AN IMPROVED SPUR Box
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Gullick, of Pall Mall, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SPUR Box."
Sealed the 14th August 1860, and dated the 29th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Gullick at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th May 1860.
I, THOMAS GULLICK, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, do bereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPUR Box," to
be as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention has reference to an improved spur box for being placed or
built up in the heels of boots, for the purpose of holding or securing box spurs
through the medium of the extending shank or stem, whereby the said spurs
are enabled to be inserted or fixed higher up the heel of the boot than hitherto,
and consists in arranging the spring door through which the shank is inserted
with its hinged portion downwards, so as to enable the said door and opening
to be formed in the extreme upper portion of the face of the box, the spring
for actuating the door being placed at the lower portion of the same, whilst
the catch or retaining spring is secured to the top or upper portion of the box.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Gullick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GULLICK, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Gullick, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Gullick, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I.
the said Thomas Gullick, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPUR Box," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Gullick, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Gullick, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say):-
My Invention has reference to an improved spur box for being placed or
built up in the heels of boots, for the purpose of holding or securing box spurs
through the medium of the plug or extending shank, whereby the said spurs
are enabled to be inserted or fixed higher up the heels of boots than hitherto,
and consists in arranging the spring door through which the plug is inserted
with its hinged portion downwards, so as to enable the said door and opening
to be formed in the extreme upper portion of the face of the box, the spring
for actuating the door being placed at the lower part of the same, whilst the
catch or retaining spring is secured to the top of the box.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe it by the aid of the

page_text: accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 represents a front view of my improved spur box; Fig. 2, a side
view; Fig. 3, a top or plan view; Fig. 4, an underneath view; Fig. 5, a
back view; Fig. 6, a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 7, a side view of the
casting, face plate, and arch, or slide plate, separately shown; Fig. 8, a top
or plan view of the same; Fig. 9, an underneath view; Fig. 10, a transverse
vertical section, taken through the dotted line 1, 1, in Fig. 8; Fig. 11, a
corresponding view through the line 2, 2; Fig. 12, a longitudinal vertical
section through the line 3, 3; Fig. 13, an extended view of the sheath or
outer casing; Fig. 14, a longitudinal vertical section of the spur box, showing
the manner in which the spur is held or secured therein; Fig. 15, a corres-
ponding view of the spur box, showing a modification of the retaining spring
and arch, or slide plate; Fig. 16, a front view of the same; and Fig. 17, a
side view of a boot, showing the position of the spur when fixed. In each
Figure the same letters of reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, the casting or body of the spur box; B, B, front or face plate;
C, C, door or opening, through which the plug is to be inserted; D, D, catch
spring for holding or securing the plug; E, E, arch or slide plate, to which
the same is fixed through the medium of the rivet F, F; G, G, grooves for
the reception of the same; H, H, pivot centre upon which the door works;
I, I, spring for closing the door; J, J, transverse stay or seat formed in the
casting, to which the same is attached by means of the rivet K, K; L, L, sheath
or outer casing enclosing the working parts; M, M, lugs or ears for securing
the box within the boot heel, through the medium of rivets passing through
the holes N, N; 0, 0, rivets for securing the outer casing to the casting;
P, P, scroll head of the spur carrying the rowell Q, Q; R, R, the bow,
formed with curved or sloped sides S, S; T, T, the plug; U, U, gap or catch
formed upon the upper surface of the same; V, V, boot heel; W, W, the
boot.
In conclusion to the foregoing description, I would here briefly note, that
the plug of the spur or being inserted in the box is firmly held or secured
between the transverse stay or seat J, J, and the catch spring D, D, as shown
at Fig. 14, the gap being formed upon the upper surface of the same to suit
this arrangement, and the arch or slide plate hollowed out, as represented, to
enable the door to work and effectually close the opening in the front of the
box on the plug being withdrawn. And I would further note, that the plug
might advantageously be placed lower down in the bow than hitherto, so as to
enable the spur to be worn higher from the ground, which may be alo

page_text: facilitated by the arrangement of the retaining spring and arch, or slide plate.
as shown at Figs. 15 and 16, the sides of the bow being so curved or sloped
as to fit closely the upper portions of the heels of boots; it may be also
necessary to observe, that the ordinary box spurs can be worn in connection
with my improved spur box in place of the spurs herein-before mentioned, by
inserting the plug in the usual manner, so as to cause the same to be held
between the catch spring and the stay or seat, as above described.
Ilaving now described the nature of this my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it clearly under-
stood that I do not claim as of my Invention the exclusive use of the several
parts herein-before mentioned, except when the same are employed in and for
the purposes of my said Invention, which I hereby declare to consist in the
general arrangement or disposition of the parts composing the spur box,
having the door or opening formed in the upper portion of the face of the
same with its hinged portion downwards, in the manner and for the purposes.
herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Gullick, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
F. R. DARKIN CAMPBELL,
Clerk to Messrs. Weatherdon & Co.,
77, Chancery Lane.
THOS. GULLICK. (L.S.)