IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF UTILIZING OLD AND WASTE LEATHER AND OTHER OLD AND WASTE MATERIALS, AND MATERIALS OF SMALL. VALUE. AS A SUBSTITUTE, FOR NEW LEATHER IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN PORTIONS OF BOOTS AND SHOES AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE FEET OR LEGS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH LEATHER IS USUALLY EMPLOYED, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
Year: 1872

page_text: -
ETTERS PATENT to Thomas White, of Number 5, Warwick Place,
Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer and Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF UTILIZING
OLD AND WASTE LEATHER AND OTHER OLD AND WASTE MATERIALS, AND
MATERIALS OF SMALL. VALUE. AS A SUBSTITUTE, FOR NEW LEATHER IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN PORTIONS OF BOOTS AND SHOES AND OTHER
COVERINGS FOR THE FEET OR LEGS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH
LEATHER IS USUALLY EMPLOYED, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE
USED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas White at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1872.
I, THOMAS WHITE, of No. 5, Warwick Place, Leeds, in the County
of York, Engineer and Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature, of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
UTILIZING OLD AND. WASTE LEATHER AND OTHER OLD AND WASTE MATERIALS,
A

page_text: AND MATERIALS OF SMALL VALUE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR NEW LEATHER IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN PORTIONS OF BOOTS AND SHOES AND OTHER COVERINGS
FOR THE FEET OR LEGS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH LEATHER IS USUALLY
EMPLOYED, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE,"
to be as follows:-
Ε
No means have hitherto been discovered of producing an efficient and
economical substitute for leather, but by the method herein-after
described old boots and shoes, old leggings, old straps and harness, and
other old articles made of leather, waste leather, curriers' shavings,
certain parts of old hats, waste materials produced in the manufacture 1
of hats, old or new japanned or waterproof fabrics of any kind, cork
cuttings or shavings, waste flax, tow, or cotton, oakum, pressed paper,
and many other materials of a similar kind may be so treated as to form
a substance capable of being used as a substitute for new leather in the
manufacture of certain parts of boots and shoes and other coverings 1
for the feet or legs, and for many other purposes for which leather is
usually employed.
I do not confine. my Invention to the utilization of the materials
already named. I mention these as examples merely of the kinds of
material suitable for the purpose, and in practice I use any materials 2
which I find to be available.
In order to convert materials such as I have mentioned into a sub-
stitute for leather, I cement them or cover or saturate them with
cement, and then subject them to préssure in a metal box or mould by
means of a screw or hydraulic press, or any other suitable method of 2
producing pressure. When the cement is sufficiently set the materials
operated on are removed from the mould and will be found to form a
compact block having the same contour as the inside of the mould.
The block is then cut or divided into slabs of any thickness that may
be required by means of a knife or saw operating in a plane parallel 3
to the top and bottom of the block and moved or driven by hand or
steam power, or by means of two or more knives or saws operating.at
the same time in the manner herein-before described. When saws are
employed this part of the process will resemble the ordinary method of
cutting timber into planks.
-
The slabs thus produced will necessarily have the same contour as
the inside of the mould. The mould may be made square or round or
of any other shape, and the slabs formed by dividing it can afterwards
3

page_text: be cut into pieces of any size or shape by means of a knife or saw.
But when many pieces of artificial leather of the same size and shape
are required to be produced, a great economy of labour and material
is effected by using a mould of the size and shape of the article
required, since the blocks thus produced will form slabs of the required
shape and size fit for immediate use and there will be no waste of
materials.
If any considerable portion of the contour of the articles required
to be produced consists of a straight line, it will often be found con-
venient to use a double mould corresponding in size and shape to the
outline of two of such articles placed with their straight edges in contact,
and afterwards to divide into two pieces the block thus produced or the
slabs formed by dividing the block.
•
If the materials to be manufactured into artificial leather will not
readily take the shape of the mould required in. consequence of their
unyielding nature, or of the unsuitableness of their size or shape,. I use
a mould as nearly as possible of the size and shape of the article to be
produced, or of two or more such articles when placed in contact or
near each other, and when the cementing and pressing processes have
been completed I obtain the exact size and shape required by the appli-
cation of a saw or knife or shaping machine, either to the block before
it is divided into slabs, or to the slabs formed by cutting or dividing the
block by the means herein-before described.
To facilitate the pressure of the materials and the removal of the
block from the mould, the mould is made without top or bottom, and
is composed of two-half moulds joined together by screws so that it
can be taken to pieces. A slab of metal of the same shape as the inside
of the mould is dropped into it to form the bottom, and when the
materials to be operated on have been placed in the mould a similar slab
is placed on the top of them, and pressure being applied to the upper
slab, the materials can be compressed to any extent that may be found
necessary to secure the degree of compactness and solidity demanded by
the purpose to which the slabs are to be applied.
The thickness of the block will of course depend on the depth of the
mould, on the quantity of materials put into it, and on the degree of
pressure to which they are subjected. To facilitate the subsequent
operation of dividing the block into slabs, and to avoid waste, it is
sometimes found desirable to use blocks of greater thickness than can

page_text: b
conveniently be made in a single mould; and this I accomplish in the
following manner:-Each half mould has two lugs cast on each .side of
its outer surface, one at the top and the other at the bottom, in order
that when two or more moulds of the same shape and size are arranged
in a vertical pile, the certainty of each mould fitting exactly over the
one beneath it may be secured be passing pins of metal through the
lugs in the manner commonly adopted by founders in the use of
moulding boxes. By these means, a mould of any required depth can
be formed; and when I wish to obtain a block of greater depth than
can be made in a single mould, I make several separate blocks in as
many different moulds of the same size and shape, and when the cement
is partly set, I pile the moulds in each other and insert the metal pins
in the lugs; first however removing all the metal slabs except the
lower slab of the bottom mould and the upper slab of the top mould,
and applying
suitable cement to the surfaces of the blocks thus
exposed. Pressure is then applied to the upper slab of the top mould
until all the blocks are firmly cemented together; or pressure may be
applied to the contents of each mould in succession as it is placed on the
pile until all the blocks are firmly cemented together.
I generally use glue, either alone or in combination with paste as a
cement; but I do not confine myself to these, as there are many other
kinds of cement applicable to the purpose. If I wish to produce
waterproof soles, I use as a cement a solution of india-rubber or gutta
percha or some other similar material.
Artificial leather produced by the means I have described may be
advantageously employed for many purposes without any further
addition or manipulation. It may be so used, for instance, for the
inner soles of boots and shoes and other coverings for the feet; and to
produce soles of this description it is merely necessary to make blocks
of the artifical leather in moulds of the size and shape required, and
to divide such blocks into slabs of the proper thickness, but each slab
⚫ can be cut afterwards by the ordinary sole knife if it should be found
necessary to do so in order to make it fit any particular boot or shoe.
If it is desired to improve the appearance or comfort of the inner sole,
a lining of leather or of some woven fabric can be cemented to its
exposed surface.
The artificial leather is also found to be a very suitable material for
the inner portion of the middle soles of boots and shoes and other

page_text: coverings for the feet, but its texture is not sufficiently fine and
tenacious to produce the finished appearance and strength requisité
for the outer portion or exposed edges of the middle sole. In order
therefore to render the artificial leather available for middle soles I
manufacture it by the means herein-before described in the form of slabs
of the same shape as the middle sole, but somewhat smaller; I then
place round the slab a narrow strip of new leather of the same thickness
as the slab, so as to make the sole of the proper size and to give it
edges of new leather.
In most descriptions of boots and shoes the middle sole extends over
part only of the foot, and its posterior end is straight; and in such
cases the slabs may be cut from blocks made in double moulds, and
the strip of new leather is applied to those portions only of the middle
sole which are exposed when the boot or shoe is finished. I unite the
slab and strip of new leather together by one or other of the methods
herein-after described, and the middle sole is then ready for use.
In the trade the middle sole is sometimes formed of a false edge of
leather cut to the shape of a horseshoe out of new leather and commonly
called a "horseshoe lift," the middle space being filled up with refuso
leather, or pressed paper by the workman as the boot or shoe is being
made, but this is a troublesome process, and the middle filling is
necessarily uneven and adds nothing to the strength or durability of
the boot or shoe. But by my process, the middle sole is manufactured
into one piece ready to the workman's hand, and can be made up as
easily and will wear as long as if it were composed of a single piece of
new leather of equal value to that used for the edge.
In the trade, horseshoe lifts are necessarily cut out of leather which
has considerable commercial value, and there is great waste in cutting
them out; but I have discovered that. a great economy of material and
time can be effected by forming the lifts out of certain parts of the
hide which are now almost valueless, and shaping them to the proper
form by machinery and apparatus which I have invented for that
purpose.
For convenience of manipulation each hide is cut into two parts.
before it is curried. The divided edges of the two parts are in the
first instance straight, but they are rendered uneven by the unequal
stretching, and contraction of the leather during the currying process;
and before the leather can be used for straps or straight pieces the

page_text: edges have to be made straight again by cutting off a narrow strip of
varying width which is known in the trade as "the ridge," and which
on account of its irregular shape is at present of very little value because
no special use has been found for it. It is out of these ridges that I
make the horseshoe lifts; but I do not confine myself to leather of this
particular kind as there is a limit to its production; and when it cannot
readily be obtained I use other kinds of leather instead. In order to
form the lift out of the ridge I reduce the ridge to a strip of the proper
width and thickness by means of apparatus specially constructed for
that purpose which will be described presently. The width of the strip
should be half an inch or thereabouts according to the size and descrip-
tion of the boot or shoe to be manufactured, and the thickness should
correspond to the thickness desired. for the middle sole. The strips of
leather thus formed out of the ridges are then moulded into the proper
form by the means which I will now describe.
For this purpose I use a block of wood, or metal, the horizontal
section of which corresponds in size and shape with the slab intended
to form the inner portion of the middle sole, except at its base, which
should be somewhat larger, and may be of any shape. The height of
the block may be eighteen inches more or less; and the upper six
inches of the block should be made to taper. Each strip of leather
should be cut of such a length that when its two ends are fasteneḍ
together it can be slipped on to the taper part of the block, but cannot
be forced on to the body of the block without considerable pressure.
One or two holes are punctured in each end of the strip, and the two
ends are fastened together by short lengths of string or wire; or the two
ends may be fastened together by short lengths of string or wire; or the
two ends may be fastened together by a rivet or short nail. The strip
is then steeped in water to make it pliable, and afterwards put on the
block and pressed down till it touches the base. A second strip is then
put on the block and pressed down till it touches the first strip, and so
When a number of strips have thus been placed on the block,
pressure is applied to the upper strip by the hand, or a tool, or by means
of a mould or ring of metal or wood fitting pretty closely to the block;
and the pressure is 'continued until all the strips have been pressed flat
together. The strips are allowed to remain on the block till they have
become dry, when they are released from it by drawing them off, or by
removing the strings or wires, or by cutting them across at a point close
to the joined ends. They will be found to retain the shape given to
on.

page_text: them by the block with sufficient accuracy for the purpose of the
subsequent process.
:
Sometimes I fasten the ends of the strips together by passing three
steel rods through the holes in their ends. One end of the first strip
is threaded on to two of the rods, and the other end on to the third rod.
One end of the next strip is threaded on to the second and third rods,
and the other end of it is threaded on to the first rod, and so on
alternately. By this means, the strain upon the middle rod in one
direction will be balanced by a corresponding strain on it in the opposite
direction, and the middle rod keeps the outside rods in their places.
The strips may be threaded on the rods before they are put on the block,
or the rods may be inserted into holes in the base of the block and each
strip put on separately.
By the method just described edges of new leather can be given to
the middle sole all round; but if it is intended that the middle sole
should extend over a part only of the foot the edge of leather is not
continued round the posterior end of the slab; and in that case shorter
strips of leather are used, and the two ends of each strip do not meet,
but, are held in position on the block by a lace at the posterior end of
the block passing through the holes in the two ends of the strip. When
the slab is made in a double mould having the form of the inner portions
of two middle soles placed with their posterior ends in contact the block
may be of a corresponding form so as to produce two horse-shoe lifts placed
with their posterior ends touching each other; and in that case, the ends
of each strip of leather should be brought to the line of division between
the two lifts; and when the strips have been placed on the block
pressure should be applied to them on each side over the line of division
between the two lifts to make them take the shape of those parts of the
block.
The blocks already described are of the simplest and cheapest form,
but I also use expanding blocks composed of two or more separate parts

page_text: I will now describe the manner in which I connect together the horse-
shoe lift, and the inner portion of the middle sole. This I do in several
different ways.
First Method.-I place the slab of artificial leather forming the
inner portion of the middle sole within the lift, and then join the two
together by C metal rivets by means of the wire sewing machine
used in the manufacture of mill straps and harness in accordance with
my Patent No. 368 of the year One thousand eight hundred and sixty-.
four.
Second Method.-I place the slab within the lift, and then join the
two together by a row of herring-bone stitches, or any other suitable
stitch capable of being produced by machinery.
-
Third Method. I place the slab within the lift, and then connect_to
the upper and lower surfaces of both of them a piece of thin leather or
other thin substance or fabric of the same shape as the slab, but rather
larger, so that it may overlap the slab, but not reach to the outer edges
of the lift, and by this means the slab and lift are held together. When
greater strength is required I unite the thin pieces of leather or other
substance more firmly to the lift by sewing a row of stitches through
the lift and the edges of. the thin substances; and sometimes I. sew a
second row of stitches through the slab and the thin substances. Middle
soles formed by connecting the slab and lift together by either of the
three methods already described can be used in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, or other coverings for the feet, either by hand or by
machinery, without further preparation, precisely in the same manner as
middle soles formed each of a single piece of new leather, and will be
quite as durable, whilst they can be produced at a much less cost.
Fourth Method.-I cement the lift to the inner surface of the outer
sole, and then fasten the two together more securely by a row of stitches
sewn with a sewing machine, or a row of wire rivets. The slab is then
placed within the lift, and the outer and middle soles are secured to
the inner sole by stitches or rivets in precisely the same manner as if
the middle sole were formed of a single piece of new leather. The slab
can be cemented to the outer sole if desired; but when elasticity is an
object I prefer to leave it loose. In the better class of boots and shoes
I sometimes place a slab of cork or gutta percha within the lift, instead
of a slab of artificial leather, and thus render the sole waterproof; and I

page_text: sometimes attach the cork or gutta percha or the slab of artificial-leather
to the outer sole with a waterproof cement.
When the horse-shoe lift and the middle sole or the horse-shoe lift
and the outer sole have been connected together by any of the methods
herein-before described they should be subjected to pressure to render
them flat, and to secure the equal action of the cement when cement
has been used. This may be done by means of a weight or screw or by
any other means that happen to be available, but I prefer to use an
apparatus constructed in the following manner-Upon a cast-iron
gantry are mounted two loose headstocks, and at the end of each barrel
instead of a center is placed an iron plate presenting a flat surface
parallel to the corresponding surface of the plate on the opposite barrel.
The soles are pressed by placing them between the plates in a vertical
position with the toe downwards, and turning the hand wheel of one or.
both of the headstocks so as to bring the plates nearer together.
The soles are kept in position during pressure by being placed in a.
cast-iron trough, open at the top and ends, which rests upon and is
fastened to the gantry, and the inner transverse section of which corre-.
sponds in size and shape with the soles which are required to be pressed.
The flat plates at the ends of the barrels pass through the open ends of
the trough, and a block of wood of the same size and shape as the soles
is placed between each plate and the corresponding end of the row of
soles to secure an equal amount of pressure on all parts of the soles.
If the number of soles to be operated on at one time is too small to
admit of the necessary pressure being communicated by the barrels I
interpose one or more blocks of wood between one or both ends of the
row of soles and one or both of the plates..
.
I also use a different contrivance for keeping the soles in position,
which may be termed a skeleton trough. In this the bottom of the
trough is represented by a plank of wood resting on the gantry, whilst
each of its sides is represented by two or more parallel bars or rods of
iron which press against the corresponding side of the row of soles, and
are kept in position by screws working in brackets attached to the
gantry. By turning the screws the bars or rods can be made to recede
from or approach towards, the corresponding bars or rods forming the
other side of the skeleton trough so as to adapt it for receiving a row of
soles of any size or shape.
.

page_text: I now proceed to describe the machine which I have invented for
reducing the ridge to a strip of the proper width and thickness required
to form the horse-shoe lift. In a cast-iron frame I mount two metal
rollers, geared together and driven by a pulley actuated in the usual way
by hand or by steam power, so that when the rollers are put in motion
they revolve in opposite directions. The distance between the rollers
can be adjusted in the manner which will presently be mentioned, but
when they are in operation the distance should be slightly less than the
thickness required to be given to the strip. One end of the ridge is
placed between the rollers, and as it is drawn forward by their motion 1
it is reduced to the proper thickness by a knife placed at a suitable
angle with one of the rollers, whilst another knife secured in a vertical
or nearly vertical position to an arm overhanging the same rollers, cuts
the strip to the proper width by acting on its uneven edge. Both knives
are adjustable so that the ridges can be cut into a strip of any thickness 1
and width that may be required. The vertical knife may be of a circular
form, and may have motion given to it, but I generally prefer that the
motion should be given by the friction of the leather as it is being
drawn forward by the rollers.
The rollers are fitted with adjustments by which the space between 2
them can be lessened or increased according to the thickness desired
to be given to the strip, and in order to facilitate the introduction of
the end of the ridge between the rollers in the first instance the roller
nearest to the knives is mounted in eccentric or sliding bushes actuated
either by screws or by a lever so that this roller can be instantaneously
removed to a greater distance from the other roller and also from the
knives, and as speedily set up again in its former position by a simple
movement of the hand of the workman using the machine.
r
To facilitate the separation of the upper leathers of old boots and
shoes from the soles I have invented an apparatus consisting essentially a
of a vice or screw press to hold the boot or shoe whilst it is being
operated on and of a knife mounted on a lever to effect the separation
of the upper leather from the sole. The boot or shoe is placed on a
block resembling a last, and is pressed firmly against the block by a
plate mounted on one end of a screw, working in an arm or bracket a
secured to the base of the block, and turned by means of a hand wheel
fixed on its other end. On the screw is placed a lever made free to
rotate round it, and an adjustable knife slides in a slot in the arm of

page_text: the lever. Whilst the sole of the boot or shoe is firmly held between
the block and the plate, the lever is made to rotate by hand or by steam
power, and the knife being pressed by a spring or other suitable contri-
vance against the upper leather cuts through it and separates it from
the sole. A stop connected with the knife works against the sole or a
plate of similar form and prévents the point of the knife from reaching
the block. The block may be made to slide so as to change the position
of the fulcrum of the lever nearer to the toe or heel of the sole.
The chief features of novelty in my Invention are as follows,
videlicet:
The manufacture of a good and cheap substitute for leather out of old
and waste materials in the form of blocks or thick pieces made in
moulds, and the subsequent division of the blocks into slabs. By this
method materials of little value are utilized, a great saving of labour
is effected, and the degree of pressure required to secure solidity and
closeness of texture can be readily given. The mould confines the
materials during pressure, and as the pressure is applied to a compara-
tively small surface it can easily be increased to any extent that may
be required. By using moulds corresponding in size and shape to the
articles to be produced subsequent shaping is in most cases rendered
unnecessary.
The manufacture of a cheap and durable middle sole for boots and
shoes and other coverings for the feet-in a form ready for immediate use
by the combination of an outer edge of new leather with a middle filling
of artificial leather.
The manufacture of the outer edge from descriptions of leather which
at present are.almost valueless.
An improved mode of rendering the soles of boots and shoes and other
coverings for the feet waterproof, by using a waterproof cement in their
manufacture.
The special apparatus and machinery required for giving effect to

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas White in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WHITE,. of Number 5, Warwick Place, Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer and Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas White, Her special licence, that
I, the said Thomas White, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas White, 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 THE MEANS OF
UTILIZING OLD AND WASTE LEATHER AND OTHER OLD AND WASTE MATERIALS,
AND MATERIALS OF SMALL VALUE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR NEW LEATHER IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN PORTIONS OF BOOTS AND SHOES AND OTHER COVERINGS
FOR THE FEET OR LEGS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH LEATHER IS USUALLY
EMPLOYED, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas White, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Thomas White, 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 :-
No means have hitherto been discovered of producing an efficient and

page_text: old boots and shoes, old leggings, old straps and harness, and other
old articles made of leather, waste leather, curriers' shavings, certain
parts of old hats, waste materials produced in the manufacture of hats,
old or new japanned or waterproof fabrics of any kind, cork cuttings or
shavings, waste flax, tow, or cotton, oakum, pressed paper, and many
other materials of a similar kind may be so treated as to form a substance
capable of being used as a substitute for a new leather in the manu-
facture of certain parts of boots and shoes and other coverings for the
feet or legs, and for many other purposes for which leather is usually
employed.
I do not confine my Invention to the utilization of the materials
already named, I mention these as examples merely of the kinds of
material suitable for the purpose, and in practice I use any materials
which I find to be available:
In order to convert materials such as I have mentioned into a
substitute for leather I cement them or cover or saturate them with
cement, and then subject them to pressure in a metal. box or mould
by means of a screw or hydraulic press or any other suitable method of
producing pressure. When the cement is sufficiently set the materials
operated on are removed from the mould and will be found to form a
compact block having the same contour as the inside of the mould.
The block is then cut or divided into slabs of any thickness that may be
required by means of a knife or saw operating in a plane parallel to the
top and bottom of the block, and moved or driven by hand or steam
power, or by means of two or more knives or saws operating at the same
time in the manner herein-before described. When saws are employed
this part of the process will resemble the ordinary method of cutting
timber into planks.
The slabs thus produced will necessarily have the same contour as the
inside of the mould. The mould may be made square or round or of
any other shape, and the slabs formed by dividing it can afterwards be
cut into pieces of any size or shape by means of a knife or saw. But
when many pieces of compressed leather of the same size and shape
are required to be produced a great economy of labor and material is
effected by using a mould of the size and shape of the article required,
since the blocks thus produced will form slabs of the required shape and
size fit for immediate use, and there will be no waste of materials.

page_text: If any considerable portion of the contour of the articles required to
be produced consists of one or more straight lines it will often be found
convenient to use a mould corresponding in size and shape to the
outline of two or more of such articles placed with their straight edges
in contact, and afterwards to divide into two or more pieces the block
thus produced, or the slabs formed by dividing the block.
If the materials to be manufactured into compressed leather will not
readily take the shape of the mould required in consequence of their
unyielding nature or of the unsuitableness of their size or shape, I use
a mould as nearly as possible of the size and shape of the article to be
produced (or of two or more such articles when placed in contact or near
each other) and when the cementing and pressing processes have been
completed I obtain the exact size and shape required by the application
of a saw or knife or shaping machine, either to the block before it is
divided into slabs, or to the slabs formed by cutting or dividing the
block by the means herein-before described.
To facilitate the pressure of the materials and the removal of the
block from the mould the mould is made without top or bottom. A
slab of metal of the same shape as the inside of the mould is dropped
into it to form the bottom, and when the materials to be operated on
have been placed on the mould a similar slab is placed on the top of
them, and pressure being applied to the upper slab the materials can be
compressed to any extent that may be found necessary to secure the
degree of compactness and solidity demanded by the purpose to which
slabs are to be applied.
The top and bottom surfaces of the block of compressed leather.thus
produced are sometimes rendered uneven by unequal contraction in
drying or other causes, and I sometimes find it convenient to use the
first or outer slab out from the block to form the bottom of a subsequent
block instead of using the loose slab of metal before described. In such
cases I cut the first slab of a thickness somewhat greater than that of
the slabs desired to be cut from the block to be next manufactured,
and having applied cement to its outer or rough surface I drop it into
the mould with its even (or cut) surface downwards, and proceed to
fill the mould with materials saturated with cement and to apply pressure
in the manner before described. The block thus manufactured will have
its bottom surface even, and the slab cut from its top which will leave

page_text: one surface uneven can be used to form a bottom of a subsequent
block, by which means all waste of material will be avoided.
I sometimes use a mould composed of two half moulds joined together
by screws or bolts and nuts passing through lugs cast on the ends of
each half mould in similar positions so that the holes in the lugs corre-
spond with each other when the two half moulds are put together.
The thickness of the block will of course depend on the depth of the
mould, on the quantity of materials put into it, and on the degree of
pressure to which they are subjected. To facilitate the subsequent
operation of dividing the block into slabs and to avoid waste it is
sometimes found desirable to use blocks of greater thickness than can.
conveniently be made in a single mould, and this I accomplish in the
following manner :-By these means a mould of any required depth
can be formed, I make several separate blocks in as many different
moulds of the same size and shape, and when the cement is partly set
I pile the moulds on each other, first, however, removing all the metal
slabs except the lower slab of the bottom mould, and the upper slab
of the top mould, and applying a suitable cement to the surfaces of the
blocks thus exposed. Pressure is then applied to the upper slab of the
top mould until all the blocks are firmly cemented together, or pressure
may be applied to the contents of each mould in succession as it is
placed on the pile until all the blocks are firmly cemented together.
°
When it is found necessary to secure great accuracy in the fitting of
the various moulds on each other I use moulds having two lugs with
holes in them cast on the outer surface of each side, one at the top and
the other at the bottom, and when the moulds are arranged in the pile
I pass a pin of metal through the holes of all the lugs on one side,
and a similar pin through those on the other. side, in the manner
commonly adopted by founders in the use of moulding boxes.
I generally use glue, either alone or in combination with paste, as a
cement; but I do not confine myself to these, as there are many other
kinds of cement applicable to the purpose. The materials to be manu-
factured into compressed leather may be saturated with the cement by
hand, or by agitation in a revolving cylinder somewhat resembling a
barrel churn and turned by hand or steam power. It is sometimes
found convenient to introduce a jet of steam into the cylinder through
one of the axes on which it turns, for the purpose of damping the
materials, and keeping the cement in solution. If I wish to produce

page_text: waterproof soles, I use as a cement a solution of india-rubber or gutta
percha, or some other similar material.
Compressed leather produced by the means I have described, may be
advantageously employed for many purposes without any further addition
or manipulation. It may be so used, for instance, for the inner soles of
boots and shoes and other coverings for the feet; and to produce soles of
this description it is merely necessary to make blocks of the compressed
leather in moulds of the size and shape required, and to divide such
blocks into slabs of the proper thickness, but each slab can be cut after-
wards by the ordinary sole knife, if it should be found necessary to do
so, in order to make it fit any particular boot or shoe. If it is desired
to improve the appearance of the inner sole a lining of leather or of
some woven fabric can be cemented to its exposed surface.
The compressed leather is also found to be a very suitable material
for the inner portion of the middle soles of beds and shoes and other
coverings for the feet; but its texture is not sufficiently fine and
tenacious to produce the finished appearance and strength requisite for
the outer portion or exposed edges of the middle soles. In order
therefore to render the compressed leather, available for middle soles
I manufacture it by the means herein-before described in the form of
slabs of the same shape as the middle sole, but somewhat smaller. I
then place round the sides and front (or toe) of the slab a narrow strip
of new leather of the same thickness as the slab, so as to make the sole
of the proper size, and to give edges of new leather to those portions
of its contour which are exposed in the finished boot or shoe.
If it
is desired that the strip of new leather should be carried round the
heel also, this can be done by using a strip of adequate length, and
giving it the proper shape by any of the methods herein-after described.
In most descriptions of boots and shoes, the middle sole extends over
part only of the foot; and its posterior end is straight, and in such cases
the slabs may be conveniently cut from blocks made in moulds corre-
sponding in shape to the outline of two middle soles placed with their
straight ends in contact. I unite the slab and strip of new leather
together by one or other of the methods herein-after described, and the
-middle sole is then ready for use.
In the trade the middle sole is sometimes formed of a false edge of
.

page_text: called a *** horse-shoe-lift," the middle space being filled up with refuse
leather or pressed paper by the workman as the boot or shoe is being.
made, but this is a troublesome process, and the middle filling is
necessarily uneven, and adds nothing. to the strength or durability of
the boot or shoe. But by my process the middle sole is manufactured
into one piece; ready to the workman's hand, and can be made up as
easily, and will wear as long as if it were composed of a single piece. of
new leather of equal value to that used for the edge.
.
In the trade horse-shoe lifts are necessarily cut out of leather which.
has considerable commercial value, and there is great waste in cutting.
them out, but I have discovered that a great economy of material and
time can be effected by forming the lifts out of certain parts of the
hide which are now almost valueless, and shaping them to the proper
form by machinery and apparatus which I have invented for that
purpose.
.
For convenience of manipulation each hide is cut into two parts
before it is curried. The divided edges of the two parts are in the
first instance straight, but they are rendered uneven by the unequal
stretching and contraction of the leather during the currying process;
and before the leather can be used for straps or straight pieces the edges
have to be made straight again by cutting off a narrow strip of varying
width which is known in the trade as "the ridge," and which on
account of its irregular shape is at present of very little value, because
no special use has been found for it. It is out of these ridges that I
make the horse-shoe lifts; but I do not confine myself to leather of
this particular kind, as there is a limit to its production, and when it
cannot readily be abtained I use other kinds of leather instead. In
order to form the lift out of the ridge I reduce the ridge to a strip of
the proper width and thickness by means of apparatus specially con-.
structed for that purpose, which will be described presently. The width
of the strip should be half an inch or thereabouts, according to the size
and description of the boot or shoe to be manufactured, and the thick-
ness should correspond to the thickness desired for the middle sole.
The strips of leather thus formed out of the ridge are then moulded into
the proper shape by means of appropriate blocks. Each strip having
first been wetted is fastened tightly round the block with its inner edge.
touching the block, and is allowed to remain till it has become dry
when it is removed from the block, and will be found to retain the shapa
B

page_text: SAYCH W to by the DRUCK WARS accuracy for the purpose of
subsequent process.
If it is desired to apply the strip of new leather to the exposed edges
of middle soles extending over part only of the foot, it is found most
convenient to manufacture the inner portions of the middle soles in the
form of slabs corresponding in shape to two of such inner portions placed
with their straight edges in contact and to apply the strip of new leather
to the edges of the slabs before they are divided by the knife. And for
this purpose. I shape the strips upon a block, the horizontal section of
which corresponds in size and shape with the slab intended to form the
inner portions of two middle soles.
The blocks may be made in various ways, some of which I will now
describe.
I sometimes use a skeleton block, the sides of which consist of a series
of metal rods, the upper and lower ends of which are inserted into metal
plates of the size and shape of two of the middle soles intended to be
produced placed with their straight edges in contact. The rods are
inserted into each plate at a distance of about half an inch from its
edge in such a manner that the outer sides of the rods form a skeleton
block of the same size and shape as the inner portion of the two middle
soles, which is to consist of compressed leather, whilst the free margin
of the plate left between the outer sides of the rods and the edge of the
plate corresponds in shape and size with the form required to be given
to the strip of leather in order to form it into two horse-shoe lifts. A
flat ring of metal of the exact size and shape of the free margin of the
plate is placed round the rods; and can be moved from one end of the
block to the other, whilst one of the rods at each end of the block is.
screwed for its whole length, and has a nut working on it between one
of the plates and the ring, so that by turning these nuts the ring can be
kept firmly pressed against any object placed between it and the other
plate. Two similar rods are fastened to each side of the block by means
of lugs on the sides of the plates opposite to the points at which the two
halves of their contour corresponding to the two middle soles meet each
other and form obtuse angles. The use of these rods, which may be
termed guide rods, will be explained presently. Provision is made for
turning the block in a lathe by means of a centre cast on the outer face
of one plate, and of two holes drilled into the other plate to receive two
pins projecting from the face of the headstock.

page_text: -
The skeleton block thus constructed is used as follows:-The strips of
leather are fastened together so as to form a continuous_length, one
end of which is fastened to one of the plates. The ring is placed at
a distance from the opposite plate equal to the thickness of the strip of
leather, and is kept in position by means of the nuts.
The operator
holds the strip of leather firmly in one hand, and as the block is turned
slowly round in the lathe he passes the end of the strip under the
guide rod at each half revolution, and relaxes the pressure of the nuts
sufficiciently to admit one thickness of the strip between the ring and
the preceding thickness. By these means the strip is kept with its
inner edge in contact with the block, whilst its sides are pressed between
the plate and the ring; and the guide rod compels the strip to enter and
take the form of the obtuse angle in the side of the block. When the
block has been completely covered with strips of. leather the nuts are
screwed firmly against the ring, so as to press the strips closely together,
and when they are sufficiently dry to retain the shape given to them by
the block they are released either by cutting them on one or both sides.
at the obtuse angle before mentioned, or by removing one of the plates.
and slipping them off. I sometimes substitute for the ring a third plate
similar to the others, but having holes in it somewhat larger than the
rods, so as to admit of the plate slipping freely along them.
I also sometimes use a block of wood or metal, the horizontal section
of which corresponds in size and shape with the slab intended to form
the inner portions of two middle soles except at the base of the block
which should be somewhat larger and may be of any shape. The height
of the block may-be eighteen inches, more or less, and the upper. six.
inches of the block should be made to taper. Each strip of leather is
cut of such a length that when its two ends are fastened together it
can be slipped on to the taper part of the block, but cannot be forced
on to the body of the block without considerable pressure. One or two
holes are punctured in each end of the strip, and the two ends are
fastened together by short lengths of string or wire, or the two ends
may be fastened together by a rivet or short nail. The strip is steeped
in water to make it pliable and put on the block and pressed down until
it touches the base. A second strip is then put on the block and
When a number
pressed down till it touches the first strip, and so on.
of strips have thus been placed on the block pressure is applied to the
upper strip by the hand or a tool, or by means of a mould or ring of

page_text: metal or wood fitting pretty closely to the block, and the pressure is
continued until all the strips have been pressed flat together. Or the
strips of leather may be fastened together and wound round the block
whilst the latter is turned in a lathe in the same manner as when using
the skeleton block, the pressure of the mould or ring against the strips
being regulated by means of screws passing through the block and
working in female screws attached to the mould or ring. When the
block has been completely covered with strips by either of these methods
the strips are made to enter and take the form of the obtuse angle
before mentioned by placing the mould between two pieces metal
having one side flat and the other side of such a form as to fit into the
middle portion of the sides of the plates. Pressure is then applied by
means of a press until the strips have been made to touch the mould at
the obtuse 'angles when the two pieces of metal are screwed together by
screws or by metal rings slipped over their ends. The block is then
removed from the press, and when the strips are sufficiently dry the two
pieces of metal are removed and the strips are released from the block
by drawing them off, or by removing the strings or wires or by cutting
them across,
together by passing three
One end of the first strip
Sometimes I fasten the ends of the strips
steel rods through the holes in their ends.
is threaded on to two of the rods and the other end to the third rod.
One end of the next strip is threaded on to the second and third rods,
and the other end of it is threaded on to the first rod, and so on alter-
nately. By this means the strain upon the middle rod in one direction
will be balanced by a corresponding strain on it in the opposite direction,
and the middle rod keeps the outside rods in their places. The strips
may be threaded on the rods hefore they are put on the block, or the
rods may be inserted into holes in the base of the block and each strip
put on separately.
When the compressed leather is manufactured in slabs of the size and
shape of the inner portion of one middle sole onlý (with or without the
shank) the edge of leather is not continued round the posterior or
straight end of the slab, and in that case the lifts are made on a block
of the same shape and size as the inner portion of one middle sole.
Shorter strips of leather are used, and the two ends of each strip do not
meet but are held in position on the block by a lace at the flat side of
the block passing through holes in the two ends of the strip.

page_text: The blocks already described are of the simplest and cheapest form,
but I also use expanding blocks composed of two or more separate parts
which are made to recede by means of wedges or screws. A block thus
constructed may be made to produce horse-shoe lifts of several different
sizes and shapes, and the amount of stretch required to give the strips
of leather their proper shape can be produced by operating on the wedges
or screws.
I will now describe the manner in which. I connect together the
horse-shoe lift and the inner portion of the middle sole. This I do in
several different ways.
First Method. I place the slab of compressed leather forming the
inner portion of the middle sole or of two middle soles (as the case, may
be) within the lift, and then join the two together by C metal rivets by
means of the wire sewing machine used in the manufacture of mill straps
and harness in accordance with my Patent, Number 368, of the year
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Second Method. I place the slab within the lift and then join the
two together by a row of herring-bone stitches, or any other suitable
stitch capable of being produced by machinery.
Third Method. I place the slab within the lift and then cement to
their upper and lower surfaces or to one of such surfaces a piece of thin
leather or other thin substance or fabric of the same shape as the slab,
but rather larger so that it may overlap the slab but not reach to the
outer edges of the lift, and by this means the slab and lift are held
together. Where greater strength is required I unite the thin pieces
of leather or other substance more firmly to the lift by sewing a row of
stitches through the lift and the edges of the thin substances, and some-
times I sew a second row of stitches through the slab and the thin
substance. Middle soles formed by connecting the slab and lift together
by either of the three methods already described can be used in the
manufacture of boots and shoes or other coverings for the feet either by
hand or by machinery without further preparation precisely in the same
manner as middle soles formed each of a single piece of new leather,
and will be quite as durable whilst they can be produced at a much less
cost.

page_text: sewn with a sewing machine, or a row of wire rivets. The slab is then
placed within the lift and the outer and middle soles are secured to the
inner sole by stitches or rivets, in precisely the same manner as if the
middle sole were formed of a single piece of new leather. The slab can
be cemented to the outer sole if desired, but when elasticity is an object,
I prefer to leave it loose.
"
In the better class of boots and shoes I sometimes place a slab of cork
or gutta percha within the lift instead of a slab of artificial leather and
thus render the sole waterproof, and I sometimes attach the cork or
gutta percha, or the slab of artificial leather to the outer sole with a
waterproof cement. -
When the horse-shoe lift and the middle sole, or the horse-shoe lift
and the outer sole have been connected together by any of the methods
herein-before described, they should be subjected to pressure to render
them flat and secure the equal action of the cement, when cement has
been used. This may be done by means of a weight or screw, or by
any other means that happen to be available, but I prefer to use an
apparatus constructed in the following manner : Upon a cast-iron
gantry are mounted two loose head stocks, and at the end of each
barrel instead of a centre is placed an iron plate presenting a flat 1
surface parallel to the corresponding surface of the plate on the opposite
barrel. The soles are pressed by placing them between the plates, in
a vertical position, with the toe downwards, and turning the hand wheel
of one or both of the head stocks so as to bring the plates nearer
together.
The soles are kept in position during pressure, by being placed in a
cast-iron trough, open at the top and ends, which is mounted on the
gantry and the inner transverse section of which corresponds in size
and shape with the soles, which are required to be pressed. The flat
plates at the ends of the barrels pass the open ends of the trough. a
If the number of soles to be operated on at one time is too small to
admit of the necessary pressure being communicated by the barrels I
interpose one or more blocks of wood between one or both ends of the
row of soles and one or both of the plates.
I also use a different contrivance for keeping the soles in position,
which may be termed a skeleton trough. In this the bottom of the
trough is represented by a plank of wood resting on the gantry, whilst

page_text: each of its sides is represented by two or more parallel bars or rods.of
iron, which press against the corresponding side of the row of soles,
and are kept in position by screws working in brackets attached to the
gantry. By turning the screws the bars or rods can be made to recede
from or approach towards. the corresponding bars or rods forming the
other side of the skeleton trough, so as to adapt it for receiving a row
of soles of any size or shape.
I now proceed to describe the machine which I have invented for
reducing the ridge to a strip of the proper width and thickness required
to form the-horse-shoe lift. In aicast-iron frame I..mount two metal
rollers geared together and driven by a pulley actuated in the usual
way by hand or by steam power, so that when the rollers are put in
motion they revolve in opposite directions.
-
The distance between the rollers can be adjusted in the manner which
will presently be mentioned, but when they are in operation the
distance should be slightly less than the thickness required to be given
to the strip. One end of the ridge is placed between the rollers, and
as it is drawn forward by their motion it is reduced to the proper
thickness by a knife placed at a suitable angle with one of the rollers,
whilst another knife secured in a vertical or nearly vertical position to
an arm overhanging the same rollers cuts the strip to the proper width.
by acting on its uneven edge. Both knives are adjustable so that the
ridge can be cut into a strip of any thickness and width that may be
required. The vertical: knife may be of a circular form, and may have
motion given to it, but I generally prefer. that the motion should be
given by the friction of the leather, as it is being drawn by the rollers.
The rollers are fitted with adjustments, by which the space between
them can be lessened or increased, according to the thickness desired
to be given to the strip, and in order to facilitate the introduction of
the end of the ridge between the rollers, in the first instance, the roller
nearest to the knives is mounted in eccentric or sliding bushes, actuated
either by screws or by a lever, so that this roller can be instantaneously.
removed to a greater distance from the other roller, and also from the
knives, and as speedily set up again in its former position by a simple
movement of the hand of the workman using the machine.
To facilitate the separation of the upper leathers of old boots and
shoes from the soles, I have invented an apparatus consisting essentially
of a vice or screw press to hold the boot or shoe whilst it is being

page_text: Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the kind of mould used for manu-
facturing blocks of compressed leather corresponding in size and shape
to the outline of two of the articles required to be produced which (if
a mould exactly corresponding to Figure 5 were used) would be the
inner portion of the middle sole of a boot or shoe, omitting the narrow
part under the instep, which is known in the trade as "the shank."
The dotted line indicates the place at which the block of compressed
leather produced in the mould (or the slabs of compressed leather
obtained from such block) would be subsequently divided in two by a
saw or knife. The mould represented by this Figure is composed of two
half moulds joined together by bolts and nuts passing through lugs-
cast at each end of each half mould as represented at a¹, a². The lugs
used for fastening the mould to a similar mould placed below or above
it are shewn at b', b¹.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of one of the slabs of metal used with
the mould represented by Figure 5. The horizontal contour and size
of the slabs are the same as those of the inside of the mould.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the mould represented by Figure 5.
The lugs by which the two halves of the mould are bolted together are
shewn at a¹, a¹, and the lugs which are used for fastening the mould
to a similar mould placed below or above it, but which are in a plane
different from that of the section are shewn at 6², 6. If Figure 3 were
somewhat reduced in size and the lugs shown at a¹, a¹, b¹, b¹, omitted
it would be a correct representation of a vertical section of the mould.
represented by Figure 1.
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 on Sheet 1 represent different views and
positions of two forms of the blocks used in shaping the horse-shoe
lifts; Figure 6 is a side view of a skeleton block; Figure 7 is a plan of
one of the metal plates of the same block shewing the metal rods in
section; Figure 8 is a side view of the same block as it appears after
the strips of leather have been wound round it; Figure 9 is a plan of a
hollow.metal block shewing the base of the block in plan and the body
of it in section.
Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 on Sheet 1 are representations of two
middle soles after they have been completed and divided from each
other; Figures 10 and 11 being plans, and Figures 12 and 13 sections.
The dotted lines on Figures 10 and 11 shew the extent to which the
piece of thin leather or other substance overlaps the slab.
-

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 2 are representations of the machine for
cutting and reducing the ridge or any other kind of leather into strips
of the proper width and thickness. required to form the horse-shoe
lifts, Figure 1 being a side elevation, and Figure 2 being an end
elevation.
The bed plate H is cast separately from the headstock I, and they are
fastened together by bolts not shewn in the Drawing. Through J, the
barrel of the headstock runs a shaft having at one end of it a fast and
loose pulley F, F, and a spur wheel E, and at the other end of it one,
two, or more circular knives a. Two of such knives are shewn in the
Drawing, but when the machine is used only for cutting and reducing
strips to form horse-shoe lifts one knife only is necessary. Upon the
barrel J is fixed a bracket 6 to which the reducing knife is affixed.
"
Through the bed plate H runs a shaft K, having at one end of it a
spur wheel E", which by the intervention of another spur wheel E¹
receives motion from the spur wheel E at the end of the shaft running
through the headstock; L, L, are the two rollers between which the
strip of leather is passed, and by the motion of-which it is drawn forward
against the edges of the knife a and of the reducing knife b¹. The
roller Li is put in motion by the shaft K, and the spur wheel d at
the end of the shaft K is geared into a similar spur wheel d³, on the shaft
of which (seen in section at m²) is fixed the other roller L'; m is the section
of the shaft carrying the roller L' and the spur wheel d; and n is the
eccentric in which the shaft m works. The eccentric n is controlled by
the lever o, and when the lever is raised the roller L' is removed to a
greater distance both from the edge of the knife band from the outer
roller L, so as to allow the end of the strip of leather to be passed
between and bi and also between L' and L by the hand of the operator.
The distance of the knife 6' from the roller I can be regulated by
relaxing the nut of the screw p by which the bracket 6 is secured to
the barrel of the headstock; c is a screw. passing through a lug cast on
to the bed plate and turned by a hand wheel Q.placed at one end of it,
and at the other end of the screw c is fixed a guage plate r, the lower
edge of which rests on the roller L and regulates the width to which
the strip is to be cut.
•
By removing the headstock I and all the machinery connected with
it from the bed plate H, and adjusting it on a suitable table, belts, straps,
and laces can be cut out of leather with great precision and rapidity,

page_text: and by using two or more circular knives; two or more of such articles
can be cut at the same time.
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 are representations of the gantry with its
headstocks and the trough used for pressing together the outer sole and
the middle sole or the horse-shoe lift; Figure 3 being a side elevation;
and Figure 4 being an end elevation, with the trough in section. X is
the gantry; y, y', are the headstocks; e, e¹, are the hand wheels giving
motion to the barrels; 2, ¹, are the iron plates placed at the ends of the
barrels instead of centres; a is the trough; b is the bracket supporting
it; c represents four outer soles placed in the trough (toe downwards)
with the middle soles or horse-shoe lifts connected to them; d, d³, d", di
are the blocks of wood interposed between the plate z and the row of
soles 'O to fill up the vacant space.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would
have it understood that without confining myself to the precise details
shown, for which mechanical equivalents may be substituted, what I
claim as of my Invention is,―
Firstly. The mode or method herein-before described of manufacturing
out of the materials herein-before mentioned a good and cheap substitute
for new leatlier...
Secondly. The application of cement to the materials used in the
manufacture of the compressed leather by the means and in the manner
herein-before described.
Thirdly. The mode or method herein-before described of manufacturing
the compressed leather in the form of blocks or slabs corresponding in
size and shape to one or more of the articles required to be produced.
Fourthly. The various kinds of moulds herein-before described and
the use of them for the purpose of manufacturing the compressed
leather.
Fifthly. The manufacture of slabs of the compressed leather by the
division of the blocks made in the moulds.
Sixthly. The mode or method herein-before described of manufacturing
horse-shoe lifts out of strips of leather.
Seventhly. The various kinds of blocks herein-before described and
the use of them for the purpose of moulding strips of leather into the
form of horse-shoe lifts.

page_text: Eighthly. The mode or method herein-before described of manu-
facturing the middle soles of boots and shoes and other coverings for
the feet by the combination of horse-shoe lifts with slabs of compressed
leather.
Ninthly. The various methods herein-before described of combining
the horse-shoe lifts with the slabs of compressed leather.
Tenthly. The combination of the horse-shoe lift and slab of compressed
leather, or of the horse-shoe lift alone, with the outer sole of a boot or
shoe or other covering for the foot by the use of cement and the appli-
cation of pressure, in the manner herein-before described.
Eleventhly. The two kinds of troughs herein-before described for the
purpose of applying pressure to the soles of boots and shoes and other
coverings for the feet and to any other parts which it may be desired
to connect therewith.
Twelfthly. The machinery and apparatus herein-before described for
cutting, and reducing leather into strips of the, width and thickness
required for horse-shoe lifts and for outer purposes..
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas White, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Thomas White in the presence
of
W. BEST,
THOMAS WHITE. (L.S.)
Solicitor,
Leeds.