IMPROVEMENTS IN TREES OR HOLDERS FOR BOOTS OR SHOES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREES OR HOLDERS FOR BOOTS OR
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 boot or shoe trees or holders and consists in constructing
the foot piece and the parts connecting it with the body portion of the tree or
holder in such manner that they can readily and conveniently be attached to and
detached from the said body, all substantially as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 shows partly in vertical section from the rear to the front, and partly.
in side view, a boot or shoe tree having this invention applied thereto.
Figure 2, is a view of a detail.
Figure 3, is a longitudinal vertical section of the foot detached.
Figure 4 is a rear view of same and
Figure 5 a vertical sectional view of the foot and its attaching parts with the
foot in position to be removed.
Figure 6 is a cross section of the foot on the line 6-6 Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a cross section of the foot on the line 7-7 Figure 1; and
Figure 8 is a plan view of the bottom of the foot.
A is the body of a boot or shoe tree provided with a journal B, on which the
boot tree is supported and rotated. C is the foot. D the back; and E the centre
rod having an eye F, all the said parts being constructed and arranged to be secured
together for operation as usual in any of the well known ways and needing no
particular description herein, except as to this invention.
The foot C has in its back a vertical groove M having a cross bar N, about
midway of the height of the back, which cross bar is set in the back so as to be
flush therewith and is secured by screws 8 but so as to leave a space t behind it in
the recess or groove M.

page_text: P is a bar of iron or of any suitable material to which the foot piece is to be
attached, its front rib portion Q being of a thickness to fit within the groove M in
the back of the foot piece, and adapted to be held therein by the cross bar N being
disposed within a vertical slot R in the bar P and prevented from lateral movement
by the portion S of the bar at such slot.
This portion S is cut away at the upper part of the slot leaving an opening u by
which the cross bar can pass into and out of said slot to secure the foot piece to the
bar and to enable it to be removed therefrom whenever desired. The cross bar N
rests on the bottom of the slot when in its proper position.
To lock or secure the bar to the foot piece to prevent accidental detachment, a
lever T, pivotted at win a groove x, in the rib portion of the bar by its lower end y
projects over the upper end z of the foot C, when attached to the bar and is held
in such position by a spring a secured to bar P in its groove. To operate this
spring lever T conveniently so as to release its engagement with the upper end of
the foot piece, a lever U pivotted at b to the bar above said lever T bears by its
lower end d against the inner side of the upper end f of the spring lever T, so that
pushing against the end g of lever U, will through its connection with the lever T
cause its end y to move back and away from over the upper end z of the foot
when the foot can be moved upward on the bar and its cross bar N out from its
engagement with the slot R and thus the foot detached from the bar P.
To attach the bar to the foot its rib Q is inserted in the groove M at such point
that the entrance or opening u to the slot R is opposite the cross bar N which
allows the bar to freely enter the groove in the foot, forcing the end y of the spring
lever T back (as shown in Figure 5), the foot is then moved downwardly on the
bar, until the cross bar N reaches and rests on the bottom of the slot when the
end Y of said spring lever T moves outward and locks the foot to the bar as shown
in Figure 1.
The foot can be attached to the bar either when the bar is secured to the tree or
when separate from it.
The back part of the bar P is of dovetail shape, in cross section, as shown at h
in Figures 6 and 7 more particularly, and by such portion it is adapted to slide
vertically within a corresponding dove tail groove / in the body portion of the boot
or shoe tree.
The upper end of the bar P is hook shaped, as at m, and when inserted in and
pushed up the dove tail groove its hook m comes into a position for it to engage
with the shoulder n of a swinging pawl V pivotted at q to the body portion, when
the centre rod is pulled out to distend the back to secure the boot or shoe in
operating the tree. Such engagement is secured by the force exerted by a spring r
against the back edge of said pawl, and prevented from such engagement when the
centre rod is. down in its normal position by the abutment of a projection W of the
rod E against the edge 81 of the pawl V, as shown in Figure 1.
At the back of the upper end of the bar P opposite its hook m, is a set screw ✗
which prevents, by its abutment on the shoulder Y of the body portion, the
detachment of the bar from the tree, the removal of which screw (which can easily
be effected when the back is off) allows the bar to be removed entirely from the
body portion of the tree.
The foot piece having a groove M and cross bar N can be attached to the bar P
in other ways than as described and the means of locking it therein can be varied
as desired.
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
First. A foot piece C, for a boot or shoe tree, formed with a vertical groove M at
its back, and provided with a cross bar N secured across said groove between the
upper and lower portions of said foot piece, for the attachment of the said foot piece
to, and detachment of it from, a tree, substantially as described.

page_text: Second. In a boot or shoe tree, a foot C having a groove M in its back and a
cross piece N, in combination with a bar P adapted to fit in said groove and to be
attached to the boot tree and having an open slot R and locking mechanism,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Third. In a boot or shoe tree, a foot having a groove M in its back and a cross
piece N, in combination with a bar P adapted to fit in said groove and to be
attached to the boot tree, and having an open slot R and levers T and U and
spring a, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Dated this 2nd day of Tune 100K
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.