Improvements in Device for Stretching Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Device for Stretching Boots and Shoes.
[Communicated from abroad by Horace Glines, of Bridgeport, in the County of
Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, one of the United States of America,
Gentleman.]
DEVIFICATION.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DEVICES FOR STRETCHING BOOTS AND SHOES, 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 certain novel and useful improvements in devices for
stretching boots and shoes and has for its object to furnish a simple and economical
appliance for stretching and raising the toe portion of the shoe desired to be
enlarged.
With these ends in view this invention consists in the combination of elements
and details of construction hereinafter fully described, and then specifically
designated by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may
more fully understand its construction and operation I will proceed to describe the -
same in detail referring by letters to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of
this specification in which
Figure 1, is a side elevation of these improvements in an operative position
within the shoe,
•
Figure 2, a detail sectional view of the heel piece and follower nut and
Figure 3 a detail perspective view of the toe-cap used in this improvement.
Similar letters. denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.
A is any suitable tip or cap having upon its rear end the projection B depending
from which is the lug C which is adapted to be inserted within the forward end
of the hollow stock and the cap rests upon suitable bearing plates (not shown)
D is a follower nut threaded interiorly having upon its rear end the handles E
and running upon the threaded rod F. G is a heel piece swivelly attached to the
forward end of the follower nut D thus permitting the said nut to turn within said
heel piece. The bearing surface of said heel piece is constructed with a serrated
or roughened surface for the purpose of preventing any danger of slipping upwards
upon the inner surface of the shoe,

page_text: The operation of this invention is as follows;-The cap A having been adjusted
to the forward end of the stretcher the follower nut is run down toward the forward
end of the threaded rod F to allow the heel piece G to enter easily into theʼrear
portion of the shoe desired to be stretched. Then by turning the follower nut D
the toe piece A is pushed into the toe of the shoe thus raising and stretching it as
may be desired.
In this invention I do not wish to be confined to any particular shape of cap
or toe-piece the gist of this invention resting in the broad idea of a cap or toe-
piece with the mechanism for operating the same substantially as shown and
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with a detachable toe-cap attached at the end of a threaded
-rod in a device for stretching shoes as described of a heel piece swivelly attached
to a follower nut running on said rod and means for operating said nut substantially
as set forth.
2. In a shoe stretcher the combination with a detachable cap or toe piece, of a
follower nut travelling upon the threaded rod which operates the stretching
devices and having swivelly attached thereto a heel piece and means for operating
said rod and follower nut independent of each other substantially as set forth.
3 In combination with a device for stretching boots and shoes as described, the
cap or toe piece A and heel piece G connected with the follower nut D adapted to
travel on the threaded rod F substantially as shown and described.
thelfth day of February 1884