Improvements in Boots and Shoes for the Purpose of Ventilation.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boots and Shoes for the Purpose of Ventilation.
I WILLIAM OWEN of Constitution Road Petersham in the Colony of New
South Wales Mechanical Engineer 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:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in boots and shoes by means of
which the communication between the sole of the foot and the outer air is main-
tained so that the sole of the boot or shoe and consequently the foot therein will
be thoroughly ventilated. Not only will the foot be thoroughly ventilated but it
will be preserved against damp rising through the soles. At the same time this
invention prevents squeezing of the foot and it obviates the use of the intermediate
filling of felt or scraps ordinarily used and it is adapted both for sewn and pegged
boots and shoes.
The
These improvements in boots and shoes for the purpose of ventilating the sole
of the foot consist in interposing between the insole and the sole of the boot or
shoe two intermediate soles of thin semi-elastic material such as metal or vulcanite
but preferably aluminium or aluminium bronze and in making communication from
between these two sheets of material to the outer air by means of a passage or
passages in the stiffening of the heel end of the upper of the boot or shoe.
top of these two intermediate soles is perforated and the insole of the boot or shoe
is also perforated with its holes in juxtaposition to the holes in the upper inter-
mediate sole. The lower intermediate sole has preferably riser pieces on its upper
surface which risers prevent the complete closure of the upper upon the lower
intermediate sole and so provide air space. Each of these intermediate soles has
a back extension bent up at right angles (or thereabouts) to their upper surface
so that when placed together these extension or tail pieces form a pipe or passage
or pipes or passages from the air space between the two intermediate soles through
the heel stiffening to the point where the back of the boot is perforated.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawings herewith in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a boot constructed according to the present
improvements,
Figure 2 is a partial sectional plan on the line u u
Figure 3 is a cross section on the line bb Figure 1.
Figure 1,
Figure 4 is a partial back elevation with a portion of the upper cut away to shew
the upright backward extension of the intermediate soles.
Figure 5 is a plan of the top intermediate sole and
Figure 6 is a plan of the bottom intermediate sole.
In use 1 prefer to make my ventilating addition to boots and shoes a merchantable
article in itself.
The semi-elastic intermediate soles C and D for the best class of boots I prefer
to make of aluminium bronze though they may be made of other semi-elastic
metal or of vulcanite or celluloid or some other stiff springy material. These two
soles have extension pieces C¹ and D' which are bent upwardly and the inner one
thereof C¹ being bent circularly to the shape of the heel of the boot while the
other extension D' is also bent circularly but preferably in two sectors of smaller
radius than the radius of the bend of the extension C so that passages or ways
are formed between the outside of the extension C¹ and the inside of extension D'
the groove D³ shewn on the outer extension forming a central recess for the

page_text: stitching of the golosh or upper of the boot. The extension C' of the inter-
mediate sole C is longer than the extension D' of the intermediate sole D. The
intermediate sole C has perforations C2 which when the said intermediate sole C is
in place correspond to perforations B2 in the insole B of the boot while on the
upper face of the intermediate sole D are a series of riser pieces D³ which keep
the intermediate sole C off the intermediate sole D ensuring that a space or
series of passages shall be always open between said intermediate soles. These
two intermediate soles are rivetted or soldered together at the toe and heel as
at c and d and are then ready for use.
In manufacturing the boot the upper A is first secured to the edges of the
insole B and the welt or strip B sewn or pegged thereto and to the insole as is
ordinarily done. In the recess or space usually filled with scraps or other filling
are placed the intermediate soles C and D the extensions C¹ and D' thereof being
situated in the back or heel part A' of the upper between the outer material and
the lining of the said upper the stiffening material of the said heel part being cut
away to receive the said extensions C and D' which thus form part of the stiffening.
Through the heel part are perforations A2 which may be finished off with eyelets
and which are situated just above the end of the extension D₁ and before the end
of the extension C¹ so that there is communication from the outer air through the
perforations or eyelets down the ways or passages Cs formed by the bending of
the extensions and D' between the two intermediate soles and through the
insole to the interior of the boot through the perforations C2 in the intermediate
sole C and the perforations B2 in the insole. In walking, the sole of the boot is
relieved of the weight of the body and when lifting the foot the springiness or
semi-elasticity of the upper intermediate sole C causes it to buckle or move
upwardly thus sucking the air in through the aforesaid passages or ways. When
the weight is again placed upon the sole the said intermediate sole C is pressed on
to risers D2 and this movement causes a flow of the warm air backwardly from
between the intermediate soles to the heel perforations or eyelets A². This
constant up and down movement of the intermediate sole in walking or other
movement of the body of the wearer of the boots ventilated by means of my
present improvement will ensure a thorough ventilation not only of the boot but
also of the foot of the wearer.
The invention may of course be similarly applied to shoes.
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:-
First. The improvement in boots and shoes for the purpose of ventilation
consisting in the placing between a perforated insole and the outer sole of the boot
or shoe of two intermediate soles of thin semi-elastic material as described adapted
to be kept at a slight distance apart and to have communication from between
them to the outer air substantially as herein described and explained.
Second. The intermediate soles for boots and shoes consisting of two thin semi-
elastic material sheets or films adapted to be kept slightly apart and having
extensions therefrom curved and bent so as to form passages or ways from
between said soles to some distance upwardly substantially as herein described
and explained.
Third. The particular construction of boots and shoes having ventilating inter-
mediate soles and passages or ways therefrom as herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Seventh day of April One thousand eight hundred and
ninety six
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.