Improvements in Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boots and Shoes.
I, JOHN FRANKLIN WARNER, of 133 Pearl Street, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Merchaut, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to the construction of the sole parts of boots and shoes,
with a view to make the same self ventilating and self cooling, and it consists
in providing an air passage on each side of the shank and heel, leading to a
tube at the rear part of the heel. These passages are between the inner and
outer soles at the edge of the uppers. The front or ball of the shoe also has
an air passage. The ball of the shoe between the inner and outer soles is filled
with a cellular elastic fabric, each cell or tube of which is elastic and com-
pressible so that the wearer at each step converts each tube into an air or vapor
pump causing a positive circulation of air between the soles and also effecting,
through orifices in the inner sole, thorough ventilation and cooling of the interior
of the shoe.
The exact manner of carrying my invention into effect is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a view in plan showing the bottom of a shoe with the outer sole left
off, a part of the ball filling being represented as split to show the position of
the air tubes.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line c
x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a section showing the construction of the elastic material that I use
for the ball filling.
In the drawings I have shown only those parts of a boot or shoe to which my
invention particularly relates, that is the tread or sole part and that part Å
of the upper that lies on the inner sole and is stitched thereto.
The filling of the shank and heel may be of any desired material or materials
but it is essential that there shall be a free air passage B B between said filling
and the edges of the upper. At the heel end I have an air duct C leading from
the passages B B upward terminating with an opening outside of the boot or
shoe. The fore part or ball filling R, is peculiar, and consists of an elastic fabric,
compound in its nature. It has two members, namely, a flat sheet, thin and
very flexible, which is united or made integral with a second member, which is
a corrugated sheet, so as to form with the first member tubes R¹ R¹, each tube
being complete in itself and open at each end so as to be connected with the air
passages B
B. The spaces S¹ . . . S¹, formed by the corrugations and the
surface of the inner soles, are not sufficiently distinct to act as tubes, although
they serve as air ducts to connect the interior of the shoe (through the
V) with the air passages B1 . B¹.
orifices V
The tubes R¹ R₁ being each complete in itself act when compressed and
expanded as positive local acting air pumps. As the tubes R¹
77
Rare com-

page_text: pressed the air or vapor in them is forced out into the passages B₁ . . . B' thereby
creating a current which will pass outward and force the stagnant air or vapor
to pass through the passages B B and out through the tube C. As the pressure
is removed the tubes R¹. R as well as the spaces S¹ S₁ will enlarge,
drawing in air and vapor from the interior of the shoe and some from the
passages B B and B B¹, thus ventilating and cooling the whole boot or shoe.
.
.
I am aware that corrugated pads or cushions have been used between the inner
and outer soles but I believe that no pads having complete tubes have been used
in this connection.
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
In a boot or shoe, a filling to be placed between the outer and inner soles
consisting of a cellular elastic fabric each tube of which is elastic and com-
pressible and interiorly connected to air passages whereby the boot or shoe is
thoroughly ventilated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 16th day of March 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.