IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Chapman, of Northampton, in the County of
Northampton, Shoe Manufacturer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Chapman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1877.
THOMAS CHAPMAN, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, Shoe
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
In ordinary machine-made boots and shoes, such as those made by Blake's.
machine, the stitching which unites the outer sole, the upper, and the insole, passes
right through the latter, causing considerable annoyance to the wearer, to obviate
which it has been the practice either to fit a sock inside the boot so as to cover the
stitching, or to adopt a method of stitching the parts together, which is effected by
a machine known as the Goodyear machine. Both these methods entail con-
siderable increase in the expense of manufacture, besides offering certain other.
disadvantages.
Now by means of my present Invention I am enabled to stitch together the
outer sole or welt, the upper and the insole, in the ordinary manner, such as by
the Blake machine, without the stitching appearing on the inner surface of the in-
sole. For this purpose I split the insole in its thickness in such manner that the
one part is of sufficient substance to receive the stitching for uniting it with the
upper and outer sole or welt, while the other part may be thinner, the splitting.
being effected so as to leave the two parts united to each other at any convenient
point or points, such as along the middle part of the sole or at one end only; I then
fold back the thinner part round the edge of the sole as far as it has been split, and
having secured temporarily the upper and outer sole or welt to the outer surface of.
the other part thereof I stitch these parts together in the usual manner, so that the
stitching passes through to the inner surface of the insole, which has been formed

page_text: by splitting away the thinner part. I then turn back such thinner part into its
original position so as to cover the said stitching in the same manner as a sock, the
inner part being made to adhere to the other part either merely by means of the
wax of the thread employed for the stitching, or by any suitable additional
means.
The splitting may be effected by a knife or blade of any suitable form, either by
hand or by attaching the blade to a machine similar to that usually employed for
cutting the channel in the outer soles of a boot, which receives the stitching, such
cutting instrument forming no part of my present Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Chapman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th May
1878.
THOMAS CHAPMAN, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, Shoe
Manufacturer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
In ordinary machine-made boots and shoes, such as those made by Blake's
machine, the stitching which unites the outer sole, the upper, and the insole, passes
Cright through the latter, causing considerable annoyance to the wearer, to obviate
which it has been the practice either to fit a sock inside the boot so as to cover the
stitching, or to adopt a method of stitching the parts together, which is effected by
a machine known as the Goodyear "machine. Both these methods entail
considerable increase in the expense of manufacture, besides offering certain other
disadvantages.
"
Now by means of my present Invention I am enabled to stitch together the
outer sole or welt, the upper, and the insole, in the ordinary manner, such as by the
Blake machine, without the stitching appearing on the inner surface of the insole.
For this purpose I split the insole in its thickness in such manner that the one
part is of sufficient substance to receive the stitching for uniting it with the upper
and outer sole or welt, while the other part may be thinner, the splitting being
effected so as to leave the two parts united to each other at any convenient
point or points, such as along the middle part of the sole, or at one end
only. I then fold back the thinner part round the edge of the sole as far as it has
been split, and having secured temporarily the upper and outer sole or welt to the
outer surface of the other part thereof, I stitch these parts together in the usual
manner, so that the stitching passes through to the inner surface of the insole,
which has been formed by splitting away the thinner part. I then turn back such
thinner part into its original position so as to cover the said stitching in the same
manner as a sock, the inner part being made to adhere to the other part either
merely by means of the wax of the thread employed for the stitching or by any
suitable additional means.
The splitting may be effected by a knife or blade of any suitable form, either by
hand or by attaching the blade to a machine similar to that usually employed

page_text: for cutting the channel in the outer soles of a boot which receives the stitching, such
cutting instrument forming no part of my present Invention.
My said Invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
O
Fig. 1 shews a plan, and Fig. 2 a side view of the insole of a boot or shoe; and
Fig. 3 shews a cross section thereof.
The surface A of the sole being that with which the foot of the wearer comes
into contact, I split the sole all round on a line B, B, Fig. 2, as near as practicable
to the surface A, so as to leave the part below the slit of sufficient thickness to
hold the stitching. Such splitting may be effected to any desired depth, such as is
indicated at C, Fig. 1. Or in place of splitting the sole all round the splitting
may be stopped short at the points X, X, leaving the part round the heel unsplit.
Or again, the splitting may be effected right across the sole, as shewn at Figure 4,
leaving the inner portion D attached to the other portion E at one end only. The
sole having been split according to either of these methods, the inner or thin portion
is turned back, as shewn at Fig. 3 or at Fig. 4, and the insole, with the upper
leather and outer sole or welt being temporarily fastened together, are sewn together
by machine, as shewn by the cross section at Fig. 5, with the stitches passing
through the thick split portion of the insole A, the upper F, and the outsole G.
On the boot or shoe being removed from the machine the thin part of the insole
is turned back into its original position so as to cover the stitching, as shewn at
Fig. 6, being made to adhere to the outer part of the insole, either merely by
the wax of the thread, or by any cementing material especially applied.
Fig. 6 shews a welt H instead of an outer sole sewn to the upper and insole,
according to my Invention, as above described, the outer sole G being afterwards
sewn on to the welt in the ordinary manner.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim, in the securing together by machine, stitching of the
inner sole, the upper leather, and outer sole or welt of a boot or shoe, partially
splitting the insole, folding back the inner split part, and after stitching turning
the folded part forward again to cover the stitching, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Chapman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
THOMAS CHAPMAN. (L.S.)