Improvements in and appertaining to Stretchers for Boots, Shoes. Gloves, Hats, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1892-Accepted. 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and appertaining to Stretchers for Boots, Shoes.
Gloves, Hats, and the like.
We, HARRY CLAYTON SHAW, of Mill Brow, Sutton, Manager, and DAVID
CRONK TAYLOR, of Sutton Oak, Chemical Manure Manufacturer, both in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide, improved means whereby articles,
such as boots, shoes, gloves, hats and the like, can be stretched in a better and
more efficacious manner than as at present can be done by the stretchers ordinarily
used with such articles..
Our improvements consist in forming that portion or portions of the stretcher
corresponding to the part of the article to be stretched of a substance, such as india.
rubber which can expand or be inflated; the portion so made is formed hollow
and has suitably applied to it a conduit, such as a pipe, for introducing the medium,
such as compressed air, water under pressure, and the like, by which the portion
can be expanded or inflated. The compressed air or other medium, is supplied to
the conduit from any suitable source, and its introduction may be controlled by any
suitable means.
In the case of a stretcher for boots and shoes, for instance; having determined
the exact shape to be given to such a stretcher, the end or toe portion would be
formed of india rubber and be hollow, and would be cemented or otherwise suitably
attached to the remaining portion of the stretcher, through which a tube would
pass to the hollow toe portion.
The introduction of such a stretcher is effected in the usual way, and a force
pump or a tap from the water main can be employed for expanding the toe portion
of the stretcher, when the rubber portion is sufficiently expanded, thereby
stretching the toe portion of the boot or shoe; the tube can be closed by any
suitable means.
Dated this 20th day of Mar 1801
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and appertaining to Stretchers for Boots, Shoes,
Gloves, Hats, and the like.
We, HARRY CLAYTON SHAW of Mill Brow, Sutton, Manager, and DAVID
CRONK TAYLOR, of Sutton Oak, Chemical Manure Manufacturer, both in the
County of Lancaster, 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 has for its object to provide improved means whereby articles,
such as boots, shoes, gloves and the like, can be stretched in a better and more
efficacious manner than at present can be done by means of the stretchers ordinarily
used with such .articles. We are well aware that this invention may be applied
to other articles such for instance as hats but do not desire to particularly claim
the use of this stretcher in connection with hats.
In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will describe the same
by aid of the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings which shows it applied

page_text: to a boot stretcher for convenience of description, it cau be easily understood
therefrom how, by suitably modifying the shape of the inflatable portion, it can be
equally well applied for other articles, for instance, when gloves are to be stretched,
the inflatable portions of the stretcher would be the fingers,
On the sheet of drawings--
Figure 1 shows a section of one form of boot stretcher.
Figure 2 is the boot stretcher inserted in a boot.
Figure 3 shows a section of a variety of boot stretcher.
Our improvements consist in forming that portion or portions of the stretcher
corresponding to the part of the article to be stretched of a substance, such as
india rubber, which can expand or be inflated; the portion so made is formed
hollow and has suitably applied to it a conduit, such as a pipe, for introducing the
medium, such as compressed air, water under pressure, and the like, by which the
portion can be expanded or inflated.
In the case of a stretcher for boots and shoes, for instance, and as shown on
the sheet of drawings; having determined the exact shape to be given to such
a stretcher, the end or toe portion would be formed of india rubber and be
hollow.
A, is the hollow india rubber toe portion and B is the remaining portion of the
stretcher made of wood in the form of a handle for conveniently introducing
the stretcher into the boot (or shoe), but also so as to form an intermediate support
bearing on or against the interior of the back of the boot or shoe and so retaining
the stretcher in place to prevent it slipping during or after inflation. The toe
portion A would be cemented or otherwise suitably attached to the remaining
portion B of the stretcher.
The attachment shown in Figure 1 is formed by passing the tube C (which is in
one with the toe portion A) up through the channel D of the wooden portion B,
so that by drawing the tube C the part A will be held close up to the portion B.
The compressed air or other medium is supplied to the conduit, in this case the
tube C, from any suitable source, for instance, by an inflator E, and its introduction
may be controlled by any suitable means, for instance, by a ring valve F, which,
when the inflatable portion has been sufficiently distended, need simply be turned
to prevent escape.
In the variety shown in Figure 3, the tube C is done away with and also the
rear part c d of the part A, the latter simply being cemented to the portion B
around the part a and to make a secure joint, a wire is employed engaging the
india rubber in a groove in B; a flap or corresponding valve G is provided, when
the inflator or its equivalent has been withdrawn from the channel D, the valve
drops to prevent escape. This latter variety of construction will, we believe, be
found suitable where economy is a consideration.
The introduction of such a stretcher is effected in the usual way, and a force
pump (such as an inflator E) or a tap from the water main can be employed for
expanding the toe portion of the stretcher; when the rubber portion is sufficiently
expanded, thereby stretching the toe portion of the boot or shoe, the tube can be
closed by any suitable means as above mentioned.
It will be noticed on the drawing that the material of which the inflatable part
is made is not the same thickness throughout, it is better that the parts (in the
drawings the part cd) not actually in contact with the surfaces to be stretched
should be stouter than the other parts, as the latter will be backed and be
supported by such surfaces when the inflator is being used, whilst the former, in
the absence of such backing or support, might burst if too thin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The improvements in and appertaining to stretchers for boots, shoes, gloves
and the like, which consist in forming that portion or those portions of the stretcher

page_text: corresponding to the part of the article to be stretched, hollow and of a distensible
substance and suitable shape and provided with means whereby it or they can be
distended, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved stretchers for boots or shoes which consist of either
a) A stretcher made substantially as shown and described with reference to
Figure 1, or
b) A stretcher made substantially as shown and described with reference to
Figure 3.
Dated this 201 1
1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.