Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
1, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, of Newton, in the County of Middlesex, and State of.
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 has for its object the production of a new lacing, and consists in the
novel features of construction and relative arrangement of parts hereinafter fully
described in the specification, clearly illustrated in the drawings, and particularly-
pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying one sheet of drawings forming a.
part of this application, in which like characters indicate like parts, wherever they
occur.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a lacing constructed in accordance with.
my invention, a portion thereof being shown in section, in order to illustrate the
arrangement of the several parts.
Figure 2 represents a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the tip of the
lacing.
Figure 3 represents a sectional view, showing another form of tip.
Referring to the drawings, in the embodiment of my invention therein shown and'
selected by me for the purpose of illustrating the same, a represents a lacing
comprising a continuous core a', which is preferably a cord of hemp, linen, or other
tough, fibrous material, and a tubular covering or sheath a 2, of lacing fabric woven
in the usual way. In weaving the sheath a 2 about the core a¹, or inserting the core.
in the sheath, any desired mechanism or process may be employed.
b, b represent tips affixed to the ends of the core and sheath in any suitable way.
The tips may be of plastic material molded about each end of the core and sheath,
and secured in place by the interlocking of the plastic material with the meshes of the
fabric, or as shown by Figure 2, by the engagement of said material with an.
enlargement a 3 formed by making a knot in the end of the lacing.
The tips may be of any other suitable nature, and may be composed of pieces.
of wire u, wound helically around the ends of the sheath, as shown in Figure 3,
the core being extended into or through the parts of the sheath enveloped by the
tips, so that both the core and sheath are firmly secured to the tips, it being important
in all cases to have a secure connection between the ends of the core and the tips..
The core a' is relatively narrow in comparison with the sheath a 2 which surrounds it,
occupying only a part of the space inside the sheath, and it is also less extensible-
or capable of stretching than the woven fabric comprising the sheath. It follows.
from either of these causes that when the lacing receives a bend and pulls against a
hook or an eyelet, the longitudinal strain is borne in large part, or entirely by the
internal core.
The core not only increases the tensile strength of the lacing, but forms a cushion
or backing for the portions of the sheath that bear on the lacing attachments of a.
shoe or garment, and to a considerable extent protect said portions from the wear and
abrasion that usually attend such contact.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As an article of manufacture, a lacing comprising a tubular woven body or
sheath, tips affixed to the ends thereof, and a relatively narrow, continuous, flexible
core attached at its ends to the tips and extending through the tubular sheath
2. As an article of manufacture, a lacing comprising a tubular woven body or
sheath, a continuous non-metallic flexible core within the sheath, and tips interlocked
with the ends of the core and. sheath.
ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.