IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers,
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Carl Friedrich August Schönecker,
Boot and Shoe Maker, of Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony and
Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition,
on the 30th October 1875.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," (a
communication to me from abroad by Carl Friedrich August Schönecker,
Boot and Shoe Maker, of Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony and
Empire of Germany,) to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its obiect improvements in the manufacture of

page_text: boots and shoes. It relates, firstly, to the heels, which I form mainly of
metal, as follows:- -I form the main portion or body of the heel of sheet
iron, sheet steel, brass, copper, or other similar metal, to which by
stamps I give the appropriate form, which may somewhat resemble that
of an inverted bell, the part corresponding to the mouth being arranged
to fasten to the hind portion of the under part or sole of the boot, for
which purpose the upper or wider part of the heel body near its ridge is
perforated so that the fastening to the boot or shoe may be effected by
means of small screws or nails, and a portion of the wider part of the
metal heel body may be cut away so as to leave a projecting tongue-
shaped part, which I bend in such manner as that it shall lic against the
waist of the sole or under part of the boot pointing towards the toe and
be there fastened by screws or nails; the lower portion of the metal heel
body thus formed is of circular shape, and has a hole through it, to
which is soldered or fastened an internal nose of brass, gun metal, or
similar metal not liable to rust, which nose is tapped to receive a screw,
whereby I screw to the metal body a layer or layers of leather to form
the outer base of the heel, the screw head being by countersinking
prevented from touching the ground.
For the above description of heel I employ sheet iron, steel, or other
metal of about half a millimeter in thickness and upwards, when the
article is intended for ladies' wear, and for men's wear I employ sheet
iron or other metal of one millimeter in thickness and upwards. I rivet
or sew by means of thin wire a thin ring or layer of leather to the base
of the metal heel body formed as described. To the inner side of the
outer leather intended to be fastened to the heel by means of a screw, as
above described, is fastened a small metal ring or washer. This metal
ring or washer fits into the recess formed by the thin ring or layer of
leather on the base of the heel. I further insert pointed wires into the
outer leather, so that when the latter is screwed on to the heel body the
projecting points will enter the inner layer and prevent turning of the
outer leather.
A modification of the Invention is to dispense with the thin layer of
leather, permitting the wire points of the outer leather to enter corre-
sponding holes in the base of the metal heel body.
Another modification consists in driving a pointed instrument into
the hoce most of the metal heal had from the insida

page_text: force the metal outward, and form as it were rough points, which enter
the outer leather when the same is screwed on to the heel.
According to another modification I stamp the metal heel body with a
concave bottom by way of strengthening the same for heavy weight.
I then fill up the concavity with a layer of convex leather, and screw on
the outer leather supplied with the small washer as above.
The second part of the Invention relates to the sole of the boot or
shoe, and is designed to secure better and safer walking, and a con-
siderable saving in the wear of the upper leather. To this end I make
the inner sole in the usual manner, and fasten a second or intermediato
sole to it by means of caoutchouc glue. This intermediate sole is
tapered or chamfered at its rearward and foreward ends, where it
terminates in sharp edges.
The third or outer sole is fastened to the second or intermediate sole
in the same manner as the latter to the inner sole. The outer sole is
tapered or chamfered similarly to the intermediate sole, so that the
entire compound sole, consisting of three layers, shall form an even
outline, with considerable taper towards the waist at its rear and
towards the toc at its fore end.
▸ SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Lloyd Wise, Her special
licence that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Lloyd

page_text: Wise, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," (a
communication to me from abroad by Carl Friedrich August Schönecker,
Boot and Shoe Maker, of Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony and
Empire of Germany,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Lloyd Wise, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said

page_text: arrangement illustrated), so as to leave a projecting tongue-shaped part
d, which I bend in such manner as that it shall lie against the waist of
the sole or under part of the boot pointing towards the toe, and be there
fastened by screws or nails; but this tongue-shaped projection may be
dispensed with, in which case no portion of the upper lateral part of
the heel body is removed except to form the perforations whereby it is
to be fastened to the boot or shoe. The lower portion of the metal heel
body formed as described is of circular shape in its horizontal section,
and, as represented in section in Fig. 2, has a hole through it, to which
is soldered or fastened an internal nose or boss e of brass, gun metal, or
similar metal not liable to rust, which nose or boss is tapped to receive
a screw f, whereby I screw to the metal body a layer or layers of
leather to form the outer base of the heel, the screw head being by
countersinking as shewn prevented from touching the ground.
For the above description of heel I employ sheet iron, steel, or other
metal of about half a millimeter in thickness and upwards when the
article is intended for ladies' wear, and for men's wear I employ sheet
iron or other metal of one millimeter in thickness and upwards. I rivet
or sew by means of thin wire a thin ring or layer of leather ǹ to the
base of the metal heel body formed as described. To the inner side of
the outer leather 9 intended to be fastened to the heel by means of a
screw, as above described, is fastened a small metal ring or washer i.
This metal ring or washer fits into the recess formed by the thin ring or
I further insert pointed
layer of leather on the base of the heel.
wires into the outer leather 9 (as shewn to an enlarged scale in Fig. 3),
so that when the latter is screwed on to the heel body the projecting
points will enter the inner layer and prevent turning of the outer
leather

page_text: formed enter the outer leather when the same is screwed on to the heel.
This Figure shews the metal base stamped with a recess so as to
dispense with the leather ring & shewn in Fig. 2.
According to another modification (shewn in Fig. 6) I stamp the
metal heel body with a concave bottom by way of strengthening the
same for heavy weight. I then fill up the concavity with a layer of
convex leather and screw on the outer leather supplied with the small
washer, as already described with reference to preceding arrangements.
The second part of the Invention is illustrated in Fig. 7. It relates
to the sole of the boot or shoc, and is designed to secure better and safer
walking, and a considerable saving in the wear of the upper leather.
To this end I make the inner sole k in the usual manner and fasten a
second or intermediate sole to it by means of caoutchouc glue. This
intermediate sole is tapered or chamfered at its rearward and foreward
ends, where it terminates in sharp edges, as shewn.
The third or outer sole m is fastened to the second or intermediate
sole in the same manner as the latter to the inner sole. The outer
sole is tapered or chamfered similarly to the intermediate sole, so that
the entire compound sole, consisting of three layers, shall form an even
outline, with considerable taper towards the waist at its rear and towards
the toe at its fore end.
A fourth sole may be added, and the attachment may be effected by
screws passing through the several layers.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect as communicated to
me as aforesaid, I desire to have it understood that no claim is intended
to be made to the use of screws or of wires or of caoutchouc as means
of attachment, nor is any claim intended to be made to the making of
boots and shoes with compound soles apart from the peculiar mode of
manufacturing such compound soles, as herein above set forth, but what
I do claim is,―
First. The improved compound heels, consisting of a main body of
metal in conjunction with an adjustable leather base, as herein-before
described with reference respectively to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5,
and Fig. 6 of the accompanying Drawings,

page_text: Secondly. The improved manufacture of compound soles herein-before
described with reference to Fig. 7 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.