Improvements in Socks for Boots or Shoes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Socks for Boots or Shoes.
1 JAMES BOOTH of 41 Paradice Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manager of Boot Store do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
Hitherto socks have been made from a combination of cork, thin basil leather and
wooly felt and also from other similar combinations. Socks so made are intended to
be porous and thus allow perspiration from the soles of the feet of the wearer to pass
through the wooly felt, thence through the cork or other material, and thence
through the pores of the leather constituting the boot or shoe or other foot covering.
The disadvantage of wearing socks so made is that the action of the perspiration on
the cork and wooly covering soon converts the sock into a clammy septic state rendering
it unfit for wear.
In carrying out my invention I use a machine such as is usually used for producing
machine cut leather soles. I cut my socks in the shape of a sole out of tanned, namely
undressed bellies and shoulders as used in the making of boots and shoes or out of
dressed bellies and shoulders such as saddlery leather, or out of tanned namely
undressed split hide, or out of dressed split hide, or out of tanned, namely undressed
kips and buffaloes, or out of dressed kips and buffaloes, or out of tanned namely
undressed split flesh, or out of dressed split flesh, or out of struck kip sides as used
in the manufacture of boots and shoes in contra distinction to basils or skivers as usually
used in the manufacture of socks.
This sock will be covered on one side with felt, or with flannel, wool, cloth, or similar
material and the socks so made is for the purpose of vending as a separate article to
be worn inside boots, shoes, or other feet coverings.
The felt, flannel, cloth, wool, or other similar material will be made by preference
from thin sheets.
The using of this material in combination with the class of leather hereinbefore
described constitutes an improvement, the result of which is that socks so made are
more durable and retain their healthful properties considerably longer than other socks
now in general use.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1887.
ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER,
Cobden Buildings, Corporation Street, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I JAMES BOOTH of 41 Paradise Street Birmingham in the county of Warwick
Manager of Boot Store 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 :-
Hitherto socks have been made from a combination of cork, thin basile, leather, and
woolly felt and also from other similar combinations. Socks so made are intended to
be porous and thus allow perspiration from the soles of the feet of the wearer to
pass through the woolly felt, thence through the cork, or other material and thence
through the pores of the leather constituting the boot, or shoe, or other foot covering.
The disadvantage of wearing socks so made is that the action of the perspiration
on the cork and woolly covering soon converts the sock into a clammy septic state
rendering it unfit for wear.
In carrying out my invention I use a machine, such as is usually used for producing
machine cut leather soles. I cut my socks in the shape of a sole out of tanned namely
undressed bellies and shoulders, as used in the making of boots and shoes in contra-
distinction to basils or skivers as usually used in the manufacture of socks.
This sock will be covered on one side with felt, or with flannel, wool, cloth, or similar
material, and the sock so made is for the purpose of vending as a separate article to be
worn inside boots, shoes, or other feet coverings.
The felt, flannel, wool, cloth, or other similar material will be made by preference
from thin sheets.
The using of this material in combination with the class of leather herein before
described constitutes an improvement, the result of which is that socks so made are
more durable and retain their healthful properties considerably longer than other socks
now in general use.
I will now proceed to describe the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 represents a sock covered with woolly substance.
Figure 2 represents an edge view of figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a section of figure 1.
a represents the leather part b represents the woolly substance.
I provide leather made from bellies and shoulders as herein before described and
from it cut a piece the shape of a sole as indicated at figure 1 and as indicated at a-
figure 2 and at a figure 3. I next provide sheets or layers of felt, flannel, wool, cloth,
or similar material, and from this also cut a piece in the shape of a sole as indicated
at b figures 1. 2. 3. I next secure the surface of the leather a to the surface of the
woolly substance 6 by means of any suitable mucilage, such as gum, glue, or their
equivalents. The sock so put together is complete ready for use.
It will be apparent that this completed sock is free from stitches and stitch holes.

page_text: 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
A sock cut into sole shape by machinery from leather made out of bellies or shoulders
as used in the manufacture of boots and shoes, the leather so provided being covered
with cloth, felt, or similar material, cut into sole shapo by machinery, the leather and
covering material being fastened together with mucilage without the aid of stitch holes
and stitches.