IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WARMING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
VAUX, of Frederick Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourth day of September, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Vaux, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Vaux, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Vaux, my exors,
adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WARMING BOOTS AND SHOES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Vaux, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Vaux, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described.
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being

page_text: had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of so constructing boot-trees for warming boots, and
lasts for the purpose of warming boots or shoes, that each boot-tree or last is
composed of separate parts, some or all of which are hollow, and capable of
combining together to form a complete boot-tree or a complete last.
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, first,
however, stating, that I am aware that hollow lasts of metal and other material
for warming boots and shoes have before been made, each last simply con-
sisting of one hollow vessel to contain water; but such single vessels cannot
be made to fit a boot or shoe with that accuracy which is desirable, and yet
allow of its being put in and taken out readily. And the object of my
Invention is to make such last and each boot-tree of separate parts, capable of
going together to make a complete boot-tree or last, and yet hollow, in order
that they may be heated
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of so constructing boot-trees for warming boots, and
lasts for the purpose of warming boots or shoes, that each boot-tree or last is
composed of separate parts, some or all of which are hollow, and capable of
combining together to form a complete boot-tree or a complete last.
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, first,
however, stating, that I am aware that hollow lasts of metal and other material
for warming boots and shoes have before been made, each last simply con-
sisting of one hollow vessel to contain water; but such single vessels cannot
be made to fit a boot or shoe with that accuracy which is desirable, and yet
allow of its being put in and taken out readily. And the object of my
Invention is to make such last and each boot-tree of separate parts, capable of
going together to make a complete boot-tree or last, and yet hollow, in order
that they may be heated
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
717
Figure 1 shews a plan of a boot-tree complete, it being made up of four
parts.
Figure 2 is a vertical side section of such boot-tree.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, shewing different views of the separate parts, and each
part may be a hollow vessel, as shewn, capable of containing hot water, or only
part of them may be hollow. By making boot-trees of separate parts, each
part (particularly those parts which go to keep the foot part of a boot in form)
may be made with accuracy, so as to correspond in shape with a person's foot;
hence a boot put thereon, in addition to being warmed, would, if damp, be
dried, and kept accurately to the form of the foot. The foot a of the tree is
hinged to the front or fore part of the leg b, and the parts a and b are filled
with water at the openings a', 6'. The form of each part of the boot-tree
being clearly shewn in the Drawing, it will not be necessary to describe the
same. c is the hinder part of the leg of the tree, and d the central part or
wedge, each of which is supplied with hot water at the openings c¹, d¹, all
which will be readily understood on examining the Drawing. It will be
evident that the manner of forming and bringing together of the several parts
(of which a boot-tree or a last may be formed) may be varied. And I have
shewn other arrangements for such purpose, at the same time I do not confine
myself thereto, so long as boot-trees or lasts are each made up of different
and hollow suitab
"

page_text: Figure 7 shews a side section of the foot and fore part of the leg of another
construction of boot-tree, according to my Invention.
Figure 8 shews an under-side view of Figure 7. In this instance the foot
is not hinged to the fore part of the leg, as in the previous one.
Figure 9 shows two views of the foot separately; and,
Figure 10 shows two views of the fore part of the leg separately. The other
parts of the tree are similar to those before described.
Figure 11 shews the section of the fore part of the leg and foot of another
construction of boot-tree, the foot in this case being hinged to the leg at the
lower part. In some instances I do not make the hinder part of the leg so as
to contain water, in which case I form it with a door, as is shewn at Figure 12,
so that it may be capable, when used for travelling, to contain many articles,
such as blacking and brushes, &c.
Figures 13 and 14 show two arrangements of lasts for boots or shoes, the
one being made in two separate hollow parts, and the other of three hollow
parts, similar to the lower parts of a boot-tree; and they are each capable of
receiving hot water.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood, that
what I claim is the constructing boot-trees and lasts, each in separate parts,
hollow, and so as to be capable of being heated, in order to heat the boots
or shoes placed thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Vaux, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
JOHN (L.S.) VAUX.