Improvements in Divers' Boots.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Divers' Boots.
We, WILLIAM ROBERT FOSTER, and ROBERT Fox, trading as C. E. Heinke
and Co., of 79 Great Portland Street, London, W.. Manufacturers of Diving
Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of divers boots, and
it has for its object to avoid the fatigue and consequent breakage of the leather to
which such boots as now made are subject, under the destructive influences and
rough usage to which they are exposed, and to avoid the undue wear of the feet
portions of the waterproof diving dress consequent on friction within the boot and
the attrition of sand and other débris entering between the dress and boot, and
generally to improve the construction of the boot and enable the diver to carry on
operations with greater facility and comfort than with boots as now made.
According to our invention, the foundation of the boot is made of a slipper-
shaped portion of cast brass, comprising a sole, heel, toe-piece, and golosh, all cast
in one piece and of sufficient mass to serve the purpose of the leaden or iron
weights heretofore used.
The leather upper of the boot is connected to the brass portion by copper rivets
and to protect the leather from injury by striking against jagged rocks and other
sharp obstacles the "golosh" portion of the metal is swelled outwards so as to
project considerably beyond the leather which is morcover rivetted to the inner
face of the metal golosh.
At the toe-cap, however, in order to ensure a sand-tight joint between the leather
and metal, it is preferred to rivet the leather to the outside of the metal and for
this purpose the surface of the toe-cap to which the leather tongue or front of the
boot is rivetted is rebated sufficiently to accommodate the thickness of the leather.
In consequence of the hardening of the leather after repeated immersion in
water the means at present used for holding such boots on the feet are found
inadequate to prevent friction of the foot portions of the dress in the boot and
creasing and consequent fatigue of the leather of the boot at its junction with the
sole especially at the heel part and the consequence has been that both the dress
and the boot are quickly worn.
To remedy this and to provide a means whereby the boot may he so tightly
secured to the foot that all movement of the foot in the boot is prevented is the
object of the improvement, which consists in providing apertures in the sides of the
metal gulosh portion, these apertures being upwardly inclined from the outside to
the inside and being of only sufficient dimensions to admit a strap which is passed
from one aperture to the other over the instep of the foot within the boot and
likewise across the instep outside the boot where it is buckled.
By this arrangement the part of the strap which passes within the boot may be
tightened by pulling on the outside portion and be made to press tightly and
directly on the instep of the foot without having to compress the unyielding folds
of the upper part of the boot which it is practically impossible to sufficiently
tighten by the ordinary outside instep strap when the leather has become hardened
by immersion.
The apertures in the metal part of the boot through which this strap passes are
so directed that the opposite faces of the strap press tightly against the opposite

page_text: edges of the aperture in such way as to effectually exclude sand or grit from
entering therent.
The upper of the boot is formed of the usual side or ankle portion and
tongue or front rivetted to the overlapping flaps of the ankle portion so na to
exclude sand, and provided with necessary straps for tightening the nukle portion
around the leg of the wearer.
The boot is made sufficiently large to fit any ordinary foot. If found too large,
a leather sock of any desired thickness can be added, or if extra weight is required
a sock of lead can be used instead of leather to suit the requirements of the diver.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1894.
We, WILLIAM ROBERT FOSTER and ROBERT Fox, trading as C. E. Heinke
and Co., of 79, Great Portland Street, London, W., Manufacturers of Diving
Apparatus, 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 :-
Qur invention relates to improvements in the construction of divers' boots, and
it has for its object to avoid the fatigue and consequent splitting of the leather
under the destructive influences and rough usage to which they are exposed, and to
avoid the undue wear of the feet portions of the waterproof diving dress
consequent on friction within the boot and the attrition of sand and other débris
entering between the dress and boot, and generally to improve the construction of
the hoot and quable the diver to carry on operations with greater facility and
comfort than with boots as now made.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views, shewing inner and
outer sides of right and left boots respectively. Figure 3 is a cross-section of the
boot. Figmes 4 and 5 are detail sections, on lines 3-3, 4-4. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
According to our invention, the foundation of the boot is made of a slipper-
shaped portion of cast brass, comprising a sole a, heel, toe-piece c, and golosh d,
all cast in one piece and of sufficient mass to serve the purpose of the leaden or
iron weights heretofore used. The leather upper e of the boot is connected to the
brass portion by copper rivets, and to protect the leather from injury by striking
against jagged rocks and other sharp obstacles, the metal "golosh portion dis
swelled outwards, as shown in Figure 4, so as to project considerably beyond the
leather which is rivetted to the inner face of the metal golosh d, except only at the
middle or upper part of the toc-cape where, in order to ensure a sand-tight joint
between the leather tongue or front and the metal, it is preferred to rivet the
leather front to the outside of the metal, that is to say were the leather rivetted
to the inner or concave surface there would be a tendency for the joint to gape
between the rivets, whereas by stretching the feather over the convex outer face
at this part gaping is prevented. For this purpose the leather is transferred from
the inner to the outer surface of the metal and the surface of the toe-cap c. to
which the leather tongue or front is rivetted, is rebated autficiently to
accommodate the thickness of the leather and yet enable the metal to protect the
otherwise exposed edge of the leather, as shewn in section in Figure 5.

page_text: In consequence of the hardening and want of pliability of the leather, after
repeated immersion in water, the means at present used for holding such boots on
the feet are found inadequate to prevent friction of the foot portions of the diver's
dress in the boot, or to prevent creasing and consequent fatigue of the leather at
its junction with the sale, especially at the heel part, and the result has been that
both the dress and the boot are quickly worn out. To remedy this, and to provide
a means whereby the boot may be so tightly secured to the foot that all movement
of the foot in the boot is prevented, is the object of the improvement, which
consists in providing apertures g in the sides of the metal golosh portion d, these
apertures being upwardly inclined from the outside to the inside, as clearly shewn
in Figure 3, and being of only sufficient dimensions to admit a strap which is
passed from the one aperture to the other, over the instep of the foot within the
boot and likewise across the instep outside the boot, the ends being united by a
buckle as at . By this arrangement, the part of the strap which passes within
the boot may be tightened by pulling on the outside portion and be made to press
tightly and directly on the instep of the foot without having to compress the
unyielding folds of the boot upper, which it is practically impossible to sufficiently
tighten by the ordinary outside instep strap when the leather has become hardenet
by frequent immersion. The apertures in the metal part of the boot through
which this strap passes, are so directed that the opposite faces of the strap press
tightly against the opposite edges g', g, of the aperture in such way as to more
effectually exclude sand or grit.
The upper of the boot is formed of the usual side or ankle portion e and the
tongue or front which is rivetted to the overlapping flaps of the ankle portion e
so as to exclude sand, a strap i being provided for tightening the ankle portion
around the leg A of the diver's dress.
The boot is made sufficiently large to fit any ordinary foot. If found too large,
a leather sock 1, of any desired thickness, can be added, or if extra weight is
required a sock of lead can be used instead of leather to suit the requirements of
the diver.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
clain is :-
1. The herein described improved boot for divers, constructed substantially as
specified.
2. Constructing the foundation portion of a diver's boot of a slipper-shaped
metallic casting, comprising the sole, heel, golosh, and toe-piece, substantially as
specified.
3. Rivetting the leather upper of a diver's boot to the inner face of the golosh
portion of a metallic casting and to the outer rebated edge of the toe-cap portion,
substantially as specified.
4. Providing the metallic golosh portion of a diver's boot with upwardly inclined
side apertures to admit a strap across the instep within the bout, as specified.
5. Securing the boot upon the foot by a strap passing through upwardly inclined
side apertures in the metal golosh, across the instep within the boot, and back
across the instep outside the boot, substantially as specified.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.