IMPROVEMENTS IN LACING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Moreton, of Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, in Wales, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LACING
BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 15th May 1866, and dated the 24th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Moreton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th November 1865.
I, GEORGE MORETON, of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, in Wales,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LACING BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in an improvement in placing the tongue in laced-
up boots and shoes whereby they are rendered more perfectly waterproof.
. The plan I adopt is to place the tongue on the outside instead of inside
as is usually done. The tongue may be cut in a piece with the upper leather
of the boot or shoe, which I prefer, or may be made separately and inserted
at the upper seam. The facings are placed up the side of the two edges
which are brought together by lacing, by which means a double fold of leather
is placed over the foot, the leather tongue being then folded down over the
seam; the whole is bound by the lace as usual, presenting a more neat and
tight arrangement than when the tongue is placed on the inside.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Moreton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
MORETON, of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, in Wales, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Moreton, Her special licence that I, the said George
Moreton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Moreton, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN LACING BOOTS AND SHOES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Moreton, 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 George Moreton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention consists in an improvement in placing the tongue in laced-up
boots and shoes whereby they are rendered more perfectly waterproof.
The plan I adopt is to place the tongue on the outside instead of inside
as is usually done. The tongue may be cut in a piece with the upper leather
of the boot or shoe, which I prefer, or may be made separately and inserted
at the upper seam. The facings are placed up the side of the two edges
which are brought together by lacing, by which means a double fold of leather
is placed over the foot, the leather tongue being then folded down over the
seam; the whole is bound by the lace as usual, presenting a more neat and
tight arrangement than when the tongue is placed on the inside.

page_text: Having thus far explained the nature and object of my said Invention, I
shall now proceed to describe the same more minutely, and in order to do
this as completely as possible I shall refer to the accompanying Drawing, and
to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, thus,―
B represents the upper leather of a boot or shoe made to lace up in the
usual way; A is the tongue, the mode and manner of placing which con-
stitutes the features of my Invention. The tongue A, as already stated, may
be cut in one piece with the upper B, or may be made separately and inserted
with ordinary or ornamental stitching at the seam H. The facings are
denoted by E, E, at each side; they are sewn to the side leather of the
boot or shoe at one edge only, and contain the eyelet holes D, D, &c., for the
lace C, C, &c. The edges of the side leathers and of the facings are shown
as brought together by the dotted line F underneath the tongue A. It will
thus be seen that over the foot or instep of this part there is, in the first place,
the main leather constituting the sides of the boot or shoe; secondly, over
these at each side come the facings, in which alone the eyelet holes are
punched or inserted. The four edges of the side leathers and facings, namely,
two on each side, are brought together, the tongue A is placed over them,
and the whole is bound by the lace C, making a very compact, neat, and
waterproof arrangement.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the means I adopt to carry the same into practical operation,
I wish it to be understood that what I claim as my Invention to be
protected by Her Majesty's Letters Patent is, the general arrangement and
improvements in lacing boots and shoes herein-before described and illus-
trated.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Moreton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
ROBERT W. GRIFFITH,
Solr.,
Cardiff.
GEORGE MORETON. (L.S.)