Improvements in or connected with Gaiters, Anklets, and Leggings, or Boot or Shoe Covers for Cyclists and Pedestrians.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gaiters, Anklets, and Leggings,
or Boot or Shoe Covers for Cyclists and Pedestrians.
I, EMILY BURTON, of 30, Westbourne Terrace, Hyde Park, in the County of
London, 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 refers to means or devices, constructed and arranged as here-
after described, whereby gaiters, anklets, and leggings for boots. or shoes are, or
shall be maintained, in close contact or fit upon the shoe which they wholly or
partially cover, and upon the ankle and leg of the wearer, the said devices acting
in such manner, that the portion of a gaiter or shoe cover, which overlies the
front or toe portion of the shoe, and that portion which overlies the heel, are, or
may be, drawn towards each other, and the said portions thereby brought to a
closer and more perfect fit over the parts of the shoe which they cover, than
heretofore. The invention further refers to means or devices whereby the lower
edge of the front or toe portion, when used for wholly covering the shoe, is main-
tained in close contact with the shoe and is prevented from turning upwards or
outwards, or getting out of position, such means being particularly useful when
employed in conjunction with the aforesaid means for drawing the parts into
close contact with the shoe, although either of the aforesaid means or devices
may be employed without the other if so desired.
My present invention, although applicable to gaiters or shoe covers generally,
is particularly applicable to gaiters or shoe covers, constructed as shewn and
described in the Specification of my British Patent dated 19th December 1898,
No. 26798.
In order that my said invention may be readily understood I will describe same
with reference to the acompanying drawings, whereon, Fig. 1 shews a side view
of a gaiter or shoe cover constructed generally as described in the specification
of my British Patent aforesaid, and with my present improvements applied
thereto, the said shoe cover being shewn fitted onto an ordinary shoe, and a
portion of the shoe cover at Fig. 1 being broken away, in order to more clearly
shew the means aforesaid for retaining the edge of the toe portion of the cover
in position.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shoe and cover similar to that shewn at Fig. 1,
but inverted, in order to illustrate the means I employ for drawing the portions
of the shoe cover into close contact with the shoe. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the
shoe and shoe cover thereon, drawn to a larger scale than the previous figures, the
section being taken on the line X Y of Fig. 1, in order to shew the means for
retaining the aforesaid edge of the cover in position, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation
of a shoe with a gaiter applied thereto made according to my invention, in the
case where the shoe is not intended to be wholly covered by the gaiter portion
proper.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.

page_text: Referring to the drawings, the shoe-cover shewn at Fig. 1, is composed of a toe-
cap A of felt, textile fabric, or leather, or other practically in-extensible material
the toe cap reaching to the commencement of the instep, shaped to the sides of the
boot or shoe, and extending towards the side seam of the latter. To the part A
is attached a segment B, of ribbed elastic webbing or like elastic material, here-
after termed elastic fabric, extending across the front of the shoe cover, and to near
the welt or waist of the shoe, upon both sides thereof. C is an insertion piece of
elastic fabric, extending centrally over the instep. D is a gore of inextensible
material, there being one such upon each side of the cover, and similarly upon
each side there are elastic segments F connecting the gores D D to the heel
piece E.
Now according to my present invention instead of the strap G mentioned in
my previous Patent Specification aforesaid, I fix to the lower front parts of the
heel piece E, two straps H H³, one upon each side of the shoe cover, and when
the shoe cover is in position upon the shoe as shewn at Fig. 1, I pass such
straps H H beneath the waist of the shoe, crossing same to opposite sides as
shewn at Fig. 2, and the free ends of such straps I then secure by buckles J J',
or by any other suitable fastenings, which are fixed upon opposite sides, and
towards the rear lower parts of the toe piece A.
By these means the toe and heel portions A and E are held together, and
caused to fit closely upon their respective parts of the shoe, and this is particularly
so in the construction of shoe cover shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, because by its peculiar
construction the contraction of the elastic segments at once takes up any slack-
ness at the sides should any such be produced. Obviously, the straps H H might
be fixed to the sides of the toe piece and buckled or otherwise adjustably attached
to the heel piece.
As applied to a shoe cover here shewn, in order to prevent the lower edge of
the toe piece A, from rising or turning up, I fit around such lower edge, a bead-
ing K of india rubber, gutta-percha, or wire, and usually I fit the beading K
on the interior edge of the part A and extending almost entirely round such
edge, as indicated by the dotted line Fig. 1, in which figure a portion of the side
of the part A is broken away, to shew the position of the beading K.
The cross sectional view Fig. 3 shews this beading K in the toe piece A which
latter is shewn as overlying the boot or shoe L, the beading holding the edges
of the toe piece down and close to the shoe, or instead of the beading, or in
combination therewith, I may connect to the lower edge of the cover, several
metal clips which engage between the upper, and the sole of the boot or shoe.
The drawing, Fig. 1, shews a shoe cover which terminates at the top of the
shoe, but as will be readily understood the said shoe cover may be extended
upwards by an anklet, or by a legging portion, if so desired, such for example as
is shewn at Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing accompanying my Patent Specification
aforesaid, but preferably as shewn at Fig. 4, and where for example, the gaiter
does not wholly cover the toe of the shoe as previously described. In this case
the gaiter is pulled on over the shoe and then laced in front as shewn at M, while
the straps HH, in combination with the elastic segments F, keep the inextensible
gore D and heel piece E in position, although sometimes in this arrangement,
the crossed straps are not absolutely necessary.
. The front lacing may extend any required distance up the gaiter, and in
cases for example where a high heeled boot or shoe is worn, it may be necessary to
divide the gaiter entirely from the ankle to the top, and lace or button same
after the wearer has drawn the gaiter on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A gaiter or boot or shoe cover, having straps connected to the front of the
heel portion one upon each side thereof, adapted to pass crosswise under the waist

page_text: of the boot or shoe, the said straps then being connected to the rear portion of
the toe piece, whereby the boot or shoe cover is brought into a close and more
perfect fit upon the boot or shoe, substantially as described.
2. In a gaiter or boot or shoe cover, the straps connecting the front or toe part
of the shoe cover with the rear or heel part and crossing under the waist of
the shoe in order to draw the parts into close contact therewith, in combination
with a beading of wire, india rubber, gutta-percha or other suitable material,
located in the lower edge of the toe part of the shoe cover, to prevent said edge
from rising or becoming turned up, substantially as described.
3. In a gaiter or boot or shoe cover, the beading K located in the edge of the
toe or front part of the shoe cover, as and for the purposes described.
4. The improved gaiter or boot or shoe cover, comprising in combination, straps,
elastic segments F, inextensible gores or parts 1 E, toe piece A. and lacing M, all
arranged and acting substantially as and for the purposes described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
1: 10
1
.... 1900
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.