IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1874

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE."-A communication from
abroad by Charles Frederick Gardner, Director of the Blake Sole
Sewing Machine Company, of 121, Bishopsgate Street Within,
London, and Ebenezer Pocock, Engineer, both of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th February 1874.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
5 Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the

page_text: said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
The improvements consist,-
Firstly. In lasting the uppers of boots and shoes solely by means of
pressure applied externally on the upper in such a manner as to stretch
the same tightly and to maintain it firmly without the use of lasting
tacks, nails, or adhesive material during the subsequent operation of
stitching the same to the sole, whether this operation be performed
mechanically or by hand.
Secondly. In adapting for the above purpose to the upper and back
portion of the last such an arrangement as an upright rod of metal or
other appropriate material, from which extend elastic arms, the
extremities of which rest on different parts of the upper in such a
manner that by depressing the said upright rod in the last the arms will
press on the upper, extend it uniformly over the last, and maintain it
firmly in this extended condition during the subsequent operation of
stitching, and in conjunction with the said arms. If necessary we make
use of an elastic band drawn tightly round the seat of the last. In such
an arrangement the tightening and maintaining agents are solely
contained within or on and form a component part of the last.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers 2
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 3
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her
special license that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-

page_text: "
Brown, 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, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE (a communication to me from abroad by
Charles Frederick Gardner, Director of the Blake Sole Sewing Machine
Company, of 121, Bishopsgate Street Within, London, and Ebenezer
Pocock, Engineer, both of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Morgan-Brown,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 William Morgan-Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan of an ordinary last
with my mechanism attached; Figure 2, a longitudinal elevation of the
same, the last being partially in section; and Figure 3 an end elevation.
In these Figures a represents an ordinary wooden last, in the back of
which a vertical hole is made that does not go entirely through the
same, and which is provided with a metallic lining 6 fixed thereto by
screws c, c. In this lining 6 is inserted and fixed my said mechanism,
which consists in a metallic rod d, to which is attached, in the manner
shewn in the Drawing, a main spring e, to the outer extremity of which
is jointed a metallic presser padded underneath with rubber or other
appropriate material 9, and on each side of this main spring e is attached
one of the lateral springs h, h, equally provided at the outer extremities
with pressers of the same nature as f, f, which may be padded or not.
It will be readily understood an upper having been passed over the
last a that if the rod d is depressed in its orifice, the elastic arms e, h, h,
will come in contact with the upper, and that on continuing the said

page_text: depression these arms by means of their elasticity will cause the upper
to descend over the last with a tension sufficient to immobilise the same
completely and uniformly; and in order to maintain these parts in the
said condition during the subsequent stitching or rivetting I have
adapted in the rod d a small spring click i, the tooth k of which catches
in a notch made for the purpose in the lining b, as shewn in Figures 2
and 3. This latter arrangement although furnishing greater security is
not altogether indispensable, for the different parts of this mechanism
will act on the well-known principle of the carpenter's holdfast.
Under certain circumstances I consider it advisable to add to the
mechanism a strap 7 for the purpose of fixing more securely the heel
end of the upper, as shown in the three Figures. This strap is provided
at either extremity with rubber rings n, n, which are hung on the
hooks o, o, fixed to the main spring e. p, p, are two loops attached to
the strap in order to draw the same over the back of the last; and r, a
small bent steel spring sewn in the said strap in order that it should
assume the form of the back of the last, and thus facilitate drawing it

page_text: the spring w, thus liberating the last with the upper perfectly stretched
and fixed upon the same.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. The attachment to an ordinary last of the above described
mechanism or its equivalent without augmenting to any great extent its
volume or its weight, the whole being still of easy manipulation.
Second. The above described mechanism consisting in elastic
arms e, h, h, attached to the rod d, which for the purpose of lasting is
inserted in the aperture made in the back part of the last a.
Third. The catch i for maintaining this mechanism stationary in the
last during the operation of uniting the upper to the sole.
Fourth. The strap 7, rubber springs n, n, hooks o, o, loops p, p, and
spring for the purpose of further securing the upper on the last if
requisite.
And, Fifth. The special mechanism composed of parts s, t, s³, u, v,
and wo for the purpose of facilitating and accelerating the lasting.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)