Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
I, THOMAS HOLDERNESS, of Millgarth Street, Leeds, in the County of York,
Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to boots and shoes,
such as are used or worn by navvies, gardeners, and other persons who frequently
use a spade, or other such like implement, and its object is to protect or prevent
unnecessary wear to the waist of the boot or shoe when the foot is thrusting or
forcing the spade into the ground or soil.
For this purpose I fix to the waist of the boot or shoe a metal plate, preferably
(though not necessarily) made of wrought iron, shaped to suit the contour of the
waist. This plate may be made in one or more portions, and when made in more
than one portion, it is divided longitudinally, and when so made it will be found
that one pattern will be suitable for several fittings or sizes of boots and shoes.
When more than one plate is used a space or spaces between the plates may when
preferred be provided, which space or spaces may be filled with leather or metal or
both. The plate or plates is or are made to pass under the heel of the boot or shoe
in such a manner so as not to interfere with the means for securing the heel to the
sole, and the plate or plates is or are fixed to the waist by spikes, screws, or other
convenient means. The plates may also when preferred be grooved, ribbed, and cast
or formed with representations of nails on their surfaces corresponding with the nails
in the soles of the boots or shoes, or the plates may be shaped or formed to fit
within the outer rows of nails in the boots or shoes.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of December 1887.
W. FAIRBURN HART,
Agent.

page_text: I, THOMAS HOLDERNESS, of Millgarth Street, Leeds, in the County of York,
Boot and Shoe Manufacturer 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:-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to boots and shoes,
such as are used or worn by navvies, gardeners, and other persons who frequently
use a spade or other such like instrument, and its object is to protect or prevent
unnecessary wear to the waist of the boot or shoe when the foot is employed for
thrusting or forcing the spade into the ground or soil.
For this purpose the waist of the boot or shoe is armed with or protected by a
metal plate which is fixed thereto by screws, spikes, nails, points, or pins.
The
metal plate may be made in one or more portions shaped to suit the contour of
the waist, and grooved or ribbed on its surface to prevent it from slipping on the
spade.
In the drawings
Fig. 1. is a plan of protecting plate. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively transverse
and longitudinal sections of same on lines w, w, and a, x, fig. 1.
Fig. 4. a plan of boot or shoe sole showing the protecting plato (in outline)
attached thereto.
A is the boot or shoe sole, B the heel, also shown in dotted lines at Fig. 3, (the
protecting plate, and D the waist of the boot or shoe.
The plate C may be made of any suitable metal, such as wrought iron, cast iron,
or malleable iron, but I prefer to use what is known as "Annealed Iron," say about
three-sixteenths or one-fourth of an inch in thickness; and it is shaped to conform
to the contour of the waist D as shown, that is to say, the plate is not only curved.
along its edges c c¹ as shown at Figs. 1 and 4 but its back c² is also made, (trans-
versely) slightly concave as shown at Fig. 2; and (longitudinally) convex as shown
at Fig. 3, so as to bed itself to the waist. The plate is attached to the waist D
by screws, spikes, or nails, which are made to pass through the holes c, or points
or pins may be formed on the back c² so as to project therefrom. And in order to
aid in retaining the plate firmly in position it is provided with a projection c³
(slightly narrower than the width of the plate) which passes under the heel of the
boot or shoe as shown at Fig. 4. in such a manner as not to interfere with the
means for fixing the heel to the sole.
In order to prevent the plate from slipping on the spade or other implement, when
in use, the upper surface c. is grooved or ribbed in any suitable manner, as for
instance, the plate may have grooves cast or formed therein to represent nail heads
as shown at c and c fig. 1.
At Fig. 1. I have shown the protecting plate in one piece, but it may also be
made in more than one piece by dividing the plate longitudinally as shown by

page_text: may be
dotted lines at Fig. 4, that is, the pieces co, co, co may be of metal and grooved or
ribbed, either as shown at Fig. 1, or in any other suitable manner, and the inter-
mediate pieces may be fillings of leather, or the two outer pieces
taken to represent one or more rows of ordinary nails (which are driven into the
sole in the usual manner) and the intermediate piece may be in one or more
portions shaped and grooved or ribbed to correspond with the centre piece c' of
Fig. 1, or it may be formed of alternate strips of metal and leather. When either
of the latter methods are employed the ends of the metal strips only pass under
the heel as shown at Fig. 4.
When the plate is divided as above described it will be found that one set of
patterns will be suitable for several fittings or sizes of boots and shoes.
It will readily be understood that when preferred the metal plates or strips and
leather may be arranged to be grooved or ribbed and fixed to the waist crosswise
instead of longitudinally, but I prefer the latter method of fixing as it provides a
firmer and better protection.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An armature or protection for the waists of boots and shoes, consisting of one
or more grooved or ribbed plates of metal (provided with a projection such as c³ to
pass under the heel B) fixed to the said waists by screws, spikes, nails, points or pegs
either fixed to the plate or plates, or the plate or plates are provided with holes for
the reception of the screws, points, or pegs, substantially as herein described and
set forth.
2. An armature or protection for the waists of boots and shoes, consisting of
alternate strips or plates of metal (grooved or ribbed) and leather fixed to the waist,
said metal plates or strips having a projection such as c³ which passes under the
heel B when fixed in position by screws, points, or pins fixed to the plates or strips,
or the said plates are provided with holes for their reception substantially as herein
described and set forth.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of September 1888