IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES." -A communication from abroad
by Daniel Edwin Hayward, of Melrose, in the County of Middlesex, and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th February 1863, and dated the 21st October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st October 1862.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF. BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
Vulcanized india-rubber soles have been cemented to inner soles of the
same material which have been previously secured to leather uppers and inner
soles by nails or rivets. In this case, however, the two soles were liable
to be torn asunder by rough usage. This difficulty is avoided by the present
Invention, the object of which is to make a cheap and durable boot or shoe
with a leather upper and a vulcanized rubber sole in which the sole will not
be liable to be torn from the upper leather and inner sole, and the Invention
consists in a new and improved method of preparing the rubber sole and of
attaching it to the boot, which will now be more particularly described.
The rubber sole is formed to the requisite shape in a mould which can be

page_text: separated into two parts. The requisite quantity of india-rubber compound is
put into one part of the mould; the follower or other part of the mould has a
series of holes formed around its outer edge of the proper size to receive the
stems or pins of rivets; these holes are at the required distance from each
other, and from the edge of the mould a sheet of stout cloth or canvas of the
form of the sole is laid upon the follower and the rivets are pushed through
it, one into each hole; the follower is now placed on the plastic rubber with
which the other part of the mould has been filled, and the two parts of the mould
are secured together, guide pins on the follower entering corresponding holes
in the other half of the mould. The rubber sole is now vulcanized in contact
with the canvas, which is thus caused to adhere firmly to the rubber sole, the
heads of the nails being slightly embedded in the rubber, so that there is no
danger of cloth and rubber being torn apart, whilst the large flat head of the
rivet cannot, by any force to which the sole is liable to be subjected, be pulled
through the canvas. The sole thus produced is ready to be applied to the
boot, which is done in a most expeditious manner, as follows:-The upper
leather, together with the inner sole, is lasted upon a steel-plated last, and the
sole, made in the manner above described with rivets projecting from it, being
put in place, is so driven down by a hammer as to cause the rivets to pass
through the upper leather and inner sole and clench upon the metal plate of
the last, by which means the sole is secured to the boot in the most perfect
and durable manner. If preferred, the shank part may be nailed through its
edge from the outside. In some cases the canvas may be dispensed with, the
nails or rivets being inserted in the holes of the follower of the mould, the
heads of the nails projecting a short distance above its surface; the two parts
of the mould are now put together as before, by which the heads of the nails
are pressed into the plastic rubber. The sole is now vulcanized and the heads
of the nails remain embedded in the rubber, their points projecting from its
inner surface, as in the previously described case. It is, however, considered
preferable to employ the canvas, particularly for light soles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 21st April 1868..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE -
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of 3.
Surrey, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord 1862, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield, Her special license, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bous-
field, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND
SHOES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Daniel Edwin Hayward,
of Melrose, in the County of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 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 I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 is a view of a leather boot with a vulcanized rubber sole attached
thereto by the improved method; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the
sole ready to be attached to the boot; Fig. 3, a view of an ordinary plain vul-
canized sole such as has heretofore been attached to boots and shoes by means
of cement; Fig. 4, a cross section upon the sole of the boot, Fig. 1, showing
the manner in which the nails pass through the leather, and are clenched down
on to it; Fig. 5, a view of the lower half of the vulcanizing mould; Fig. 6,
a view of the top half. Vulcanized india-rubber soles, such as is represented
in Fig. 3, have been cemented to inner soles of the same material which have
been previously secured to leather uppers and inner soles by nails or rivets. In
this case, however, the two soles were liable to be torn asunder by rough usage.
This difficulty is avoided by the present Invention, the object of which is
to make a cheap and durable boot or shoe with a leather upper and a

page_text: vulcanized rubber sole, in which the sole will not be liable to be torn from
the upper leather and inner sole; and the Invention consists in a new and
improved method of preparing the rubber sole, and of attaching it to the boot,
which will now be more particularly described.
In the said Drawings A is the upper leather of a boot having a sole of
vulcanized india-rubber. This sole is formed in the mould, Figs. 5 and 6,
and has a row of large headed tacks or rivets (a) secured to the upper side
of it and around its outer edge in the following manner :-The requisite
quantity of india-rubber compound is put into the mould D, Fig. 5. The
top or follower (C, Fig. 6,) of the mould has a series of holes 6 around its
outer edge of the proper size to receive the rivets (a), and at the required
distance from each other and from the edge a sheet of stout cloth or canvas
(c), of the form of the sole, is laid upon the follower C, and the rivets a are
pushed through it, one into each hole 6, the follower C is now placed on the
plastic rubber with which the mould D has been filled, and the two parts of the
mould are secured together, the guide pins f on the follower C entering cor-
responding holes g in the other half of the mould. The rubber sole B is now
vulcanized in contact with the canvas c, which is thus caused to adhere
firmly to the rubber sole, the heads of the nails being slightly embedded in the
rubber, so that there is no danger of cloth and rubber being torn apart, whilst
the large flat head of the rivet cannot by any force to which the sole is liable
to be subjected be pulled through the canvas c.
The sole thus produced
(Fig. 2) is ready to be applied to the boot, which is done in a most expedi-
tious manner, as follows:-The upper leather A, together with the inner sole i,
(Fig. 4,) is lasted upon a steel-plated last, and the sole B being put in place,
is so driven down by a hammer as to cause the rivets to pass through the
upper leather and inner sole, and clench upon the metal plate of the last, as
shown in Fig. 4, by which means the sole is secured to the boot in the most per-
fect and durable manner. If preferred the shank part may be nailed through
its edge from the outside as shown at h, Fig. 1. In some cases the canvas c
may be dispensed with, the nails or rivets a being inserted in the holes b of
the follower C, the heads of the nails projecting a short distance above the
surface of the follower; the two parts of the mould are now put together as
before, by which the heads of the nails are pressed into the plastic rubber.
The sole is now vulcanized, and the heads of the nails remain embedded in
the rubber, their points projecting from its inner surface, as in the previously
described case. It is however considered preferable to employ the canvas,
particularly for light soles.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention, and explained the

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above recited Letters Patent I claim, a boot or shoe having a sole
of indian-rubber secured thereto by means of nails or rivets embedded in the
vulcanized rubber, as described.
I also claim a sole of india-rubber vulcanized around the heads of the
nails by which it is to be secured to the upper leather and inner sole, as
described.
I also claim the canvas or cloth c in combination with the above sole of
india-rubber, the nails being passed through the canvas, and the canvas
secured to the rubber substantially as described.
I also claim the mould in which the sole is vulcanized having cavities or
holes for the reception of the nails, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
three.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)