Improvements in Trees for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
Improvements in Trees for Boots and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HUMPHREY WHEATLEY, of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 40, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from
Lionel Hugh Leadam, 80, Wall Street, in the City, County and State of New
York, United States of America, 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 relates to trees for boots and shoes and has for its general object
to provide a tree which, while strong and durable and reliable in operation, is
extremely cheap and simple and is therefore adapted to be sold with profit for a small
price. With this end in view, the invention will be fully understood from the
following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the annexed
drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a section illustrating the manner in which my improved tree is placed
in a shoe.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tree.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3
of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a detail, perspective view of a modification.
Fig. 5 is a similar view of another modification.
Fig. 6 is a section illustrative of the manner in which another modified form
of tree is placed in a shoe.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of said tree.
Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by line x-x of Fig. 6.
Referring by letter to said drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1-3
thereof:
A is the toe or front member of my improved tree which is preferably formed
by a solid block of wood and is provided in its rear end with a kerf a, B is
the heel or rear member, and C is the intermediate member which has for its
purpose to adjustably connect the toe and heel members and to thrust the same
in opposite directions so as to properly stretch, flatten and straighten the sole
and shape the upper of a shoe and fix the tree in the same.
As shown in Figures 1-3, the heel member B is cast in loop form and has the
forward portions of its arms c arranged parallel and connected by a pin d. The
intermediate member C may be either cast or stamped from sheet metal as desired.
It has one end arranged in the kerf a of the toe member A and pivotally con-
nected to said member, and is provided with a longitudinal slot e closed at its
opposite ends and a plurality of notches f; the said notches extending laterally
from said slot and being slightly pitched forward, as shown, for a purpose
presently described.
The pin d connecting the arms of the heel member B rests in the slot e of the
member C and permanently connects said members together. It is also designed

page_text: to be seated in any one of the notches f opening out of the slot e to adjustably
fix said members with respect to each other and fit the tree to shoes of different
sizes. By reason of the notches f being pitched forwardly as stated, there is no
liability of the pin d being casually displaced when the toe and heel members
bear against a shoe. Such slight pitch of the notches also serves to place the pres-
sure or strain against the main portion of the member C rather than against
the partitions intermediate of the notches f which removes the liability of said
partitions being broken in operation.
In using the tree, the heel member 13 and intermediate member C are held
and used as a handle for the convenient introduction of the toe member A to
the forward portion of a shoe. The heel member is then swung down into the
position shown in Fig. 1 after which the bar C is used as a lever and its rear
end is depressed until the pin d rests in a dead centre with the pin connecting
the intermediate and toe members and the point at which the member B bears
against the shoe. This will thrust the toe and heel members in opposite direc-
tions in the shoe and will enable the tree to remove all wrinkles and straighten
the sole and keep the shoe in perfect shape. To remove the tree when desired
it is simply necessary to raise the heel and intermediate members at the point
of flexure when the tree may be readily withdrawn.
In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a heel member B and a modified intermediate
member C¹. The heel member B is cast in the form shown, that is to say, like
the heel members in Figures 1 and 2, it is shaped at its rear portion like the
heel of a last so as to have a broad bearing against the counter of a shoe and
has the forward portions of its arms arranged parallel and connected by a pin d¹.
The intermediate member C, like the member C before described, is preferably
cast or stamped from sheet metal and has notches f¹ in one edge; the said
notches being preferably pitched for the purpose before pointed out. The heel
member is held to the member C₁ by a pivoted strap 9 which straddles said
member C, and the pin d' of the heel member is designed to seat in the notches
of the member C₁ after the manner shown. As will be readily observed by
reference to Fig. 4, the strap g is of such a length as to permit of the pin ¹
being drawn out of a notch f' when it is desired to adjust the heel member with
respect to the intermediate member.
The construction disclosed in Fig. 4 is operated in the same way as that shown
in Figures 1-3 and possesses the same advantages, viz.:-it is strong and
durable and reliable in operation and is also extremely simple and cheap.
While I prefer as stated to form the heel members of cast metal, I desire it
understood that they might be stamped out of sheet metal possessing sufficient
rigidity for the purposes of my invention and bent into the shape desired.
In Fig. 5 I have illustrated an intermediate member C and a modified heel
member B2. The said heel member B is made of wood, and is provided at its
rear end with an enlargement 61 and at its forward end with a bifurcation which
receives the intermediate member C. The members B2 C are connected by a
pin d in the same manner that the members B C in Fig. 1 are connected, and
à tree embracing said members B C is operated in the same way as the tree
shown in Fig. 1.
The modified construction shown in Figures 6-8 comprises a toe member
which is preferably of wood and has a bifurcation a in its rear end, a heel mem-
ber B3 which is also by preference of wood and is shaped similar to the member B
in Figures 1 and 2, and is provided adjacent to its forward end with a transverse
pin di, and an intermediate member C, also preferably of wood, which has its
rear end arranged in the bifurcation of the heel member and its forward end
arranged in the kerf a of the toe member A and pivotally connected thereto.
The said member. C has a longitudinal, transversely disposed slot e¹ which
receives the pin d¹ of the heel member 133 and a plurality of apertures f¹ which
intersect the slot e¹. These apertures f¹ are designed to receive a pin g¹ which,

page_text: for the sake of lessening the liability of it being misplaced or lost, is loosely
connected with the member C2 by a chain E, after the manner shown.
In using the tree shown in Figures 6-8, the heel member 133 and inter-
mediate member C are held in alignment and used as a handle for the convenient
introduction of the member A to the forward portion of a shoe. The member B³
is then swung down into the position shown in Fig. 6, after which the bar C
is used as a lever and its rear end is depressed until the pin drests in a dead
centre with the pivot connection between the members B3 C and the point at which
the member B3 bears against the shoe. When this is done, the members A B³
will be thrust in opposite directions in the shoe and when let remain therein
will remove all wrinkles and straighten the sole and keep the shoe in perfect
shape. When it is desired to remove the tree, it is simply necessary to grasp
the rear end of chain k and raise the member B3 when the tree may be readily
withdrawn.
In Figures 6 and 7 the pin d¹ of member 130 is shown as arranged to bear
against the forward wall of the slot e¹ of member C2 to adapt the tree for use
in the smallest size of shoe. When it is desired to increase the length of the
tree and thereby adapt it for use in shoes of larger size, it is simply necessary to
place the pin g of the member C³ in one of the apertures f¹ at a suitable distance
from the rear end of the member, and arrange the pin d¹ of member C² in rear
of said pin gl. With the parts thus arranged the operation will be the same as
before described except that the pin d¹ will have its bearing against the pin g'
instead of against the forward wall of the slot e¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein described tree for boots and shoes comprising a toe or forward
member, an intermediate member pivotally connected to the toe member and having
notches at intervals in its length, and a heel member adjustably connected to
the intermediate member and having a pin arranged to seat in the notches thereof,
substantially as specified.
2. The herein described tree for boots and shoes comprising a toe or forward
member, an intermediate member pivotally connected to the toe member and
having a longitudinal slot closed at its ends and lateral notches opening from
said slot, and a heel member having a pin connecting it to the intermediate
member; the said pin being adapted to be moved in the slot and seated in the
notches of the said intermediate member, substantially as specified.
3. The herein described tree for boots and shoes comprising a toe or forward
member, an intermediate member formed by a strip of metal pivotally connected
to the toe member and having a longitudinal slot closed at its ends and lateral
notches opening from said slot, and a heel member of loop form having its ends
connected together and to the intermediate member by a transverse pin adapted
to be moved in the slot and seated in the notches of the intermediate member,
substantially as specified.
4. The tree described comprising a toe member, an intermediate member
pivotally connected to the toe member and having notches at intervals in its
length pitched upwardly toward its forward end, and a heel member adjustably
connected to the intermediate member and having a pin arranged to seat in the
notches thereof, substantially as specified.
5. The herein described tree for boots and shoes comprising a toe or forward
member, a heel or rear member bifurcated at its forward end and having a pin
extending across the bifurcation, and an intermediate member pivotally connected
with the toe member and adapted to rest in the bifurcation of the heel member
and having a longitudinal slot receiving the pin of the heel member, and also
having a device adjustable in the direction of its length for engaging the pin of
the heel member, substantially as specified.

page_text: 6. The herein described tree for boots and shoes comprising the toe or for-
ward member, a heel or rear member bifurcated at its forward end and having a
pin extending across the bifurcation, an intermediate member pivotally connected
to the toe member and adapted to rest in the bifurcation of the heel member and
having a longitudinal slot, receiving the pin of the heel member, and a plurality
of apertures intersecting said slot, and a pin adapted to be arranged in said
apertures to form a bearing for the pin of the heel member, substantially as
specified.
7. In a tree for boots and shoes, a heel or rear member, and an intermediate
member; one of said members being bifurcated to receive the other and pro-
vided with a transverse pin bridging the bifurcation, and the other having a
longitudinal slot receiving the transverse pin and also having apertures inter-
secting the slot, and a pin adapted to be arranged in said apertures; in com-
bination with a toe member pivotally connected to the intermediate member,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 21st day of March 1899.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.