Improvements in Boot and Shoe Interior Supports or Trees.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1991
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot and Shoe Interior Supports or Trees.
I, DAVID THORPE LEE, of Hogarth House, Maidenhead, in the County of
Berkshire, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to boots and shoes and consists in improvements in interior
supports or trees therefor intended either for the stretching or keeping in shape of
such boots and shoes for wearing purposes, or for maintaining them in their shape
when exposed for sale.
When considerable stretching power is required and a form to completely fill the
whole shoe or boot is desired, the support may be constructed as follows:
Two forms are provided which together fill the whole of a boot, the edges of the
one form overlapping the edges of the other the one form fills the toe and front of
the boot, the other form fills the heel and back of the boot. The two forms are
pivoted or hinged together at the upper end the pivotal connector passing through
slots or otherwise so that movement of extension and contraction is also possible at
this part.
The forms are hollow and to the toe of the front form is attached a
connecting piece which may be a solid bar or preferably a tightly coiled spring or
wire of great strength. The free end of this piece passes backward within the form
and is connected to a rod which passes upward through a lng fixed about midway
up on the inside of the rear form and through another lug on the upper end of the
front form and terminating in a suitable knob or handle.
By pulling up this rod the connecting piece aforesaid draws the lower end of the
rod forwards into the front form, the rod passing through a lug on the rear form
carries the latter therefore also inward within the front form.
The stretcher may now be placed into the boot etc., and the rod thrust down
again, the connecting piece will then thrust back the rod and the latter will thrust
out the rear form which by reason of the slots by which it is pivoted to the front
form will have a certain freedom of movement on the lug which carries the rod
enabling the rear form to exert an equalized pressure on the back of the boot,
thus causing the latter to be properly stretched in all parts.
To maintain a boot or shoe in shape for sale or otherwise where the pressure to
be exercised thereon is slight, the stretcher or support may be formed as follows:
A form to fit within the toe of the shoe or boot and support the latter for a
suitable distance for instance to the instep is provided with a cross bridge within it,
perforated for passage of a rod which extends backwards and is connected by a
pivotal pin to a second rod which carries at its rear end a suitable heel filling block
or form. The said rods are connected by the pivotal pin so that they may be
folded together so far as the forms allow so that the toe form may be put into the
shoe and the heel form afterwards folded down into the heel, in this position of the
rods part of the one rod will be parallel to part of the other and the two rods
may be fixed in this position by a suitable catch to form one rod in effect. The
rod passing through the bridge in the toe form is thrust rearward by a spring so
that the spring tends to force the toc form and the heel form away from each other,
thus pressing the toe form into the toe of the shoe etc., and holding the latter
stretched with a force dependent on the power and adjustment of the spring.
Dated this 20th day of January 1891.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Boot and Shoe Interior Supports or Trees.
I, DAVID THORPE LEE of Hogarth House, St. Lukes Road, Maidenhead in
the County of Berkshire, Artist, 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 boots and shoes and consists in improvements in interior
supports or trees therefor intended either for the stretching or keeping in shape of
such boots and shoes for wearing purposes or for maintaining them in their shape
when exposed for sale.
When considerable stretching power is required and a form to completely fill
the whole shoe or boot is desired the support may be constructed as follows.
Two forms are provided which together fill the whole of a boot the edges of the
one form overlapping the edges of the other, the one form fills the toe and front
of the boot, the other form fills the heel and back of the boot. The two forms
are pivoted or hinged together at the upper end the pivotal connection passing
through slots or otherwise so that movement of extension and contraction is also
possible at this part. The forms are hollow and to the toe of the front form is
attached a connecting piece which may be a solid bar or preferably a tightly coiled
spring or wire of great strength; the free end of this piece passes backward within
the form and is connected to a rod which passes upward through a lug fixed about
midway up on the inside of the rear form and through another lug on the upper
end of the front form and terminating in a suitable knob or handle. By pulling up
this rod the connecting piece aforesaid draws the lower end of the rod forwards
into the front form, the rod passing through a lug on the rear form carries the
latter therefore also inward within the front form. The stretcher may now be
placed into the boot etc. and the rod thrust down again the connecting piece will then
thrust back the rod and the latter will thrust out the rear form which by reason of
the slots by which it is pivoted to the front form will have a certain freedom of
movement on the lug which carries the rod enabling the rear form to exert an
equalized pressure on the back of the boot thus causing the latter to be properly
stretched in all parts.
To maintain a boot or shoe in shape for sale or otherwise where the pressure
to be exercised thereon is slight, the stretcher or support may be formed as
follows: A form to fit within the toe of the shoe or boot and support the latter for
a suitable distance for instance to the instep is provided with a cross bridge within
it perforated or fitted with an eye or lug for passage of a rod which extends
backwards and is connected by a pivotal pin to a second rod which carries at its
rear end a suitable heel filling block or form.
The said rods are connected by the pivotal pin so that they may be folded
together so far as the forms allow so that the toe form may be put into the shoe and
the heel form afterwards folded down into the heel; in this position of the rods
part of the one rod will be parallel to part of the other and the two rods may be
fixed in this position by a suitable catch to form one rod in effect. This con-
struction may also be simplified by employing a single rod in place of the two
pivoted rods, this single rod being connected to the toe form as described and
having its rear end fitted into or shaped as a heel form. The rod passing through
the bridge or lug thereon in the toe form is thrust backward by a spring so that
the spring tends to force the toe form and the heel form away from each other
thus pressing the toe form into the toe of the shoe etc. and holding the latter
stretched with a force dependent on the power and adjustment of the spring.
The manner in which the invention is carried into practice will be more readily
. understood from the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved boot stretcher with interior parts
shown in dotted lines.