IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLES AND HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Barron and Edmund Charles
Barron, of No. 17, Aldermanbury, in the City of London, trading
under the Firm of W. J. Barron and Sons, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLES AND HEELS FOR BOOTS AND
SHOES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."-A com-
munication from abroad by Laurent Hurtault, of 10, Rue Jouy, in
the City of Paris, Empire of France.
Sealed the 23rd August 1870, and dated the 31st May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Barron
and Edmund Charles Barron at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 31st May 1870.
We, WILLIAM JOHN BARRON and EDMUND CHARLES BARRON, of
No. 17, Aldermanbury, in the City of London, trading under the Firm
of W. J. Barron and Sons, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLES AND HEELS FOR
BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture

page_text: of soles and heels for boots and shoes, and in apparatus employed in
such manufacture.
In order to make a heel in one piece with a sole a piece of leather of
suitable shape is taken, it is softened by immersing it in water, and is then
pressed into a mould by means of a plunger of corresponding shape.
The mould is open at the bottom, and by preference three plungers are
used in succession to bring the heel to form. The first plunger does not
carry the leather down to the bottom of the mould. The second plunger
causes the leather to protrude through the bottom, the mould being
supported on a plate with a hole in it corresponding in form with the
heel. The third plunger is shorter, when it is used the supporting
plate is removed, and the mould caused to rest directly on a flat surface.
The pressure then drives back the part of the leather which has been
protruded, and in so doing causes the leather to fill the angles of the
mould. Into the hollow heel thus produced a filling consisting of
melted rosin, oil, and leather raspings, or such like material, is placed.
The filling is forced into the heel, which is still contained in the mould
by a pressing plate or plunger of suitable form.
In a similar manner heels may be made to be afterwards attached to
soles. The leather to form the heel in this case is formed with a lug or
lugs at the edge, which are turned in over the composition with which
the heel is filled, and forced to it by the pressure, so as to prevent the
possibility of the outer leather afterwards separating from the filling.
In the press employed for moulding the heel a plate is held by springs
on to the edges of the leather, and the leather is drawn out from beneath
it by the plungers. This plate prevents the formation of folds in the
leather.
In order to attach to the soles of boots and shoes heels made separately
therefrom the boot or shoe is supported on a block in which are holes
receiving pins. The pins are supported at their lower ends on small
plungers, which in turn rest on a fixed surface, but the block is sup-
ported on a spring and is capable of being depressed. The heel is
brought down in proper position on to the sole, the pressure causes the
block to descend, and the pins to enter through the sole into the heel,
which so becomes securely fixed.

page_text: filed by the said William John Barron and Edmund Charles
Barron in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th November
1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM.
JOHN BARRON and EDMUND CHARLES BARRON, of No. 17, Aldermanbury,
in the City of London, trading under the Firm of W. J. Barron & Sons,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William John Barron and Edmund Charles
Barron, Her special license that we, the said William John Barron
and Edmund Charles Barron, our executors, administrators and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William John Barron and Edmund Charles
Barron, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLES AND HEELS FOR
BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," a com-
munication to us from abroad by Laurent Hurtault, of 10, Rue Jouy, in
the City of Paris, Esquire, of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William John Barron and Edmund Charles
Barron, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William John Barron and Edmund
Charles Barron, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
soles and heels for boots and shoes, and in apparatus employed in such
manufacture.
In order to make a heel in one piece with a solo a piece of leather of
suitable shape is taken, it is softened by immersing it in water, and is
then pressed into a mould by means of a plunger of corresponding shape.
The mould is open at the bottom, and by preference three plungers are
used in succession to bring the heel to form. The first plunger does not
carry the leather down to the bottom of the mould. The second plunger
causes the leather to protrude through the bottom, the mould being
supported on a plate with a hole in it corresponding in form with the
heel. The third plunger is shorter than the second, and when it is used
the supporting plate is removed and the mould caused to rest directly on
a flat surface. The pressure then drives back the part of the leather
which has been protruded, and in so doing causes the leather to fill the
angles of the mould. Into the hollow heel thus produced a filling con-
sisting of melted rosin, oil, and leather raspings, or such like material is
placed. The filling is forced into the heel, which is still contained in
the mould by a pressing plate or plunger of suitable form.
In a similar manner heels may be made to be afterwards attached to
soles. The leather to form the heel in this case is formed with a lug or
lugs at the edge, which are turned in over the composition with which
the heel is filled, and forced into it by the pressure, so as to prevent the
possibility of the outer leather afterwards separating from the filling.
In the press employed for moulding the heel a plate is held by springs
(or it may be by weight or pressure) on to the edges of the leather, and
the leather is drawn out from beneath it by the plungers. This plate
prevents the formation of folds in the leather.
In order to attach to and combine with the soles of boots and shoes
heels made separately therefrom the boot or shoe is supported on a block
in which are holes receiving pins. The pins are supported at their lower
ends on small plungers, which in turn rest on a fixed surface, but the
block is supported on a spring and is capable of being depressed. The
heel is brought down in proper position on to the sole, the pressure
causes the block to descend, and the pins to enter through the sole into
the heel, which so becomes securely fixed.

page_text: hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews the form to which the leather may be cut to prepare
it for making the sole and heel of a boot; Figure 2 is a section of the
metal mould which is employed to mould the heel. a is a moveable
plate at the bottom of the mould to increase its depth. For some forms
of heels this mould will require to be made in two parts, which separate
to deliver the heel. Figure 3 is a section of the first plunger to com-
mence the raising of the heel but without carrying it to the full depth.
Figure 4 is a section of the second plunger employed; it is sufficiently
long to carry down the leather until the bottom of the heel projects
beneath the under side of the mould. Figure 5 is a section of a third
plunger which is next used. The plate a is then removed from the
mould, and the mould stands directly on a flat plate. When the pressure
is applied the part of the heel projecting below the mould is forced
upwards, whilst the plunger descends upon it from the top, and so the
leather is driven out into the corners around the bottom of the mould.
Sometimes in place of the moveable plate a we employ a mould of con-
siderably greater depth. The first and second plungers are used as
already described, being forced into the mould in succession by hydraulic
or other pressure. The edges of the leather are then trimmed, and the
third plunger is pressed in until its flange rests on the top of the mould.
The mould is next inverted, and a filling piece of metal inserted at the
bottom, and this being forced home completes the moulding of the
leather, causing it to return upon the plunger as already described. The
heel is now filled with a plastic composition consisting of eight parts of
resin, leather raspings or cuttings, and oil. Or a better composition we
make with marine glue. We cut up scraps of leather into shreads, and
we mix it in a steam heated pan with the rosin and with marine glue in
the proportions of six parts of leather, two parts of resin, and one part of
marine glue. We mould this composition into blocks of a size to fit into
the hollow of the heel; and to produce perfect adhesion between the
leather and the filling we apply to the leather a coating of resin and
marine glue, or of resin and oil, and then insert the block and press it
home with the plunger shewn in section at Figure 6, which is brought
down upon it with a strong hydraulic or other pressure, under which

page_text: pressure the block although tolerably hard is plastic, and the pressure
compels it completely to fill the hollow and the leather in turn to fill
the mould. The mould may be so formed as to block the sole at the
same time that the heel is filled. Figure 7 is a side view of a sole and
heel thus produced and ready to receive the upper, which is fixed to it
by sewing, by rivets, or otherwise.
For making pumps where the work is made up inside out, we employ
a last with a recess in it to receive the heel, the upper and sole are sewn
together whilst upon the last (excepting around the heel). The work is
then turned and the heel is fixed to the edges of the upper by pins by
means of the machine shewn at Figure 11, and herein-after described,
or in other convenient manner.
In a similar manner heels may be produced separate from the soles.
Figure 8 indicates the form to which the leather is cut.
It is pressed
into form by means of a mould and plungers similar to those already
shewn. The mould for making a separate heel is shewn it Figure 9.
Sometimes we form a heel with the waste of the sole of a piece with
it, and afterwards attach the remainder of the sole by sewing or other-
wise. In order to ensure the leather sinking smoothly into the mould
without becoming creased we place upon it when it is laid on the mould
a plate such as is shewn in Figure 10. This plate has a hole through it
corresponding to the opening in the mould, and a rib or flange around
the edge of the hole, which presses upon the leather and nips it against
the face of the mould. The plate is held down upon the leather by
springs, weight, or otherwise with a moderate pressure. The plungers
descend through the hole in the plate and press the leather into the
mould, the nip not being sufficient to prevent the leather drawing past
it as it is required to fill the mould. The plungers may have needle
points upon them, which by penetrating the leather cause it to be taken
down uniformly all round.
A similar plate may be employed advantageously when making soles
and heels combined. In Figure 8, b, b, are lugs or projecting pieces left
upon the heel piece. After the heel has been filled with the composition
block these lugs are turned in on to the composition, and by the descent
of the plunger the lugs are forced into it; this ensures the filling of the
heel being firmly attached to the outer shell of leather. One lug at the
front of the heel will usually be found sufficient. Similar lugs may be
used with advantage when producing a heel in one piece with the sole.

page_text: Figure 10 is a section of apparatus which is used in order to fix the
heel to the boot or shoe when it has been made separate from the sole.
It consists of a standard a firmly supported in a press, on the top of it is
a hard steel plate b; c is a head mounted on the standard a, so as to be
able to slide up and down upon it with a steady motion; d is a coiled
spring, which except when the head is depressed by the plunger sustains
it in its highest position. The upper surface of the head c corresponds
in form to the interior of the boot or shoe, and the boot or shoe is placed
upon it in an inverted position, the head entering within it; e, e, are
steel pegs or plungers which are dropped into holes bored through the
head where the heel comes upon it; the holes should be slightly inclined,
and each in a different direction. The pegs e are of such a length that
when the head is depressed they stand flush with its upper surface.
The apparatus is used in the following manner:-Brass or iron pins
suitably pointed and headed are placed in the holes in the head so as to
fill them, but without projecting above the surface of the head. These
pins at their lower ends will then rest upon the tops of the steel pegs c.
The boot or shoe is then put on to the head, and the heel to be applied
is fitted into a recess in the plunger which is made to receive it. The
plunger is now made to descend with force; it applies the heel to the
sole of the boot or shoe in its proper place, and by carrying down the
head causes the pins to be forced from the inside of the boot or shoe
through the sole and into the heel, which thus become firmly fixed in
its place.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that we
claim,―
First. The manufacture of combined soles and heels for boots and
shoes by submitting a piece of leather of a suitable form to make a sole
and heel to pressure in a mould with suitable plungers so as to hollow
out the heel, and then filling such hollow with a plastic composition,
which is forced in with pressure, substantially as described.
Second. We claim the production of heels (suitable to be afterwards
affixed to a sole) from a piece of leather of suitable form in a manner
similar to that set forth in the first claiming clause.
Third. We also claim the employment of a lug or lugs on the leather
heel casing to prevent its separation from the filling, substantially as
described.

page_text: Fourth. We also claim the method of constructing soles and heels, or
heels to be afterwards affixed, by which sharp angles around the bottom
are obtained by forcing the leather forming the bottom of the heel in
the first instance beyond its finished position, to which it is subsequently
pressed back, substantially as described.
Fifth. We also claim in the construction of soles and heels, and heels
to be afterwards affixed, the nipping and retaining the leather around
the margin of the mould whilst it is being hollowed by the action of the
plungers, substantially as described.
Sixth. We also claim the method of and apparatus for combining the
heels and soles of boots and shoes, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William John Barron and Edmund
Charles Barron, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this
Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
W. J. BARRON. (L.S.)
E. C. BARRON. (L.S.)