Improvements in Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Boots and Shoes.
I, GEORGE HERBERT SKINNER, of Harrow Road, Paddington Green, in the
County of London, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to boots and shoes and has for its object to provide
resilient heel-plates or sole-plates which shall be capable of attachment to the
heel or sole of the boots or shoes, in such a manner that they will not be liable
to become detached while in use.
Heretofore in providing boots and shoes with resilient heel-plates or sole-plates
composed of india-rubber, difficulty has been experienced in effectually retaining
them in position chiefly because the nails or the stitches by which the connection
has been effected have torn the india-rubber and so allowed the resilient plate to
become detached. This difficulty has to some extent been obviated by cementing
the resilient plate to the leather but this method of connection cannot be relied
on for obtaining a permanent connection under all the conditions to which boots
and shoes are subjected while in use.
According to my invention and for the purpose of overcoming this objection,
I combine with the india-rubber or other resilient substance of which the heel-
plates or sole-plates are to be formed, leather or other appropriate material
embedded therein or otherwise firmly applied thereto.
I may embed the leather in the rubber prior to vulcanization of the latter so
that the heel-plate or sole-plate when completed will present the appearance of
having been formed entirely of india-rubber. The leather then serves as a core
to receive the nails employed for connecting the sole-plate or heel-plate to the
boot or shoe.
The said nails are driven into or through the leather into which they tightly
hold and can be driven either from the outside or from the inside of the boot
or shoe.
In some cases I may form the india-rubber portion of the heel-plate or sole-
plate like a pocket into which the leather can be inserted through a suitable
slit or opening.
Instead of making the sole-plate or the heel-plate of a shape to cover the
entire surface of the sole or heel it may be made in sections or segments to cover
only certain portions thereof.
According to a modification of my invention I form the heel-plates or sole-
plates entirely of india-rubber which is vulcanized in such a manner that one
side of the plate will be more highly vulcanized than the other. The side which
is the more highly vulcanized is intended to lie adjacent to the boot or shoe and
will afford a satisfactory holding surface for the nails or other means used for
connecting the plates to the boots or shoes.
In some cases the rubber composing the resilient plates would be vulcanized in
such a manner that only a portion of the surface adjacent to the boot or shoe

page_text: In
would be the more highly vulcanized; that is to say, the marginal portions of
the said plate would be vulcanized to approximately the same extent as the
portion coming into contact with the ground when the plates were in use.
this way the variations in vulcanization would not detrimentally affect the
appearance of the portions of the plates exposed to view.
.
When the plates are of considerable thickness it would probably be found
advantageous to make them in strips sheets or layers of vulcanized rubber of
varying degrees of vulcanization, joined together in any appropriate manner such
as by a further vulcanization. With plates of ordinary thickness however, it
would probably be found most advantageous to make them from a single sheet of
india-rubber of the desired thickness, vulcanized as I have already stated.
In place of india-rubber I may, in some cases, employ other suitable substances.
Dated this 16th day of May 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, GEORGE HERBERT SKINNER, of Harrow Road, Paddington Green, in the
County of London, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, 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 reference to boots and shoes and has for its object to provide
resilient heel-plates, or sole-plates, which shall be capable of attachment to the
heel, or sole of a boot or shoe, in such a manner that they will not be liable to
become detached while in use..
Heretofore in providing boots or shoes with resilient heel-plates or sole-plates
composed of india-rubber, difficulty has been experienced in effectually retaining
them in position, chiefly because the nails or the stitches by which the con-
nection has been effected have torn the india-rubber and so allowed the resilient
plate to become detached. This difficulty has to some extent been obviated by
cementing the resilient plate to the leather but this method of connection cannot
be relied on for obtaining a permanent connection under all the conditions to
which boots and shoes are subject while in use.
According to my invention and for the purpose of overcoming this objection, I
combine with the india-rubber or other resilient substance of which the heel-
plates or sole-plates are to be formed, leather or other appropriate material com-
pletely or partially embedded therein.
I prefer to completely embed the leather in the india-rubber prior to vulcaniza-
tion of the latter so that the heel-plate or sole-plate will present the appearance of
having been formed entirely of india-rubber. The leather whether it be partially
or completely embedded in the india-rubber serves as a hard substance or core to
receive the nails, employed for connecting the sole-plate or heel-plate to the boot
or shoe. The said nails are driven. into or through the leather into which they
tightly hold and can be driven either from the outside or from the inside of the
boot or shoe.
In some cases I may form the india-rubber portion of the heel-plate or sole-
plate like a pocket into which the leather can be inserted through a suitable slit
or opening.
Instead of making the sole-plate or the heel-plate of a shape to cover the

page_text: entire surface of the sole or heel it may be made in sections of segments to con
only certain portions thereof.
According to a modification of my invention I form the heel-plate or sole-plate
entirely of india-rubber which is vulcanized in such a manner that one side of the
plate will be more highly vulcanized than the other. The side which is the
more highly vulcanized is intended to lie adjacent to the boot or shoe and will
afford a satisfactory holding surface for the nails or other means used for con-
necting the plate to the boot or shoe.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which :.
Figure 1 represents an india-rubber sole-plate having the leather portions in
the form of discs completely embedded therein.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1 taken through the axes of the
said discs.
Figure 3 represents an india-rubber heel-plate having an opening or pocket to
permit of a single piece of leather being inserted therein.
Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 1, 1, of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of an india rubber sole-plate of which the
inner face has been more highly vulcanized than the outer face.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a heel provided with an india-rubber heel-
plate of which the marginal portions are vulcanized to the same extent as the
outer face thereof, while the other portions are more highly vulcanized.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of an india-rubber sole-plate composed of
several layers of vulcanized rubber of varying degrees of vulcanization.
Like reference letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, A is the india-rubber sole-
plate and B the leather portion which in this example consists of a number of
small pieces or discs which have been embedded in the said sole-plate whilst the
same is in a plastic or uncured condition, the latter being subsequently vulcanized
in the ordinary manner. C are the nails by which the said plate is secured to
the sole A of the boot or shoe. If desired the said sole-plate may be moulded or
otherwise formed with small apertures c so that the places where the nails are to
be driven through the sole-plate will be indicated.
In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown an india-rubber heel-plate D with a pocket d
into which a piece of leather B¹ is inserted, the shape of the said piece of leather
being substantially the same as that of the heel-plate but less in size. The heel-
plate with its core of leather is connected to the boot or shoe by means of nails C
driven through the apertures and through the leather piece into the heel A²
of the boot or shoe.
When the heel-plate or sole-plate is to be composed entirely of india-rubber
the inner side a thereof (i.e. the side intended to lie adjacent to the boot or shoe)
is more highly vulcanized than the outer side a¹ (see Figure 5) this vulcanization
being effected in the manner well understood by india-rubber manufacturers. The
highly vulcanized portion of the plate will afford a satisfactory holding surface for
the nails C without detriment to the resiliency of the tread-surface or outer side a
of such plate.
Instead of extending the highly vulcanized part over the entire inner surface I
find it advantageous sometimes, particularly for high class goods, to vulcanize the
plates in such a manner that only a portion or portions, of the surface adjacent
to the boot or shoe would be the more highly vulcanized: that is to say, the
marginal portion a² of the said plate would be vulcanized only to approximately
the same extent as the tread portion of such plate as rerpesented in Figure 6.
In this way the variations in vulcanization would not detrimentally affect the
appearance of the portions of the plate exposed to view while in use.
In Figure I have shewn a sole-plate composed of several layers or sheets E F

page_text: G and H of india-rubber of different degrees of vulcanization, the layer E being
the least vulcanized while the other layers are successively more highly vulcanized,
the layer H, at the inner part of the sole-plate being the most highly vulcanized of
all the layers. This construction of the plate would be found particularly suitable
when the plates were required to be of greater thickness than usual.
The sole-plates and heel-plates may be cut or stamped from a sheet of india-
rubber vulcanized in the manner I have already stated with respect to Figure 5.
In some cases I highly vulcanize only the portions of the india-rubber sole or
heel-plate, at the parts where the nails are to be driven through them.
When the leather is intended to he only partially embedded or countersunk in
the india-rubber I prefer to form the leather in pieces with inclined or dove-
tailed edges so that said pieces will be securely keyed in place in the india-
rubber after the latter has been vulcanized.
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. An india-rubber or other resilient sole or heel plate provided with leather
or other appropriate material completely or partially embedded therein for the
purpose specified.
2. A sole or heel plate composed of india-rubber which is at some parts more
highly vulcanized than at others for the purpose specified.
3. A sole or heel plate constructed or formed substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to any of the examples illustrated in the accompanying
drawings for the purpose specified.
1511
100
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.