AN IMPROVED MODE OF FINISHING THE SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF FINISHING THE SOLES AND
HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES." - A communication from abroad by L. R.
Mears, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
Scaled the 9th September 1873, and dated the 11th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th March 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKI, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lako, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "Ax IMPROVED MODE OF FINISHING THE
SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication, to be as
follows:-
Heretoforo in the manufacture of boots and shoes the desired finish

page_text: and in some cases they have been channelled to hide the stitching.
These operations give a neat finish to the sole and other parts, but add
greatly to the cost of manufacture, and the scraping and buffing injure
or waste the enamel or grain side of the leather, thereby diminishing the
durability of the boots or shoes.
This Invention is designed to obviate the necessity for these processes,
and thereby economize time and labour, while preserving the enamelled
or grain surface of the sole leather.
The said Invention consists in applying to the sole and heel by the
aid of a cement, paint, or other suitablo adhesivo material, a flock of 1
wool, silk, cotton, hair, or other disintegrated or finely pulverized
substance or material of any suitable kind or any desired colour.
In carrying the said Invention into practise I take a boot or shoo
when sufficiently advanced to havo its sole and heel finished and apply
to the portion to be finished a coating of glue, cement, paint, or pasto, 1
by preference a waterproof cement, and throw therein the aforesaid flock
or pulverized material. The cement, glue, or paste causes the flock to
adhere to the solo, and thus covering it produces the desired "finish."
After applying the flock, as above described, the cement should bo
allowed to dry, and if desired a heated or cold smoothing iron may be 2
passed over the flocked surface to give it a more compact, even, and
smooth surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 11th September 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year 1
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special

page_text: licenco that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF FINISHING THE SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES,"
a communication to mo from abroad by L. R. Mears, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to bo performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, tho said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification :—
Heretofore in the manufacturo of boots and shoes the desired finish
has been given to the soles, heels, and shanks by scraping and buffing,
and in some cases they have been channelled to hide the stitching.
These operations give a neat finish to the sole and other parts, but add
greatly to the cost of manufacture, and the scraping and buffing injuro
or waste the enamel or grain side of the leather, thereby diminishing the
durability of the boots or shoes.
This Invention is designed to obviate the necessity for those processes,
and thereby economize time and labor, while preserving the enameled or

page_text: In carrying the said Invention into practice I take a boot or shoe
when sufficiently advanced to have its sole and heel finished and apply
to the portion to be finished a coating of glue, cement, paint, or paste,
by preference a waterproof cement, and throw therein the aforesaid
flock or pulverized material. The cement, glue, or paste causes the flock 5
to adhere to the sole, and thus covering it produces the desired "finish."
After applying the flock, as above described, the. cement should be
allowed to dry, and if desired a heated or cold smoothing iron may bò
passed over the flocked surface to give it a more 'compact, even, and
smooth surface.
The accompanying Drawing represents a child's boot, the sole of
which is finished according to this Invention.
Figure 1 is a side view of the said boot, with the sole in longitudinal
vertical section; Figure 2 is a plan of the treading surface of the same.
10
A is the sole of the said boot; B is the heel. The treading surface of 15
each of these parts is shown as covered with a'layor or surface of flock a,
as indicated by a heavy and thick black line in Figure 1.
-
Among many advantages secured by my Invention may be mentioned
the following, namely, it dispenses with channeling, scraping, and
buffing the boot or shoo sole as heretofore; it completely covers the 20
stitches or pegs as the case may be, the fino particles of the surfacing
material entering into all the interstices about the stitches and pegs; it
enables a better, more varied, and more attractive finish to be given to a
boot or shoe sole; and by the use of a properly colored flock it enables
the manufacturer to give to a solo made of hemlock tanned leather the 25
appearance of oak tanned leather; it is at least sixty per cent. cheaper
than the ordinary mode of finishing a boot or shoe sole; and is much
more permanent and durable than the ordinary finish, preventing the
sole from having so quickly as heretofore a shop worn appearance.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to 30
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I am aware that the soles of boots and
shoes have been covered with paper for the purpose of concealing the
stitches, pegging, and nailing, and therefore I do not claim the applica-
tion of paper to the purpose described; but I claim, a boot or shoe sole 38
having its outer or treading surface either entirely or partially covered

page_text: or coated with flock or disintegrated or pulverized material, as herein set
forth, and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have herc-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
HENRY J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W*. ROB³. LAKE.
(L.S.)