Improvements in Boot or Shoe Lacings and Fastenings therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot or Shoe Lacings and Fastenings therefor.
I, HORATIO OLIVER WIIYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk,
in the County of Madison and State of Nebraska, U.S.A., Real Estate Agent,
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 lacings and lacing fastenings for wearing apparel,
but more particularly to lacings for boots and shoes, and has for its object to
provide means whereby a boot, shoe, or other article may be easily and quickly
faced or unlaced without the inconvenience and annoyance which usually attend
the lacing of such articles.
A further object is to provide a simple and efficient lacing which may be
applied to boots and shoes provided with the usual eyelet-holes and hooks for
engaging and tying the ordinary shoestrings and to dispense with the usual
tie or fastenings such as have been heretofore employed.
A still further object is to provide improved fastening devices of simple and
convenient form for suitably securing the lacings, yet allowing for their ready
adjustment.
The invention consists in an improved lacing and in the method of applying
the same, and also. in improved lacing fastenings, all as will be hereinafter
more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming
a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end
of the description.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 represents a perspective fragmentary view of a portion of a laced shoe,
illustrating one method of arranging the lace so as to secure the contiguous edges
of the vamp together in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of the vamp, showing the position
of the lace with the loop therein before passing the same around the hooks.
Figure 3 is a detail view of one form of clip or frictional engaging device
which may be employed for holding that part of the lace or string which may not
engage the eyes or hooks.
-
Figure 4 is a detail elevation of a clamp or device which may be employed
tor rigidly securing one end of the lace when an endless lace is not used.
Figure 5 is a perspective fragmentary view of a portion of a laced shoe, illus-
trating a modification of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.
Figures 6 and 7 represent a plan and an edge view, respectively, of a securing
device or tension clip which may be used in place of one of the ordinary hooks.
Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figures 2 and 5 and illustrate a mode of
employing the improved adjustable fastening devices or clamps.
Figure 10 is a detail fragmentary view of a portion of a shoe vamp, or other
article, showing a portion of the string or lace with one of my improved lace-
holding clamps arranged thereon.
Figure 11 illustrates a lace or string having two of the clamps arranged
themoon and

page_text: Figure 12 is a detail view showing a front and an edge view of my improved
lace-holding device.
In the drawings A may denote the vamp of a shoe or boot or other article
having two members a a, the contiguous edges of which are to be fastened
together and provided with eyelet-holes a² and hooks ³, all of which may be of
the usual or of any preferred construction and arranged in any desired manner.
B denotes a lace or string, which may have one of its ends rigidly secured
near the upper edge of the member of the vamp or other part thereof by a
clamp or securing device, such as is shown at 6, (best shown in Fig. 4), though
the said end of the lace may be passed around and secured to the other end
thereof to form an endless lace, or it may be secured directly to the shoe or held
thereto simply by frictional engagement therewith. The end 62 of the lace, as
shown in Figure 1, is first passed downward, in lacing the shoe, on the inner
surface of the vamp and out through the lowermost eye in the member a¹, then
over and across the vamp and in through the lowermost eye in the member a,
then across on the under surface of the ramp to the next succeeding eye on
the meniberal, and so on successively until the last eye is reached on the member a¹.
A loop 3 (shown in Figure 2) is now formed or left of sufficient size to pass
around the series of hooks, and the end is then passed through the last
eye in the member a and along the inner surface of said member through the
frictional securing device or clip +, which may be arranged near the upper edge
of the member ; but it is obvious that both the clamp b' and the frictional
dovice or clip may be dispensed with, or the end 3 of the lace may be slipped
through an opening or slit in the shoe, the friction exerted on the lace by
passing the same through the series of eyes being sufficient to prevent its ends
or slack portion from being pulled through said eyes when laced. The loop 6
may be now passed from the upper eye in the member a around the lowermost
hook of the member a and then back and around the next upper hook on the
member a, and so on, diagonally crossing from hook to hook until the uppermost
hook on the member a¹ is reached, around which the lace is passed, then across
and around the uppermost hook on the member, then down and around the
next lower hook on the member a¹ until the lowermost hook on the member a¹
is reached, the lacing thus crossing diagonally between the hooks in the usual
manner. The slack in the loop may now be taken up and the lace drawn taut
by pulling on the end or part 63, so that the contiguous edges of the members
of the vamp may be drawn closer together or sufficiently tight for comfort or to
permit proper movement of the foot.
I thus provide a lacing which dispenses entirely with the necessity of tying
or forming a knot in the ends or other portions of the lace, at the same time
providing a simple and convenient means for securing the contiguous edges of
the members of the vamp, which will not liecome detached and which may he
rigidly held in whatever position it is placed by the friction which is exerted
on said lace by the eyes and the hooks, and instead of tightly drawing the edges
of the vamp together at the top, as is usual in tying a shoe, sufficient separation
is afforded to give comfort and ease at this point.
Instead of arranging the lace as shown in Figures 1 and 2 I may pass the
end 6 thereof through a suitable clip be, Figure 5, and then downward on the
under side of the member a and out through the eye next to the lowermost eye
on said member, then over and through the next lowest eyelet on the member ",
then diagonally across the under surface of the vamp to the next upper eyelet
of the member a and out thereof over to the next opposite eyelet, and so on
until the last eye on the member a is reached, whereupon a loop is formed
similar to that shown in Figure 2, the end 2 being now passed through the
uppermost eyelet of the member a and then across on the under side of the vamp
and out through the lowest eyelet of the member a, then across and in through
the lowermost eye of the member a, and then up the inside of the vamp through
a suitable clip 6" and secured to the other end of the lace. The loop may be

page_text: passed around the hooks in a manner similar to that hereinbefore described, and
the excess or slack may be taken up by drawing directly on the end 62 or on
the lowest loop or cross-lace 67, this slack being itself taken up by means of the
end 6 of said lace. In this and in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 the loop b
may be released from the hooks by simply reversing the operation of securing
or drawing the edges of the members a a¹ together, so that the shoe or other
article may be readily removed.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a tension device by which I may use an endless
lace somewhat shorter than those shown in Figures 1 and 5. I preferably provide
a plate or other suitable securing device in the place of one of the hooks, pro-
vided with an upwardly-projecting portion c¹, to which a hook c³ is eccentrically
pivoted as at said hook being preferably U-shaped, so that when the lace is
passed through said hook the tension of the lace will hold the hook in the position
shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, and thereby prevent the loop from disengage-
ment therefrom without tilting the said hook on its pivot. There is in this
case just sufficient material in the loop to pass around the hooks to secure the
edges of the members of the vamp together, the loose portion of the loop after
passing around the hooks, as hereinbefore described, being passed through said
hook, whereupon the hook may be thrown to the position shown in dotted lines,
and, owing to its eccentric arrangement, will take up the slack and draw and
hold the contiguous edges of the members of the vamp together.
By lacing the shoe in the manner described a loop is formed for engagement
with the hooks and securing the edges of the vamp together without requiring
a tie or any kind of fastening, it being simply necessary to take up the slack
in the manner hereinbefore indicated after having passed the loop around or
about the several hooks in the series in the manner substantially as described,
and in removing the shoe it is only necessary to draw slightly upon that one
of the overlaced or crossed pieces of the lacing which directly connects with the
frictionally-engaged end 62 or other part of the lace adapted to be casily drawn
out, to provide sufficient slack (in a tightly-laced shoe) to permit the hooks to
he disengaged, so that the vamp of the shoe may be opened or its members spread
apart for the removal or insertion of the foot in an expeditious and convenient
manner, thus avoiding the inconvenience and annoyance which results from the
necessity of tying the usual strings or connecting the ends thereof by some sort
of fastening device, as has heretofore been proposed, and also avoiding the
annoyance and inconvenience which results from a shoe becoming untied or
unfastened, the method of lacing in my improvement being such that the friction
between the lace and hooks and eyes is sufficient to maintain a fast hold without
using any special fastening device or tying the strings. The appearance of the
shoe when laced is also much improved, and the time required in removing and
replacing a shoe is greatly lessened. When the shoe has been removed, the
loop formed by disengaging the hooks, as in Figure 2, simply drops over, ready
to be again engaged with the hooks when the shoe is replaced.
In that modification in which the tension device is used an endless lacing is
provided which may be passed more or less loosely around the hooks, so as to
give greater or less ease or flexibility, as may be desired, particularly when used
by persons desiring a comparatively loose lacing, and in unlacing it is only
uccessary to turn the clip upon its pivot to disengage a portion of the loop,
whereupon sufficient slack will be afforded to permit the looped portion of the lace
to be easily and quickly disengaged from the hooks.
In those embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 5, as
will be observed, the appearance is given-even in case the lace or string is
made fast at one end, as in Figure 1, and frictionally engaged with the shoe
at the other of an endless lace or string passing through the eyelets in over-
laced style, or with cross-lacing, from the lower eyelets to the hooks, and thence
by cross-lacing engagement with the hooks to the uppermost pair of hooks, which
latter are connected by a cross-piece or loop, so that sufficient flexibility is

page_text: afforded at this point to prevent the usual binding and discomfort which result
from tying the shoe with strings according to the common practice.
It will be understood, of course, that the method of lacing or passing the lace
through the eyes may be varied in many ways for securing the looped portion
which is ultimately to serve as the means for fastening the shoe by engagement
with the hooks, and without disturbing the lacing through the eyes when the
shoe is either removed or replaced, the securing of such a loop for use in the
manner indicated being the essential feature of the improvement.
In unlacing the forin shown in Figure 1 slack is obtained for releasing the
loop by first drawing slightly on the cross-piece diagonally connecting the upper
left eye with the lower right hook, while with the form shown in Figure 5 the
loop or cross-piece connecting the two lower eyes should be first slightly drawn
out.
The improved fastening device or clamp hereinbefore referred to, is designed
for use in lacing shoes and wearing apparel in the manner above described and
illustrated by Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings, and I now refer to Figures 8 to 12
which illustrate the mode of application of my said clamp. The shoe-string B
in these figures is provided at one end with one of my improved clamps or lace-
holding devices C, and the lace is then passed through a lower eyelet from the
inside thence across and through the opposite eyelet, thence diagonally across to
and out through the next upper eyelet, thence across and through the opposite
eyele; and so on, to the last eyelet through which it may be desired to pass the
lace, whereupon a loop of sufficient length is formed to engage the series of
hooks in the manner shown in Figure. 9, and leave a little slack, and thereupon
the end of the lace is passed into and through the upper eyelet opposite the one
through which the opposite leg of the loop is passed, and along the inside of
the article or vamp to the. Joop or frictional securing device a¹ which serves to
hold the end of the string in the desired position to be caught and pulled for
tightening the loop about the. hooks after being properly engaged therewith.
Thus arranged the disk-holding device C on the lower or engaged end of the
lace will occupy a flatwise position on the inside of the article or vamp and
hold the end of the lace at that point, and when the loop has been properly
engaged with the hooks and the free end of the lace pulled through the frictional
or other suitable engaging device a¹³, so as to tighten the loop about the hooks,
the lace will be held taut without other securing means, and may be readily
disengaged by drawing out the free end of the lace from the upper cyclet so as
to provide enough slack in the looped portion to permit its disengagement.
The device C consists preferably of a disk or circular plate of thin metal or
other suitable material, having an eccentrically arranged eye or perforation c³,
and an approximately trefoil-shaped opening therethrough; said opening being
so arranged with relation to said eye that it occupies a position between but
slightly separated from the divergent portions of the trefoil. opening. The
latter, however, may have the form of a pair of intersecting slots arranged at
an obtuse angle to each other without the opening or perforation at the junction
of the diagonal slots, though the trefoil shape is preferred, as best adapted to
permit the insertion of the string.
With the device thus constructed the string is first passed through the trefoil
or diagonally slotted opening, and then through the perforation, and when
drawn tight the friction will be sufficient to prevent further movement. But
by drawing the engaged portion of the lace so as to provide a loose portion
between the two openings in the disk, the latter may be moved along and secured
at any desired point on the lace.
I thus provide a very efficient, simple, and inexpensive frictional securing
device or lace-holding clamp, and one that may be easily applied and readily
removed.
By arranging one of said devices on the lace B under the upper eyelet between
the latter and the free ends of the lace, as shown in dotted lines in Figures 8
6

page_text: and 9, and in full lines in Figure 10, the said device will hold the lace at that
point, so as to provide a loop of the desired length without liability of slipping
and lengthening the loop when the latter is being engaged with the hooks, and
more or less slack may be provided by moving the disk along the lace.
While I have shown and described the lace-holding device as provided with a
perforation or eye eccentrically arranged thereon and a second opening having
diagonally arranged intersecting slots or an approximately trefoil-shaped opening,
it may be desirable in some cases to provide simply a plurality of openings
through a preferably disk-shaped plate, though other suitable shapes may be
employed; said openings being arranged so that the lace or string may be passed
through one of the openings and back through the other and the device made fast
thereon by tightening the string in engagement with the openings, and hence I
do not desire to be limited to the specific form and construction shown and
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A lace holding device consisting of a circular plate or disk having diagonally
arranged intersecting slots therein, and a perforation or opening therethrough
near said slots to receive and hold a lace or string, substantially as desibed.
2. A. lace-holder comprising a plate having diagonally arranged interesting
slots therein, and an eye therethrough arranged in the space within the con-
verging lines of said slots, substantially as described.
3. A lace-holder consisting of a disk having an eccentrically arranged perfora-
tion or eye therein, and an approximately trefoil-shaped opening adjacent to
said eye, substantially as described.
4. In combination with the lace-holder consisting of a plate having diagonally
arranged intersecting slots therein, and an eye therethrough arranged in the
space within the converging lines of said slots, a lace or string passing through
said eye and slots, whereby the holder may be made fast at any desired point
upon the string by tightening the latter in engagement with said eye and slots,
substantially as described.
5. A lace-holding device consisting of a suitable plate having a plurality of
openings therethrough adapted to receive a lace or string for securing said device
in a fixed position at any point along the length of the string, substantially as
described.
6. A boot or shoe having a series of eyelets arranged along the contiguous
edges of its vamp and a series of hooks arranged along said edges above said
eyelets, as is usual, and provided with a frictional securing device or clamp on
its vamp, with a lacing having a loop of sufficient length to engage said series
of hooks in the usual manner of cross-lacing a shoe and leave a slack, and having
a portion extending from one leg of said loop through an upper eyelet and thence
through other eyelets in the usual manner of overlacing, and having a portion
extending from the other leg of said loop through an opposite upper eyelet ;
whereby when the shoe is applied to the foot the loop may be made to engage the
series of hooks by passing alternately from hook to hook on opposite sides of
the vamp and may be tightened about the hooks and held taut by drawing upon
the latter portion of the lacing and by its engagement with said securing device,
substantially as described.
7. A boot or shoe having a series of eyelets arranged along the contiguous
edges of its vamp and a series of hooks arranged along said edges above said
eyelets, as is usual, and provided with a frictional securing device or clamp on
the vamp, and with a lacing having a loop of sufficient length to engage said
series of hooks in the usual manner of cross-lacing a shoe and leave a slack, and
having a portion extending from one leg of said loop through an upper eyelet
and thence through other eyelets in the usual manner of overlacing, and having

page_text: a. portion extending from the other leg of said loop through an opposite upper
eyelet, thence through other lower eyelets; whereby when the shoe is applied
to the foot the said loop may be made to engage the series of hooks by passing
alternately from hook to hook on opposite sides of the vamp and may be
tightened about the hooks and be held taut by drawing upon the latter portion
of the lace and by its engagement with said securing device, substantially as
described.
HORATIO OLIVER WHYMAN.
F. Wise Howorth,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent, for the Applicant.