AND OTHER
COVERINGS FOR THE FEET," to be as follows:-
This Invention of certain improvements in boots, shoes, and other coverings
for the feet, félátės, first, to a novel or improved mode of forming the soles of
boots and shoes.
"This improvement consists in forming the sole of wire cloth or gauze or
perforated metal covered with or imbedded in vulcanized india-rubber, or
some other analogous préparation or composition, and stamped up into the
required form.
This sole may be made either to extend from toe to heel of the boot or
shoe, or only a half sole may be made in this manner, and joined to the heel
[Price 8d.]

page_text: by a waist of leather, prepared india-rubber, or other suitable material. When
the sole extends the whole length of the foot, or is made of extra thickness, it
is found convenient to joint it at some part, so as to give the required amount
of flexibility. The covered metal sole may form the outer sole, and therefore
receive the wear; and in order to give the required thickness, the central part
of the sole may be filled with cork or other light material; or the inner
sole may be made of perforated metal or wire cloth or hard rubber covered
with vulcanized rubber, as before mentioned; then the central part may be
composed, as before, of cork, and covered up with another metal plate or hard
substance, provided on its outer surface with steel pins or studs, over which a
covering of vulcanized india-rubber is to be placed. The metal pins or studs
will take the wear of the boot or shoe, and prevent the soft part of the sole
from wearing away too fast..
Another improvement consists in stamping up the sole so as to form raised
edges, leaving a recess to receive another sole or soles. The raised edges
which extend round the edge of the sole and heel of the boot or shoe being
made of a material composed of perforated metal or strong wire gauze com-
bined with hard rubber, the metallic parts of this compound will, by extending
all round the sole and heel, prevent the latter from being unduly worn, and
consequently will greatly increase the durability of the article. In the central
part of the heel a piece of soft vulcanized india-rubber may be inserted. Soles
prepared or manufactured in the manner above referred to may be attached
to the uppers either by sewing, screwing, pegging, or otherwise.
It is obvious that some of the above improvements may also be applied to
clogs, goloshes, and other coverings for the feet; but in reference more par-
ticularly to these latter articles, another part of the Invention consists in
stiffening the back of the heel part of the clog or golosh by applying thereto
a spring of steel, hard rubber, or other suitable substance, which, by being
curved or caused to project inwards slightly, will bear or catch against the
upper leather on a pin attached to that part of the heel of the boot or shoe
over which the clog or golosh is worn, and will prevent the latter from coming
off accidentally.
o
Another improvement consists in making clogs or goloshes with only a small
portion of "upper.". The clog will consist of a sole with a toe piece of, say,
from an inch to an inch and a half broad, and an upper of not more than
three-quarters of an inch broad extending all round. From this narrow upper
at the heel and sides, at suitable parts, there are narrow straps connected with
a strap which passes round the ancle or instep for the purpose of keeping the
clog or golosh on the foot. By this means the sole of the boot or shoe of the

page_text: wearer is kept out of the damp and prevented from getting wet, while at the
same time, by leaving the upper part of the foot and instep uncovered, there
is no risk or danger of obstructing the perspiration.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR
THE FEET," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same 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):-
This Invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent relates,
first, to a novel or improved mode of forming the soles of boots and shoes, the
object being to impart. strength and durability thereto when composed of
vulcanized india-rubber or its equivalent compounds.

page_text: The improvement consists in forming soles or half soles of a shell of wire
cloth or gauze or of perforated metal covered with or embedded in vulcanized
india-rubber, or some other analogous preparation or composition, the whole
being moulded by pressure into the required form.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews in longitudinal sectional
elevation, and Fig. 2 in plan view, a boot fitted with a half sole constructed
according to this part of the Invention. a, a, is a metal shell composed of
wire cloth or perforated metal stamped out to the form of the sole, and turned
up at right angles at the edges. This shell is coated on both sides with
vulcanized india-rubber b, b, in a plastic state, and the whole is then subjected
to pressure in a mould to ensure the union of the india-rubber compound with
the metal, and afterwards submitted to heat in the well-known manner, in
order to harden the plastic material. A sole (or half sole, as the case may be)
is thus produced, with the edges of the metal shell projecting out to the surface
of the sole, and forming a protection to the vulcanite composition.
The sole, whether made to extend from the toe to the heel of the boot or
shoe, or only a half sole, is to be secured by screws or otherwise to. the insole c,
which may be of leather, as usual, and the heel may then be applied. But
when the moulded hard rubber heel with the elastic cushion is employed, (as
described under the Patent granted to Mr. Charles Goodyear, and bearing
date the Sixth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven,) it
may be found convenient to attach the heels while in a green state to the
soles, and then to harden the combined structure. Half. soles may be joined
to the heel by a waste of leather, prepared india-rubber, or other suitable
material.
:
1
A modification of this part of the Invention is shewn at Fig. 3, wherein the
inner sole d is made of perforated metal or wire cloth covered with vulcanized
or hard rubber. Upon this insole is placed the outer sole, composed of a shell
of metal coated as before described, but having its central part filled. in with
cork or other light material. Projecting out from this shell are steel pins or
studs, over which a covering of vulcanized india-rubber is to be placed. The
sole is then to be stoved, to bring the vulcanite to hardness. The metal. pins
or studs will take the wear of the boot or shoe, and prevent the less durable
part of the sole exposed to the ground from rapidly wearing away.
It is obvious that the above improvements may be applied .not merely to
boots and shoes, but also to clogs, goloshes, and other outer coverings for
'the feet.
This Invention relates, secondly, to improvements specially applicable to
clogs and goloshes. Fig. 4 shews the first of these improvements, which con-

page_text: sists in stiffening the back of the heel part of the clog or golosh by applying
thereto a spring of steel, hard rubber, or other suitable elastic substance,
which, by being curved so as to have a tendency to project inwards slightly,
will, when applied to the foot, bear against the upper leather of the boot or
shoe over which the clog is worn, and by means of a pin attached either to the
heel of the boot or to the spring of the clog, ensure such a connection as will
prevent the clog from coming off accidentally.
Fig. 5 represents another improvement in clogs or goloshes, which consists
in making them with only a small portion of "upper," the intention being to
remove the objection raised against overshoes on the ground of their confining
perspiration. The clog will consist of a sole e, with a toe piece,f, and a narrow
upper g extending all round, and rising in the form of a band at the heel to
about the level of the upper of a shoe. This raised part h may be stiffened by
the insertion therein of plate metal, and the golosh may secured to the foot
by a strap and buckle i connected with the band h, and passing over the
instep. The golosh may in other respects be made in the ordinary way of
manufacturing what are known as American overshoes. By the use of this
improved construction of golosh the sole of the boot or shoe of the wearer is
effectually protected from damp and dirt, while at the same time, by leaving
the upper part of the foot and instep uncovered, the risk of retaining the
perspiration of the feet is obviated.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Boots, Shoes, and other Coverings for the Feet," as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, 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 constructing the soles of such articles, and the uppers of clogs
and goloshes, in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)