An Improvement relating to Fastenings for Boots.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement relating to Fastenings for Boots.
I, FRANK CHALLICE CONSTABLE, of Kurachi, Sind, India, Public Prosecutor
for Sind, Barrister at Law, M.A. Trinity College Cambridge, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to fasters for boots.
Boots are sometimes made with eyelet-holes in the open portion of front parts of
the uppers, through which eyelet-holes laces are passed for securing the said boots
in position upon the feet of the wearer and closing the said uppers over the insteps
and round the ankles or legs. In some instances the eyelet-holes are only provided
for a certain distance from the lower parts of the said uppers, and hooks are firmly
secured at equidistances apart upon the upper parts thereof or those parts
surrounding the ankles or legs of the wearer. The object of these hooks is to
facilitate the lacing of the upper parts, the laces having to be removed in most
instances from portions of the said upper parts in order to permit the insertion of
the feet into the boots, thus when eyelet-holes only are provided necessitating the
withdrawal of and the reinsertion of the said laces into the said eyelet-holes each
time the boots are removed and replaced upon the feet.
If the laces be sufficiently long to permit of their being slackened and manipulated
and the said uppers opened sufficiently to withdraw or insert the feet into the said
boots without removing the said laces from any of the eyelet-holes, great delay and
inconvenience is experienced in readjusting the said laces when the boots are in
position upon the feet.
The object of my said invention is to obviate the above defects and to facilitate
the unfastening of the said laces for the removal of the boots, or the fastening
thereof for securing the said boots upon the feet of the wearer.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide in the lower part or that
part nearest the instep of the upper of each of the boots ordinary eyelet-holes
similar to those usually, employed. On the remaining portion of the said upper or
that portion surrounding the ankle or leg of the wearer I provide suitable eyes,
loops or rings placed at, equi-distances apart and firmly secured to the said upper
in a similar manner to the hereinbefore mentioned hooks or in any other convenient
way.
1
The lace is passed through the said eyelet-holes and the above-mentioned eyes,
When it is desired to remove the boot
loops or rings in any well known manner.
the said lace is slackened and manipulated, without removing it from the said eyes,
loops or rings. When the said boot is placed in position upon the foot of the
wearer, and, it is. desired to secure the fastening, the extremities of the said lace are
pulled and the latter will slip or run through the said eyes, loops or rings so as to
draw together the open parts of the upper. The said lace is then tied in the usual
manner.
The friction which takes place between the lace and the usual eyelet-holes or
hooks is: avoided and the troublesome and lengthy manipulation of the said lace
hitherto required is thus obviated, and the boot can be firmly secured in position in
an exceedingly. short time.
Although I have hereinbefore described a convenient and advantageous method
of carrying my said invention into practice it is obvious that I can, somewhat
modify the construction of my improved fastening without however departing in
any, way from the nature of my said invention. For instance instead of providing
the said eyes, loops or rings upon the upper part or extremity only of the said upper

page_text: or that part surrounding the ankle or leg of the wearer I may provide them upon
the entire length thereof.
Dated this 9th day of July 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement relating to Fastenings for Boots.
I, FRANK CHALLICE CONSTABLE, of Karachi, Sind, India, Public Prosecutor,
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 :-
My invention relates to lace-boots, and is designed to provide for facilitating the
operations of putting them on and taking them off.
Lace-boots are sometimes made with a row of eyelet-holes at both sides of the
openings or slits in the front parts of the uppers, through which eylet-holes laces
are passed for securing the said boots in position upon the feet of the wearer
and closing the said openings or slits in the said uppers over the insteps and round
the ankles or legs. In some instances, these eyelet-holes extend for a certain
distance only from the lower parts of the openings or slits in the said uppers, and
rows of hooks are firmly secured at equal distances apart upon the upper parts
thereof, or those parts more immediately surrounding the ankles or legs of the
wearer. The cbject of these hooks is to facilitate the lacing of the boots, but
the laces have to be removed, in most instances, from some of the eyelet-holes
or hooks in order to permit the insertion of the feet into the boots; this is
objectionable, more especially when eyelet-holes only are provided, by reason of
the difficulty and delay experienced in withdrawing and re-inserting the said
laces, each time the boots are removed from and replaced upon the feet.
In some instances, the laces are sufficiently long to permit of their being
slackened and manipulated, and the said uppers opened sufficiently to withdraw or
insert the feet into the said boots without (in the case of eyelet-holes) removing
the said laces. Great delay and inconvenience, however, is usually experienced
in readjusting and tightening evenly the said laces, to close the uppers when the
bopts are in position upon the feet.
The object of my said invention is to enable lace-boots to be opened to permit
the withdrawal of the feet therefrom by simply slackening the laces, without
the necessity of unlacing the boot, and to be closed when the feet of the wearer
are in position therein by simply pulling the ends of the laces, without the necessity
for passing the said laces through eyelets, or around hooks or the like.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a boot showing my improved
fastening.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing my improved
hook hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the boot; B, B are the ordinary eyelet-holes; C is the lace; D, D are
hooks placed at equal distances apart and firmly secured to the upper of the boot
at each side of the slit or opening, in a similar manner to the hereinbefore
mentioned eyelet-holes, or to the ordinary hooks, or in any other convenient
manner. The hooks D are so formed that the lace C can be passed into or
engaged with the same or removed therefrom, but, when once placed in position
therein, will not readily leave the same, and the interior surfaces of the said hooks D
are rounded, as shown in Figure 2, so as to permit the lace to run freely for the

page_text: purpose hereinafter described.
Instead of hooks I sometimes employ eyes, loops
or rings.
The lace C is passed through the eyelet-holes B and engaged in the hooks D,
or in the above mentioned eyes, loops or rings, in any well known manner. When
it is desired to remove the boot, the said lace is slackened by pulling apart or
opening the upper, and is manipulated without removing it from the said hooks,
eyes, loops or rings. When the boot is placed in position upon the foot of the
wearer and it is desired to tighten the lace and close the upper, the extremities of
the lace are pulled and the latter will slip or run through the hooks, eyes, loops or
rings so as to draw the parts of the said upper together. The said lace is then tied
or secured in the usual or other convenient manner. I prefer to arrange the lace C
as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, that is to say, engage the said lace with
two hooks, eyes, loops or rings upon the same side of the slit or opening in the
upper of the boot before crossing it; I am thereby enabled to facilitate the
running thereof.
It will be seen that the troublesome and lengthy manipulation of the lace hitherto
required when removing the boot or replacing it in position, is obviated by my
improved fastening.
It may be advantageous to secure the hooks, eyes, loops or rings to metal strips
fastened to the upper of the boot in any convenient manner.
I sometimes place the said hooks, eyes, loops or rings throughout the entire
length, or any other suitable portion of the slit or opening in the uppers, in the
latter case eyelet-holes or ordinary hooks are provided upon the remaining
portions thereof. I sometimes provide a flap or strip of leather stitched or
otherwise secured to one side of the slit or opening in the upper of the boot
and intended to cover the said hooks, eyes, loops or rings or a portion of them,
and prevent the extremity of the trouser leg from coming in contact therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I claim :-
The herein described improvement whereby I provide for facilitating the closing
or fastening and the opening or unfastening of lace-boots.
Dated this 9th day of April 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.