IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Keats and John Keats, both of Street, in
the County of Somerset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
"
Scaled the 25th September 1863, and dated the 14th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Keats and John
Keats at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 14th April 1863.
We, WILLIAM KEATS and JOHN KEATS, both of Street, in the County of
Somerset, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object "Improvements in the Manufacture of
Boots, Shoes, or other Coverings for the Feet.'
In manufacturing boots, shoes, or other coverings for the feet according to this
Invention, the edge of the sole has a strip cut from its under side all round its
edge, so as to leave all round the upper edge of the sole a strip of less thickness
than the rest of the sole; to this thin strip the edge of the upper, previously cut
to the required shape, is sewn before lasting, the outer face of the upper being

page_text: towards the inner face of the sole, the upper and sole are then turned inside
out; the boot or other covering for the feet may then be finished as though
the upper had been connected to the sole in the usual way. In addition to
the sole being cut as above described so as to leave a thin strip around its edge,
we prefer to enlarge the strip by cutting with a suitable tool a slit into the edge
of the sole, just below the bottom or under side of the strip. We also prefer
to cut on the inner face of the sole a groove, thus
so that the strip at the edge may more readily be turned over, as is necessary
when the upper and sole have been sewed together, and they are turned inside
out as above described.
In constructing boots, shoes, or other coverings for the feet, when a welt is
employed, we first stitch together all round their edges, the insole, the welt,
and the upper, the under side of the insole and the outer face of the upper
being at that time towards each other, and the welt being between the two,
the upper and the insole are then turned inside out, thus causing the welt to
project outwards from them; the welt may then be connected by stitching or
otherwise, to a bottom or outer sole formed to the shape of the last, thereby
rendering.it unnecessary to shape the welt until the said parts are connected.
In order to facilitate the parts, that are sewn together as above described, being
turned inside out, they should, except when very thin leather is used, be wetted
previous to being turned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Keats and John Keats in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
KEATS and JOHN KEATS, both of Street, in the County of Somerset, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Keats and John Keats, Her special licence that we, the
said William Keats and John Keats, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William Keats and John Keats, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: from time to time and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES,
OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said William Keats and John Keats, our executors or administrators.
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 John Keats, on behalf of myself and
the said William Keats, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of boots,
shoes, or other coverings for the feet.
In manufacturing boots, shoes, or other coverings for the feet according to
this Invention, the edge of the sole has a strip cut from its under side all round
its edge, so as to leave all round the upper edge of the sole a strip of less
thickness than the rest of the sole; to this thin strip the edge of the upper
previously cut to the required shape is sewn, the outer face of the upper being
towards the outer face of the sole; the upper and sole are then turned inside
out; the boot or other covering for the feet may then be finished, as though
the upper had been connected to the sole in the usual way. In addition to
the sole being cut as above described, so as to leave a thin strip around its
elge, we prefer to enlarge the strip by cutting, with a suitable tool, a slit into
the edge of the sole just below the bottom or under side of the strip.
In constructing boots, shoes, or other coverings for the feet when a welt is
employed, we stitch together all round their edges, the insole, the welt, and:
the upper, the under side of the insole and the outer face of the upper being
at that time towards each other, and the welt being between the two; the
upper and the insole are then turned inside out, thus causing the welt to
project outwards from them, the welt may then be connected, by stitching or
otherwise, to a bottom or outer sole formed to the shape of the last, thereby
rendering it unnecessary to shape the welt until the said parts are connected.
In order to facilitate the parts that are sewn together, as above described, being

page_text: turned inside out, they should, except when very thin leather is used, be wetted
previous to being turned.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a section of a sole prepared according to the method first
described; Figure 2 is a plan view of the same in course of preparation;
Figure 3 is a cross section, showing the sole and the upper as first connected
together; and Figure 4 is a cross section of the same when turned inside out;
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a boot when completed, the section being
taken through the line 1, 2, Figure 4.
In order to cut the sole in the manner shown at Figures 1 and 2, we prefer
to proceed as follows:-The sole, which has first been cut to the required
shape, is moved past two stationary knives, one of which forms the slit into the
edge of the sole, and the other makes a cut at right angles thereto, and severs
off a strip c, as is seen at Figure 2, thus leaving a thin strip D all round the
edge of the sole; the strip c is taken off from the grain side of the leather.
In order to move the edge of the sole past the cutters, and to ensure the edge
being properly cut by them, the edge of the sole is by hand held against a
stop that projects up from a table on which the sole rests; this stop is
arranged to carry the cutter that makes the slit into the edge of the sole.
Close to this cutter and above the sole is a spring or presser that presses down
the sole on to the table; pressing on the upper surface of the sole is also a
revolving serrated wheel, by which the sole is moved forwards past the cutters,
and as the sole is so moved past the cutters the edge of the sole is, as before
mentioned, kept by hand against the stop. When the sole has thus been
brought to the requisite shape, the strip D that is left all round it is connected
by sewing to the outer edge of an upper that has first been cut to the requisite
shape. In order to obtain a suitable pattern from which to cut out what is
known as the "base" of the upper we first stretch canvas or other material
that is first cut nearly to the requisite shape over a last of the form of the boot
to be made. The canvas stretched over the last is cut around the last, leaving
a sufficient margin for the seam. Two pieces of canvas, such as are shewn at
Figure 12, one for each side of the boot are thus shaped; from these pieces
of canvas patterns of like form are constructed, the patterns being by
preference made of sheet metal, the leather or other material which is to form
the base of the upper is cut to the shape of these metal patterns, and the two

page_text: parts of the base are connected together, and upon them are also applied
covering pieces of leather, which are to form the outer surface of the upper, as
is usual. The outer edgo of the upper so prepared is connected to the sole by
sewing, as above described; the upper and sole are then turned inside out;
the heel of the boot may then be formed by pegging or rivetting on lifts and
top pieces, as shewn at K, Figure 5; a stiffener H may also be inserted
between the base and the outer portions of the upper before turning the boot
inside out, and after the boot has been turned inside out the stiffener is secured
by rivets, as at I.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 shew the mode of constructing boots when a welt is
employed. Figure 6 is a cross section shewing the position of the upper,
the middle, or inner sole and welt when they are connected together at their
edges by sewing; Figure 7 is a cross section of the same when turned inside
out and when the outer sole bas been connected to the welt; Figure 8 is a
cross section of the same shewing the sock or inner sole G inserted, and the
boot completed.
In making boots or shoes by this method the upper B and the inner or
middle sole A, which is by preference formed of some waterproof material are
first cut to the requisite shape, and whilst their edges are held accurately onc
above the other they are sewn together either by hand or by machinery, a
narrow strip of leather D which is to form the welt being between the two; a
straight strip of leather may be employed for this purpose, as the strip being
narrow will, when moistened, readily adapt itself to the curve round the toe of
the boot; after the pieces have thus been sewn together they are turned
inside out, as shewn at Figure 7; an outer sole E may then be connected by
stitching or otherwise to the welt, as is also shewn at Figure 7, and a sock or
inner sole G also inserted, as shown at Figure 8; a heel is then applied to
the boot by pegging or rivetting, the welt not being made to extend around
the heel.
When thick leather is employed the operation of turning the parts inside
out after they have been sewn together is troublesome, and to obviate this we
prefer when thick leather is employed to connect together by sewing, as before
described, the outer edge of the upper and the outer edge of the inner or
middle sole, and also at the same time connect them to a welt, but in place of
the welt being introduced between the two we place it above the upper, as is
shewn at Figure 9; the parts when so connected together need not be turned
inside out, but when the welt is turned over, as shewn at Figure 10, an outer
sole can be attached to it, a filling pieco A' of leather or other material being

page_text: inserted between the sole A and the outer sole E. A sock or inner sole G
may afterwards be inserted, as shewn at Figure 11, and the boot have a heel
applied to it in any suitable manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Keats, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN KEATS. (L.S.)