Improvements in Anti-slipping Attachments for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Anti-slipping Attachments for Boots and Shoes.
1; FREDERICK JOHN HARDCASTLE of 299 Brighton Road, Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, Bootmaker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to those attachments for boots and shoes which are used.
to prevent slipping chiefly when playing games such as football, cricket, tennis and
the like, and for walking and cycling purposes, and the particular feature of the
present invention is the manner of making these attachments readily attachable or
removable.
In carrying out this invention I prefer to employ a backing or foundation which
may be made preferably of thin metal either rigid or flexible or of other sufficiently
strong and suitable material such as leather, rubber or the like. This backing or
foundation should be thin and flat so as to lie snugly on the sole of the boot and
may be provided with jaws, clips or equivalent to embrace the edges of the boot-
sole to which they may otherwise or additionally be secured by clamping screws,
springs, buttons, buckles or the like. The foundations which are adapted for the
heels would be suitably shaped and constructed for this purpose.
Upon the foundation are secured any desired number of projections which may.
be made of any suitable material or materials shape or size. Thus if the foundation
be made of cast metal as malleable iron or steel or of stamped or spring steel or
iron the projections may be made of the same piece, solid if required but preferably.
hollow and adapted to contain rubber, leather or the like; or the hollows need not
be filled in. The shape and size of the projections and studs would vary according
to the requirements of the case; for example for football long cross strips may be
employed either arranged parallel to each other or not according to circumstances
In the case of
and so as to obtain a secure grip upon the soft grass of the field.
tennis where it is important, while obtaining a sufficient hold on the grass, to
damage it as little as possible, the shape of the projections would naturally be
varied and they would hardly project so far as in the case of those for football.
For cricket spikes in some form would be preferable and these like the other studs
may either be permanently attached to the foundation or not as required.
For cycling all that is generally required would be one or more projections
adapted to 50 engage with the pedal of the machine as to prevent the foot
slipping in some cases this would be a broad flat strip to fit in between the two
edges of the pedal, while in others two strips would engage the outside of the
pedal plates either independently or in connection with the broad strip above
:
mentioned.
The foundation may be jointed in one or more places and so as to give accom-
modation in one or more directions, may be made of more than one material and
the clamping together may be by thumb screws, by screwing into the sole of the
boot or shoe, or otherwise.
Dated this 31st day of January 1901.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT;
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Anti-slipping Attachments for Boots and Shoes.
I, FREDERICK JOHN HARDCASTLE, of 299 Brighton Road, Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, Bootmaker, 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 relates to those attachments for boots and shoes which are used
to prevent slipping chiefly when playing games such as football, cricket, tennis and
the like, and for walking and cycling purposes, and the particular feature of the
present invention is the manner of making these attachments readily attachable or
removable.
In carrying out this invention I employ a backing or foundation of thin flexible
metal which will accommodate itself to the bending of the sole to which it is
attached when in use. This backing or foundation should be thin and flat so as to
lie snugly on the sole of the boot and may be provided with jaws, clips or equivalent
to embrace the edges of the boot sole to which they may otherwise or additionally
be secured by clamping, screws, springs, buttons, buckles or the like. The
foundations which are adapted for the heels would be suitably shaped and
constructed for this purpose.
Upon the foundation are secured any desired number of projections which may
be made of any suitable material or materials shape or size. Thus if the foundation
be made of cast metal as malleable iron or steel or of stamped or spring steel or
iron the projections may be made of the same piece, solid required but preferably
hollow and adapted to contain rubber, leather or the like; or the hollows need not
be filled in. The shape and size of the projections and studs would vary according
to the requirements of the case; for example for football long cross strips may be
employed either arranged parallel to each other or not according to circumstances
and so as to obtain a secure grip upon the soft grass of the field. In the case of
tennis where it is important, while obtaining a sufficient hold on the grass, to
damage it as little as possible, the shape of the projections would naturally be
altered and they would hardly project so far as in the case of those for football.
For cricket spikes in some form would be preferable and these like the other studs
may either be permanently attached to the foundation or not as required.
i
For cycling all that is generally required would be one or more projections
adapted to so engage with the pedal of the machine as to prevent the foot
slipping in some cases this would be a broad flat strip to fit in between the
two edges of the pedal, while in others two strips would engage the outside of the
pedal plates either independently or in connection with the broad strip above
mentioned.
The foundation may be jointed in one or more places and so as to give accom-
modation in one or more directions, may be made of more than one material, and
the clamping together may be by thumb screws, by screwing into the sole of the
boot or shoe, or otherwise.
In the accompanying drawings;-
Fig. 1 is an underneath view of a portion of a boot-sole with one form of this
device placed upon it but not fastened up, Fig. 2 being a similar view but showing
the device secured and Fig. 3 being a detached view of the device itself.
Fig. 4 shows a slightly modified form of the device adapted for various purposes
such as shooting boots for roughing in frosty weather and the like, and Fig. 5
shows a small and light-form of the device adapted for ladies' boots for cricketing
and the like.
Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the device in which four separate arms are
employed connected by a single stud.
Fig. 7 shows a device similar to Fig. 4 but made in one piece without joints and

page_text: Of the same.
Fig. 9 shows the device adapted for use by cyclists.
Fig. 10 shows the device in a single piece similar to Figs. 7 and 8 but differing
in forin.
Figs. 11 and 12 show the device employed for securing to the boot respectively
a heel and sole, which when worn may be disconnected from the device and a fresh
heel or sole employed.
Fig. 13 shows the device used for fastening to an ordinary boot a thick sole,
suitable for use where one leg is shorter than the other.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
A represents the boot or shoe sole and B and C the two parts of the device
which carry the spikes or other projections D, the bolts E by which the two
parts B and C are secured together may be fastened in one of the parts say B and
passed through the slot C in the other part, the nut E' then drawing the two
together; or instead of fastening the bolts E to one part, they may be rivetted or
fastened with thin flat heads or otherwise arranged so as not to interfere with the
comfort of the wearer, or if necessary the heads may be sunk into the sole of the
boot. As shown in Fig. 3 the ends of the bolts E may be pointed so as to act as
spikes.
The plates B and C are made of thin springy metal and may with advantage be
made of steel stampings, to which the spikes or projections D may be rivetted or
otherwise suitably secured; clips or equivalent devices F are turned over so as to
grip round the sole or welt as shown in Figs. 3, 10 and 13 of the drawings, and to
apply this device to the boot it is placed upon the sole as indicated in Fig. 1. and
then the two parts B and C pressed together as in Fig. 2 and then the nuts E¹
screwed up and the whole device is securely attached to the sole. To prevent the
possibility of the device slipping forward towards the narrower part of the sole and
so escaping it is desirable to provide cach clip F or where many of these are
employed at least two of them, with a small spike F1, Figs. 3 and 4, which is
pressed into the sole or welt before the screws are tightened up.
are
The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that indicated in
Figs. 1 and 2 but the shape of the parts is varied and instead of two spikes on
cach side there are three on each side, and one in front, besides the two screw
spikes. Fig. 5 is very similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but the device is smaller and the
shape modified so that only a single bolt E need be employed. In Fig. 6 for the
two plates B and C are substituted four or other convenient number of arms G all
provided with slots G' and secured together by a single bolt E provided with
washers or with a head or washer and cach arm carrying at the end its appropriate
clip F; the arms are pressed up against the welt as in the former case but owing
to the accommodation provided by this particular arrangement the exact position
of the spikes can be varied and the device can be readily fitted to any size or shape
of sole.
In the forms shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 10 a single plate B is employed carrying
the clips and spikes D; this plate is made to suit the shape and size of boot to
which it is to be applied, on to which it is pushed so that the clips engage with the
edges of the sole or welt and it is then secured by a single screw H which may be
countersunk into the plate B and screwed into the sole, in this case the clips are
not provided with the spikes F Although this plate has not the powers of
accommodation of the two-part arrangement it nevertheless is sufficiently flexible
to give to the movements of the sole.
In Fig. 9 is shown an arrangement suitable for use with cycle pedals the device
consisting of the two plates B and C as in Figs. 1 and 2 slightly varied in shape
and having either one large clip Fat each end or smaller ones as in the former
cases. Each plate carries a long projection I adapted to fit between the rubbers or
plates of the pedal so as to prevent the foot from slipping backwards or forwards
thereon. This form of the device may be provided with the adjusting screws as

page_text: shown in Fig. 9 or may be made of a single plate upon the same principle as
Fig. 10. Figs. 11 and 12 shows the plates B and C and clips F adapted to engage
with the boot sole as before and carrying a false sole and heel J to which they are
respectively screwed and which may thus be conveniently fitted to the boot or
removed and replaced by new ones as required. In this case the bolt E may be
replaced by an ordinary screwhail, passing through the parts B and C and screwing
into the sole or heel as before, the nut and bolt end being let either into the false
sole or the real sole according to requirements. In Fig. 11 the clips F would enter
the front end of the heel while a screw passing through the hole would secure
the false heel to the real one. The arrangement in Fig. 13 is similar to that in
Fig. 12 excepting that a leather-protected cork sole is employed the height varying
according to the requirements of the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a device such as described the combination of two or more thin flexible
plates such as BCG each carrying one or more spikes or projections such as D
and bolted together substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a device such as described the combination with two or more plates such
as BCG of one or more spike-bolts such as E substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a device such as described a thin flexible plate such as B carrying spikes
or projections such as D clips such as F and adapted to be secured to the boot sole
by a screw H substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 10 and 11
of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a device such as described the combination with a plate such as B C G of
a spiked clip such as F F¹ substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5. In a device such as described the combination with a plate such as B or C
having clips such as F adapted to engage with the edges of the boot sole or welt
of a false sole or heel such as J substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a device such as described the combination with one or more plates such
as B or C of projections such as I adapted to fit between the rubbers or plates of
a cycle pedal substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 9 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 98th day of Ontabox 1901
F. J. HARDCASTLE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.