IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, 'UPPERS,' OR 'TOP'S' FOR BOOTS AND SHOES, LEGGINGS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Charles Vickers and
Alfred Freestone at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
• with their Petition, on the 11th November 1875.
We, EDWARD CHARLES VICKERS and ALFRED FREESTONE, both of
Compton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, 'UPPERS,' OR 'TOP'S' FOR BOOTS AND SHOES,
LEGGINGS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of
boots, shoes, "uppers," or tops " for boots and shoes, slippers,
leggings, and other such like articles, and by means of which the same
can be produced in an economical manner, and possessing qualities of a
very superior character.
For the purposes of this Invention a fabric composed of hair, wool, or
of a mixture of wool and of cotton, jute, or other suitable vegetable or
animal fibre or fibres is employed. Such fabric may be made thoroughly
waterproof, or if desired it may be made sufficiently porous to allow of
the passage of air through the same. In order to produce this material

page_text: a layer of wool or mixture of wool and other fibre or fibres is taken as
it leaves the carding engine, and is rolled around a revolving mould
or cylinder, resembling the shape of the article required to be pro-
duced, only somewhat larger to allow for shrinking in subsequent
operations. Strengthening materials consisting of webbing or other
suitable textile or other material or materials, or another layer of the
material from the carding engine being when desired placed at such
parts as will impart additional strength to those portions of the fabric as
may be desirable. The fabric having been thus formed is then taken
off the mould or cylinder, hardened and "planked," and afterwards
stiffened or "proofed "by means of any of the stiffening compositions
applicable to the purpose, and which are well known to persons
conversant with such processes, the "proof" or stiffening being steamed
into the material. The moulded fabric is then dyed with any color
which it is desired to give to the article in course of manufacture; it is
then steamed on to a mould of suitable size and shape, and if considered
desirable afterwards transferred to an iron mould and pressed by
hydraulic or other suitable power, after which operation it is finished by
any of the means used for finishing felt hats.
о
Instead of employing the material or mixture of materials above
mentioned direct from the carding engine, sheet felt may be used, pieces
of suitable size being cut out and then steamed on to the mould, and
afterwards submitted to the processes above described.
The articles thus made may be completed by the addition of the
requisite bindings, trimmings, fittings, soles, and other necessary
appendages, whether the article is first formed on a mould or manu-
factured out of a sheet of the felted fabric before mentioned.
i
One great advantage derived from making boots and shoes as above
described is that they are seamless.