IMPROVE- MENTS IN AND RELATING TO WATERPROOF AND VENTILATING SOLES OR SOCKS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN LINEHAM HODGKINS, of Brookside, Barnes, in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO WATERPROOF AND VENTILATING SOLES OR SOCKS
FOR BOOTS AND SHOES" to be as follows:
My invention relates to waterproof and ventilating soles or socks for boots and
shoes. Its chief object is to provide means for ventilating the interior of boots or
shoes while being worn, in order to prevent the feet of the wearer from becoming
moist with perspiration. But in some cases the said soles or socks are so made that
they will render the boots or shoes waterproof.
My improved sole or sock consists essentially of a series of india-rubber tubes
attached to a piece of leather, india-rubber or other suitable material, which is, if
desired, rendered waterproof by means of india-rubber or other solution, and which
is in some cases perforated.
In
The said sole or sock is designed either to be inserted in the boot or shoe, or to
be introduced between the soles of a boot or shoe in the manufacture thereof.
the latter case I arrange an india-rubber tube in such a manner that it will extend
from the underside of the said sole or sock through the inner sole of the boot or
shoe and upwards between the lining and the upper leather, or through a separate
case or covering as far as the top of the upper. This tube may be placed at the
waist or other suitable part of the boot or shoe.
The said india-rubber tubes are, in some cases, perforated.
When my improved sole or sock is in use in a boot or shoe the pressure of the
foot compresses the said tubes and expels the air therefrom, and when the foot is
raised the tubes expand and draw in a fresh supply of air, they therefore act as
pumps and constantly ventilate the boot or shoe.
The said soles or socks present the following advantages, viz:-They are very
light and can be easily put in and' taken out of the boot or shoe. They can be
folded or rolled so as to occupy a very small space. They are invaluable to persons
whose feet perspire freely, as the moisture is removed without giving a chill to the
feet. They can if desired be so made as to afford warmth to the feet. They are
very soft to the sole of the foot and afford a spring or elasticity in walking. And
moreover they obviate the necessity for using the ordinary cork soles.
Dated this 20th dox of Santamben 100A

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN LINEHAM HODGKINS, of Brookside, Barnes, in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO WATERPROOF AND VENTILATING SOLES OR SOCKS
FOR BOOTS AND SHOES "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 waterproof and ventilating soles or socks for boots and
shoes, and comprises the improvements hereinafter described. The chief object of
my said invention is to provide means for ventilating the interior of boots or shoes
while being worn, in order to prevent the feet of the wearer from becoming moist
with perspiration. But, in some cases, the said soles or socks are so made that
they will render the boots or shoes waterproof.
My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is an inverted plan of a ventilating sole or sock made in accordance
with my invention.
Figure 2 is an inverted plan shewing a boot or shoe without the outer sole and
provided with one of my improved soles or socks as hereinafter described.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line a, x, Figure 2.
The sole or sock shewn in Figure 1 is designed to be inserted in a boot or shoe
like an ordinary cork sole or sock. It consists of india-rubber or other elastic
tubes a attached to a piece b of leather, india-rubber, or other suitable material.
The tubes a are provided with perforations a¹; the leather is also perforated, as
at b¹. It is not, however, necessary to perforate the tubes a. The said tubes are
caused to adhere to the leather by means of india-rubber or other solution, or they
are otherwise secured thereto. This sole or sock is to be inserted in the boot or
shoe in such a position that the leather will be next the foot of the wearer and the
tubes will rest upon the inner sole of the boot or shoe.
When a boot or shoe provided with my improved sole or sock is in use, the
downward pressure of the wearer's foot compresses the elastic tubes and expels the
air therefrom. When the wearer raises his foot, pressure is no longer exerted upon
the tubes; the said tubes, therefore, expand and draw in a fresh supply of air.
They thus act to constantly ventilate the boot or shoe.
The tubes a are arranged upon the leather either as shewn in the drawing, or in
any other suitable manner for the purpose of my invention.
My improved soles or socks afford the following advantages, viz:—they are very
light; they can be easily put into, and taken out of, the boot or shoe, and can be
folded or rolled so as to occupy a very small space; they are invaluable to persons
whose feet perspire freely, as the moisture is removed without giving a chill to the
feet; they can, if desired, be so made as to afford warmth to the feet; they present
a soft surface to the sole of the foot, and, being elastic, they greatly facilitate the
action of the foot in walking and thus increase the comfort of the wearer; more-
over, they obviate the necessity for using the ordinary cork soles or socks,

page_text: I sometimes introduce my improved sole or sock between the soles of a boot or
shoe in the manufacture thereof, in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, in
which c is the inner sole, d the upper, and s the welt. In this case I perforate the
inner sole cas at c¹, and proceed in the usual manner with the manufacture of the
boot or shoe until the welt e is secured to the inner sole and upper d, and the
boot or shoe is ready for the outer sole to be put on. I then place my improved
sole or sock next the inner sole, inside the welt, with the tubes a in contact with
the inner sole. The outer sole is then put on in the usual manner.
The improved
sole or sock employed may be either perforated or unperforated.
If it is desired to render the boot or shoe waterproof, I employ a sole or sock the
leather portion of which is unperforated, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and I apply
to the said sole or sock, to the welt, and to the inner side of the outer sole, before
the latter is put on, a coating of india-rubber or other solution.
When my improved sole or sock is thus arranged in a boot or shoe, it takes the
place of the pieces of leather which are usually inserted between the inner and
outer soles to fill the space inside the welt. It, therefore, obviates the creaking due
to the rubbing of these pieces of leather against each other and against the inner
and outer soles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my anid
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. A sole or sock consisting of elastic tubes attached to a perforated or
unperforated piece of leather, india-rubber, or other material, substantially as, and
for the purposes, set forth.
Second. A boot or shoe provided with a perforated inner sole and having a sole
or sock formed as above described arranged between the same and the outer sole,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.