IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES."-A communication from
abroad by Edwin Thomas, of. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition,
on the 20th October 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication
to me from abroad by Edwin Thomas, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so grooving the inner sole of a boot or
shoe that it will form an elastic and yielding bearing for the foot, also
in forming such grooves in the counter or heel piece that they will
communicate with those of the inner sole and thus ensure a thorough

page_text: ventilation. In order to prevent the access of dirt and dust into the
grooves the surface of the inner sole is covered with a porous fabric,
and the grooves are made of a dovetailed or equivalent form in order
that the intervening ribs may not incommode the wearer. Gum
elastic or other equivalent material is in some cases interposed between
the two soles so as to insure a dry interior, which is at the same time
ventilated by the grooves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Jolinson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication from abroad
by Edwin Thomas, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my
by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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 accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The said Invention consists in so grooving the inner sole of a boot
or shoe that it will form an elastac and yielding bearing for the foot, also
in so forming such grooves in the counter or heel piece that they will
communicate with those of the inner sole, and thus insure a thorough
ventilation as herein-after more fully described. In order to prevent
the access of dirt and dust into the grooves the surface of the inner
sole is covered with a porous fabric, and the grooves are made of a
dovetailed or equivalent form in order that the intervening ribs may
not incommode the wearer. Gum elastic or other equivalent material
is in some cases interposed between the two soles so as to insure a
dry interior, which is at the same time ventilated by the grooves.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for
that purpose shall refer to the several Figures in the annexed Sheet
of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a perspective view of a shoe
with a portion of the upper leather cut away to illustrate the said
Invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inner sole with the
outline of a foot above the same; Figure 3, a sectional plan on the
dotted line shewn in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of the inner
sole differing slightly from that shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a
perspective view of a portion of the inner and outer sole drawn to
an enlarged scale; Figure 6, a perspective view of an instrument for
cutting the dovetailed grooves in the inner sole; and Figures 7 and 8
represent modified forms of grooves for the inner sole.
In making the shoe an appropriate piece of leather is selected and
cut to the desired shape for the inner sole A by an instrument such as
is illustrated in Figure 6, or by a number of such instruments placed at
suitable distances apart. A number of dovetailed grooves are formed in
the upper surface of this inner sole, the grooves extending in depth to
the extent of about one-third of the thickness of the leather. The usual

page_text: welt is then stitched to the edge of this prepared inner sole A and the
counter or heel piece B is secured in the ordinary manner, the upper
leather being subsequently stitched to the welt and liccl piece, the outer
sole and heel secured, and the shoe completed by the usual operations.
It will be observed that the counter or heel piece B has a number of
vertical dovetailed grooves both on the outer and inner side, and that it
is perforated with a number of small transverse holes.
In ordinary boots and shoes the rest for the foot consists of two
comparatively rigid pieces of leather secured together carefully this
foundation may be prepared it demands a length of time to accom-
modate itself to the undulating under surface of the wearer's foot, and
during this time more or less discomfort is experienced until the
foundation assumes a form approximating to that of the foot.
One of the main objects of this Invention is to form a foundation
which shall be yielding and self-accommodating to the foot in the outset,
and shall not put the wearer to the inconvenience of adapting the sole to
his foot by constant wear and more or less suffering. The grooves in
the upper surface of the inner sole necessarily render the latter pliable
and convert it from a comparatively rigid material to a cushion-like
foundation for the foot, and this important result is attained not only
without in any way detracting from the durability of the sole, but on the
contrary the inner sole instead of resisting the torsion and strains imparted
to the outer sole accommodates itself to the movements of the latter and
prevents the stitches from being subjected to excessive strains. The
instrument for cutting these dovetailed grooves, as illustrated in Figure 6,
consists of a curved stem F provided at the top with a suitable handle
and below with a hollow dovetailed projection, the edge y of which
presents triangular cutting edges, which when drawn over the leather
will cut a groove of corresponding form. The grooves may be cut
parallel with each other as shewn in Figure 3, or some of the grooves
may be straight and others slightly curved, as shown in Figure 4. In
order that the grooves may not become clogged with particles of dust
and dirt a porous fabric, part of which is shown at D, Figure 3, may be
placed on the grooved surface of the inner sole.
Another important feature of this Invention is the ventilation of the
shoe by means of the dovetailed grooves of the inner sole, which com-
municate with the vertical grooves a of the counter or heel piece B, air
gaining access to the latter from above and being caused by the move-

page_text: ment of the foot to freely traverse the several grooves of the inner sole.
The foot is thus maintained in an even temperature even though gum
clastic intervene between the two, soles, as shewn in Figure 5, where m
represents the gum clastic and. G the outer sole, the gum serving to
maintain the foot in a dry state whilst the grooves insure ventilation.
Grooves of a dovetail or equivalent form are to be preferred, for if
plain grooves of sufficient dimensions to ensure thorough ventilation were
employed the open spaces on the surface of the inner sole would be
inconveniently wide and the surface would be so ribbed as to incommode
the wearer. It will be apparent that grooves of the form shown in
Figure 7 and those shown in Figure 8 are equivalent to the dovetail
grooves.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. So grooving the inner sole of a boot or shoe that it will form
an clastic yielding or self-accommodating foundation to the foot.
Second. Forming such grooves in the heel piece, so that they will
communicate with those in the sole for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination with the grooved sole of a porous fabric, for
the purpose described.
Fourth. Making the grooves of a dovetailed or equivalent form, as
and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The combination with an ordinary outer sole and an inner
grooved sole of gum clastic or other equivalent water-resisting medium,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and scal, the Twentieth
day of April One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)