IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stephens Clark, of Street, in the County
of Somerset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 9th November 1869, and dated the 4th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stephens Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th September 1869.
I, WILLIAM STEPHENS CLARK, of Street, in the County of Somerset,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, and in machinery and apparatus employed therein.
These improvements have reference to the manufacture of single soled
boots and shoes, commonly called pumps or sew-rounds. To admit of

page_text: the sole and upper being sewn together conveniently on the last, I use a
last narrower and smaller in the bottom than that on which the boot
will be second lasted and finished, but made higher in the instep, so that
the boot when finished may have the right amount of fitting. The
bottom of the last is made of such a width and shape that when the sole
is placed on the last its edge will project a certain definite distance all
round; and the sides of the last are made flat or hollowed out, so that
the bottom of the last has a very clear and sharp edge, which edge
regulates the position of the seam, and there is no fullness in the upper
part of the last to bring the upper in the way of the machine. The
sole having first been flanged as described in the Specification of
W. and J. Keats' Patent of 14th of April 1863, No. 936, or having been
channelled in a way similar to that adopted in making an ordinary hand
sewn boot, or having a channel cut on the flesh side, the part of the
sole projecting beyond the edge of the bottom of the last is rubbed down
against the side of the last all round, and the piece of the flesh side of
the sole that has been channelled under is rubbed up to stand out at
right angles to the sole. The upper having been lasted inside out, and
cemented or tacked to this projecting piece of sole, the two are stitched
together by the sewing machine or in any other way.
To assist the operator to hold the boot in its proper position and to
sew on the sole while the last is in the boot, I fix a cap of peculiar form
at the end of the arm of the machine or at the top of the post described
in the Specification of T. Greenwood & W. Keats' Patent, 30th July
1866, No. 1964. The top of this cap is arranged to fit the part of the
sole and upper that are turned over the edge of the last, and there is an
elevated ridge at such a distance in front of the hole through which the
hook descends that as the boot is being stitched this ridge will press
against the edge of the sole that is turned up against the side of the last,
and so prevent the boot from slipping. When the boot is sewn the last
is taken out, and the boot turned and finished on a last of the ordinary
shape.
My improvements also relate to the manufacture of welt boots. To
sew these with the machine I last the boot on a last made in a way
similar to that used for single soles, but still narrower and smaller in the
bottom, and with wood or other fitting piled upon the instep to make the
same measurement as the wider last on which the boot is afterwards
finished. The inner sole is flanged or channelled in the same way as the

page_text: sew-round sole, and the edge of the insole that is to form the feather is
moulded down against the side of the last. The upper is then lasted
right way out, and the edge is cemented or tacked to the flange or piece
of the flesh side of the insole that has been channelled under. To sew
on the welt I fix a cap on the arm or top of the post of the machine,
having an elevated ridge a sufficient distance in front of the hole, through
which the hook descends to press against the edge of the feather or
insole, and keep the boot from sliding out of place, and behind that
ridge I cut a groove wide enough and deep enough for the welt to lie in.
The surface of the cap is rounded off to be lower at each side, and so out
of the way of the boot, and at the right side is a hole or slot through
which the welt is fed into the groove, and the whole is arranged in such
a way that when the operator begins to sew the welt must be sewed on
the boot in its right position without further care on his part. After the
outer sole has been channelled and placed in position either on the last
or after the last is taken out it can be stitched to the welt either sole
upwards, so that the hook of the machine pierces through the bottom of
the channel or welt upwards. If the latter I fix a guide to the machine
in such a position as to prevent the hook when descending from injuring
the upper, and so that if the operator presses the upper and feather against
the guide the seam must be in its right position as regards the welt
seam; or instead of fixing a separate guide I make the "presser" of the
machine of such a form as to answer the same purpose, and so arrange it
that the presser shall always rest on the welt, being kept in its place by
a spring when the pressure is removed instead of being lifted up. By
this improvement I still further diminish the risk of injury to the upper..
I also make the cap on the arm or on the top of the post of the machine
of such a form that the pressure on the sole shall not close up the
channel after it has been opened, but that one part of the surface of the
cap being at a higher level than the rest the corner thus formed shall
assist the operator to so guide the boot that the stitching shall always lie
in the bottom of the channel. When the boot is stitched a last of the
ordinary form is inserted, and forces down the feather to its proper
position. The heel is then built up and the boot finished.
My improvements also relate to machinery for finishing the edges of
the soles and heels of boots, and consist of revolving irons fixed on a
shaft and heated by jets of gas, and I prefer to turn these irons hollow,

page_text: so that the flame of the gas may not burn the boot. If preferred the
irons may be fixed on a hollow shaft and heat applied by passing a.
current of hot steam through the shaft. The outer edge of the iron is
turned with a crease similar to a shoemaker's finishing iron, and of a
form to correspond with the circular cutters with which the edges of the 5
soles and heels are paired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Stephens Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STEPHENS CLARK, of Street, in the County of Somerset, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Stephens Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said William Stephens Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Stephens Clark,
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 THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Stephens Clark, 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 Stephens Clark, do hereby

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
These improvements have reference in the first place to the manu-
facture of single soled boots and shoes, commonly called pumps or sew-
rounds. To admit of the sole and upper being sewn together con-
veniently on the last I use a last narrower and smaller in the bottom
than that on which the boot will be second lasted and finished, but
made higher in the instep, so that the boot when finished may have the
right amount of fitting. The bottom of the last is made of such a width
and shape that when the sole is placed on the last its edge will project
a certain definite distance all round, and the sides of the last are made
flat or hollowed out so that the bottom of the last has a very clear and
sharp edge, which edge regulates the position of the seam, and there is
no fullness in the upper part of the last, to bring the upper in the way
of the machine. The part of the sole projecting beyond the edge of the
bottom of the last is rubbed down against the side of the last all round,
and a piece of the flesh side of the sole that has been channelled under
is rubbed up to stand out at right angles to the sole. The upper
having been lasted inside out, and cemented or tacked to this projecting
piece of sole, the two are stitched together.
To assist the operator to hold the boot in its proper position, and to
sew on the sole while the last is in the boot I fix a cap or support of a
peculiar form at the end of the arm of the machine, or at the top of the
post if the machine be constructed as described in the Specification of
T. Greenwood and W. Keats' Patent, 30th July 1866, No. 1964. The
top of this cap is arranged to fit the part of the sole and upper that are
turned over the edge of the last, and there is an elevated ridge at such a
distance in front of the hole through which the hook descends that as
the boot is being stitched this ridge will press against the edge of the
sole that is turned up against the side of the last and so prevent the
boot from slipping. When the boot is sewn the last is taken out and
the boot turned and finished on a last of the ordinary shape.
Lasts such as above described are applicable also in the manufacture
of double soled boots and shoes, as is herein-after described.
In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a last such as I
employ, and Figure 2 is a section of the same taken at the line A, B,
Figure 1; Figure 3 is a similar section shewing the work upon the last ;;
Figure 4 represents the under side or sole of the last. The sole of the

page_text: last is made very much smaller and narrower than the sole of the boot
or shoe to be made upon it, so as to admit of the sole being turned up to
overlap its edges all round and the sides of the last are made to meet
the sole or under sole thereof, in a sharp angle or corner. The depth of
the last is increased to compensate for its diminished width. To make a
single soled boot or shoe, or pump, or sew-round, the upper (together
with a suitable lining) and the sole of the boot or shoe are lasted upon
such a last inside out, the sole having first been channelled by preference
in the manner shown at Figure 3. In Figure 3, a represents the last; b,
the sole of the boot or shoe; c, the upper and lining; d is one of a series
of lasting tacks employed to connect the upper to the part of the sole
which has been channelled under and which now stands. at right angles
to the central part of the sole. In place of using tacks, cement or other
means of fastening may be employed.
Figure 5 is a plan of the cap or support which I employ in the sewing
machine to support the work fitted in the manner shewn in Figure 3,
whilst a seam is produced at the lines e, e. Any boot makers' sewing
machine may be employed for the purpose, but I prefer that described
in the Specification of the Patent granted to John Keats and William
Stephens Clark on the 14th April 1863 (No. 938).
Figure 6 is a section taken at the line B, C, Figure 5; Figure 7
shews a similar section with the last and work thereon in the positions
they occupy whilst the seam is being made. The cap or support is
formed with a hole a through it for the passage of the needle or hook,
and on either side of this hole (along the line D, E, Figure 5) the cap
or support is made to slope away in such manner as to admit of the
work being inclined as may be convenient. 6 is a ridge on the cap or
support against which the edge of the sole which is being stitched is
made to bear (but with the upper and its lining between), as is shewn at
Figure 7; this ridge serves as a guide for the work, and so long as the
workman keeps the work against it the line of stitches will be properly
placed. c in Figure 6 shews a shallow groove in the cap or support to
allow the stitches to pass without friction. a' in Figure 7 is the hook
or needle of the machine. When the boot or shoe has been sewn all
round in this manner the last is taken out, the boot or shoe is turned
right side out, and finished in the usual way on an ordinary last, the sole
of which will be of a size indicated by the dotted line in Figure 4 or
thereabout.

page_text: I claim the construction and use in the manufacture of boots and shoes
of lasts, substantially as herein-before described. Also the construction
and use in the manufacture of boots and shoes of a cap or support to
guide the work on the sewing machine substantially as herein-before
described.
My improvements also relate to the manufacture of welt boots. To
sew these with the machine I last the boot on a last made in a way
similar to that used for single soles, but still narrower and smaller in the
bottom, and with wood or other fitting piled up on the instep to make
the same measurement as the wider last on which the boot is afterwards
finished. The inner sole is flanged or channelled in the same way as the
sew-round sole, and the edge of the insole that is to form the feather is
moulded down against the side of the last. The upper is then lasted
right way out and the edge is cemented or tacked to the flange or picce
of the flesh side of the insole that has been channelled under. To sew on
the welt I fix a cap on the arm or top of the post of the machine having
an elevated ridge a sufficient distance in front of the hole, through which
the hook descends to press against the edge of the feather or insole, and
keep the boot from sliding out of place, and behind that ridge I cut a
groove wide enough and deep enough for the welt to lie in. The surface
of the cap is rounded off to be lower at each side, and so out of the way
of the boot, and at the side is a hole or slot through which the welt is
fed into the groove, and the whole is arranged in such a way that when
the operator begins to sew the welt must be sewed on the boot in its
right position without further care on his part. After the outer sole has
been channelled and placed in position it can be stitched to the welt
either sole upwards so that the hook of the machine pierces through
the bottom of the channel or welt upwards. If the latter (which I
prefer) I fix a guide to the machine in such a position as to prevent the
hook when descending from injuring the upper and so that if the
operator presses the upper and feather against the guide the seam must
be in its right position as regards the welt seam, or instead of fixing a
separate guide I make the "presser" of the machine of such a form as to
answer the same purpose, but I prefer to use a separate guide. I also
make the cap on the arm or on the top of the post of the machine used
for attaching the outer sole of such a form that the pressure on the
sole shall not close up the channel after it has been opened, but that
one part of the surface of the cap being at a higher level than the rest

page_text: the corner thus formed shall assist the operator to so guide the boot
that the stitching shall always lie in the bottom of the channel.
Figure 8 represents a boot or shoe on the last which is employed for
fitting together the insole and the upper, and on which they are sewn
together, a welt being at the same time attached. a is the last similar
to that shewn at Figures 1 and 2; b is the upper lasted right side out;
c is the insole channelled as in Figures 3 and 3*; d is the welt. The
insole and upper having been tacked or cemented together are sewn the
one to the other by means of a sewing machine and the same seam
attaches the welt.
The machine which is used for making this seam is furnished with a
cap or support for the work such as is shewn in plan at Figure 9, and in
section at Figure 10. This cap or support resembles that shewn at
Figures 5 and 6 in having a projection at a which forms a guide for
the work, the edge of the sole which is turned up against the sides of
the last being made to bear against it, as already described. This cap or
support has also a guide groove in it to lead the welt to its place, and
the position of the welt is also controlled by passing it through a hole or
loop c at the side of the cap or support. Figure 10 shows the position
in which the work is held on the cap or support.
Before attaching the outer sole I prefer to take out the last, and the
outer sole being temporarily attached it is sewn on by means of a sewing
machine furnished with a cap or support such as is shewn in plan at
Figure 11, and in section at Figure 12; Figure 13 represents the work
in position upon the cap or support. The outer sole is channelled to
receive the stitches in the usual way, and the form of the cap tends to
keep the channel open when the work is in progress, the work being
so held that the outer angle of the channel is pressed upon the higher
bearing surface of the cap or support at a, whilst the inner angle or lip
of the channel rests on the lower bearing surface b. The upper surface
a also has at a an angle or nose, which as the work approaches the
needle or hook enters the channel and presses it open. c is a fixed
guide so set that whilst the work is pressed against it the hook or needle
will pass
close to the upper without coming in contact with it; the same
guide also ensures the needle or hook working truly in the channel in
the outer sole.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the manufacture of
hants and shious substantially as above described.

page_text: I also claim the construction and use in the manufacture of boots and
shoes of a cap or support to guide the work on the sewing machine
whilst the welt is sewn to the insole and upper, substantially as
described.
I also claim the construction and use in the manufacture of boots and
shoes of a cap or support to sustain the work on the sewing machine
whilst the outer sole is sewn to the welt, such cap or support being so
constructed as to keep open the channel for the stitches, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stephens Clark, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
WILLIAM STEPHENS CLARK. (L.S.)