An Improved Lacing Fastening for Boots, Shoes, Gaiters, Leggings, Stays, Corsets, and other Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lacing Fastening for Boots, Shoes, Gaiters, Leggings,
Stays, Corsets, and other Articles.
HARREY MOORE of Wellingborough in the County of Northampton, Machine Agent
and WILLIAM BRIGHTWELL PERKINS of Irthlingborongh in the same County Boot
upper Closer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The use of small Rollers or pulley wheels revolving freely on fixed pins or axles
secured to the articles to be laced at the edges to be brought together by the lace
round which Rollers or Pulley wheels the laces are passed instead of threading them
through holes or round books as hitherto.
WILLIAM FISH,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lacing Fastening for Boots, Shoes, Gaiters, Leggings,
Stays, Corsets, and other Articles.
We HARREY MOORE of Wellingboro in the County of Northampton Machine
Agent and WILLIAM BRIGHTWELL PERKINS of Irthlingboro in the county aforesaid
Boot upper closer 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:-
Our present invention relates to means for lacing boots, shoes, and other articles of
wearing apparel and has for its object an expeditious method of performing the same
and the obtaining of comfort and freedom to that part of the body to which the laced
apparel is secured; to attain which we employ ordinary small rollers or pulley wheels
which are arranged and secured to the wearing apparel in an improved manner.
Hitherto when using small rollers or pulley wheels as a means for lacing articles of
wearing apparel the way in which the same have been secured to the apparel has
made it too stiff and what has been gained in expedition of lacing the apparel has
been lost in discomfort to the wearer, to obviate this drawback and to obtain both
expedition in the lacing and comfort in the wearing we arrange and secure the small
pulley wheels or pulleys to the wearing apparel in the following manner:
We make a frame or carrier of a horizontal U shape having the upper side some-
what longer than the lower. This carrier or frame is preferably stamped out of thin metal
and is formed with suitable vertical holes for the fixed pin or axle to pass through.
The said pin or axle may be made of solid wire having a head or flange at one end, or
it may be made hollow. Each small roller or pulley has a hole formed through its
axis a little larger in diameter than the diameter of the fixed pin or axle so that it
may revolve thereon freely in the usual manner.
Our improved levers are secured to the apparel as follows.
The carrier is placed in a suitable pocket formed in the apparel at each side of the
opening to be laced, by this means the material extends over the upper and lower
sides of the said carrier. Two suitable holes are either previously or may then be
made through the pocket corresponding in position to the vertical holes in the carrier
for the reception of the fixed axle or pin. The small pulley wheel is then placed
within the carrior having its axis perpendicular with and in the saine vertical plane
as the holes in the pocket and likewise the carrier. After placing the pulley in said
position the solid or other axle or pin is passed into or through said holes and is
rivetted up by any suitable means preferably on the underside of the lower portion of
.

page_text: pocket. The pulleys may be secured in the manner described either directly opposite
to each other on each side of the opening in the apparel for the purpose of using a
double line of lace, or at alternate positions so as to suit a single line of lace.
In a double line of lace the lace is passed first round the two lower opposite pulleys
or the pulleys situated at the end of the pocket in the apparel, and then each end of
lace is threaded through the pockets and passes over alternate opposite pulleys. Each
end of the lace is then formed with a suitable knot so it cannot again pass
through the pocket and over the pulleys. To lace the apparel it is only necessary to
pull the ends of the said lace either simultaneously or one after the other and then
secure the ends by any suitable means. When using a single line of lace one end
thereof should be secured in any suitable way to the lower part of the opening in the
apparel then the lace is passed through the pocket over the alternate pulleys. The
apparel may then he laced by merely pulling the loose end of lace to a necessary
extent and then secure it by any suitable means. The loose end of lace will require
a suitable knot forming so as to prevent it passing again through the pocket and over
the pulleys.
To unlace or unloosen the apparel so laced it is only necessary to release the
end or ends of lace and then pull the opening in the apparel apart as will be well
understood.
In order that our present invention may be fully understood and so that it may
be readily carried into effect we will proceed to more particularly described the same
by the aid of the sheet of drawings hereunto attached.
Fig. 1 is a cross section of our improved lacer fitted to the material of the apparel
according to our present invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the small roller or pulley wheel.
Fig. 3 a plan of our improved carrier. Fig. 4 an elevation of the pin or axle, and
Fig. 5 a sectional elevation of a modified form of said pin. Fig. 6 is a perspective
view of pocket formed in edges of opening in apparel, and Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are
elevations of articles of wearing apparel showing our improved means of lacing
applied thereto. Fig. 7 represents the article unlaced or loose and with a double line
of lace, and fig. 8 represents the same laced or closed, and fig. 9 represents the article
with a single line of lace in loose position and fig. 10 the same laced.
Like letters denote similar parts in each figure.
We make a frame or carrier A of a horizontal U shape having its upperside a¹
somewhat longer than the lower side a², it is preferably stamped out of thin sheet
metal and is formed with suitable vertical holes a³ for the reception of a fixed pin or
axle B.
The said pin or axle B may be formed out of solid wire as shown at fig. 4, or it
may be formed hollow as shown at fig. 5, in either case it is made with a suitable
head b¹, and the axle portion is made of one diameter or parrallel. Each small
roller or pulley wheel Chas a hole c¹ formed through its axis which is a little larger
in diameter than the diameter of the pin or axle B so that it may freely revolve
thereon in the usual manner.
Our improved lacers are secured to articles of wearing apparel as follows: The
carrier A is placed in a suitable pocket d' which is formed in the article D at each
side of the opening d2 figs. 7 and 9, by this means the material forming the pocket d'
extends over the upper and lower sides of the said carrier A as shown at fig. 1.
Two suitable holes d³ fig. 6 are either previously or may then be made through the
pocket d¹ and are arranged to correspond in position to the vertical holes a¹ formed
in the carrier A for the reception of the fixed pin B. After the carrier A has been
placed in position within the pocket d' as described the small pulley wheel or
roller is then placed within said carrier having its axis c¹ perpendicular with and
in the same vertical plane as the holes d³ in the pocket d', and likewise the
holes a¹ in the carrier A. After placing the pulley wheel C in said position that
is with the longer side or upper portion a of the U shaped carrier under the material
forming the outerside of pocket d¹ and the shorter side a² against the material
forming the innerside of said pocket, the solid or other axle or pin B is passed

page_text: or placed into the holes made for its reception with its head b¹ in the outer or
upper side of material forming the pocket d' and bas its lower or inner end pressed
against or rivetted up to the material forming the lower or inner portion of pocket
as shown at fig. 1. The pulley wheels C may be secured in the manner described
and be placed either directly opposite each other on each side of the opening da
as shown at figs. 7 and 8 so that a double line of lace may be used, or they may
be arranged at alternate opposite portions of the pockets d' as shown at figs. 9 and 10
so as to suit a single line of lace.
When using a double line of lace as shown at figs. 7 and 8 the lace F is first passed
round the lower opposite pulleys and then each end f₁ of lace is threaded through the
pockets and passes over alternate opposite pulleys C, after which the ends f¹ of lace F
have each formed thereon a suitable knot so that they cannot pass over the pulleys and
through the pockets again.
To lace the article D figs. 7 and 8 it is only necessary to pull the ends fl of lace F
either simultaneously or one after the other and then secure the same either in the
manner shown fig. 8 or in any other suitable way. When using a single line of lace
see figs. 9 and 10 the end f² of lace F is first secured either by means of a tag as
shown, or in any other manner to the article D on the opposite side of the opening d¹
to the lowest pulley, the other end f¹ of lace F is then passed through the pockets d'
and alternately over the pulley wheels C, after which a suitable knot is made at the
end f¹ of lace F so that it cannot again pass through the pockets d¹ and pass the pulley
wheels C. The article D arranged with our improved means for lacing as described
with reference to figs. 9 and 10 may be laced tight or the opening 2 closed to a
required extent by merely pulling the end f1 of lace F with a sufficient_force, after
which the said end f' may be tied round a suitable button, tag, or hook J see fig. 10
by which means it retains the article in a laced or tight position. Pulley wheels
applied for the purpose of lacing boots, shoes, or other articles of wearing apparel in
our improved manner before described do not become too stiff or uncomfortable to the
wearer but on the contrary they give to the movement of the part of body to which
they may be attached and so render to the wearer comfort and ease. To unloosen or
unlace the article of apparel D it is only necessary to release the end or ends f¹ and
then pull the opening apart as shown at figs. 7 and 9.
We would have it understood that we do not claim per se the use of rollers capable
of being revolved freely upon fixed pins or axles for the purpose specified, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In means for lacing boots shoes and other articles of wearing apparel the use of
pulley wheel C mounted in carriers A and secured in pockets d' specially formed for
their reception all combined and arranged substantially as described and illustrated in
the drawings annexed.
Dated this 7th day of Santamber 1880
H. F. BOUGHTON, M.I.M.E.,
Barnsley, Agent.