Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Dec., 1888
I, WILLIAM HOWARD, of No. 28, Valentine Place, Blackfriars Road, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes.
The first part of my invention consists in making the upper of a shoe, and the
corresponding part of the upper of a boot, out of one piece of leather, hereinafter
called a blank, and therefore without any seam.
The blank is oval in shape, the relative proportions being regulated according to the
shape of the foot. It is then wetted and stretched on a last. This process of wetting
and stretching is repeated until the blank has acquired the proper contour.
The top is next cut away to form an opening for the admission of the foot and such
other cuts as may be necessary for the insertion of side springs or to receive a lace
are also made.
When it is desired to produce a boot upper according to my invention, I cut the
said opening of a rectangular outline and so as to produce a tab which is sewn to the
anklet.
•
I sometimes fix an indiarubber air-cushion in front of the toe which is covered with
leather to preserve it. If necessary, a layer of sheet steel may be incorporated with
the cushion.
Uppers made as above described are attached to the soles in any convenient way,
and the soles may be either wood or.leather.
When I make use of wood soles, I either form a groove in the edge adapted to
receive the upper or the latter is turned outwards and fixed upon the latter in any
convenient way, e.g., by a row of eyelets or rivets the tops of which may be afterwards
covered.
Transverse bars of leather or other equivalent material may be fixed upon the sole
or heel or both; or instead thereof or in combination therewith tubular indiarubber,
air cushions, transverse or longitudinal, may be used..

page_text: I may, according to my invention, form an air-cushion under the sole, by adding a
second sole connected to the first sole in any convenient way. I provide an india-
rubber lining for the space between the said soles for the purpose of containing
the air.
15
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, WILLIAM HOWARD, of No. 28, Valentine Place, Blackfriars, in the County of
Surrey, Football Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of boots and shoes.
In order that it, as well as the means by which I propose to carry it into practical
effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will now proceed to describe them in detail,
referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of
this specification, and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a blank, i.e., a piece of leather cut to the shape necessary for
producing a boot upper, or its lining.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a last upon which the lining is undergoing the process
of being stretched into shape.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a boot upper stiffener and lining.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved air-boot.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating my improvements as embodied in and applied
to a foot-ball boot.
The lining-blank, A, is well wetted, stretched on the last and tacked down. It is
next well rubbed with a hard smooth rubber, e.g., a piece of glass, until it has taken
the exact contour of the last; and all the creases, e.g., those around the heel, have been
rubbed out. There will be more creases round the heel than in any other part, and,
consequently, this part will need to be thoroughly well worked with the rubber, but it
will be found that if this rubbing is carefully done, that is to say, if the heel is
gathered in regularly, and all the creases well rubbed out, it will be thickened and
strengthened.
The next step is to shape the stiffener B, which is treated in the
lining, i.e., by cutting it to the proper shape for the purpose, wetting
the last, pasting it to the lining, and then rubbing it into shape.
same way as the
it, tacking it to

page_text: After the lining and stiffener have both been shaped in the way described above, the
upper is to be shaped over the lining. This is effected in precisely the same way as
described above with reference to the lining.
When the upper is dry, it and the lining are taken off the last and cut round the
top, or down the sides, as may be required. In making boot uppers I leave a tab b
behind, to which the anklet c is sewn. The facing d is produced out of the top of
the upper as the latter is on the last.
An upper prepared as described above is fixed to the sole in any convenient way.
If a wood sole is used, I form a groove d' around the edge, to receive the upper. A
cheap and efficient method of attaching the upper to the sole is by turning the bottom
of the upper outwards, flange-wise, and eyeletting or rivetting the flange down upon
the sole, which is cut large for that purpose.
The improved boot illustrated in Fig. 4 has a double sole.
Between the two
soles d², d², I place a rubber cushion, e, filled with air and protected all round with
leather. This air cushion raises the feet out of the wet, and also acts as a non-
conductor.
Referring to Fig. 5, f is a piece of indiarubber (preferably tubing,) held in front
of the toe by a leather tube-and flange g―in the manner shewn in the figure.
The advantage of the rubber tube is that a kick on the shin from a boot fitted with
it is much less painful and dangerous than the same kick from a boot unprotected by
the said tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The herein before process of making uppers by stretching first, the lining;
secondly, the stiffener; and thirdly, the upper upon a last; substantially as described.
2. The combination of two soles and air cushion as set forth.
3. The combination of air cushion and football boot, as set forth.
Dated this 15th day of November 1888.
"
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.