Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
RESERVE C
1 HENRY DUNKLEY of 13 and 15 Buckingham Palace Road in the City of
Westminster, Boot Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a heeled tennis boot or shoe moro
particularly for the use of lawn tennis players.
Hitherto, lawn tennis boots or shoes have been made without heels for various
reasons, among which may be mentioned that the heels are liable to sink into the
soft turf, and inconvenience the player, or cut up the turf, making the surface of the
tennis court uneven.
To persons who have been accustomed to heeled boots or shoes, flat soles are more
or less uncomfortable, and the appearance is somewhat inelegant, and a demand has
therefore arisen, especially on the part of ladies, for a heeled lawn tennis boot
or shoe.
In carrying out my invention I make the boot or shoe in the ordinary way, and 1
attach the rubber sole to the leather sole and heel.
As, however, the rubber sole, after a slight amount of wear, would be liable to
stretch, and form a shoulder under the waist of the boot, which would be almost as
objectionable as the ordinary heel, I provide under the waist of the boot a piece of
spring steel, one end of which I secure to the face, or other convenient part of the
heel, on a level with the tread, the other end being rivetted to the sole in advance of
the waist. The piece of spring steel will be of sufficient length to extend across the
space under the waist, and may be of any desired width.
By this means, while I obtain a flat heelless sole to rest on the ground, and which
will prevent inconvenience to the player and cutting up the turf, the advantages of a
heeled boot or shoe will be retained.
Although I have mentioned spring steel for the filling piece, I may sometimes find
it desirable to use other metal or material, but I prefer the spring steel, as considerable
strength will be required to resist the pressure, without increasing the weight of the
boot or shoe.
1000

page_text: Improvements in Boots and Shoes for Lawn Tennis Players.
I HENRY DUNKLEY of 13 and 15 Buckingham Palace Road in the City of
Westminster, Boot Maker, 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 :-
:
The object of this invention is more particularly to provide a heeled boot or shoe
for the use of lawn tennis players, but the improved shoe will be equally applicable
for other recreative purposes, such as yachting.
Hitherto lawn tennis boots or shoes have been made without heels, for various
reasons, among which may be mentioned that the heels are liable to sink into the soft
turf, and inconvenience the player, or cut up the turf, making the surface of the
tennis court uneven.
To persons who have been accustomed to heeled boots or shoes, flat soles are more
or less uncomfortable, and the appearance is somewhat inelegant, and a demand has
therefore arisen, especially on the part of ladies, for a heeled lawn tennis boot
or shoe.
In carrying out my invention, I take a heeled boot or shoe, and I attach thereto an
india rubber sole, preferably supporting the rubber sole at the waist by a piece of
spring steel, which I secure to the heel in any convenient manner.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 is a side view of a lawn tennis shoe constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, and
Fig. 3 a side view, of the heel of the shoe, with the spring support in position.
Fig. 4 is a side view of a shoe, showing a mode of attaching the heel to the shoe.
The shoe is made with an inner and middle sole, and with a heel of convenient
height, in the usual way. The heel may be of leather, either solid or hollow, but 1
prefer to employ a heel of wood, as being lighter than the leather. This wooden heel,
which will be covered with leather, will be attached to the shoe in any convenient
manner. I prefer, however, to attach the heel in the following manner, viz. :-A picco
of leather A, Fig. 4, of suitable shape, which is to be used to cover the heel, is first
sewn by one edge to the upper, so as to surround the heel, and the wooden heel is
then secured in position inside the leather case, so to speak. The leather is next
strained over the heel, and is secured underneath in any convenient manner. The
method of straining a piece of leather over a boot heel is well understood, and needs
no further description, besides which, it forms no essential feature of the invention,
and it is not intended to make any claim for it per se.
B is a strip of leather, which is cut to the form of the rubber sole at the waist,
see Fig. 2. The front end of this strip is cut square, and is thinned down, and it is
intended to be sewn. by a few stitches to the middle sole at or about the point B¹,
Figs. 1 and 4. The rear end of this strip is cut to a point, as shown by dotted lines
in Fig. 2, and is also thinned down and attached to the heel.

page_text: The chief object of the strip B is to form a surface at the waist of the shoe to which
the rubber sole can be attached, but it also serves to strengthen and stiffen the rubber
sole at that part.
C is a leather pocket, which is sewn to the strip B, and is intended to receive a steel
spring D (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2), which is rivetted or otherwise firmly
secured by its rear end to the heel, while the front end is loose in its pocket, and
extends nearly to the junction between the strip B and the middle sole. The spring
may however be maintained in place in any other convenient manner; for example, it
may be embedded in the rubber sole before vulcanization.
E is the vulcanized rubber sole, which is attached to the shoe by rubber solution, or
in any other convenient manner.
The object of the spring D is to form a firm support to the rubber sole under the
waist of the shoe, and prevent a light rubber sole giving way at that part through the
strain which must necessarily be put upon it during play.-I may, however, dispense
with the spring, and use the leather support only, or I may use as a support a piece
of suitable fabric, or I may use the sole without any supporting material, but in
either of these cases, I prefer to employ a heavier rubber sole than when the spring
is used.
In my improved shoe, I obtain a flat heelless sole to rest upon the ground, while the
advantages of a heeled boot or shoe will be retained.
I have mentioned a steel spring for the supporting piece under the waist, but I may
use other metals and materials. I prefer, however, to employ steel, as being both the
strongest and the lightest for my purpose. I may also use other vulcanized compounds,
in place of rubber, for the main sole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A boot or shoe constructed as herein shown and described.
2. The combination of a heeled boot or shoe with a flat sole of vulcanized india
rubber or other vulcanized compounds, and a supporting piece at the waist, as and for
the purpose set forth.