AN IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lion at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1881.
CHARLES LION, of Crispin Street, Spitalfields, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES."
The object of my Invention is to so facilitate the buttoning of boots and shoes
as to render the use of a button hook unnecessary, or if used to prevent the
breaking away of the button holes, or the dragging off of the buttons by the
button hook, and to make the boot more comfortable, and adapt it to fit ankles of
different sizes without shifting the buttons, which is now frequently necessary.
"
The Invention consists in the insertion of a strip or gusset of elastic webbing
either in the "button piece" or the "outside quarter of the boot, whereby the
button holes or the buttons, as the case may be, are enabled to yield or spring, and
so accomodate themselves to the extra strain in the act of buttoning, and to the
size of the ank] in wear.
This strip of elastic webbing is curved to conform to the curvature of the line of
button holes or buttons, and is preferably of equal width throughout, and is inserted
in an opening of corresponding shape cut in the "button piece" or "outside
quarter," as the case may be, just inside the line of button holes or outside the line
of buttons, and extending from the top of the boot down to and a little below the
first or lowest button, and is secured in place by sewing in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Lion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th January
1882.
CHARLES LION, of Crispin Street, Spitalfields, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES."
The object of my Invention is to so facilitate the buttoning of boots and shoes
as to render the use of a button hook unnecessary, or if used to prevent the
breaking away of the button holes, or the dragging off of the buttons by the
button hook, and to make the boot or shoe more comfortable, and. adapt it to
fit ankles of different sizes without the necessity of shifting the buttons.
The Invention consists in the insertion of a strip or gusset of elastic webbing
either within the line of button holes, or just outside the line of buttons, whereby
the button holes or the buttons, as the case may be, are enabled to yield or spring,
and so accomodate themselves to the extra strain in the act of buttoning, and
to the size of the ankle in wear. This gusset is parallel to or follows more or
less closely the curvature of the line of button holes or buttons, so as to be at
a uniform distance therefrom, and may be of equal or nearly equal_width
throughout, or may be gradually tapered to a point at the lower part. It may
be inserted in the "button piece," either by making the button piece " of two
strips of leather (or other material of which the boot or shoe may be made) with
the elastic strip or gusset between them; or it may be inserted in an opening
of proper shape cut in the button piece" or it may be inserted between the
button piece proper and the "inside quarter;" or it may be inserted in an opening
of proper shape cut in the "outside quarter" just outside the line of buttons.
"
८८
In the accompanying Drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent a boot with the
elastic strip or gusset A inserted in the "button piece," the said strip or gusset
being situated just inside the line of button holes in Figure 1, and between the
button piece proper and the inside quarter in Figure 2; Figure 3 shows a boot
with the elastic gusset inserted in the outside quarter just outside the line of
buttons. The gusset A is made of the ordinary elastic webbing or fabric similar to
that used for side springs. It is cut straight or nearly so, and is curved or adapted
to the form or position it is to occupy in the boot or shoe by fulling it just
sufficiently along one edge in the act of sewing to bring the elastic threads
approximately transverse to the gusset at all points, in order to impart a nearly
uniform degree of elasticity to all the fastenings. The gusset A. extends from the
top of the boot or shoe down to or a little below the lowest button, and is secured
in place by sewing.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The combination with a buttoned boot or shoe of an elastic gusset following or
.parallel to the line of the fastenings, and inserted either in the "button piece" just
behind the button holes, or between the button piece and the inside quarter, or in
the outside quarter immediately behind the buttons, substantially as herein
described and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Lion, have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Eleventh day of January. AD 1882.