Improvements in Boot Trees or Apparatus for Stretching or Restoring Boots and Shoes to their Proper Shape.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 3rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot Trees or Apparatus for Stretching or
Restoring Boots and Shoes to their Proper Shape.
1, JOSEPH STRAKER of 10 Kings Bench Walk, Temple, in the County of Middlesex,
Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has reference to improvements in light portable trees or apparatus
for stretching or restoring boots or shoes (hereinafter included under the word boots)
to their proper shape constructed of elastic or flexible material made as a bag having,
when inflated, a contour corresponding to the proper shape of the boot to be stretched
or restored to shape, the said bag being closed and adapted to have air or other fluid
blown or forced therein for the purpose of inflating the bag after insertion in a boot.
Such collapsible trees as made with a thin rigid sole to facilitate insertion when
uninflated, into a boot have been found not to effectually stretch or restore to their
proper form, boots much out of shape, in consequence of the bag being flexible at the
parts corresponding to both sides of the boot accommodating itself to, instead of
removing the irregularities in the shape of the boot.
Now according to my invention in order to obviate this defect the sole is suitably
formed to cause the pressure of the fluid within the bag to press mainly upon the
distorted part of the boot; for this purpose in one construction of my improved tree
(which however may be varied) that side of the rigid sole designed to bear against
the inner surface of the outer side or portion of the foot of the boot or that side or
portion that is the less liable to become distorted by wear is made of greater thickness
than the other side of the rigid sole or that designed to bear against the inner surface
of the opposite side or portion of the foot of the boot or that liable to greater
distortion.
The front end of the rigid sole may be constructed to completely fill the toe portion
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot Trees or Apparatus for Stretching or
Restoring Boots and Shoes to their Proper Shape.
I, JOSEPH STRAKER late of 10 Kings Bench Walk, now of Fountain Court,
Temple, in the County of Middlesex, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to improvements in light portable trees or apparatus
for stretching or restoring boots or shoes (hereinafter included under the word
boots) to their proper shape constructed of elastic of flexible material nade as a bag
having when inflated a contour corresponding to the proper shape of the boot to be
stretched or restored to shape, the said bag being closed and adapted to have air
or other fluid blown or forced therein for the purpose of inflating the bag after
insertion in a boot. Such collapsible trees as made with a thin rigid sole to facilitate
insertion when uninflated, into a boot have been found not to effectually stretch or
restore to their proper form, boots much out of shape, in consequence of the bag,
being flexible at the parts corresponding to both sides of the boot, accommodating
itself to, instead of removing the irregularities in the shape of the boot.

page_text: Now according to my invention in order to obviate this defect the sole is suitably
formed to cause the pressure of the fluid within the bag to press mainly upon the
distorted part of the boot; for this purpose in one construction of my improved tree
(which however may be varied) that side of the rigid sole designed to hear against
the inner surface of the outer side or portion of the foot of the boot or that side or
portion that is the less liable to become distorted by wear is made of greater thickness
than the other side of the rigid solo or that designed to bear against the inner
surface of the opposite side or portion of the foot of the boot or that liable to greater
distortion.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of a hoot tree or apparatus for
stretching or restoring boots to their proper shape according to this invention, the
apparatus in this example being designed to act mainly upon the leg, instep, back
and one side of the foot of a Wellington or top boot.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line Fig. 1.
The boot treo comprises a collapsible bag of suitable Hexible or elastic material
such as indiarubber having, when inflated as shown, a contour corresponding to the
proper shape of the interior of the boot with which it is to be used. This bag is
closed at its upper end by a covor 2 provided with a nozzle or part coupling with
valvo 3 as well understood and by means of which the interior of the bag may be
placed in communication with a fluid compressor such as an air pump for the purpose
of inflating the bag when the same is within a boot, and by which the communica-
tion can if desired be afterwards closed to confine the fluid within the bag and permit
of the disconnection of the fluid compressor. At its lower end the bag is provided
with a sole of rigid material, for example wood, which according to this invention
is made thicker at one side or portion 4* than at the other side or portion 4º. This
thicker side or portion of the sole is arranged to bear, through the intervention of the
adjacent part of the bag, against the inner surface of that side or portion of the foot
of the bool that is less liable to become distorted by wear.
By this means the pressure of the enclosed fluid will be prevented from acting
directly against the part or parts of the bag adjacent to the thicker side or part of the
sole and corresponding to the side part or parts of the boot not required to be acted
apon, whilst the remainder of the internal surface of the bag will be exposed to the
direct pressure of the contained fluid so that when the apparatus inflated in a boot
the fluid pressure will be caused to act mainly upon such parts only of such boot as
the apparatus is designed to restore to proper shape, and in a more effectual manner
than with collapsible boot trees as heretofore constructed.
The rigid sole may be of various forms: thus it may be of the form shown in Figs. 1
and 2 and cover the whole of the bottom of the bag; or it may be of rectangular
form as indicated at 5 and 6 in Fig. 3, which is a similar section to Fig. 2, and only
cover part of the width of the bottom of the bag. The sole may be made shorter than
the foot of the bag as shown in Fig. 4, which is a sectional plan of the bag with sole,
in order to facilitate the insertion of such foot in the foot of the boot to be stretched
or restored to shape. With either construction the front end 4° of the sole may be
constructed to completely fill the toe portion of the boot as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invon-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A boot tree or apparatus of the kind referred to for stretching or restoring boots
and shoes to their proper shape consisting of a suitably formed bag of elastic or
flexible material capable of being inflated and collapsed, in combination with a rigid
sole so formed and arranged as to prevent pressure of the enclosed fluid against a part
or parts of the bag corresponding to a part or parts of the boot or shoe not required
to be acted upon, but to leave the remainder of the internal surface of the bag exposed
to the pressure of the contained fluid, thereby causing the apparatus when inflated in

page_text: a boot or shoe to act mainly upon such parts only of such boot or shoe as the apparatus
is designed to restore to proper shape substantially as herein described.
2. My improved boot trees or apparatus for stretching or restoring boots and shoes
to their proper shape as herein described with reference respectively to and shown
in Figs. I and 2; in Fig. 3; and in Fig. 4 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 30th day of November 1889.
JOSEPH STRAKER.