Improvements in Boots and Shoes and Laces therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1888
Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boots and Shoes and Laces therefor.
I, GEORGE TRACY STEVENS, of Auckland, New Zealand, Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formet, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My Invention relates to an improvement in boots and shoes and in laces for the
same; and has for its object to stiffen a laced boot or shoe at the top to sustain the
strain exerted thereon when the laces are drawn and also to provide a means whereby
the boot or shoe may be conveniently and readily expanded at the top for the insertion
of the foot, and expeditiously laced by simply drawing upon the projecting extremities
of the strings or laces.
My Invention further relates to an improvement in laces for boots or shoes,
especially ladies' shoes, requiring a number of eyelets, and which are at present only
laced at great inconvenience to the wearer.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which figure 1 is a perspective view of a laced boot particularly
adapted for men's wear partly in section. Figure 2 is an elevation of the front edge
of the upper, illustrating the application of the stay thereto. Figure 3 illustrates the
application of the lacing to a lady's boot. Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank from
which this particular lacing is cut; and figure 5 is a plan view of the finished
lacing.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
According to this invention, to the front opposing edges a of the upper A, a strip B
of metal, whale-bone, stiff rubber, or similar material, is inserted between the several
strips of leather or lining, as best shewn in figure 1, which stay is secured in any
suitable manner, and provided with apertures adapted to receive the eyelets b. The
purpose of this stay is to furnish a brace to enable the contiguous front edges of the
upper to be forced in opposite directions for the convenient admission of the foot and
to provide a rigid surface through which the laces may be drawn to effectually close
the upper over the foot at one operation. To accomplish this result, laces d d¹ and d² d³
are usually employed, two for each side being inserted in the eyelets of the shoe
essentially in the following manner; Supposing the shoe to have eight eyelets 6 upon
D
017

page_text: each side of the front opening of the upper, and an enlarged upper eyelet b¹ b²,
one end of the lacing d is passed from the outside downward through the opening 61
within the shoe, out through the lower eyelet of the side D, across the opening
through the similar eyelet in the side D¹, upward through the second eyelet
of the same side, from thence inward through the aligning eyelet in the side Di
and further up within the shoe out through the opening in the said side.
Thus, the two ends of the lacing d project out in parallel lines through the same
upper opening namely, that in the side D. A group of four eyelets is now skipped,
and the second lacing d¹ is passed through the aforesaid opening b₁ in the side D and
through the third group of eyelets in a similar manner to the first lacing d. This 1
having been accomplished, the ends of the laces d d¹ are united in any approved
manner, as best shewn in figure 1.
One end of the lacing on the opposite side is passed downward through the
opening in the side D¹ up through the third eyelet from the bottom, across the
front, down through the horizontal aligning eyelet. in the side D, vertically upward
and outward through the next upper eyelet in the said side D, and inward through
the horizontally aligning eyelet in the opposite side, thence out through the upper
opening 62. The lacing d³ is passed in a similar manner through the upper opening b²
and through the upper group of four eyelets in the: stiffening and the projecting ends
of the laces d2 and d³ are also united.
To enable the foot to be inserted or withdrawn, the stayed portions of the shoe are
grasped by the hands and the sides D D¹ separated. In doing this, the laces run
freely through the eyelets, permitting the movement to be accomplished with ease.
To close the upper over the foot, the opposite projecting ends of the laces are pulled
upward and preferably outward thus bringing the opposing edges of the upper
together by reason of the stiffening in the upper portion of the shoe which permits
direct and even tension-to-be exerted upon all the laces. The ends of the laces may
now be tied or secured upon a-cleat, or fastened in any approved manner.
In the lacing of ladies" boots a slightly modified form of lacing is preferred; 'and 'to
this end a diamond-shaped blank E (figure 4) is cut from a sheet of leather or other
suitable material the distance from the centre angle being equal to the combined
space.intervening one half the number of eyelets in the upper of the shoe in connection
with which the lace is to be used. If for instance, the boot contains thirty-two eyelets,
as illustrated, a series of longitudinal parallel cuts e are made, as best shewn in
figure 4, to produce one main lace e¹ and seven branch portion e² projecting. from the
said body strand, as best "illustrated in figure 5, the extremities of the several
branches being cut to produce a series of square stepped ends, as illustrated at e³.. -In
the application of the laces, the boot or shoe is provided at the top of the upper upon
each side of the front opening with an inserted vertical rigid stay B, similarly to that
described with reference to figure 1. The upper end of the main lace el of each
lacing is passed out through one of the large openings 662 in the upper, the branches
being, thus within the shoe. The lower extremity of the main portion of the right
hand lace, is passed upward through the lower eyelet upon the side. D..and down
through the opposite eyelet in the side D¹. "The next or branch portion ², is passed
in like manner through the next horizontally aligning eyelet and the ends of the said
branch and main portion are united within the boot or shoe, in any suitable.or
approved manner, as best shewn in figure 3. A group of four eyelets is. now.skipped
and the next two branches are passed in similar manner to the two aforesaid, through
the third group of four eyelets and their ends fastened, and so on till all the branches
have been employed. and each 'alternate group. of four eyelets provided for. The
several portions of.the.lacing in the side D' are now passed upward through the
eyelets in the said side D, and united within the shoe in groups of two, until all the
remaining eyelets are threaded, whereupon the several portions of the two laces will
have assumed the position illustrated in figure.3.
'
It will be readily understood that when the sides of the boot upper are forced
outward in opposite directions, the upper ends of the laces will run down, permitting a
large opening to be readily produced without the laces leaving the eyelets, whereby

page_text: the boot may be readily put on or taken off with but little exertion. After the foot is
inserted in the boot, as heretofore stated in connection with boots for men's wear it is
only necessary to pull upon the sides and the uppers are immediately and conveniently
brought together.
I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to any number
of branches in the manufacture of these laces nor to any particular material, as for
instance the laces may be woven from silk cotton, hemp, or the like material, if found
desirable. And, in connection with men's boots I do not confine myself to four laces,
as shewn, as any desired number may be employed without departing from the spirit
of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
1. The combination with a laced boot or shoe, of rigid stays secured to the top
portion of the upper at opposite sides of the front opening therein, substantially
as shewn and described.
2. The combination with an eyeletted boot or shoe and rigid stays secured at the
top of the upper upon opposite sides of the front opening, of laces passing through
the eyelets of the said shoe and through said stays, substantially as shewn and
described.
t
3. The combination with an eyeletted boot or shoe and rigid stays secured at the
top of the upper, upon opposite sides of the front opening, of independent laces
projected outward through the upper horizontally aligning eyelets, cach of said laces
passing through separate groups of the remaining eyelets, substantially as shewn and
described.
4. The combination with an eyeletted boot or shoe and rigid stays secured at the
top of the upper upon opposite sides of the front opening, of independent laces passing
through alternate groups of eyelets and projected outward through the horizontally
aligning top eyelets, each set of laces having their ends united, substantially as shewn
and described.
5. A blank for boot or shoe laces, consisting of an essentially diamond shaped
material cut substantially as shewn and described.
6. A boot or shoe lacing, consisting of a main or body portion and branches radiating
from the said body portion, substantially as shewn and described.
7. A shoe lacing, consisting of a body portion and branches radiating from one side
of said body portion, substantially as shewn and described.
8. A shoe lacing, consisting of a body portion and branches, radiating from one
side of the body portion and having stepped ends, substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this 18th day of June 1888