Improvements in or relating to Plates or Armatures for Protecting the Toe Portions of the Soles of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Plates or Armatures for Protecting
the Toe Portions of the Soles of Boots and Shoes.
We, HENRY DRONFIELD, JOHN BAGGALEY, and THOMAS DUNK, trading as
Dronfield and Company, of Albert Works, Hipper Street, Chesterfield, in the
County of Derby, Boot Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows
This invention relates to improvements in plates or armatures for protecting the
toe portions of the soles of boots and shoes, such as, say for example, as are worn
by miners and navvies.
Its object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and readily applied plate or
armature that will prevent the toe portions of the sole from so easily wearing away
as they do at present by the constant rubbing to which they are subjected whilst
the wearer is at work.
According to this invention in its simplest form, the armature may consist of
a plate shaped to the contour of the toe portion of the sole, having a projecting
portion or rim or ledge shaped to fit the contour of the toe portion. In this form
the plate and its projecting ledge may be made wholly of metal in one piece and of
any suitable thickness, stamped, cast or otherwise formed to shape. The plate
portion thereof may be either fixed by nails; screws, or the like, to or upon the
outer surface of the sole, or let into and level with it. But if desired the armature
may be made in more than one portion wholly of metal, or partly of metal, and
partly of leather or any other suitable material as for example, say, the sole portion
of the armature may be wholly of metal, or it may have pieces of leather or its
equivalent let into and fixed therein by any convenient means. To this metal sole
portion may be attached by any suitable means, say a leather, or leather wire quilted,
or a leather and metal studded cap or protector which is blocked to shape and which
is made to encase the portion of the sole.
In either of the methods named, the plate portion and projecting portion, or rim,
or ledge may be made respectively to extend a greater or less distance for covering
more or less of the toe portions of the sole as may be desired.
The above described armature forms a combined "toe plate and clinker," which
may be fixed to the respective portions of the boot or shoe by any suitable; and
convenient means.
Dated this Twents-first day of August 1895.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Plates or Armatures for Protecting
the, Toe Portions of the Soles of Boots and Shoes.
We, HENKY DRONFIELD, JOHN BAGGALEY, and THOMAS DUNK, trading as
Dronfield and Company, of Albert Works, Hipper Street, Chesterfield, in the
County of Derby, Boot Manufacturers, 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 relates to improvements in plates or armatures for protecting the
toe portions of the soles of boots and shoes, such as, say for example, are worn by
miners and navvies.
Its object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and readily applied plate or
armature that will prevent the toe portions of the sole from so easily wearing, away
as they do at present by the constant rubbing to which they are subjected whilst
the wearer is at work.
In the drawings hereunto annexed :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 a transverse section on line ax Fig. 3;
Fig. 3 a plan looking at the top of a plate or armature constructed according to this
invention for protecting the toe portion of the sole of a boot or shoe.
Fig. 4 is a perspective.view of said plate or armature showing the underside of
the plate.
Fig. 5 shows the application of the plate or armature to the toe portion of a
.boot.
...
...
..t
Like parts in all the views are marked with similar letters of reference.
The armature may consist of a plate A shaped to the contour of the toe portion B
of the sole, having a projecting portion or rim or ledge C (all of which are
hereafter termed and included in the term the projecting rim C) shaped.to fit the
contour of the toe portion. The projecting rim C is preferably made to represent
as shown in the drawings a row of "clinker" nails, but the projecting rim may be
otherwise shaped if so desired: In this form the plate A and its projecting ledge C
may be made wholly of metal in one piece and of any suitable thickness, staniped,
cast, or otherwise formed to shape. The plate portion A. of the armature may be
provided with any required number of holes D for fixing it by nails, screws, or the
like (not shown in the drawings) to or upon the outer. surface of the sole B, or let
into and level with it.
:
H
But if desired the armature may be made in more than one portion wholly of
metal, or partly of metal and partly of leather or any other, suitable material as for
example, say, the plate portion A of the armature may be wholly of metal as shown
in the drawings, or it may have pieces of leather or its equivalent 'let into" and
fixed therein by any convenient means. To this metal sole portion A, constructed
as herein described, may be attached by any, suitable means, such as by rivets,
cement, or the like, say a leather, or leather wire quilted, or a leather and metaĺ
studded projecting rim C which is blocked to shape and which is made to encase
the toe portion, B of the sole.
In either of the methods named, the plate portion A and projecting rim C may
each be made to extend a greater or less distance than shown in drawings for
covering more or less of their respective portions of the sole as may be desired.
E represents the toe portion of the upper lasted to the sole B at its toe.
The above described armature forms a combined "toe plute and clinker," which
may be fixed to the respective portions of the boot or shoe by any suitable and
convenient means; and it possesses greater advantages than a clinker, in that it is
much easier to fix, costs less in labour, looks neater, does not break the leather
like a clinker, but will preserve the toe of the boot much longer than nails or

page_text: clinkers, will not break off as nails do, and being extra thick at the toe, will give
an immense amount of wear over the ordinary toe plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare we are
aware that metal protectors for covering the toe portion of the uppers of the boots
and shoes have been used prior to the date of this application, but to such metal
protectors we make no claim, and what we claim is :-
An armature for the toe portion of a boot or shoe sole having a plate portion A
which covers the base or flat portion of the sole at its toe, providing the said.
plate A with a projecting rim C to extend up and cover the whole or a portion of
the edge of the said toe portion of the sole, said plate and its projecting rim being
constructed, combined and applied to the toe portion of the sole substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this Eighteenth day of May 1896.
HENRY DRONFIELD.
JOHN BAGGALEY.
THOMAS DUNK.