Improvements in Lawn Tennis and similar Heelless Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr.. 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn Tennis and similar Heelless Boots
and Shoes.
We, HENRY WALTER STATEN LANGDON, of Victoria Street, Paignton, in the
County of Devon, Boot and Shoe Maker, and JOHN SIDNEY CROWLEY, of Belair,
Paignton aforesaid, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:
My invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes such as lawn tennis
shoes which are made without heels, and my improvements consist chiefly in
furnishing inside the boot or shoe a raised flexible support for the heel of the foot
as a substitute for the external heel on an ordinary boot or shoe.
In carrying my improvements into effect I fit a metal spring plate in the interior
of the boot or shoe above the ordinary leather or other lining and next to the foot
of the wearer.
This spring plate is preferably of steel curved and shaped to follow
the natural arch of the foot. It is held in position at the back end by any suitable
means but the front end is free and slides upon pressure upon a small plate fixed
slightly in advance of the waist of the boot or shoe.
In operation the spring plate yields to the pressure of the foot and consequently
gives elasticity to the arch of the foot and overcomes the inconvenience experienced
caused by the sudden change from an ordinary high heeled boot to a flat tennis or
other shoe.
Dated this 7th day of Tule 1000
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn Tennis and similar Heelless Boots
and Shoes.
We, HENRY WALTER STATEN LANGDON, of Victoria Street, Paignton, in the
County of Devon, Boot and Shoe Maker, and JOHN SIDNEY CROWLEY, of Belair,
Paignton aforesaid, Gentleman, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes such as lawn tennis
shoes which are made without heels, and our improvements consist chiefly in
furnishing inside the boot or shoe a raised flexible support for the heel of the foot
as a substitute for the external heel on an ordinary boot or shoe.
In carrying our improvements into effect we fit a metal spring plate in the
interior of the boot or shoe above the ordinary leather or other lining and next to
the foot of the wearer.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of part of a lawn tennis
or other similar heelless shoe fitted with an internal metal spring plate according to
our improvements.
In these views, a designates the sides of the
support for the back end of the spring plate d.
steel curved and shaped as shown to follow the
shoe, b the sole, and c a false heel or
This spring plate d is preferably of
natural arch of the foot. To the

page_text: underside of the spring plate d is rivetted at f an auxiliary spring e one end of
which enters a recess in the false heel e and the other end is curved upward against
the spring plate d; but the spring e may be dispensed with and the spring plate d
used alone if preferred. At the back end the spring plate d is held in position by
a rivet y by which it is secured to the false heel e but the front end is free and
slides upon pressure upon a small plate h fixed on the sole slightly in advance of
the waist of the shoe; but the plate h may be dispensed with if desired.
In operation the spring plate d yields to the pressure of the foot and with the
spring e takes up the position shown in full lines on the drawing and consequently
gives elasticity to the arch of the foot and overcomes the inconvenience experienced
by the sudden change from an ordinary high heeled boot to a flat tennis or other
shoe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The arrangement use and application inside a heelless boot or shoe of a raised
flexible support for the foot as a substitute for an external heel substantially as
herein set forth.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts embodying our improvements
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of April 1893.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.