Improvements in the Construction of Boots.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1095
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Boots.
I THOMAS COWBURN of Spring Villa, Brook Street, Gloucester, in the County
of Gloucester, Eugineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
:--
This invention relates especially to what may be called heavy boots, such as
those used, for instance, for army purposes, or for shooting boots, but it is equally
applicable to other boots, and also to wooden-soled shoes or clogs.
The object of this invention is to obviate the inconvenience arising from internally
projecting portions, to render the quarters more supple than heretofore, without
detracting from the strength, and also to provide ventilation in the heel portion.
In carrying out my invention, I make a butt joint between the counter and the
vamp, and I secure the parts together by a strip, which is sewn over the joint to
both the counter and the vamp.
I form in the quarter, at the heel (from the bottom to the top), a number of holes
or slits, and I form, internally of the quarter, a number of more or less radial
grooves, starting, it may be said, from the point about where the ankle bones would
come.
Outside the quarter I place the usual stiffener, and I attach to the upper edge
thereof a gore or gusset, which will act as a cover to the holes or slits in the quarter.
This cover
secured to the quarter along its edges, so that the quarter is practically
loose inside the cover and the stiffener.
When the quarter is laced up, and is drawn round the ankle of the wearer, which
can be done owing to the flexibility of the leather forming the quarter, a space
will be left between it and the heel stiffener and cover, and, by the action of walking,
as the foot alternately spreads and contracts, a pumping action will be set up,
which will serve to keep the foot cool. The grooves and the holes or slits will
give suppleness to the quarter, which will thus readily yield to the bending of the
foot in the action of walking.
Dated this 9th day of October 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
1 THOMAS COWBURN of Spring Villa, Brook Street, Gloucester in the County
of Gloucester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the sanie is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates especially to what may be called heavy boots, such as
those used, for instance, for army purposes, or for shooting boots, but it is equally
applicable to other boots, and also to wooden soled shoes or clogs.
The object of this invention is to obviate the inconvenience arising from internally
projecting portions caused by overlapping, etc., to render the quarters more supple
[Price & 7

page_text: than heretofore, without detracting from the strength, and also to provide ventila-
tion in the heel portion.
In carrying out my invention, as applied to what are known as blucher boots,
I make a butt joint between the counter and the vamp, and I secure the parts
together by a strip, which is sewn over the joint to both the counter and the
vamp.
I form in the quarter (from the bottom to the top), at and around the heel, a
number of holes or slits, and I form internally of the quarter, by paring away the
inner face, a number of more or less radial grooves, starting, it may be said, from
the point about where the ankle bones would come.
Outside the quarter, and separate therefrom, I place the usual stiffener, and
I attach to the upper edge of this stiffener a gore, gusset, or piece, which will act
as a cover to the holes or slits in the quarter. This cover is secured to the quarter
along its edges, so that the quarter is practically loose inside the cover and the
stiffener.
When the quarter is laced up and is drawn round the ankle of the wearer, which
can be done owing to the flexibility of the leather forming the quarter, a space will
be left between it and the heel stiffener and cover, and by the action of walking,
as the foot alternately spreads and contracts, a pumping action will be set up, which
will serve to keep the foot cool. The grooves and the holes or slits will give
suppleness to the quarter, which will thus readily yield to the bending of the foot
in the action of walking.
An incidental advantage of this construction is, that the quarter being unstiffened
and soft, will fit a broad or narrow heel, irrespective of the general size of the foot,
and thus one of the greatest causes of sore heel will be avoided.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a side view of a blucher boot constructed according to my invention,
Fig. 2 being a longitudinal section of the same.
A is the vamp and A' the tongue. B is the counter, which is cut so as to
make a butt joint with the vamp A, as far as its junction with the tongue A¹.
From this point, the counter comes outside the tongue, as shown in the drawings.
C is a strip which is sewn over the butt joint to both the vamp and the counter.
By this means, there are no projections caused by overlapping parts internally.
The external overlapping part of the counter strengthens the junction as well.
D is the quarter, and D are the radial grooves internal thereof. At and around
the heel, the whole of the quarter is perforated, as shown.
F is the stiffener, which is secured in the usual way to the insole, and G is the
gore, gusset, or piece, which is secured to the top edge of the stiffener, and also by
its top edge to the quarter. This piece G, as before mentioned, covers the perfora-
tions. The piece G is not attached at the top to the quarter, and a space is thus
left by which air may enter betwecu the quarter and the stiffener, and be
expelled therefrom, as before explained, by the movement of the foot in the boot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A boot constructed as herein shown and described, for the purposes set forth.
2. A boot formed with the quarter and the stiffener in two separate parts,
connected together by a flexible piece or connection, as and for the purpose set
forth.
Doted this out 1
c
T
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.