Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved shoe.
Figures 2 to 5 details of the same.
Fig. 6 is a section on line y. y. of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a similar section on line x. x. of Fig. 1.
The shoe is so made as to fit conveniently to the foot so that the sole of the foot
may everywhere rest on a plane surface while sufficient air is conveyed to the foot
throughout its width, in the parts which are not subjected to the pressure due to.
the weight of the body.
The essential novelty of this arrangement consists in the application of a
ventilator arranged between the outer sole and the welt which besides effecting the
beneficial ventilation of the foot renders the leather more durable this arrangement
being simple cheap and unable to injure or otherwise interfere with the foot.
This air supplying apparatus consists of an elastic and hollow joint piece a which
is made of coiled steel wire having the cross section shown in Fig. 2 and the plane
surface of which is turned towards the under surface. In the parts which are not
subjected to the weight of the body there are formed holes in the welt while an
inlet pipe c arranged in the heel allows the outer air to enter the shoe. The same
has a rectangular shape Fig. 4 and is provided with an inner screw thread to
receive the closing screw furnished with a head Fig. 5 which is more or less long.
The latter is screwed in as soon as the draught of air is required to be stopped or
in order to prevent the entrance of water. Projectious arranged at the side of the
quadrangular piece and provided with perforations facilitates its attachment in the
heel. In the front end of the sole of the foot is arranged a suitable number of air
tubes e Figure 7 of coiled steel wire of quadrangular cross section (Fig. 3.) which
are placed or laid upon the middle of the welt so as to extend as far as the point of
the toes. Perforations formed here in the welt allow the access of air within the
inner space of the shoe. It is not absolutely necessary to make the joint piece a
and the steel wire air pipes or tubes of spiral wire any other material such as
india-rubber, gutta-percha, papier-maché and the like may be also utilized.
The only requirement is to obtain a plane surface upon which upon which the foot
can beat without discomfort. The part not occupied by the tubes e between the
welt and the sole is made of packing leather so that from the sole or double sole
nothing can be seen of the contrivance placed inside. The rear jointed piece a may
consist instead of coiled steel wire of separate rows of sedgemental pieces which
maintain a free passage for the access of air. The perforations bare not arranged in
the longitudinal axis of the sole as has been done before but the different elastic pieces
are placed in rows in close proximity one to the other in the front of the sole of the
boot form single spiral springs which being arranged between the welt & the sole
keep the air passage open in a very advantageous manner.

page_text: Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is.
1st. Shoes of every description containing between the welt and the sole a
channel or groove shaped air supply apparatus characterized by the fact that the
foot rests everywhere on a plane surface while being supplied throughout the whole
of its width by air introduced through perforations b formed in the welt and through
an inlet pipe c.
2nd. In ventilated shoes such as above claimed the arrangement of a number of
elastic bodies or parts e (Fig. 7) arranged in rows one close to the other and
consisting of spiral wire, india-rubber, caoutchouc, papier maché and the like placed
under the front part of the foot in such a manner that the arrangement of different
bodies in close proximity one to the other may form passages or channels for the
ventilation and a level and plane surface for the laying of the sole.
3rd. In ventilated shoes such as above claimed a hollow joint piece a under the
rear and central part of the foot in order to afford a plane bearing surface
notwithstanding the ventilation channels while imparting sufficient elasticity to the
whole sole.
Dated this 29th day of September 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.