IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES WITH THE OBJECT OF COMBINING WARMING APPARATUS THEREWITH
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES WITH THE OBJECT OF
COMBINING WARMING APPARATUS THEREWITH."-A communication from
abroad by Messrs Mondain & Co. of Paris, France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Gedge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th August 1875.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES WITH THE
OBJECT OF COMBINING WARMING APPARATUS THEREWITH,' a communication to
me from abroad by Messrs. Mondain & Co., of Paris, France, to be as
follows:-
""
This Invention relates to an improved manufacture of boot or shoe,
whereby provision is made for warming the feet. This novel kind of
foot covering is termed " calori-chaussure."
J

page_text: Attempts have already been made to warm the feet by the aid of a
boot or shoe, but hitherto without satisfactory result.
The apparatus the subject of this Invention possesses the merit of
leaving the shape of the boot or shoe intact; it does not increase its
weight or bulk and leaves it indistinguishable when in wear from such
as are ordinarily worn. The heel which is the most bulky part has
been chosen to receive the apparatus.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 is a sectional
elevation of a shoe embodying this Invention; and Figures 2, 3, 4, 5,
detached parts thereof.
The heel A will be hollow, cast, or stamped in any kind of metal, but
in whatever way it is manufactured it will be necessary to leave within
it several lugs or ears A' intended to receive the fastening screws. The
bottom of the heel is slightly recessed to receive a piece of leather B.
In this way the metal will be level with the outer surface of the
leather B, preserving it from rapid wear. The heel is fixed to the shoe
by means of screws made, as shown, Figure 2, in order that the screwing
may be effected from the exterior. Inside the shoe around the quarters
or upper heel and back is a metal plate shaped like a horse-shoe.
This plate is intended to press between itself and the lugs A¹ of the
heel the leather of the quarter and upper in such a way that the
leather is not injured, and that the heel is firmly held. The screw is
introduced within the shoe, passes firstly through the horse-shoe plate,
then through the leather, then through the lugs, and finally crossing the
heel projects to about half an inch beyond its bottom; by then seizing
this projecting part of the screw with a pincers and turning it the screw
is tightened. When the screw is fully tightened up, that is to say,
when its head is countersunk in the horse-shoe plate and the threaded
part entered into the lugs A' it is broken off close under the threaded
part by a sharp turn, the breakage resulting from the weakness of the
screw at this part. All that remains of this long screw is the part which
passes through the leather and the lugs. In front of the heel is placed a
small screw c which takes into the stiffener. The leather B fits into
the recess of the bottom of the heel, and is there fixed by a few
screws.
In order that the heat which is to be produced within the heel may
spread to within the shoe, the bend (the part between the sole and the

page_text: heel, and which serves to support the depression of the foot at this part)
is replaced by a metal plate B¹ of the same shape, but which is hollow
so as to form a conduit within the sole. The metal part extends to
about half the length of the sole where several holes 6' give free passage
to the hot air; this air would never be renewed for want of draught
were it not for the following device:-About half the length of the
inner sole a is moveable and may by bending move up and down.
A spring D passes under this sole so as to force it upward. The result
is that the bending of the foot in walking causes the heel to alternately
rise and fall, and the sole a necessarily following this movement acts as
a bellows driving the warm air into the conduit B₁ of the stiffener, and
sucking in cold air by the openings o which are masked by a kind of
catch P set in a spring. The object of this spring is to cause the
catches to enter these openings and conceal them when the apparatus is
not working; they are kept open when required by the interposition
between the catch and the edge of the heel of a small rod » sliding in
the leather in the quarter and pushed by the aid of a small and slightly
projecting stud with milled edge.
The mode of heating adopted is the use of a light fuel already used in
certain foot warmers and other articles; this fuel is held in a small grate
or case F fixed within the heel so as to be isolated on all sides. The
opening of the apparatus for the introduction of the fuel takes place by
the front of the heel, that is to say, on the flat part; this opening is
concealed by a small sliding door held in dovetail mortices formed in the
thickness of the metal. A small stud C is the only projection on the
outside; it serves as fulcrum for opening this door, and as a stop to limit
its traverse.
In order that the heat disengaged from the heel may spread to the
extremity of the foot after being driven into the hollow conduit of the
stiffener it enters into small channels made in the thickness of the inner
sole and escapes by the holes pierced in it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES WITH THE OBJECT OF COMBINING WARMING
APPARATUS THEREWITH,' a communication to me from abroad by Messrs.
Mondain & Co., of Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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 :-
This Invention relates to an improved manufacture of boot or shoe,

page_text: Attempts have already been made to warm the feet by the aid of the
boot or shoe, but hitherto without satisfactory result.
The apparatus the subject of this Invention possesses the merit of
leaving the shape of the boot or shoe intact; it does not increase its
weight or bulk, and leaves it undistinguishable when in wear from such
as are ordinarily worn. The heel which is the most bulky part has
been chosen to receive the apparatus.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 is a sectional
elevation of a shoe embodying this Invention; and Figures 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6, detached parts thereof.
The heel A is hollow, cast, or stamped in any kind of metal, but in
whatever way it is manufactured it will be necessary to leave within it
several lugs or ears A¹ intended to receive the fastening screws. The
bottom of the heel is slightly recessed to receive a piece of leather B.
In this way the metal will be level with the outer surface of the
leather B, preserving it from rapid wear. The heel is fixed to the shoe
by means of screws made, as shown, Figure 2, in order that the
screwing may be effected from the exterior. Inside the shoe around the
quarters or upper heel and back is a metal plate shaped like a horse-
shoe. This plate is intended to press between itself and the lugs A¹ of
the heel the leather of the quarter and upper, in such a way that the
leather is not injured and that the heel is firmly held. The screw is
introduced within the shoe, passes firstly through the horse-shoe plate,
then through the leather, then through the lugs, and finally crossing the
heel projects about half an inch beyond its bottom; by then seizing this
projecting part of the screw with a pincers and turning it the screw is
tightened. When the screw is fully tightened up, that is to say, when
its head is countersunk in the horse-shoe plate, and the threaded part
entered into the lugs A¹ it is broken off close under the threaded part by
a sharp turn, the breakage resulting from the weakness of the screw at
this part. All that remains of this long screw is the part which passes
through the leather and the lugs. In front of the heel is placed a small
screw c which takes into the "stiffener." The leather B fits into the
recess of the bottom of the heel, and is there fixed by a few screws.
In order that the heat which is to be produced within the heel may be
spread to within the shoe, the "bend" (the part between the sole and the
heel, and which serves to support the depression of the foot at this part)

page_text: is replaced by a metal plate B' of the same shape, but which is hollow so
as to form a conduit within the sole. This metal part extends to about
half the length of the sole, where several holes give free passage to
the hot air; this air would never be renewed for want of draught
if no device were adopted to supply this want. In the shoe described in
my Provisional Specification about half the length of the inner sole a was
made to bend and move up and down and a spring D, pressed under this
sole so as to force it upward; the result was that the bending of the
foot in walking caused the heel to alternately rise and fall, and the
sole a necessarily following this movement acted as a bellows driving
the warm air into the conduit B¹ of the "stiffener," and sucking in cold
air by openings o masked by a kind of catch P set on a spring, the
object of this spring being to cause the catches to enter these openings
and conceal them when the apparatus was not working, they being kept
open when required by the interposition between the catch and the edge
of the heel of a small rod sliding in the leather on the quarter, and
pushed by the aid of a small and slightly projecting stud with milled
edge; it has however since been found preferable to suppress the
spring D, and to use the following arrangement:-As shown on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawing this arrangement is composed of an
entire sole a, beneath which are placed the metal plates a¹ secured to
the edges of this sole. These plates give rigidity to the sole and form
at intervals spaces for the passage of the heat. The openings o for
admission of cold air to assist combustion are replaced by slits, the
spring and the catch P being thus entirely dispensed with as well as the
slide rod by which they were worked.
The mode of heating adopted is the use of a light fuel already adopted
in certain foot warmers and other articles; this fuel is held in a small
grate or case F fixed within the heel so as to be isolated on all sides.
The opening of the apparatus for the introduction of the fuel takes place
by the front of the heel, that is to say, on the flat part; this opening is
concealed by a small sliding door held in dovetail mortices formed in the
thickness of the metal. A small stud C is the only projection on the
outside; it serves as fulcrum for opening this door and as a stop to limit
its traverse.

page_text: stiffener it enters into small channels made in the thickness of the inner
sole and escapes by the holes pierced in it.
These improved boots or shoes may in summer time be ventilated
instead of heated; all that is required if they have been made to be heated
is to remove the grating F and the sliding door.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion communicated to me as aforesaid, I claim as secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, the use of boots and shoes
combining warming apparatus, substantially as herein-before described
and shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, the special features
of this Invention being the combination of the arrrangement. so as to
avoid any modification of the shape of the boot or shoe; the mode of
manufacturing the metal part B¹ so as to form a conduit for the hot air
passing from the heel towards the interior of the boot or shoe; the
alternate movement of the sole a for the renewal of air.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.