Improvements in Appliances to Make Boots and Shoes Easy and Comfortable to Wear.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec.,
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances to Make Boots and Shoes Easy and
Comfortable to Wear.
I SAMUEL LEAROYD of Sherwood House in Huddersfield in the County of
York and of 12 Coleman Street in the City of London Solicitor do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes an in appliances to
make new boots and shoes easy and comfortable to wear. I make a last of two or
more pieces and preferably so as to reproduce and immitate the motions and
action of the human foot; to, this last I attach legs arms or shafts so as to bring
into action the various parts of the last when inserted in the boot or shoe and thus
by mechanical means to adapt the boot or shoe to the shape and action of the foot
before wearing. The lasts and legs arms and shafts may be made of metal, wool,
leather or any suitable material. The motion may be by hand or treadle or by
steam or other power.
Dated this 2fith day of December 1895
SAMUEL LEAROYD.
Improvements in Appliances to Make Boots and Shoes Easy and
Comfortable to Wear.
I, SAMUEL LEAROYD, of Sherwood House in Huddersfield, in the County of
York, and of 12, Coleman Street, in the City of London, Solicitor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention 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 boots and shoes and has for its object to provide
appliances for rendering new boots and shoes easy and comfortable to wear.
Hitherto it has very often occurred that the wearer of new boots or shoes has
been put to great suffering and inconvenience which has sometimes had serious
and permanent effects, owing to the fact that the boot or shoe being stiff and not
perfectly fitting the foot requires wearing for some time before it approximates
closely to the shape of the foot and conforms to the movements thereof when the
wearer is walking becoming thereby easy and comfortable.
According to my invention I construct a mechanical foot or last on which a new
boot or shoe can be placed and provide means for bending and flexing the mechanical
foot so as to imitate the movements of the human foot. By these means the
leather is creased, stretched, and rendered flexible where necessary so that the boot
before being worn has imparted to it the easiness and comfort in wear commonly
only associated with boots and shoes which have been worn for a considerable
time.

page_text: In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate
by way of example various methods of carrying out my invention in practice.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly sectional of a last or mechanical foot constructe l
according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2, 2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation partly sectional illustrating a modified form of last.
Figure 4 is a section on line 4, 4 Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the toe part of a last illustrating another
modification.
Figure 6 is a front elevation and
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a machine for using with lasts constructed
according to my invention, part being removed.
The mechanical feet or lasts shewn in the drawings are constructed of wood in
the ordinary way having a heel part A, a front portion B, and the ordinary
wedge C. I have observed that the movement of the toes of the human foot when
walking is practically the only movement which stretches and bends the leather
of the boot, consequently the toe portions only of my improved last are made to
move.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 the toe portion of the last is made in four
parts D, D, D', D' adapted to move on rounded portions d when the tie is to be
bent upwards. Between the parts D D extends a vertical wedge shaped plate E
secured to the part B of the last. Said plate E is broader at the top than at the
bottom so that when the toe portion is bent upwards the parts DD tend to
separate, the parts of the toe portion are maintained in position by a wire F
passing round the groove F formed on the outside of the parts. The ends of the
wire are connected to springs one of which is shown at Figure 1 passing through
holes or channels F3 in the part B of the last being finally secured towards the
rear of said part as shewn. The springs F cause the parts of the toe to return to
the normal position after being bent upwards.
In Figures 3 and 4 a rather simpler form of mechanical foot is shewn in which
the toe is formed of three parts only D, D, D', said parts being connected and
maintained in position by springs F2 passing through orifices F3 in the parts DD
and secured as shewn in Figure 3 in the parts D' B of the last. A conical pin E
screwed in the front part B of the last takes the place of the wedge E-in Figures 1
and 2 and ensures parts D D separating when the toe portion is bent upwards.
In Figure 5 the toe part of the last is formed of a piece of vulcanised india
rubber G which need not be secured to the remaining portion of the last being
maintained in position by the boot or shoe. A loop G¹ is provided for extracting
the toe part G from the boot when required. The part G may consist of two or
more pieces of india rubber if desired.
When using my improved mechanical feet or lasts for the purposes of stretching
and rendering flexible a boot or shoe, the last is placed in the boot or shoe to
be stretched and the toe portion is caused to move up and down so as to imitate
the action of the human foot in walking. By these means transverse creases are
formed in the "upper" of the boot or shoe and the sole thereof rendered flexible.
Moreover owing to the action of the wedge E in separating the parts D when
the toe is bent upwards the "upper" of the boot is also considerably stretched.
In the case of a last having a toe portion of vulcanised india rubber as described
with reference to Figure 5 I have found that the india rubber when bent upwards
also spreads laterally so that the same effect is produced.
For use with mechanical feet or lasts constructed according to my invention and
in order to give an up and down motion to the toe portion thereof I have designed
a machine shewn in Figures 6 and 7. This machine is adapted to work on two
boots, the right and left at once.
H is a shaft adapted to rotate in suitable bearings in uprights H'H¹. Secured
to the shaft are two eccentrics H'H' with straps and connecting rods H³ to the

page_text: other end of which are attached flexible plates H. The ends of the plates H' are
secured to a suitable base 1. The boots or shoes J having mechanical feet or
lasts K of a description similar to those hereinabove described for example inserted
therein are secured to the base-board in position above the plates H by means of
the strap L and heel piece L'. The toes of the boots may also be secured by
clamps such as H to their respective plates. For the sake of clearness one of said
clamps is omitted in Figure 7. Other means of securing the boots or shoes in
position on the plates H4 may be arranged provided that sufficient freedom is
allowed from the toe portions of the lasts and boots to move upwards. The
operation of the machine is as follows:-
When the shaft H is rotated by suitable means such as the handle M the-
eccentrics H2 cause those parts of spring plates H underneath the toes of the
boots to alternately rise and fall thus bending up said toe portions. The rear
portions of the lasts and boots are maintained stationary by the strap L. By this
up and down motion as hereinabove described the "upper and sole of the boot
or shoe is rendered flexible and stretched where necessary.
"
Although it is desirable that the lasts should imitate as closely as possible the
feet of the person for whose boots or shoes they are intended accurate fitting of
the last is not essential for the purpose of my invention it being sufficient to select
from a series of lasts made to stock sizes of boots and shoes that which is nearest
to the size of the boots or shoes to be treated. The lasts will obviously require to.
be made in pairs for right and left boots and shoes.
My improved mechanical feet or lasts can be used for boot trees, their normal
position being the same as that of ordinary lasts.
Although I have hereinabove described various methods of making my improved
lasts and also a machine for use therewith I wish it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise mechanism shewn as various details of the construction.
may be altered without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A mechanical foot or last having a flexible or articulated toe portion which
can be bent or flexed when in a boot or shoe, for the purpose specified.
2. In a machine for use with a last having a flexible toe portion, means whereby
said toe portion may be bent or flexed relatively to the remaining portion of the
lust.
3. Lasts constructed as described with refereuce to Figures 1 to 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. For use with lasts such as described a machine constructed as described with
reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings and operating as.
specified.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322 High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant..