IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UNITING OR SEAMING ARTICLES OF LEATHER, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Middleton, of No. , Little New Street,
Fetter Lane, in the City of London, Cordwainer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UNITING OR SEAMING ARTICLES OF LEATHER, AND IN THE
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
+
91
:
Sealed the 20th August 1858. and dated the 25th February 185.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Middleton at the
Offices of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th February 1858.
.I
1, SAMUEL MIDDLETON, of No. 5, Little New Street, Fetter Lane, in the
City of London, Cordwainer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UNITING OR SEAMING ARTICLES OF LEATHER, AND IN
THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH" to be as follows:-
My improvement consists in uniting or seaming articles of leather in an
improved manner, without threads and stitches. In some cases, and especially
where the extremities or edges of leather are required to be joined together
for any article in use, edge to edge, I effect the same by passing metal wire in
an oblique direction through the flat texture of the leather (which is worked
in a damp state, by soaking the leather in thin glue, paste, or otherwise), from
the centre of one edge, and thence through the piece of leather to the centre
[Price 8d.1

page_text: of the other edge, and so continuing the same wire through the leather in like
manner at short intervals in the shape of a spiral coil till the end is reached,
and then tightening the wire by pulling and by pressure of the leather in any
die or shape, or by a mandril, till the edges are closely drawn together, and by
this means, when the leather has become dry, the seam or join will be very
little perceptible. This will be found. very useful, and an improvement on any
mode hithert adopted for the purpose of bayonet sheaths, sword scabbards,
whip handles, whip sockets,leather rollers for spinning machinery and a variety
of other articles of a like nature where it is desirable to avoid seams bythreads
and stitches, and to impart additional strength and stiffness to the article to bo
manufactured. I employ a machine for perforating the holes through the
texture of the leather for the wire to pass through, which performs this office
with considerable facility, and makes the operation of threading the wire easy
and expeditious. I prefer malleable brass wire for the purpose described, of
a size varying according to the thickness of the leather and the degree of
stiffness required in the article to be made.
In other cases, where this process is not applicable, and where the ends of
the leather. are to be united with one edge overlapping the other, as in the
upper leathers and the soles of boots and shoes, I unite such pieces of leather
by means of short metal pegs of a rough or jagged surface, which I pass
partially through the two inner parts or sides of the leather required to be
joined, and then by hammering or pressure forcing the points of the pegs
together, and forming heads at either end, and thereby and by the jagged
surfaces, uniting the pieces of leather together in an effectual manner, without
any outward appearance of stitches or seams, or any outward perforation of
the leather. I employ a machine for effecting this object in the case of boots
and shoes during the process of lasting, by which means I am able to effect
the object expeditiously and effectively.
I apply this process of pegs to the uniting of the uppers to the soles of boots
and shoes, which I consider to be an improvement, but I do not confine it to
them, or only to cases where the edges of the leather to be united overlap
each other, as it is applicable also in other ways, and in some cases to where
the leather is required to be united edge to edge, as first described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Samuel Middleton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
MIDDLETON, of No. 10, Printer Street, Water Lane, Blackfriars, in theCity
of London, Cordwainer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel Middleton, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Middleton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Samuel Middleton, my 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
UNITING OR SEAMING ARTICLES OF LEATHER AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," upon the conditions (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Middleton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrumentin 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 Samuel Middleton, do hereby declare
the nature of iny said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
In some cases, and especially wherel ather is required to be joined together
for any article in use,edge to edge, I effect the same by passing metal wire in
an oblique direction through the centre of the edges of the pieces of leather to
be joined (which is worked in a damp state by immersing or soaking the same
in thin glue,paste, or otherwise), and passing the wire completely through the
flat texture of the pieces of leather to be united in the shape of a spiral coil
till the margin or end of the pieces of leather is reached, and then tightening
the wire by pulling as in lacing," and by pressure of the leather in any die or

page_text: shape, or by a mandril till the edges are closely drawn together, and fastening
the ends in any convenient manner. By this means, when the leather has
become dry, the seams or joins will be very little perceptible. This will be
found very useful and an improvement on any mode hitherto adopted for
bayonet sheaths, sword scabbards, whip handles, whip sockets, leather rollers
for spinning machinery, and a variety of other articles of a like nature where
it is desirable to avoid seams by threads and stitches, and to impart additional
strength and stiffness to the article to be manufactured, while "ripping" is
entirely prevented.
The perforation of the holes through the texture or edges of the leather for
the wire to pass through may be performed by machinery, which will effect
this office with considerable facility, and make the operation of threading.
the wire easy and expeditious, but I do not now claim any particular
machinery for the purpose. I prefer malleable brass wire for the purpose
described, of a size varying according to the thickness of the leather, and
the degree of stiffness required in the article to be made.
In other cases where this process is not applicable, and where the ends of
the leather are to be united with one edge overlapping the other as in the
upper leathers and the soles of boots and shoes, I unite such pieces of leather
by means of short metal pegs of a length varying from a quarter of an inch to
half an inch (according to the quality of the boot or shoe to be made), and
which I prefer to be of a triangular or square shape, and pointed at either end,
and on the edges of which I make jags or barbs somewhat of the fish hook
kind. These pegs are passed at suitable distances through the two inner parts
or sides of the leather required to be joined, and then hammered or pressed till
the surfaces of the leather are closely brought together. The pegs may be
either passed partially through the leather, or wholly through it, in which
latter case the points of the pegs, by pressure, may be made to form heads at
either end. By these means I find that the substance of the leather (which
is worked in a wet state), fills up the spaces caused by the barbs of the pegs,
and when the leather gets dry it contracts so as to become still furthertightened
round the pegs, and the two parts are knit and held together in a very firm
manner,making it most difficult for them to separate or become loose. This pro-
cess is extremely well adapted for uniting the soles to boots and shoes, because
in addition to the firm manner in which I thus unite them, I am enabled to
dispense with the necessity of the narrow welt now used, and employ one
entire piece of leather across the sole as the inner sole, and the boot or shoc
can thus be made of much stouter-and more solid substance, and thus far more

page_text: durable, in every way preserving the shape better, and is a little affected by
weather in its use, while there need be no outward perforation of the leather.
I have found it conveniently practicable to insert these pegs, and to put
on the soles of boots and shoes by machinery, and by these means it can be
effected in a very short time.
I take the upper leather of a boot or shoe prepared ready for use, and proceed
to apply it to the ordinary last of the required size, but faced on the sole part
with metal of about seven-eighths of an inch wide, merely tacking the upper
leather at the heel, and at the toe to keep it in its place, as in the ordinary way
of making a boot or shoe. I then place the last and leather into the mould
marked "A," which is made of iron and cast in two parts with a hollow in
each part (which I can line with a thin liuing of gutta percha, leather, or
other material); and these parts when closed will fit the last as nearly as may
be and hold it quite firmly, with the sole part of it exposed as in section "B."
I then use the clams made of gun metal of about the thickness of one-eighth
of an inch marked "C" in the Drawings, which are formed so as when
closed to exactly fit the shape of the sole of the last, and which traverse on a
screw at the top or toe part of the mould. When the upper leather and
the last are disposed of in the die, as before described, the inner sole, formed
of a single piece of leather of the shape of the sole of the foot, is placed on the
sole of the last, and the clams being fixed their ends at the heel part are drawn
together till they meet, and are then fastened with a screw "D;" and by this
operation the edges of the upper leather are regularly pressed so as when the
clams meet at the heel they are stretched flat over the bottom of the inner
sole in the required position.
Two rows of holes are drilled through the clams at intervals of from one
quarter to half an inch apart throughout, one running parallel to the other
near the outer edge of the sole of the boot or shoe as at E. These holes are
suited to receive through them the pegs when duly applied, and are counter-
sunk so as to be somewhat larger on the outer than the "inner. part.
:
The pegs are applied to the upper leathers by means of the metal peg die
described in the Drawings, Plate 2, marked with the letter "F." This die
which is the exact shape of the sole of the foot, corresponding and fitting to
the last, is adapted to receiving and holding in it the pegs in certain holes or
dies made to correspond in position exactly with the like holes existing in the
clams already described, but designed to hold lightly just one half of each
peg, leaving the other half ready to enter the upper leather and inner soles -
through the holes in the clams before described.

page_text: The peg die is designed so as to enable a boy to charge it with the pegs
for use without difficulty, so that he can slip each peg into the holes ready to
receive them, and that each shall be held in its place by means of small spiral
springs marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, with just sufficient force to keep them steady.
The frame is therefore designed in three segments, of which the inner edges
or sides when closely brought together will exactly correspond with an
imaginary line drawn through the row of holes in. the clams. Of these
segments, the inner one is. in one piece and a fixture; the surface being of
the shape of a section of the foot; the second part is composed of; gun metal
or steel, and is in four parts about half an inch wide, but following the same
shape throughout and divided at the toe and heel, and fitting closely to the
first part; the outer part, which also forms the frame, follows the same shape
on its inner line, but is divided into four parts so as to extend in all directions,
but suited to fit closely to the second part.. On all the inner edges of these"
segments holes are sunk in two rows, of a size and shape which when closed
will precisely hold one-half of the several pegs, and so disposed as to corre
spond with and fit exactly to the holes countersunk in the clams. The
metal immediately round those holes is a little raised. like a small cone or
nipple, so as to fit closely into the holes in the clams.
.
To enable the process of fitting the pegs into these holes to be conveniently.
done, the outer sides of the middle and inner segments are fitted with the
spiral springs before described, so that when the parts are near together but
not tightened up, there should be an elastic motion imparted to the middle
segment; by this,means, when the pegs are put hafway into the holes ready
to receive them there will be a sufficient pressure éxercised to hold the pegs
together until the whole are in their places. When this has been accomplished
the screw X," (worked with a small-rimmed round-edged wheel,) is put in
motion; this screw passes through the under part of the whole of the
segments of the frame, and is made of right and left threads, so that by one
motion the whole of the parts of the several segments are either separated or
drawn together. When the pegs are all in their places and screwed up tightly
by this screw with the upper halves projecting upwards, the die is placed on
the bed of an ordinary fly-press; the mould before described, with the last in
it and the clam duly arranged, are then fixed in the upper part of the press
duly fitted to receive it with the sole of the boot or shoe downwards, and its
position must be so regulated as to be exactly above the peg die beneath.
When the pressure of the fly-screw of the press is exerted the last mould
will come down with the requisite force; and the holes in the clams will meet

page_text: the projecting pegs in the peg die beneath, and the pegs will go through the
holes and enter the upper leather and the inner sole to the extent of one half;
the screw of the peg die is then unfastened and the several segments of the
die become loose, and the pegs leave the die and remain in the leather of the
boot or shoe with one half projecting outwards; the clams are then taken off
altogether. I then take out the boot or shoe and let it stand until the leather
becomes dry and the pegs firmly held in.
In the arrangements for soling the boot or shoe I can, if I think proper,
employ a piece of machinery which cuts out the outer sole at the same time
that the sole is being attached to the upper leathers.
For this purpose I
employ a steel cutter, which fits on to the bottom of the last mould in the
same way as that before described, but it is formed so as to present on
the outer side sharp edges of the exact shape of the sole of the foot; the
Figure marked G in the Drawings describes such instrument.
The soling is done in this manner :-The last mould with the boot or shoe
in it, with the pegs in the uppers as before described, and with or without the
clam for cutting off, is again placed in the upper part of the fly-press; on
the bottom bed of the press and exactly underneath the last mould, the leather
for the other sole is placed in its usual damp state for working, and if the
cutting process is used there is a die marked "H," with sharp edges to fit
into the cutter before referred to, placed underneath the leather, but with its
edges of & shape to correspond with the cutters above, but a trifle smaller, so
that when the cutting clam comes down it should just overlap the die, and
thus allow the cutting of the leather being effectually done; when these
preparations have been made the fly-screw is again put in motion, and the
last mould comes down again with the pegs projecting, which are forced into
the outer sole firmly and closely, the sole at the same is cut to the proper
shape by the cutter and bottom die, and the construction is so far completed.
I then proceed to put on the heels, which may be done by hand with the use
of
pegs
of a somewhat larger size, or the same machinery can easily effect
it if preferred.
I find this kind of machinery well suited to expedite the manufacture of
boots and shoes, but the use of the pegs can be effected very well by hand.
I employ a short steel punch, in the end of which I insert the peg into a hole
of the size and shape to hold lightly just one half of the peg; I am then able
by a hammer to drive the peg easily into its assigned place in the upper
leather al first sole, while the outer sole can be put on by hammering it on
the other end of the pegs till it is firmly on.

page_text: T'do not confine the use of these jagged or barbed pegs only to boots and
shoes, or only to the case of the two surfaces of leather being required to
be joined together; they may be used also for other purposes, and in some
cases for uniting leather edge to edge; 'what I claim, therefore, is the method
before referred to of uniting pieces of leather by means of metal wire passed
through the flat substance of the leather in an oblique or spiral coil and then
tightened as much as needed.
Also the method of uniting pieces of leather by means of metal pegs with
indented or jagged or barbed surfaces, as described.
And, lastly, the apparatus above described for applying the pegs to the
iiianufacture of boots and shoes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Middleton, have hereunto set and
subscribed my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of Angust, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
SAMUEL MIDDLETON. (L.S.)