An Improved Protector for the Heels or Soles of Boots' and Shoes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
[Communicated from abroad by FRANK WESTON WHITCHER, of 17 Melville
Avenue, Boston, County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, Merchant.]
An Improved Protector for the Heels or Soles of Boots'
and Shoes.
1, HENRY HARRIS. LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the. County. of Middlesex, 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 —
My invention has for its object to provide an improved protector for the heels
or soles of boots and shoes and is fully set forth in the following description, and
the novel features thereof are pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the
end of this specification.
In the following description reference is made to the accompanying drawings in
which-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view enlarged of a protector embodying my invention.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are top views or plans enlarged showing other forms
thereof.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-and-12-are elevations partly.in section enlarged showing the
cross-sectional shapes of several protectors embodying my invention.
Various wear resisting devices or protectors designed for use in the heels or
soles of boots or shoes have previously been made. These-prior forms have all, so
far as known to me, been objectionable in that they are difficult to drive or set in
the heel or sole; and do not present the greatest amount of metal in the proper
position to most effectually resist wear, that is to say, a common form of protector
hitherto made is rectangular or oblong in cross-section.
In this form the entering
end which is driven into the leather is as thick as the opposite end or edge which
takes the wear when the protector is in place. This blunt form of protector is
very difficult to drive, is often spread or otherwise impaired in the driving or
setting, and when set a considerable portion of the metal from which it is formed is
buried in the leather and does not effect any useful purpose.
A protector embodying my present invention is free from the objections above
noted, while its efficiency as a wear-resisting device is greater than that of any of
the forms hitherto known to me. The accompanying drawings show my device
embodied in protectors of various shapes. The precise contour of the protector in
plan is unimportant. At Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive I have shown in plan several forms
of my device which consider desirable forms. My protectors are preferably
uniform in cross-sectional shape from end to end, and the cross-sectional shapes
which I prefer are shown in the elevation views, Figs: 7 to 12 inclusive. The
protector is formed preferably of steel or hard metal which is efficient in resisting
wear, and may either be forged to the shape required, or may be formed from a
straight strip of proper cross-sectional shape, which is preferably bent to such form
that an interior space will be formed which will, when the protector is set or driven,
enclose a portion of the leather, the said portion of leather being attached at the

page_text: mouth or open end of the protector to the main portion of the leather in which the
protector is set. In use the protector is driven into the stock so that the driving
or wear resisting end or edge is flush or substantially flush with the surface of the
heel or sole.
At Figs. 7 and 10 I have shown in elevation two of the simpler and more easily
constructed forms of protector embodying my invention. The inner wall or
surface 1 is preferably vertical. This facilitates the setting of the protector in the
leather and tends to prevent the spreading or distortion in the operation of driving.
or setting. The exterior wall 2 is preferably divergent or bevelling as shown,
forming a sharp entering-end or edge, enabling the protector to be easily driven
into the material, the said line 2 of the outer surface extending either to the top 3
as in Fig. 7 or to the vertical side wall 4 near the top 3 as in Fig. 10. As will be
obvious the form shown in Fig. 10 is to be preferred for some uses, since the wear
resisting portion of the protector is considerably increased in depth and this is
desirable for some kinds of boots and shoes.
Figs. 8 and 11 show modifications of the line of the exterior surface of the
protectors, a shoulder 5 being introduced in each case, thus permitting a protector
of lighter weight to be formed and a slight saving in metal to be effected."
Figs. 9 and 12 show another modification of the outer wall of the protector, the
said outer wall shown at 6 in each of said figures being formed on a curve instead
of on a straight line. In all these forms it will be observed that the metal is so
disposed as to be present at the point where it is required in resisting wear, while
a sufficient amount of metal is left between the wear-resisting end of the protector
and the entering end to ensure the protectors holding firmly in the material and to
ensure the driving or setting of the protector with a minimum of power.
protector embodying my invention may also be more accurately, easily and
effectively set or driven by means of an automatic setting machine than can
protectors hitherto made as far as known to me.
A
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. A heel or sole protector having in cross-section a sharpened or substantially.
wedge shaped entering edge, and a thickened wear-resisting edge, the line of one
of the sides or walls being a vertical line while the line of the other side or wall is
in whole or in part divergent or at an angle with the said vertical line, substantially
as set forth.
2. A heel or sole protector shaped to partially enclose a portion of the leather
in which it is set and having in cross-section a sharpened or substantially wedge
shaped entering edge, and a thickened wear-resisting edge, substantially as
described.
3. A heel or sole protector shaped to partially enclose a portion of the leather
in which it is set, and having a vertical inner face or wall, the said walls forming
a body thinned or sharpened at one edge to permit it to be more easily driven
and thickened at the opposite edge to afford greater wear resisting capacity,
substantially as set forth.
ישית
ليمي
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..