IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."-A communication from
abroad by John C. Plumer, M.D., of Portland, in the United States
of America.
Sealed the 7th June 1861, and dated the 30th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bous-
field at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th January 1861.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
The objects of the Invention are, to make shoes and boots conform to the
bony and ligamentous structure of the natural foot, and to obviate the dis-
advantages which result from the use of boots and shoes constructed in the
methods beretofore practised.
The Invention is divided into parts, which may be used separately or in
combination, but I believe that a boot or shoe of the best construction will be

page_text: obtained by using all the parts of the Invention in combination in the same
boot or shoe.
The first part of the Invention bas reference to that portion of the sole
which is beneath the ball of the foot. Previous to the Invention it has been
customary to construct the sole at this portion of equal or nearly equal thick-
ness transversely, and as the sole of the shoe is convex on its exterior, the
interior is correspondingly concave.
A sole of this construction is directly
the reverse in form of the bony and ligamentous structure of the natural foot,
which has the form of a transverse arch, and is concave on its under side.
As the foot is constricted by the upper leather of the shoe, the tendency is to
depress the transverse arch into the concavity of the sole of the shoe, and to
deform the foot, bunion, or the dislocation of the bones of the great toe, being
frequently produced.
The object of the first part of the Invention is to obviate this tendency,
and it consists in combining an outer sole that is convex or flat exteriorly
with an insole that is convex at its upper surface, the convexity of the insole
corresponding in position with the rise of the transverse arch of the foot, so
that the depression thereof is effectually prevented.
The second part of the Invention has reference to that portion of the sole
which connects the heel with the portion beneath the ball of the foot, and
which is commonly called the shank. Its object is to support this portion
of the foot both longitudinally and transversely, and it consists in a shank
which is convex at its upper surface, in contradistinction to being concave at
its upper surface as has been the case with boot and shoe shanks heretofore
in use.
The third part of the Invention has reference to the shank and heel of a
boot or shoe. The human foot is composed of a series of bones and ligaments
or fleshy muscles, and is arched longitudinally, the highest portion of the
under side of the longitudinal arch being beneath the instep. When the heel
rests upon a support which is higher than the level of the ball of the foot, the
members of which it is composed tend to assume a more arched form, and if
this tendency be prevented by the boot or shoe there is a constant strain upon
the foot, which sometimes results in the breaking down of the longitudinal
arch of the foot, thereby producing flat or splay foot, and is always accom-
panied by the sensation of weariness. The shanks of ordinary heeled shoes
and boots have hitherto been made of about the same convexity longitudinally
that they would have been if the boots or shoes had been made without heels;
moreover, the heels of the boots or shoes have been set so far back, and have
been so short, that they do not support the anterior portion of the heel of the

page_text: human foot, to which a considerable amount of the pressure in walking is
applied; hence there has been a constant tendency in the foot to move
forward in the shoe or boot, and as this tendency has been counteracted only
by the pressure of the upper leather upon the instep, the tendency has been to
depress the instep and break down the longitudinal arch of the foot.
The object of this part of the Invention is to prevent this tendency, and
afford an efficient support for the anterior portion of the heel of the foot, and
it consists in combining the heel of a boot or shoo with the sole thereof, in
such manner that the heel extends forward beneath the anterior portion of the
heel of the foot, and is there made thicker, so as to support the insole in a
proper convex form longitudinally beneath the foot; the shank of the boot or
shoe being shortened in proportion to the advance of the heel.
The fourth part of the Invention has reference to the upper leather of a
shoe or boot. In order that the upper leather of a shoe or boot may fit
closely in the hollow at the inner side of the foot, it is advantageous to carry
the front edge of the inner quarter as far forward as the most hollow portion
of that hollow. And it has been customary hitherto to make the quarters
at the opposite sides of the foot extend equal distances forward from a central
seam at the back of the boot or shoe. By this mode of construction, the seam
at the front of the outside quarter is located opposite the corresponding seam
at the front of the inside quarter, and is immediately over or in close proximity
with the bony projection at the outer side of the foot, which is frequently
galled by the pressure of the seam.
The object of this part of the Invention is to relieve the bony projection
of the foot from the pressure of the seam without interfering with the fit of
the shoe or boot; and it consists in combining the front piece with quarters
at the opposite sides of the foot of unequal length, so that while the inner
quarter extends sufficiently far forward to ensure a close fit of the leather to
the inner side of the foot, the seam at the front side of the outside quarter
is between the bony projection of the foot and the heel.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by ller Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, IIer special licence that I, the said
George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," a
communication to me from abroad by John C. Plumer, M.D., of Portland, in
the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 thereof, that is to say, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side view of a shoe
constructed according to the principles of the Invention; Figure 2 represents
a transverse section of the same at the line x, x, of Figure 1; Figure 8 repre-
sents a transverse section of the same at the line y, y, of Figure 1; Figure 4
represents a transverse section of the same at the line, z, of Figure 1; and
Figure 5 represents a longitudinal section of the same following the middle
line of the sole.
The objects of the Invention are to make shoes and boots conform to the
bony and ligamentous structure of the natural foot, and to obviate the dis-
advantages which result from the use of boots and shoes constructed in the
methods heretofore practiced. The Invention is divided into parts which may
be used separately or in combination, but I believe that a boot or shoe of the
best construction will be obtained by using all the parts of the Invention in
combination in the samo boot or shoe.
The first part of the Invention bas reference to that portion of the solo

page_text: which is beneath the ball of the foot.. Previous to this Invention it has been
customary to construct the sole at this portion of equal or nearly equal thick-
ness transversely, and as the sole of the shoe is convex on its exterior the'
interior is correspondingly concave. A sole of this construction is directly the
reverse in form of the bony and ligamentous structure of the natural foot,
which has the form of a transverse arch, and is concave on its under side.
As the foot is constricted by the upper leather of the shoe, the tendency is to
depress the transverse arch into the concavity of the sole of the shoe, and to
deform the foot, bunion, or the dislocation of the bones of the great toe, being
frequently produced.
The object of the first part of the Invention is to obviate this tendency,
and it consists in combining an outer sole that is convex or flat exteriorly
with an insole that is convex at its upper surface, the convexity of the insole
corresponding in position with the rise of the transverse arch of the foot, so
that the depression thereof is effectually prevented.
The second part of the Invention has reference to that portion of the sole
which connects the heel with the portion beneath the ball of the foot, and
which is commonly called the shank. Its object is to support this portion of
the foot both longitudinally and transversely, and it consists in a shank which
is convex at its upper surface in contradistinction to being concave at its
upper surface, as has been the case with boot and shoe shanks hereto-
fore in use.
.
The third part of the Invention has reference to the shank and heel of a
boot or shoe. The human foot is composed of a series of bones and ligaments
or fleshy muscles, and is arched longitudinally, the highest portion of the
under side of the longitudinal arch being beneath the instep. When the
heel rests upon a support which is higher than the level of the ball of
the foot, the members of which it is composed tend to assume a more
arched form, and if this tendency be prevented by the boot or shoe there is a
constant strain upon the foot, which sometimes results in the breaking down
of the longitudinal arch of the foot, thereby producing flat or splay foot, and is
always accompanied by the sensation of weariness. The shanks of ordinary
heeled shoes and boots bayo hitherto been made of about the same convexity
longitudinally that they would have been if the boots or shoes had been made
without heels, moreover the heels of the boots or shoes have, been set so far:
back and have been so short, that they do not support the anterior portion of
the heel of the human foot, to which a considerable amount of the pressure in:
walking is applied; hence there has been a constant tendency in the foot to>
Hove forward in the shoe or boot, and as this tendency has been counteracted>

page_text: only by the pressure of the upper leather upon the instep, the tendency has
been to depress the instep and break down the longitudinal arch of the foot.
The object of this part of the Invention is to prevent this tendency and afford
an efficient support for the anterior portion of the heel of the foot, and it
consists in combining the heel of a boot or shoe with the sole thereof in such
manner that the heel extends forward beneath the anterior portion of the heel
of the foot, and is there made thicker, so as to support the insole in a proper
convex form longtudinally beneath the foot, the shank of the boot or shoe
being shortened in proportion to the advance of the heel.
The fourth part of the Invention has reference to the upper leather of a
shoe or boot. In order that the upper leather of a shoe or boot may fit closely
in the hollow at the inner side of the foot, it is advantageous to carry the front
edge of the inner quarter as far forward as the most hollow portion of that
hollow, and it has been customary hitherto to make the quarters at the
opposite sides of the foot extend equal distances forward from a central seam
at the back of the boot or shoe. By this mode of construction the seam at
the front of the outside quarter is located opposite the corresponding seam
at the front of the inside quarter, and is immediately over or in close proximity
with the bony projection at the outer side of the foot, which is frequently
galled by the pressure of the seam. The object of this part of the Invention
is to relieve the bony projection of the foot from the pressure of the seam
without interfering with the fit of the shoe or boot, and it consists in com-
bining the front piece with quarters at the opposite sides of the foot of un-
equal length, so that while the inner quarter extends sufficiently far forward to
ensure a close fit of the leather to the inner side of the foot, the seam at the
front side of the outside quarter is between the bony projection of the foot and
the heel.
All the parts of this Invention are embodied in the shoe represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
In this shoe the sole a and the insole b, b', are separated by a filling c, of
such form that the upper surface of central part 6' of the insole protrudes
into the shoe above the lateral portions b, b, of the insole, while the outer
surface of the sole a is slightly convex, as usual. The protrusion of the insole
thus produced corresponds with the rise of the central portion of the transverse
arch of the foot, so that this arch is prevented from being broken down by the
constriction of the upper leather. The filling c gradually decreases in thickness
as it approaches the toe of the shoe, so that the inner surface of the insole is
there parallel with the outer surface of the outsole a. The filling c also
extends towards the heel of the shoe through the shank d, so that the upper

page_text: surface of the insole of the shank is convex, while the external surface of the
shank is also convex; the insole at the shank is thus protruded upwards to
support the hollow of the foot. The heelf of the shoe represented is extended
forward, and its anterior part c is raised to support the insole. The front edge
of the heel may be extended with advantage to a distance from the heel of the
shoe equal to one-third the whole length of the shoe, and as a firm support is
thereby furnished for the foot beneath the point at which the bones of the leg
are jointed to the bones of the foot, the heel may be cut away behind, as
shewn at g, so as to diminish the total length of the sole and heel of the shoe.
As the front portion of the sole a beneath the ball of the foot is not shifted
forward by this extension of the heel, the shank of my improved shoe is
shorter than the shanks of shoes hitherto made; and as the pressure of the
anterior part of the heel of the foot is sustained by the heel instead of by the
shank, the employment of steel shank plates or other means to prevent the
shank from being broken down and sustain the foot are unnecessary, and the
shank may be made more flexible than in shoes or boots hitherto made. The
difference between this combination of the heel with the sole and the old mode
may be seen by a comparison of the representation of the heel and sole of the
shoe in Figure 1, with the dotted line h, h, which represents the outline of the
corresponding portions of a shoe of the old construction. In order to afford a
firm lateral support for the heel of the foot, the heel of the shoe at the
periphery is raised above its central portion, thus forming lateral rims i, i, that
sustain the sides of the heel of the foot and relieve the most protuberant
portion thereof of a portion of the pressure to which it is subjected in a shoe
of the common construction.
The quarters at the opposite sides of the shoe are of unequal length, that on
the inner side; extends forwards from the heel about three-sevenths of the
total length of the shoe, terminating at the middle seam k. The outer quarter
is much shorter, the position of its front edge being indicated by the line 1,
Figure 5; as a general rule the distance of its front edge where it meets the
sole from the heel of the shoe should be about one-third of the total length of
the shoe.
In order to construct boots and shoes embodying the first three parts of the
Invention, a last should be provided, which is the counterpart of the interior
of the shoe intended to be made, having concave depressions in the bottom
to correspond with the transverse rise of the central portions of the insole.
But a shoe may be constructed according to the Invention by putting its
parts together upon an ordinary last, and by fitting a false sole of the proper
form into it after the last has been withdrawn. The false insole introduced

page_text: may be kept in place by an adhesive cement, such as glue or india-rubber
composition, or by means of pegs or tacks.
The first three parts of the Invention are applicable to boots as well as
shoes, the fourth part is applicable especially to shoes, but may be applied to
those boots which have a back seam.
Having thus described a shoe embodying all the improvements, what I claim
as the Invention in boots and shoes is,―
First, the combination of a sole that is flat or convex exteriorly with an
insole that is convex at its upper surface, substantially as described.
Secondly, a shank that is convex at its upper surface, substantially as
described.
Thirdly, the combination of an elongated heel with the sole, substantially as
described.
Fourthly, the combination of the front piece of the upper leather with
quarters of unequal length, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.8.)