IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE PUTTING ON OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1877. A communi-
cation from abroad by Eugène Gérard, of 34, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris,
France.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING
THE PUTTING ON OF BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by Eugène
Gérard, of 34, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
The difficulty and the fatigue often experienced in putting on boots, especially if
they are somewhat close fitting, have long directed attention to the desirability of
an instrument which would dispense with the action of the hand.
This Invention relates to a small apparatus which will permit boots with elastic
sides to be put on with the greatest facility, without the necessity of stooping and
pulling them on with the hand, a very considerable advantage when it is considered
that however carefully this is done there is always a risk of dirtying the hands
and hurting oneself.
Suffering, infirm, and stout persons, will find great relief from the use of this
apparatus. It will also be useful to bootmakers, as it will admit of boots being
tried on without dirtying the sole or straining or damaging the boot. It may be
used for woman's boots, permitting the application and preservation of elastic
boots made to resemble buttoned boots.
The use of this apparatus, while facilitating the putting on of the boot, has further
the great advantage of not straining it, there is no tugging upon the elastic, and no
tearing can take place as now often happens.
This apparatus is very simple and may be cheaply made of various shapes, and
with ornamentations suitable to the material of which it is made, whether cast or
wrought iron, brass, wood, or other substance.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows an apparatus embodying my
Invention.
This apparatus is composed of two frames A, B, united by cross pieces which hold
them firmly apart, the result is a sort of cage about eight or ten inches high. The
two upper tie pieces C, D, C¹, D', have two hooks or stop pins g, h, intended to receive

page_text: the loops or tugs of the boot. Upon the top sides of the frame are fixed two
springs E, F, which serve to keep the boot spread open.
The mode of using this apparatus is very simple; the boot is introduced into the
apparatus as shown on the Drawing, the two loops or tugs are attached to the
hooks g, h, and the springs E, F, placed inside the boot. In this position the boot
is sufficiently open in the direction of its breadth, and it is only necessary to put
the foot into it, the foot entering without other effort than that of simply bringing
the weight of the body a little forward, the elastics held by the springs cannot fold
in during the passage of the ankle. At a certain moment the pressure given forces
the boot to leave the springs which retire of themselves; and as the foot is lifted the
loops unhook of themselves without being touched by the hands.
This apparatus will result in a great saving of wear in boots, the elastic and
the loops no longer being subjected to violent and irregular tugs and jerks. A
jointed or hinged boot jack may be fitted to this apparatus as shown on the
Drawing.
It will be evident that this apparatus may be made applicable to shoes with
elastica