AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF BOOT TREE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Rawlings, of Carlton Hill East, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF BOOT TREE."
Sealed the 21st February 1860, and dated the 4th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Rawlings at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
October 1859.
I, JAMES RAWLINGS, of Carlton Hill, East, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF BOOT TREE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus for holding boots
and shoes while being cleaned, the object being to enable the cleaner to
operate simultaneously with both hands on a boot or shoe, and thereby
facilitate the cleaning of the same. To this end I provide a boot tree which
shall be capable of contracting to receive the boot, and then of being expanded
and retained in that position while the boot is being cleaned. This boot tree
I fasten to any fixed point, as a wall, post, or other fixture, and thus by
removing the necessity for the operator to hold the boot, leave both hands free
for blacking and polishing it. The boot tree consists simply of a fixed bracket
piece (the extremity of which forms an abutment for the heel of the boot),
and a rock lever hinged to and in front of the fixed piece. At one extremity

page_text: of this rock lever a handle is formed for rocking it, and the other is shaped to
fit the toe of the boot or shoe. By moving the handle of the rock lever
outwards, the foot of the tree will be contracted, and allow of the boot or shoe
being readily slipped on, but when moved in the opposite direction the toe
piece is thrust out, and the boot or shoe tightly gripped by the tree. This grip
is maintained while the cleaning operation is proceeding by a segment rack
and click arrangement, or their equivalent; and in order to release the boot
or shoe, it will only be necessary to disengage the click from the rack teeth,
when the boot will be free to slip off, or be removed from the tree. To
provide for the upper part of the boot being held at tension, as when, for
example, a Hessian or a Wellington boot is required to be cleaned, I slot
the foot of the rock lever to receive a shield curved like the front of the leg of
the boot, and the upper part of this lever I also slot to receive a segment rack
fixed to and projecting from the inner face of the shield. Hinged to the rock
lever is a click, which takes into the teeth of the segment rack affixed to the
shield, and serves to hold the shield securely in the required position for
extending the leg of the boot. When the handle of the rock lever has been
thrown back, as above explained, to expand the foot of the tree, the shield is
drawn forward, and the leg of the boot is thus brought to tension, the click
then falling into the rack of the shield will retain the boot in this position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Rawlings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RAWLINGS, of Carlton Hill East, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Rawlings, Her special license that I, the said James Rawlings,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Rawlings, 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,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF BOOT TREE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Rawlings, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 James Rawlings, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of boot tree, which offers the
facility of contracting instantly to receive a boot or shoe, and of expanding to
hold the same at tension, and being capable of attachment to any convenient
fixed point, will enable a boot cleaner, when using it, to operate simultaneously
with both hands on a boot or shoe, and thereby greatly expedite the cleaning
of the same.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews in side elevation a boot tree
constructed according to this Invention, suitable for holding a short boot
during the cleaning operation, the tree being capable of instant contraction to
receive the boot, and then of as rapid expansion to retain the boot securely in
position. while the brushing, blacking, and polishing of the boot is proceeding,
instead of requiring the tedious adjustment and disengagement of the boot
trees at present in use.
The improved boot tree consists of a fixed bracket piece a of cast iron, the
lower extremity of which is intended to enter the boot, and form an abutment
for the heel thereof. Hinged to a lug cast on the front of the fixed bracket
piece is a rock lever b, also of cast iron, which lever is furnished at its upper
extremity with a handle for rocking it, and at its lower end is shaped to fit the
toe of the boot or shoe. Affixed to and projecting from the back of this hand
lever is a segment rack c formed with ratchet teeth on its upper edge. This
rack works in a slot formed for it in the bracket piece a, and it is intended to
receive a click d, which is secured by a pin to the bracket piece, and is
operated by a handle forming a part of the click. It will now be understood
that by moving the rock lever b outwards, the foot of the tree will be con-
tracted, and allow of the boot or shoe to be cleaned being readily slipped
thereon; but that on being moved in the opposite direction, the toe piece will
be thrust out, and the boot or shoe tightly gripped by the tree. This grip is

page_text: maintained while the cleaning operation is proceeding (as shewn at Fig. 1),
by the check dropping between the rack teeth; and in order to release the
boot or shoe it will only be necessary to disengage the click from the rack
teeth and draw forward the hand lever b. The boot will then be free to slip
off, or be removed from the tree. To provide for the upper part as well as
the foot of Wellington, Hessian, and other like boots being held at tension for
the purpose of being cleaned, I use the arrangement of boot tree shewn in side
view at Fig. 2, and in partial plan view at Fig. 3. This arrangement is
precisely like that shewn at Fig. 1, with the following additions:-The hand
lever 6 is slotted at the foot to receive a tange attached to a shield f, which
shield is made of sheet iron, and curved somewhat like the front of the leg of
a boot. The construction of this shield is shewn best in the detached views,
Figures 3, 4, and 5, where Fig. 3 is a plan view, Fig. 4 a front view, and
Fig. 5 a side view, of the shield and its attachments. Secured to the upper
end of the shield f, and projecting from the inner face thereof, is a segment
rack g formed with ratchet teeth, which rack, when the shield is fitted in its
place, passes through a slot made for it in the hand lever b, and through a
second slot in the bracket piece a. Hinged to the hand lever is a click h,
which takes into the teeth of the segment rack 9, and serves to hold the shield
securely in the required position for extending the leg of the boot. This click
is thrown in and out of action by means of a handle with which it is provided.
In order to secure a boot upon this tree, the foot and heel pieces are first
brought together by raising the click d clear of the teeth of the segment
rack c, and then rocking the lever 6 into the position shewn at Fig. 2. The
boot being then slipped on, the handle of the lever 6 is pushed back until the
toe of the lever is arrested by the toe of the boot foot, the click d will then fall
into the rack teeth and hold the lever 6 in position. The shield fƒ is now
drawn forward until arrested by the leg of the boot being brought to tension,
the click then falls into the teeth of the rack g, and secures the shield in its
forward position. To disengage the boot from the tree it is only necessary to
lift the clicks free of their respective racks.
When adapting the Invention to the use of boot makers, I find it desirable,
instead of forming the lever 6 with a fixed foot piece, to allow of the attach-
ment thereto of loose lasts. For this purpose I continue the lever b straight
down to its termination, and form a slot through it to receive a tang projecting
from the rear of the last, which may be secured in position by a wedge or pin,
or other like contrivance. By thus adapting removable lasts to the tree, the
boot maker may tree up his boots with facility thereon, availing himself of the
advantages which the improved tree offers, of slipping the boots on and off the

page_text: lasts. When it is required to clean or tree long boots, it may be advantageous
to joint the foot to the lever 6 at the heel angle by a kind of knuckle joint,
which will allow of the toe dropping a little, and thereby reducing the amount
of lateral projection of the toe piece.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of an improved con-
struction of boot tree, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, I claim constructing boot trees in the manner and for the purpose
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Rawlings, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JAMES RAWLINGS. (L.B.)