Improvements in Shoe "Forms" for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
Improvements in Shoe "Forms" for Boots and Shoes.
(A communication from abroad by WALTER L. C. NILES, of Lynn, in the State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer).
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 present invention relates to shoe forms for boots and shoes and more
particularly to hollow forms adapted to be inserted in boots and shoes for the
purpose of filling out and giving shape to the upper of a boot or shoe while
displaying the same either in sample cases or show windows.
The object of the present invention is to produce a hollow display form for
boots and shoes so constructed and arranged as to facilitate its ready insertion
into and removal from a boot or shoe and in insure the maintaining of the parts
of the form in proper operative relation while in the shoe.
To the above end the present invention consists in the improved hollow shoe
form hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of my invention,
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation,
Figure 2 is a plan view of the bottom,
Figure 3 is an elevation of the rear portion, and
Figure 4 is a top plan view of my improved shoe form shown with the rear
portion telescoped into the forepart section of the same.
Similar reference characters are employed throughout to designate corre-
sponding parts in the several views.
1 indicates the forepart section of my improved form which is made of a single
piece of any suitable thin but strong material such as sheet metal, or paper or
leather board. The edges of the blank forming the forepart section are united
together on the medial line of the bottom portion of the same in any suitable
manner, as by means of a suitable uniting strip 3 to which the contiguous edges
of the material are secured by riveting the same thereto by means of the rivets 4.
The rear part of the shank portion is preferably cut away to leave the open
space 5 for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The heel section 6 of my form is made
of the same material as the forepart section, shaped to the desired form. In
practice I make the forepart and heel part sections in one piece and then cut
them apart on the desired dividing line, but the two sections may be made
separately, if desired, as the method of making them forms no part of the present
invention. In the illustrated embodiment of my heel section, I have shown it as
made of two pieces of material.
The present invention contemplates making either or both of the sections
compressible or expansible, so that one section may telescope within the other to
shorten the form. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, I have shown
the heel section as elastic and compressible and have provided the same with
the spring 7, attached at its ends as at 8 to the upper front margins of the heel

page_text: section, being thence extended downwardly adjacent to the front edges of said
heel section and along the front edge of the bottom of the same, which together
with the inherent elasticity of the material constitutes means for restoring the
compressed section to its normal size.
Any suitable means may be employed for preventing the spring 7 from pressing
the sides of the heel section outwardly beyond the level of the corresponding
portion of the forepart section, but I preferably employ projections 9 made
integral with the ends of the spring and projected forwardly from the rivets S
into the inside of the rear portion of the forepart section.
It is to be observed that it is entirely within the purview of my invention to
make the two sections of my shoe form in separate pieces. In such case, the one
part of the shoe form will be telescoped within the other part and the form
will be inserted in the shoe, then the one part will be withdrawn from within the
other and when withdrawn it will expand to its normal size and the edges of the
two parts will abut against each other and be thus sustained in operative position.
In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the spring 7 and the inherent
elasticity of the heel part section will hold the section expanded so that its edge
shall abut against the edge of the forepart section. The pressure of the shoe
upon the parts of the form will hold them in the desired relation to each other.
So while it is not necessary that the two parts of the shoe form should have any
means for connecting them, in ordinary practice I have found it preferable to
attach them together by suitable means which will permit one section to telescope
within the other. To this end, in the illustrated embodiment of my invention,
I have shown a slotted spring 10, secured to the bottom of the forepart section,
and preferably made integral with the uniting strip 3, which spring is projected
rearwardly into the heel section where it is received by a guide 11, secured to
the bottom of the heel section and through which the spring is adapted to slide
freely until the end of the slot 12 brings up against the pin 13.
When it is desired to insert the shoe form in a boot or shoe, the upper part of
the heel section will be compressed against the inherent elasticity of the material
and the action of the spring 7, or the forepart section will be compressed vertically
to expand it in size, or both, and at the same time the whole heel section 6 will
be raised so that the heel section may enter the forepart section and slide into
the same. The cutting away of the rear part of the shank of the forepart section
permits this to be accomplished without lifting the heel section so much as would
be required if the forepart section was not cut away at 5 in the manner shown.
While I have described the heel section as being compressible so that it may
telescope within the forepart section in order to shorten the form and facilitate
its ready introduction into or removal from the shoe into which it is desired to
insert or from which it is desired to remove the same, I do not desire to limit
myself precisely to that form of shoe form as my invention contemplates broadly
any construction of shoe form, which will permit one section thereof to be
telescoped within the other section of the same, irrespective of whether the result
be secured by compression of one member or the expansion of the other member,
or both.
<<
Wherever in the claims I have used the expression means for restoring the
compressed section to its normal size," I desire to have it understood that I intend
thereby to define any means which will accomplish the said result, whether such
means be the inherent elasticity of the material of which the sections of the
shoe form are made, or any other means for accomplishing the said result and
which will constitute means equivalent to the illustrated embodiment of such
means which as shown consists in a spring 7 and the inherent elasticity of the
material of which the sections of the shoe forms are made. Wherever in the claims
I have used the expression "distortable" I intend thereby to denote that quality
by virtue of which the section referred to is susceptible of being compressed in
order to telescope within the other member or expansible so as to allow the other
member to telescope within it.
:

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section
capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections
being elastic and distortable and thereby adapted to telescope with the other
section to shorten the form, substantially as described.
2. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section
capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections
being elastic and distortable and thereby adapted to telescope with the other
section to shorten the form, and means for connecting them, substantially as
described.
3. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section
capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections
being distortable to telescope with the other section to shorten the form, and
means for restoring said distortable section to its normal size, substantially as
described.
4. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section
capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections
being distortable to telescope with the other section to shorten the form, means
for connecting said sections, and means for restoring said distortable section to its
normal size, substantially as described.
5. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section
capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, said heel section
being distortable to telescope with the forepart section to shorten the form, and
means for restoring said heel section to its normal size, substantially as described.
6. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section
capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, said heel section
being distortable to telescope with the forepart section to shorten the form,
means for connecting said sections and means for restoring said heel section
to its normal size, substantially as described.
7. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section, said
heel section being compressible to telescope within the forepart section to shorten
the form, means for restoring said heel section to its normal size, and means for
preventing the heel section from being expanded by said restoring means, beyond
the size of the forepart section, substantially as described.
8. A hollow shoe form consisting of a forepart section and a heel section, said
heel section being compressible to telescope within the forepart section to shorten
the form, means for connecting said sections, means for restoring said heel section
to its normal size, and means for preventing the heel section from being expanded
by said restoring means, beyond the size of the forepart section, substantially as
described.
1
1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.