IMPROVEMENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOPS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Horace Holley Bigelow, of Worcester, in the State
of Massachusetts, United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOPS"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOPS
"
Scaled the 22nd November 1870, and dated the 21st September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Horace Holley Bigelow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on.
the 21st September 1870.
I, HORACE HOLLEY BIGELOw, of Worcester, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as
follows:-
The heel is made with layers or lifting of leather, and the first feature-
of my Invention relates to consolidating the blank heel by pressure upon
all sides in a suitably formed die, and while under pressure punching or
piercing holes into which nails are driven, the die being suitably perforated
for the piercing tools and nails to be inserted. In this manner a superior
heel is produced and small pieces of leather can be used and a cheaper

page_text: and better heel can be made from the small pieces of the best leather
that would otherwise be wasted.
The second feature of my Invention consists in the heel made of rings
or pieces laid together and leaving a central space that is filled with
ground leather, rubber, or other suitable adhesive material, and the whole
subjected to pressure and pierced or punched and the nails inserted in
the awl holes while under pressure. In this manner a saving is effected
because the piece that is cut out of the ring-shaped lift of one heel can
be used for a smaller heel, and sometimes three lifts can be obtained from
one layer of a large sized heel. The ring-shaped lifts may each be
composed of pieces or segments cut out of the proper shape and laid
together and secured to each other; this can easily be done when the
joints are not on line with each other. The top and bottom lifts should
be solid and the rand or bevelled strip around the heel coming next the
sole is to be introduced before the pressure is applied upon all sides of
the heel, and the nails inserted as aforesaid. While in the die or mould
and under a powerful pressure on all sides the nails are to be inserted,
but they should not pass entirely through, and should project from the
bottom of the heel in order that the heel may be secured to the sole by
driving said nails into or through the sole and clinching them. The die
or mould for surrounding the heel while being pressed is strongly made,
and of nearly the size of the finished heel, and followers or platens acting
upon the top and bottom of the heel are employed to give the pressure,
the holes being punched or pierced and the nails partially driven while
the heel is under pressure as aforesaid. A strip of leather may be wound
up to form the exterior of the heel, the inside being filled in as aforesaid.
A heel made in the manner described is very strong, firm, and durable,
and the surface can be finished with ease and in a satisfactory manner,
the cost of manufacture being lessened while the quality of the heel is
improved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Horace Holley Bigelow in the Great. Seal Patent
Office on the 6th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, HORACE
HOLLEY BIGELOW, of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, United 3
States of America, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Horace Holley Bigelow, Her special licence
that I, the said Horace Holley Bigelow, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Horace Holley Bigelow, my executors,
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 HEELS FOR BOOTS AND
SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Horace
Holley Bigelow, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Horace Holley Bigelow, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 made to the Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) -
The heel is made with layers or lifting of leather, and the first feature
of my Invention relates to consolidating the blank heel by pressure upon
all sides in a suitably formed die, and while under pressure punching
or piercing holes into which nails are driven, the die being suitably
perforated for the piercing tools and nails to be inserted. In this
manner a superior heel is produced and small pieces of leather can be
used and a cheaper and better heel can be made from the small pieces
of the best leather that would otherwise be wasted.
The second feature of my Invention consists in the heel made of rings
or pieces laid together and leaving a central space that is filled with
ground leather, rubber, or other suitable adhesive material and the whole
subjected to pressure and pierced or punched and the nails inserted in

page_text: the awl holes while under pressure.
In this manner a saving is effected
because the piece that is cut out of the ring-shaped lift of one heel can
be used for a smaller heel, and sometimes three lifts can be obtained
from one layer of a large sized heel. The ring-shaped lifts may each
be composed of pieces or segments cut out of the proper shape and laid
together and secured to each other; this can easily be done when the
joints are not on line with each other. The top and bottom lifts should
be solid and the rand or bevelled strip around the heel coming next the
sole is to be introduced before the pressure is applied upon all sides of
the heel and the nails inserted as aforesaid. While in the die or mould
and under a powerful pressure on all sides the nails are to be inserted
into the heel but they should not pass entirely through and should
project from the bottom of the heel in order that the heel may be secured
to the sole by driving said nails into or through the sole and clinching
them.
In the Drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the blank heel ready
for attachment to a boot or shoe; Fig. 2 is a section of said heel; and
Fig. 3 is a plan showing the open or ring-shaped lifts.
The top and bottom layers or liftings A and D are solid; the ring-
shaped layers B, B, are cut out of one piece or made up of strips or
segments laid together; the dotted lines illustrate the joints. The space
E, Fig. 3 is to be filled with a plastic or compressible mass such as
scraps or ground leather and rubber or other cement to render the
mass solid and durable. F is the rand or bevelled strip. The die or
mould for surrounding the heel while being pressed is strongly made and
of nearly the size of the finished heel and followers or platens acting
upon the top and bottom of the heel are employed to give the pressure,
the holes being punched or pierced and the nails partially driven while
the heel is under pressure as aforesaid. A strip of leather may be
wound up to form the exterior of the heel, the inside being filled in as
aforesaid.
A heel made in the manner described is very strong, firm, and
durable, and the surface can be finished with ease and in a satisfactory
manner, the cost of manufacture being lessened while the quality of the
heel is improved.
What I claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters
+

page_text: First. An improved blank heel composed of a series of hollow lifts B
and central filling E formed under pressure from all sides, substantially
as described.
Second. The combination with the bottom lift A of the heel of a
rand F united and compressed therewith, substantially as described.
Third. The hollow lifting B formed by cutting a lift of smaller
dimensions from the center of the larger, substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
Fourth. A compressed blank heel for boots and shoes composed of
pieces of leather laid up in layers and then subjected to compression on
all sides, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fifth. A compressed blank heel, the nail holes of which are punched
while the blank heel is subjected to pressure upon all sides, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. A compressed blank heel in which the nail holes are punched
and the nails partially inserted while the heel is subjected to pressure
upon all sides, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Horace Holley Bigelow, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December,
A.D. One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
HORACE HOLLEY BIGELOW. (L.S.)
Witnesses,
THOS. H. DODGE,
Worcester, Mass., U. S. A.
ALBERT E. PEIRCE,
Worcester, Mass., U. S. A.