Year: 1888

page_text: I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.
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 :-
The present invention refers to improvements in water-tight boots and shoes and its
object to produce watertight boots and shoes which present advantages over those
used up to the present time due to the better employment of the waterproof material
such as india-rubber, wax and the like.
Many different methods are actually employed to render boots or shoes water-tight
but they differ from the present one in so far as that the results obtained, upon one
part of the boot or shoe only, either sole or upper, are obtained by costly processes
and are then even imperfect.
For instance the employment of thick cork soles which are placed between the
insole and the sole proper has the disadvantages that the cork sole is breakable and
that its extreme thickness gives the boot or shoe a clumsy appearance. Goloshes are
made water-tight by being entirely constructed of india-rubber but they present the
disadvantages that they do not protect the upper part of the boot or shoe of the wearer
and that they do not sufficiently resist wear and tear. Sometimes legs of thick cloth
are attached to the goloshes to protect the entire boot or shoe but then they are extremely
heavy.
The present system of rendering boots and shoes water-tight may however also be
employed with goloshes.
The sole is rendered water-tight by the construction represented in Fig. 1 in which
1 represents the insole of leather, 2 a leaf of fabric impregnated with india-rubber
and fixed to a felt sole by means of an india-rubber solution the edges of this felt sole
being covered with similar water-proof fabric, 3 is the felt sole 4 is a leaf of water-
proof material fastened to the felt sole by means of an india-rubber solution and 5 is
the proper leather sole.

page_text: A sole constructed in this manner is of moderate thickness and thoroughly suitable
for ordinary boots or shoes but not for goloshes which must be lighter in form and
aspect. The latter are preferably constructed as follows:-on the insole of leather is
placed an india-rubber sole formed with a cavity for the heel of the boot or shoe to be
covered by the golosh and on this india-rubber sole is placed a leather sole rendered
waterproof by a coating of wax. The whole is sewn together in the usual manner.
In both cases it will be seen that the sole is rendered waterproof by the interposition
of one or more layers of india-rubber or equivalent between the parts constituting
the sole.
The upper of the boot or shoe is also rendered waterproof by the interposition of
fabric impregnated with india-rubber between the lining and the outer material. The
upper may also be constructed of a material water-proof in itself or a special kind of
india-rubber may be employed next to the leather. For fastening these boots and
shoes the fastener represented in Fig. 2 and known as "The Canadian buckle" is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The above described system of rendering boots or shoes or goloshes watertight
consisting in interposing india-rubber or fabric impregnated with india-rubber either
between the outer material and the lining or between the parts constituting the boot
or shoe substantially as specified.
D
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