An Improved Stretcher for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
An Improved Stretcher for Boots and Shoes.
I, HEINRICH JANOWITZ, 50, Praterstrasse, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Merchant, 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 a stretcher for boots and shoes which is characterised
by great simplicity and by being adapted to be inserted easily and conveniently
into the shoe or boot and easily handled, and which has also the advantage of
being applicable for shoes or boots of different sizes.
The shoe stretcher is shown in the accompanying drawings, in Figure 1 in
sectional side elevation, and Figure 2 in plan view.
The front
The shoe stretcher consists of three parts, namely a last-shaped toe piece or
front part a which fills up completely the toe part of the shoe or boot, a heel
piece 6 in the form of an elongated block rounded at the back and a stretching
or tightening screw e connecting these two parts with one another.
part a, which is of an average or mean last-size is provided with a bore d in
which a screw thread is cut. The adjusting or stretching screw c is screwed
into this bore d, said screw e being preferably thickened and ribbed in its
centre part in order to allow of its being easily grasped for the purpose of
turning it, whilst at its rear part it is formed as a round pine which is inserted
in a suitable hole f in the heel piece.
The device is inserted in the shoe to be stretched as shown in Figure 1 and
then the screw c is turned by hand, by gripping it by its central portion, in
such a way that the front part a is moved forward away from the heel piece b
and penetrates deeper or further into the toe piece of the shoe or boot. The
screw is turned until the boot is thoroughly stretched and rests tightly on the
shoe stretcher and thereby a suitable stretching of the shoe is obtained in a
very easy and simple manner. The same screw stretcher may be utilised for
large and small boots and shoes, only a greater or lesser rotation of the screw
being necessary to obtain each time a complete stretching of the boot or shoe.
By turning back the screw c the screw stretcher is loosened in the shoe and
may then be easily and conveniently removed from the shoe or boot.
The heel piece is preferably provided with a handle g, by which a boot
provided with the inserted and expanded shoe stretcher may be gripped and
then polished in the most convenient manner.
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
A shoe or boot stretcher comprising a last-shaped toe piece or front part (a)
provided with a screw threaded bore (d), a heel piece (6) having a round hole (f)
and if desired provided with a handle (g), and a connecting piece (c) having its
front end screw-threaded to engage in the screw threaded bore (d) of the toe
piece (a) and its rear end rounded and inserted in the hole (f) of the heel
piece (b), whereby by turning the said screw (c) after the device has been

page_text: inserted in the boot or shoe, a suitable separation of the front part and the
heel piece is effected, and the shoe or boot is thereby stretched, substantially
as herein before described.
Dated this 29th day of November 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.