AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE LEATHER SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Wilmer Smith, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Leather Merchant and Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE LEATHER
SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 1st June 1877, and dated the 21st March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Wilmer Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1877.
WILLIAM HENRY WILMER SMITH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Leather Merchant and Manufacturer. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF THE LEATHER SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES.”
My Invention has reference to an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted
to me on the Second day of June 1860, No. 1362.
In the Specification of the said Patent was described among other things a process
of consolidating the leather soles of boots and shoes, so as to increase their durability
and wearing properties, but in consequence of the hardness of the leather treated by
the said patented process at those parts required to be attached to the upper leathers,
the said soles could only be attached to the said upper leathers by rivetting or
screwing, the said soles in consequence of such hardness being incapable of being
sewn to the upper leathers.
The object of my present Invention is to remedy the defect referred to, and my
said Invention consists in treating the leather soles of boots and shoes in the manner
herein-after described, whereby the said soles may be attached to the upper leathers
by sewing with the same facility as ordinary leather soles are attached by sewing to
the upper leathers.
This object I effect in the following manner:- -Instead of compressing or consoli-
dating the whole of the sole of the boot or shoe as usual, I leave the leather in all
those parts which are required to be sewn or attached to the upper leather uncom-
pressed, or in their soft or natural state, and I compress by mechanical means,
combined with heat, those parts only of the softened sole which are subject to hard
or constant wear, thereby consolidating the said parts and rendering them more
durable and waterproof; that is to say, I take a pair of heated dies or plates of
D

page_text: the general configuration of the sole to be operated upon, but of less size than the
said sole, and having softened the sole by steeping it in water or otherwise, and
having applied thereto a solution of caoutchouc and glue I place it between the said
heated dies or plates, and apply to the said dies the required pressure. By this
treatment the marginal parts, or parts near the edges of the sole, are left unoperated
upon by the dies, while the other parts of the sole are consolidated and made very
durable and waterproof. The marginal parts of the leather sole being thus left in
their soft or natural state can readily be attached by sewing to the upper leather.
My Invention may be carried into effect either with or without the use of the
solution of caoutchouc and glue herein-before referred to,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Wilmer Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th September 1877.
WILLIAM HENRY WILMER SMITH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Leather Merchant and Manufacturer. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF THE LEATHER SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
My Invention has reference to an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted
to me on the Second day of June 1860, No. 1362.
In the Specification of the said Patent was described among other things a process
of consolidating the leather soles of boots and shoes, so as to increase their durability
and wearing properties, but in consequence of the hardness of the leather treated by
the said patented process at those parts required to be attached to the upper leathers,
the said soles could only be attached to the said upper leathers by rivetting or
screwing, the said soles in consequence of such hardness being incapable of being
sewn to the upper leathers.
The object of my present Invention is to remedy the defect referred to, and my
said Invention consists in treating the leather soles of boots and shoes in the manner
herein-after described, whereby the said soles may be attached to the upper leathers
by sewing with the same facility as ordinary leather soles are attached by sewing to
the upper leathers.
This object I effect in the following manner-Instead of compressing or consoli-
dating the whole of the sole of the boot or shoe as heretofore, I leave the leather in
all those parts which are required to be sewn or attached to the upper leather
uncompressed, or in their soft or natural state, and I compress by mechanical means
combined with heat those parts only of the sole which are subject to hard or constant
wear, thereby consolidating the said parts and rendering them more durable and
waterproof; that is to say, I take a pair of heated inoulds, dies, or plates of the
general configuration of the sole to be operated upon, but of less size than the said
sole, and having softened the sole by steeping it in water or otherwise, I place it
between the said heated dies or plates, and apply to the said dies the required pres-
sure. By this treatment the marginal parts, or parts near the edges of the sole, are
left unoperated upon by the dies, while the other parts of the sole are consolidated
and made very durable and waterproof. The marginal parts of the leather sole
being thus left in their soft or natural state can readily be attached by sewing to the
upper leather.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a leather sole of a boot or
shoe which has been treated according to my Invention, so as to make it very durable
and waterproof; and Figure 2 represents a half sole, which has been similarly
treated. The line shaded or dark parts of the said soles, Figures 1 and 2, indicate
the parts which have been compressed and consolidated and made waterproof by the
action of the heated dies or plates, the said line shaded parts having the shape of
the sole of the natural foot or the shape of an ordinary sole, while the white or

page_text: unshaded marginal parts marked a, a, have been uncompressed or left in their soft
or natural state. At the said soft or marginal parts a, a, the leather sole is attached
to the upper leather by sewing or otherwise with the same facility as ordinary
leather soles are attached to the upper leathers.
I treat soles of all sizes, according to my Invention, so as to consolidate and make
waterproof the wearing parts of the said soles, leaving the marginal parts soft or in
their natural state.
In order that my Invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same may be carried into effect.
It is necessary first to state that no two tannages of butt leather can be satisfac-
torily treated in exactly the same way, but by careful management all the best parts
of well tanned butt leathers may by my Invention be made very durable and
waterproof for the wearing parts of the soles of boots and shoes, and yet be left in
their natural or soft state in the marginal parts, so that the soles may be easily
moistened in the marginal parts, and readily attached to the boot or shoe upper
leathers, either by stitching or otherwisc.
In carrying my Invention into effect I first cut up the butts or hides into strips,
then moisten the said strips in water and cut them up, either by hand or by a cutting
press, into the required shapes.. I then let the leathers remain in a moist state for, a
period depending on the nature of the tannage. In some cases they are allowed to
remain in this condition for several days, while in others a few hours are sufficient.
When the shaped pieces or butt leather soles are in a fit state of softness I apply
thereto by rubbing or otherwise oil or tallow, or a mixture of oil and tallow, to keep
the leather in a proper condition, and also to keep the moulds or dies from sticking
to the leather, and to keep the leather from being scorched or becoming discoloured
or injured during the consolidating process. When the leathers have been thus
prepared I place them between moulds or dies, either specially cast to the shape of
the natural foot or of the ordinary form, taking care that such moulds or dies only
press upon the wearing part of the soles, the marginal parts or such parts as do not
come into wear, as before stated, being left in the natural state, for the more ready
attaching of such parts of the said soles to the boot or shoe upper leathers, either
by means of stitching or otherwise.
During the compressing and waterproofing operation it is requisite that the
moulds or dies should be kept at a certain temperature; some tannages requiring from
90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while others do not require more than 80 to 85 degrees.
These moulds or dies are kept at the required temperature by means of tubes
conveying heated air, and laid under the slides upon which the lower moulds or dies
are fixed in the hydraulic or other press.
The top moulds or dies are kept heated by the same means, but by a separate set
of tubes, as the upper moulds or dies have to be taken off or removed in order to
place the soles between the moulds or dies.
The moulds or dies being fixed in a hydraulic press or other press, the soles are
placed between the heated moulds or dies. By the action of the press the leather
is subjected to a pressure of from 120 to 150 tons. The pressure is carefully
regulated according to the nature of the tannage of the leather. It is necessary
that the leather while under this treatment of heat, pressure, and moisture com-
bined, should rest or remain between the heated moulds or dies for a period of
from 25 to 40 seconds, so as to fix the shape and bind and consolidate the fibres of
the leather. It is thus rendered perfectly waterproof and more durable than any
other butt leather yet known, and no moisture or wet can afterwards affect the
parts thus operated upon. The treatment described adds greatly to the durability
of such leathers for soles of boots and shoes, the parts exposed to wear being
quite impervious to wet or damp, while the marginal parts are left in their natural
state.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the
improvement or improvements in the manufacture of the leather soles of boots and

page_text: shoes, herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is
to say, subjecting leather soles to pressure between heated moulds, dies, or plates,
having the shape or configuration of the sole or that part of the sole to be compressed,
and consolidated, and made waterproof, but of less size than the sole under treatment,
thereby leaving the marginal parts or parts near the edges of the sole in their soft
or natural state, to which soft marginal parts of the sole the upper leather may be
readily attached by sewing or otherwise, as herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Wilmer Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM HENRY WILMER SMITH. (Ls.)