IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Goodyear, of Avenue. Road, Saint
John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
Desma
Sealed the 28th December 1853, and dated the 25th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Goodyear at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th October 1853.
I, CHARLES GOODYEAR, of Avenue Road, Saint John's Wood, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES" to be
as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obtain better ventilation to the
interior of a boot or shoe, and consequently to the foot, by the act of
walking. In the Specification to a previous Patent taken in my
behalf an Invention was described for making the insole of a boot or
shoe with numerous perforations combined with flexible apparatus at
the heels, by which a constant change of air was obtained. My present
Invention has for its object improvements on that former Invention,
and they consist of applying to the tread of the outsole, as well as to the

page_text: heel, valves and air passages, together with flexible and elastic parts,
which expand when the foot is lifted, and are pressed on when the foot
is down, by which the ventilation of the foot is more fully and readily
accomplished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditious of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Goodyear in the Great Seal.Patent Office
on the 25th April 1854:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES GOODYEAR, of Avenue Road, Saint John's Wood, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Goodyear, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Goodyear, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Goodyear, my execu-
tors, 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," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Goodyear, 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 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 Charles Goodyear, 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 (that is to say):

page_text: In the Specification of a Patent granted to Moses Poole on my
behalf, dated Fifteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two, for an Invention made by me and communicated to him,
amongst other things were described means of ventilating the soles of
boots, shoes, and other articles, and also the introduction of a flexible
Now my
elastic tread to the centre of the heels of such articles.
present Invention consists of improvements in such former Invention,
and in these improvements there are used elastic and flexible treads in
the fore parts of the soles of boots and shoes; self-acting valves are
also applied to prevent the air under the foot passing, except in the
directions desired. The flexible and elastic parts introduced into the
heels and fore parts of the boots or shoes act to propel the air, and at
the same time such parts offer elastic treads to the boots and shoes,
and cause the soles and heels thereof to wear longer than when simply
made of leather or suitable hard substance or material all over.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows an under side view of the sole of a boot or shoe
before the outsole and heel are applied. Figure 2, shows a longitu-
Figure 3, shows
dinal section of the same, with the outsole applied.
the arrangement of the tubular self-acting valve, which is applied to
control the direction of the air. Figure 4, shows under side views and
sections of the elastic and flexible portions introduced into the sole and
heel. Figure 5, shows the under side view of the sole of a boot or shoe
with the outsole complete. Figure 6, shows an inside view of the out-
5 sole, by which it will be seen how the outsole is prevented spreading,
which it would be liable to do by reason of so large a proportion of the
tread being removed to receive the flexible and elastic tread.
piece of leather or
preventing of the spreading is by sewing or fixing
strong material over the opening made through the outsole. Figure 7,
0 is a side view of a boot complete. The form of the "upper," whether
for a boot or a shoe, may be varied in shape and material from what is
shewn, and in itself the making of the "upper" forms no part of my
Invention. In the several Figures of the Drawing the same letters
upper b, is the insole, which
indicate similar parts. a, a, is the "
a
The

page_text: The end of
as in the former Patent before mentioned, is perforated with numerous
holes. The manner of applying the insole to the upper may be varied
according to the nature of boot or shoe intended to be made, and
according to the practice of making which it is preferred to follow, all
which are well known and form no part of my Invention. c, is the
heel, having a central elastic tread l, which I prefer to be of vulcanized
india-rubber. The heel is hollow, and has a tubular valve e, leading
from the fore part of the sole into the hollow of the heel,
the tube c, which comes into the hollow heel is made flat, so that the
surfaces thereof come together, and so remain unless air is forced
through from the fore part of the sole, as hereafter explained. The
tube e, has within a wire spring to keep it open, except at the end
where it enters the heel. In making these tubes the end which enters
the heel is flattened, as shown, so that the inner surfaces thereof press
or close on each other, and it is well known that if the parts be so held
during the process of vulcanizing they will at all times have a tendency
to remain (by their elasticity) closed. f, is another tube valve of a
similar kind to that before described, the upper end of which is closed,
as above explained, and is carried up to any desired height above the
heel; hence any air which may come into the hollow of the heel will be
driven out through the valve tube f, and air from the outer atmosphere
will be prevented entering into the heel by reason of the upper end of
the valve f closing by its own elasticity. In making the elastic and
flexible parts d, g, for the tread both of the sole and heel, they are made
of india-rubber vulcanized, the edges or margins being strengthened
with fabric before vulcanizing, as is well understood in making articles
of vulcanized india-rubber which are to be fastened by sewing or
otherwise at their edges or margins. g, is the elastic and flexible
tread for the sole h; ' are the pieces of perforated leather or other
sufficiently strong material fixed on the inside of the sole and the heel
in order to prevent the spreading of those parts which they would be:
otherwise liable to do by reason of the central portions of the outsole
and of the heel being removed; h, is the outsole of leather, wood,
gutta percha, or other suitable material or materials. The parts g, h,
and c, d, g, may be combined by sewing, and this I believe is the best

page_text: 5
manner of combining these parts when the sole and heel are made of
eather, as is indicated by the Drawing; and cementing the parts
together is, I believe, the best means of combining the parts when of
india-rubber, as shewn at Figure 8. It should, however, be stated that
other materials than those described may be used, and other modes
of fastening the parts together may be resorted to, than those herein
mentioned, and I would state that neither the materials nor the manner
of fastening them together are of my Invention. The outsole also may
be fixed by means of sewing or otherwise. It will be evident, on inspect-
ing the Drawing, aided by the description above given, that in the act
of walking with such a boot or shoe when the foot is off the ground
the parts d, g, will expand, and air from the interior of the boot or shoe
will pass through the insole, and from between the insole into the
hollow of the heel, and when the foot is, brought to the ground the part
will force the air into the hollow of the heel, and by the heel coming
to the ground the part will be pressed inwards, and the air will be
The elastic treads of such boots and shoes
9
driven out from the heel.
will also be found not only agreeable to the tread, preventing as they do
all jars to the feet, but they will also be found to wear less than when
the sole is all of hard leather or material.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, the manufacture of boots and shoes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Goodyear, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the
woor of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
CHAS GOODYEAR. (L.S.)