IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, PETER PURDIE, and GEORGE PURDIE, both of 193 Argyle Street Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES;" to be as
follows:-
'
This Invention consists in forming in the heels or in other parts of the soles of
boots and shoes on the inner side, a recess or recesses which may be fitted with
metallic casings or covered with perforated plates, and over which perforations are
made in the insole. The recesses may be formed in the heel or sole by cutting or
punching the leather or other substance of which the heel or sole is made, before
fastening it to the upper, or by a boring or cutting tool after the boot or shoe is
made, the recess or cutting being in each case covered on the lower or outer side
by a considerable thickness of the leather. The perforations in the insole at the
point over the recess may also be formed by punching. The recesses are filled with
any liquid or solid substance, such as perfumes or substances having medicinal,
sanitary or curative properties, or with magnetic apparatus, or with compositions
which serve to keep the feet cool.

page_text: We, PETER PURDIE and GEORGE PURDIE, both of 193 Argyle Street Glasgow,
in the county of Lanark, Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN 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 consists in forming in the heels or in other parts of the soles of
boots and shoes on the inner side, a recess or recesses which may be fitted with
metallic casings or covered with perforated plates and over which perforations are
made in the in-sole.
In the accompanying drawing, Figures 1 and 2 are a sectional elevation and
inside plan respectively of the sole part of a boot or shoe constructed and fitted
with our improvements and illustrative of one modification or arrangement thereof
for carrying the same into effect or practice.. And Figure 3 shows a top view of
the insole C with cloth covering D stitched and and folded thereto, before and as
ready for being made up into the boot or shoe. The sole A and heel B of the boot
or shoe as also the insole C, would be constructed or formed and shaped generally
in any ordinary manner as heretofore, but by our improvements a recess b is formed
through the insole C in the heel B of the boots or shoes by borning, cutting, or
punching the leather, or other substances of which the heel is made, before fastening
it to the 'upper, or by a boring or cutting tool after the boot or shoe is made, the
recess b'being in each case covered on the lower or outer side by a considerable
thickness of the leather. The recess b'is preferably fitted with a thin metallic
case c having a thin perforated metal cover c¹, easily removable by its strong rim
on the inside of the sole, as seen particularly in enlarged section Figure c, where it
would be covered over by the ordinary inner porous canvas or other cloth sole
covering D or sock, or it might be by a thin piece of leather C¹ at the heel part
fitted over the recess and case b, c c having the inner cloth sole D.secured to it, so
that this part C¹ could be easily raised to get into the recess or case to replenish it
when required. When the insole C or C', or other inside sole or sock is made to
cover the recess b or caso c, these would be perfórated with a small bole or holes d';
and these holes may also be formed by punching or boring, preferably before being
fitted into the boots or shoes.
Instead of making and securing the case c into the recess band making the per-
forated lid c¹ removable, the case itself might be made removable, and having a
perforated bottom could be inserted with its mouth down into the recess b and can
be closed by a cork stopper or other equivalent. When an ordinary linen or other
soft cloth covering D is used inside with these improvements it is preferred to
stitch it up the centre to the insole C and fold it up on this as shown at d
particularly in Figures 2 and 3, before working and securing this sole C to the
uppers and welting or outer sole, and afterwards pasting it down inside by hand
when the last is removed before finishing the boot or shoe over the insole C and
recess or case cas hereinbefore described. The recesses b or their cases c are
filled (from time to time as required) with any liquid or solid substance, such as
perfumes, or substances having medicinal, sanitary, or curative properties, or with

page_text: any magnetic apparatus, or with compositions which serve to keep the feet cool.
A small sponge would be fitted into the recess or case when liquids. were used to
retain these while they were vaporised and given off through the perforations and
porous insole to the foot. We prefer forming the recesses b, in the heels of the
boots or shoes and it might be in dancing or other slippers, as there is greater
thickness of material at this part to enable this to be done conveniently; at the.
same time, larger shallow recesses might be formed at other parts of the sole when
desired, either instead of or in addition to those in the heels, as in the centre
between the heel and sole conveniently at C under the instep where the foot
would not press on the recess or its covering. When cases c, are used they would
be made of metal, gutta percha, or other material which would resist the corrosive
action of the substance used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The forming in the inner side of the heels, or in other parts of the soles of
boots and shoes, of a recess or recesses, either with or without cases fitted therein,
substantially as, and for the purposes, herein described.
2. The fitting of cases within recesses in the inside of the heels or other parts
of the soles of boots or shoes, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein
described.