Improvements in Boot Trees.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot Trees.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE YAPP of 210 Sloane Street, London, S.W. Boot Tree
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates in part to improvements in the toggle-jointed boot tree
which formed the subject of a previous Patent granted to James Bowler dated the
15th day of May, 1891 No. 8399 and the present improvements have for object to
produce a less bulky and lighter tree, to render the tree more effective, to enable it
to be more readily applied and adjusted, and to be packed away in a small space
when not in use.
The tree which is constructed wholly of metal, consists of two main portions,
viz. a front or toe portion, and a rear or heel portion, the two being forced in
opposite directions by an intermediate thrust rod, to the extremities of which the
said portions are jointed.
The front or toe portion is a metal casting or stamping concavo-convex in cross
section conforming in shape and configuration to the shape of the fore part of the
boot and extending rearwards from the toe the necessary distance to preserve the
front of the boot in shape. This front or toe portion takes a downward bearing by
its edges on the sole, or by a packing piece received in the concavity at the under-
side of this portion capable of being adjusted more or less near to the toe extremity
by means of a series of holes engaging with a stud so as to form the abutment
necessary to convert the forward into an upward pressure of the front or toe
portion.
The heel portion is a mere plate curved to correspond to the curvature of the
heel of the boot-upper, against which it is forced by the thrust rod.
According to one arrangement, the thrust rod is jointed at an intermediate point,
so that it forms and acts as a toggle connection, means being provided, say, by the
one number of the toggle abutting against the other when the middle joint has
passed the line of centres, so as to ensure the rigidity of the two members when in
position.
In order to adjust it for length, the one member is made of two sections fitted to
slide, the one through a clip or socket on the other, and secured by a pin or binding
-screw. Or the thrust bar may be adapted to act as a toggle without any
intermediate joint, the one member being made of a single or compound spring so as
In this
to enable the toggle-like action to be obtained by flexure of this member.
case the two members would be connected by a clip and binding screw so as to
permit of their sliding the one on the other when adjusted for length.
Or instead of a toggle-action the thrust bar may be formed of two sections sliding
telescopically, the one in the other, the one being screw threaded and provided
with a fly nut abutting against the end of the other whereby to regulate the length
of the thrust rod and the pressure applied thereby.
In all cases the thrust of the rod is converted into an upward pressure of the
front portion particularly at the rear end thereof near the instep, after the front
portion has been forced home to the toe of the boot.
Dated this 12th day of February 1894.

page_text: H
I, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE YAPP of 210, Sloane Street, London, S.W., England,
Boot Tree 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 :-
My improvement in boot trees has for its object to render the action of the boot
tree more efficient by so applying the pressure as to produce an upward thrust
against the front of the upper, near the instep and to produce a tree which is lighter,
less bulky, more easily applied and adjusted, and capable of being packed away
into a smaller compass than other trees now in use.
The invention consists in the combination, with a front or toe portion and a rear
or heel portion, of an intermediate adjustable thrust rod jointed to the front and
heel portions and adapted to act as a toggle and to apply pressure to the front or
toe portion, in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, forming part of this Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation
and Figure 2 a plan of one arrangement of tree, the shoe to which it is applied
being represented in dotted lines in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevation,
Figure 4 a plan, and Figure 5 a cross-section on line 1-1 Figure 4, of another
arrangement of boot tree, the shoe to which it is applied being represented in
dotted lines in Figure 3.
The front or toe portion A is a metal casting or sheet metal stamping, of
concavo-convex form in cross-section conforming in shape and configuration to the
shape of the fore part of the boot and extending from the toe towards the instep
the necessary distance to preserve the front of the boot in shape. This front or
toe portion A takes a downward bearing on the sole at or near its toe extremity, so
as to form the abutment necessary to convert the forward into an upward pressure
of the front or toe portion A. The heel portion B may be a plate as in Figure 3,
curved to correspond to the curvature of the heel of the boot-upper against which
it is forced by the thrust rod C or it may be a round rod as in Figure 1, said
thrust rod being jointed at a to an ear projecting downwards from the underside of
the front or toe portion A near the rearmost and highest part thereof, and at 6 to
an ear formed on the inner face of the heel portion B.
According to the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the thrust rod C is
made of two main members e¹ e² jointed together at c, so that it forms, and acts as,
a toggle connection, means being provided, say, by the member of the toggle
being prolonged as at c³ beyond the joint c, so as to abut against the other member c¹
when the middle joint e has passed beyond the plane of the centres a, b, so as to
ensure the rigidity of the toggle jointed thrust rod when in position in the boot or
shoe. In order to enable the toggle-jointed thrust rod to be adjusted for length,
the one member is provided with a clip or socket which is jointed to the
member through which socket the other member c² is free to slide. The
member is secured by a pin c passed through one of a series of holes in
the sliding section and through a hole in the socket, or any other equivalent
fastening, such as a binding screw, may be used to adjustably unite the two sections.
The front portion A may bear directly upon the sole by its toe extremity, or
through the medium of a packing piece D which may be formed of a strip of metal,
bent to the form shewn, projecting downwards from the concavity at the underside
of the portion A, so as to bear on the sole and capable of adjustment more or less
near to the toe extremity, by means of one or other of the holes d engaging with a
stud de fixed to the portion. A.
The upward flexure of the toggle-jointed thrust rod C, in the operation of
inserting the tree in the shoe, is illustrated in dotted lines at C' in Figure 1.

page_text: The toggle-jointed thrust rod having been properly adjusted for length and the
portions A and B having been placed in position in the shoe with the toggle thus.
Hexed, the joint c is pressed downwards by pressure applied on the prolongation c³,.
the first effect of which is to thrust the portions A, B, home against the toe and
heel of the shoe, and the downward pressure being continued until the thrust rod
is brought to the full-line position, the thrust of said rod is exerted in an upwardly
inclined direction from to a, thereby tending to lift the rear end of the toe
portion A and expand the instep portion of the shoe. A further effect is that the
downward bearing of the toe extremity or of the packing piece D depresses the toe,.
straightens the sole, and raises the waist, of the shoe or boot, thus keeping it always
in shape. Another advantage of the hollow front portion A is that it allows free.
ventilation of the toe of the boot or shoe.
In the arrangement represented in Figures 3 to 5 the thrust rod C is adapted
to act as a toggle without having any intermediate joint. For this purpose the two-
members of the thrust rod are made of single or compound spring strips so as to-
enable the toggle-like action to be obtained by flexure, as represented in dotted and
full lines respectively. In this case the two members c¹ c² are connected by a clip or
socket rivetted to c' and through which c² is adapted to slide and in which it is
secured by a binding screw 9 screwing through a nut h in the clip, so as to permit.
of adjustment for length.
The front portion A, the heel portion B, the joints a, b, by which they are
connected to the ends of the thrust rod, and the toe piece D, are all constructed
as before described, and the operation of the whole device is similar. The
thrust rod C is flexed upwardly when the tree is inserted in the boot or shoe,:
and is then depressed until its middle portion passes beyond the plane of.
the centres a, b, and becomes flexed in the downward direction, as shewn in
full lines, this downward flexure being limited by the greater rigidity due to the
overlapping end c³ of the member c² lying upon and reinforcing the member c¹.
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 tree for boots or shoes, consisting of the combination of a front or toe:
portion, a rear or heel portion, and an intermediate longitudinal thrust rod made
adjustable as to length jointed directly to said toe and heel portions and constructed
or adapted to be flexed so as to act as a toggle when straightened and thereby to
tend to thrust the toe and heel portions in opposite directions and convert the
forward thrust of the toggle into an upward pressure of the rear end of the said
front portion, the thrust rod being jointed directly to the front portion at the rear-
most and highest part so as to cause the front portion to take a downward bearing
on the sole by its toe end, substantially as specified.
2. A tree for hoots and shoes, consisting of the combination of a front or toe.
portion of concavo-convex cross-section, a rear or heel portion, au intermediate
longitudinal thrust rod jointed directly to the toe portion at the underside near its
rearmost and highest part and to the heel portion, said thrust rod being constructed
of two members jointed together by an intermediate joint and one of the members.
being prolonged beyond the joint to form a stop, limiting flexure of the joint in one.
direction, substantially as specified.
3. A tree for boots and shoes, consisting of the combination of a front or toe
portion of concavo-convex cross-section, a rear or heel portion, an intermediate
longitudinal thrust rod jointed to the toe portion at the underside near its rearmost.
and highest part and to the heel portion, said thrust rod being constructed of two
members jointed together by an intermediate joint and one of the members being
prolonged beyond the joint to form a stop, limiting flexure of the joint in one
direction, whilst the other member is made of two telescopic sliding sections united
by a clip and cross-pin or equivalent fastening to admit of adjustment for length,
as specified.

page_text: 4. The combination, with a tree for boots and shoes, consisting of a front or toe-
portion and a heel portion united by a longitudinal thrust rod adjustable as to
length, jointed to the front and rear portions and adapted to be flexed to act as a
toggle when straightened, of an adjustable packing piece projecting downwards from
the underside of the front portion, so as to bear on the sole of the boot or shoe,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of Tulu 1904
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
W. J. YAPP,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.