IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD of AND APPLIANCES FOR REPAIRING, PROTECTING, SOLEING, AND HEELING OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lewis, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD of
AND APPLIANCES FOR REPAIRING, PROTECTING, SOLEING, AND HEELING
OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lewis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th December 1881.
JAMES LEWIS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPLIANCES FOR PROTECTING
REPAIRING SOLEING AND HEELING BOOTS AND SHOES."
My Invention consists of a new manufacture and method of specially preparing
suitable pieces of leather, and shaping and perforating the same.
Curved or other shaped pieces of leather are cut out by a suitable press and
afterwards soaked and softened by immersion in water and then subjected by a
process or combination of processes for bringing them into a suitable condition to
be attached to the soles or heels of boots and shoes and also rendering such
prepared pieces a marketable commodity.
The said treads or pieces of leather are subjected to considerable pressure by
suitable tools hardened and annealed for the purpose of solidifying and chamfering
or bevelling the edges of the pieces of leather upon their upper faces, they are also
at the same time pressed or moulded into the necessary forms with countersunk
holes, into which rivets or pins having conically shaped heads are inserted, so that
however much the treads or protectors may be worn they never become detached
from the sole or heel to which they may have been affixed.
By arranging these curved edged treads or protectors upon different parts of the
surface of the soles and heels of boots and shoes the wearer is protected from damp
and cold, and the arrangement of the parts or protectors as described constitutes an
entirely new construction of sole or heel the exact character of the under surface of
the sole or heel described thus forms a reticulated or open work structure.

page_text: By reason of these attached treads or protectors only coming into contact with
the surface of the ground, the real sole of the boot or shoe is not effected by the
wear, and by adding new pieces to the sole or heel from time to time when worn
away, the wearing surface may be renewed at pleasure.
By placing the said prepared and suitably shaped pieces of leather on the most
worn parts of the soles and heels of boots and shoes the parts worn away can be
readily renewed from time to time at pleasure.
The said pieces of leather are so prepared that they may be sold to the public
ready for application, whereby the wearers of boots and shoes may be enabled to
repair such articles with the aid of skilled labour.
I am aware that pieces of metal, for the purposes herein before mentioned, are in
extensive use, but the application of such metallic appliances are attended with
great danger to the wearers, more especially in frosty weather, from falls; and there
are other objections to such metallic appliances; and my said Invention is intended
to obviate all such objectionable consequences by providing a safe and quiet material
for the purposes herein mentioned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the. 14th June
1882.
JAMES LEWIS, of Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPLIANCES FOR REPAIRING
PROTECTING, SOLEING AND HEELING OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
My Invention consists of a new manufacture and method of specially preparing
suitable picces of leather, and shaping and perforating the same.
Curved or other shaped pieces of leather are cut out by a suitable press and
afterwards soaked and softened by immersion in water, or otherwise worked, and
then subjected by a process or combination of processes for bringing them into a
suitable condition to be attached to the soles or heels of boots and shoes and also
rendering such prepared pieces a marketable commodity.
The said treads or pieces of leather are subjected to considerable pressure by
suitable tools hardened and annealed for the purpose of solidifying and chamfering
or bevelling the edges of the pieces of leather upon their upper and lower faces,
they are also at the same time pressed or moulded into the necessary forms with
countersunk holes, into which rivets or screws having conically shaped heads are
inserted so that however much the treads or protectors may be worn they never
become detached from the sole or heel to which they may have been affixed.
By arranging these curved edged treads or protectors upon different parts of the
surface of the soles and heels of boots and shoes the wearer is protected from damp
and cold, and the arrangement of the parts or protectors as described constitutes an
entirely new construction of solo or heel, the exact character of the sole or heel
described thus forms a reticulated or openwork structure. By reason of these
attached treads or protectors only coming into contact with the surface of the
ground the real sole of the boot or shoe is not affected by the wear, and by adding
new pieces to the sole or heel from time to time when worn away, the wearing
surface may be renewed at pleasure.
By placing the said prepared and suitably shaped pieces of leather on the most
worn parts of the soles and heels of boots and shoes the parts worn away can be
readily renewed from time to time at pleasure.
The said pieces of leather are so prepared that they may be sold to the public
ready for application, whereby the wearers of boots and shoes may be enabled to
repair such articles without the aid of skilled labour.
I am aware that pieces of metal, for the purposes herein before mentioned are in
extensive use, but the application of such metallic appliances are attended with
great danger to the wearers, more especially in frosty weather, from falls; and there
are other objections to such metallic appliances; and my said Invention is intended
to obviate all such objectionable consequences by providing a safe and quiet material
for the purposes herein mentioned.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
The new manufacture and method of preparing shaping and perforating pieces of
leather for protecting repairing soleing and heeling boots and shoes, and the means
and appliances for effecting the same, substantially as hereinbefore described, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof I the said James Lewis have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
JAMES LEWIS. (L.S.)