Improvements in or in connection with Boot Trees or the like Appliances for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Boot Trees or the like
Appliances for Boots and Shoes.
We, Captain LEWIS PESKETT of Loughton in the County of Essex and
SAMUEL NORTON DIMBLEBY of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
•
This invention relates to a novel boot tree or the like appliance of the shape or
approximately of the shape of the human foot for inserting in boots and shoes
either before or after same have been worn and the object of this invention is to
make or form such boot trees or the like appliances so that same may be capable of
being heated so as thus to serve the purposes of preserving the shape of the boot or
shoe warming same before use and drying the same from the interior after the boot
or shoe has become damp or wet-this invention being particularly applicable to
boots used for shooting, golfing or the like purposes.
Referring to the ordinary last or boot trees such as are now in general use for
preserving the shape of boots and shoes etc. it is well known that such boot trees or
lasts are usually made in three parts viz.: with a part representing the fore part of
the foot, a part representing the heel, and a wedge shaped part to be forced down
between the two aforesaid parts so as to force same tightly in the interior of the
boot. Boot stretchers, boot trees, shapes or the like have also been made in other
and well-known forms.
Now according to our present invention we make the fore part (i.e. the part
representing the toes and fore part of the foot) in the form of a hollow box or
vessel shaped to represent the front part of the foot and made of metal or other
suitable substance capable of being heated or bearing heat.
This hollow fore part has a screw cap or other suitable means of closure thereto
so that same may be filled with boiling or hot water either before or after
insertion in the boot so as thus to heat the boot from the interior.
In place of heating by means of hot water as aforesaid such fore part may be
filled with any suitable liquid and hermetically sealed or otherwise closed and then
when required for use same is simply stood in hot water (or otherwise heated as in
an oven) and thereafter inserted into the boot or shoe.
Or we may heat our improved fore part for such boot trees by other suitable
means such as by electricity or by means of chemical compositions enclosed in said
forepart in a similar manner to the well-known foot-warmers used in railway
carriages in this country.
Or we may arrange the forepart to receive a heated iron or other metal block (to
be applied thereto after the manner of the well-known box irons which are heated
by an iron applied internally) either with or without a water jacket or the like
arrangement.
As a further modification of our present invention we may construct flexible
bodies of the shape approximately of the interior of the boot and insert same into
the boot or shoe (either before or after filling same with hot liquid or other suitable
medium for heating) so that such flexible appliances will fit (approximately) closely
around inside the boot or shoe so as thus to internally warm the boot or shoe and
if same should be wet or damp thus expel the damp from the interior instead of
drying same from the exterior as heretofore.
This invention will be found very advantageous for the purpose of warming
drying and preserving from mildew heavy boots and shoes which have been
subjected to much wet or damp as well as all other characters of boots and shoes as
by thus applying heat thereto internally (instead of externally as heretofore) same

page_text: will be warmed internally and any moisture will be driven from the interior
outwardly instead of being driven inwardly in drying as heretofore.
It will be obvious that we do not wish to confine, ourselves to particular shapes
sizes and materials in carrying out our invention since such appliances as we have
described above for applying heat to the interior of boots and shoes (either before
or after use) may be made in a variety of suitable shapes and sizes and of any
suitable material or materials.
The foregoing appliance can be used as a boot tree without heat when desired or
the heating appliance alone can be made and used simply as a warming or drying
appliance thus dispensing with the other parts or adjuncts forming the usual
complete boot tree or the like appliance.
Dated this 30th day of December 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Boot Trees or the like
Appliances for Boots and Shoes.
We, Captain LEWIS PESKETT of Loughton, in the County of Essex, and
SAMUEL NORTON DIMBLEBY of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, 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 a novel boot tree or the like appliance of the shape or
approximately of the shape of the interior of the boot or shoe for inserting in boots
and shoes either before or after same have been worn to serve as a boot warmer or
boot dryer and the object of this invention is to make or form such boot trees or
the like appliances so that same may be capable of being heated so as thus to serve
the purposes of preserving the shape of the boot or shoe and warming same before use
and drying the same from the interior after the boot or shoe has become damp or
wet this invention being particularly applicable to boots used for shooting golfing
fishing or other purposes.
:
-
Referring to the ordinary boot trees such as are now in general use for
preserving the shape of boots and shoes etc. it is well known that such boot trees or
lasts are usually made in three parts viz. with a part representing the fore part
of the foot, a part representing the heel, and a wedge shaped part to be forced
down between the two aforesaid parts so as to force same tightly in the interior of
the boot. Boot stretchers, boot trees, shapes or the like have also been made in
other and well-known forms.
Now according to our present invention we make the forepart (i.e. the part
inserted into the forepart of the boot) in the form of a hollow box or vessel shaped
to represent the front interior part of the boot or shoe and made of metal or other
suitable material capable of being heated or bearing heat.
This hollow fore part has a screw cap or other suitable means of closure thereto
so that same may be filled with boiling or hot water either before or after insertion
in the boot so as thus to heat the boot from the interior.
In place of heating by means of hot water as aforesaid such fore part may be
filled with any suitable liquid and hermetically sealed or otherwise closed and then
when required for use same is simply stood in hot water (or otherwise heated as in
an oven) and thereafter inserted into the boot or shoe.
And in order that our invention may be easily understood and readily carried
into practice we will proceed to further describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 represents-in side elevation-partly in section-a boot tree for bolding
hot water or other hot liquid according to our present invention..

page_text: a is a metal body formed of the shape (or approximately so) of the front interior
part of the boot or shoe and sufficiently strong to bear the strains to which same
may be subject in use.
This body a is formed hollow as shown by the part broken out in Fig. 1 or of
other suitable hollow form to receive and hold water or other suitable liquid
therein.
b is a screw cap or closure on the filling aperture in a.
By removing b and filling the body a either before or after insertion in the boot
or shoe and then replacing 6 the heat from the water in a will be applied direct to
the inside of the boot etc. or any suitable damp absorbing or other material may be
interposed between the tree and the inside of the boot etc.
is the ordinary guide piece on the back of the tree.
Or we may heat our improved fore part for such boot trees by other suitable
means such as by electricity or by means of chemical compositions enclosed in said
fore part in a similar manner to the well-known foot warmers used in railway
carriages in this country.
It will of course be obvious that we do not wish to confine ourselves to the precise
details shown in the drawings.
For instance instead of carrying out our invention in the form shown in the
drawings we may dispense with the upper part thereof and extend the lower part
backwards towards the heel so as to make a warming appliance of about the size
and shape of the interior of a shoe and which is heated in the herein before described
manner and applied to the interior of a boot or shoe as and for the purposes
described.
This invention will be found very advantageous for the purpose of warming or
drying or preserving from mildew heavy boots and shoes which have been subjected
to much wet or damp as well as for all other characters of boots and shoes as by
thus applying heat thereto internally (instead of externally as heretofore) same
will be warmed internally and any moisture will be driven from the interior
outwardly instead of being driven inwardly in drying as heretofore.
The foregoing appliance can be used as a boot tree without heat when desired or
the heating appliance alone can be made and used simply as a warming or drying
appliance thus dispensing with the other parts or adjuncts forming the usual
complete boot tree or the like appliance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A hollow metal boot tree or the like appliance for boots and shoes in
combination and acting in conjunction with means to heat same internally
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. A hollow metal boot tree or the like appliance for boots and shoes constructed
to hold hot water or other fluid in the interior thereof arranged combined and acting
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated by way of example in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 20th day of Sentember 1893.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.