Improvements in Trees for Boots and Shoes, and in the Manufacture of such Trees.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPEOLFICATION.
Improvements in Trees for Boots and Shoes, and in the Manufacture
of such Trees.
I, The Honourable REGINALD THOMAS DUDLEY BROUGHAM, of 61 South
Audley Street, in the County of Middlesex, do. hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
According to this invention in order to construct the front portion of a boot tree
accurately to the form and size required for the front portion of any person's foot
a sheet of gutta percha composition or of like composition readily softened by
slight heat is when soft to be laid over the top of the front portion of the person's
foot then bent downwards and pressed to the sides and beneath the foot taking care
to make the exterior smooth. The sheet of composition so moulded to the form of
the upper part of the front portion of the person's foot is allowed to remain on the
foot for a short time to harden and then taken off and such portions of it as are not
wanted cut away the part retained being that over the top of the foot and the
upper portion of the sides and toe end the lower portion of the sides and end
being cut away so that the model is of less depth than the corresponding portion of
the foot.
A mould is then made preferably in sand from the model and with this mould a
casting is made in aluminium.
The advantage derived from forming the oasting of aluminium is that 'as
aluminium contracts considerably in cooling the exterior of the casting will be
brought to the size required the thickness of the sheet of composition used being.
adjusted to allow for the shrinkage of the metal and to give the casting sufficient
strength.
The forward or toe end of a tree I form of the casting produced in this way and
of a'metal plate below it which is to be made to rest on the sole of the boot or shoo.
To the centre of the underside of the rear end of the casting 'I' joint a levor of a
length to extend downwards nearly to the sole of the boot or shoe when the casting.
is pressed upwards against the upper. An intermediate point in the length of the
lever I couple by a link to the centre of the rear end of the sole plate-the forward
or toe end of this plate I also couple by a short link to the underside of the forward
or toe end of the upper casting.
"When the lever and links are 'turned into such a position that the sole plate is
lifted up into the interior of the hollow arched casting the whole front portion' of
the tree can readily be inserted into a boot or shoe until its too end comes against
the interior of the boot or shoe's toe end and then if the lever above mentioned be
turned downwards the rear end of the bottom sole plate will be forced downwards
against the sole and the rear end of the upper casting will be prosse.l upwards
against the upper. 'When also the lower end of the lever comes against the link,
which the lever has jointed to it, the sole plate will be caused to slide forwards
along the sole of the boot or shoe and the forward or toe end of this plate will then
by the action of the short link which joints it, to the upper casting be also thrust
downwards against the sole and the toe end of the upper casting be thrust upwards
against the underside of the upper.
To turn the lever downwards to expand the front portion of the tree' in this way
I joint to the avisamity of the laver one end of a rod which is adiustable in

page_text: length preferably by one part of it being made to screw into the end of the
other part.
The opposite end of the rod I make capable of being slidden up and down along
a vertical guide formed on the inner side of a heel piece shaped to fit against the
heel end of the upper of the boot or shoe.
When the end of the rod is at the top of the vertical guide the rod inclines
downwards from that point to the lower end of the lever-when the end of the rod
is pressed downwards to the bottom of the vertical guide the rod is brought more
into a horizontal position and the lower end of the levor is pressed towards the toe
end of the boot or shoe and the tree is so expanded.
Other forms of connection between the lower end of the lever and the heel
piece which will allow of a forward thrust being readily exerted against the
lower end of the lever may be adopted in place of the arrangement above
described.
Dated this 9th day of October 1894.
.
Improvements in Trees for Boots and Shoes, and in the Manufacture
of such Trees.
I, The Honourable REGINALD THOMAS DUDLEY BROUGHAM, of 61 South
Audley Street, 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:-
According to this invention in order to construct the front portion of a boot tree
accurately to the form and size required for the front portion of any person's foot
a sheet of gutta percha composition or of like composition readily softened by slight
heat is when soft to be laid over the top of the front portion of the person's foot
then bent downwards and pressed to the sides and beneath the foot taking care to
make the exterior amooth. The sheet of composition so moulded to the form of
the upper part of the front portion of the person's foot is allowed to remain on the
foot for a short time to harden and then taken off and such portions of it as are not
wanted cut away, the part retained being that over the top of the foot and the
upper portion of the sides and toe end, the lower portions of the sides and end
being cut away so that the model.is of less depth than the corresponding portion
of the foot.
A mould is then made preferably in saud from the model and with this mould a
casting is made.
The casting may be at once made in aluminium but I prefer to first make a
casting in brass and then compare the brass casting with the model and if at any
part it is too wide or too narrow then correct the error by hammering or filing
and finish the casting, to a smooth uniform surface. Afterwards from this brass
casting a mould is taken and with this mould a casting is made in aluminium.,
The advantage derived from forming the casting of aluminium is that as
aluminium contracts considerably in cooling the exterior of the casting will be
brought to the size required the thickness of the sheet of composition used being
adjusted to allow for the shrinkage of the metal and to give the casting sufficient
strength.
The forward or toc end of a tree I form of the casting produced in this
way and
of a metal plate below it which is to be made to rest on the sole of the boot or
shoe. To the centre of the underside of the rear end of the casting I joint a lever
to extend downwards towards the sole of the boot or shoc. An intermediate point
"

page_text: in the length of the lever I couple by a link to the rear end of the sole plato-
the forward or toe end of this plate I joint to the underside of the forward or toe
end of the upper casting.
די
When the lever and link are turned into such a position that the sole, plate is
lifted up into the interior of the hollow arched casting the whole front portion of
the tree can readily be inserted into a boot or shoe until its toé end comes against
the interior of the boot or shoe's toe end and then if the lever above mentioned be
turned downwards the rear end of the bottom sole plate will be forced downwards
against the sole and the rear end of the upper casting will be pressed upwards
against the upper.
To turn the lever downwards to expand the front portion of the tree in this way
I joint to the extremity of the lever one end of a rod which is adjustable in longth
preferably by one part of it being made to screw into the end of the other part.
The opposite end of the rod I make capable of being slidden up and down along
a vertical guide formed on the inner side of a heel piece shaped to fit against the
heel end of the upper of the boot or shoe.
When the end of the rod is at the top of the vertical guide the rod inclines
downwards from that point to the lower end of the lever-when the end of the rod
is pressed downwards to the bottom of the vertical guide the rod is brought more
into a horizontal position and the lower end of the lever is pressed towards the tou
end of the boot or shoe and the tree is so expanded.
The drawings hereunto annexed show three examples of trees, the forward or toe
ends of which can be expanded in the above manner.
Figures 1 and 2 show vertical sections of a tree adapted for a shoe. Figure 1
showing the tree when the toe end is unexpanded and Figure 2 showing it when
expanded.
Figures 3 and 4 show similar views of a tree adapted for a half boot.
Figure 5 shows a vertical section of a tree for a boot.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is a casting shaped to bear against the interior of the
upper of the toe end of the shoe. B is a metal plate below it, the forward ends of
the two parts being jointed together at C. D is a lever jointed to the centre of the
rear portion of the casting A. E is a link connecting an intermediate point D¹ in
the length of this lever to the rear end of the sole plate B. F is a rod jointed at
one end to the extremity of the lever D, the rod is adjustable in length by its being
made in two parts which screw together as shewn. At the other end of the rod f
is a pin F this piu passes through a slot G2 in a plate G which stands out
from a plate G which is shaped to fit against the inner side of the heel end of the
upper of the shoe.
When the parts of the tree are in the positions shown by full lines in Figure 1
the fore part of the tree can readily be pushed into the toe end of a shoe as
shewn (the shoe being indicated in dotted lines). The heel piece can then be
pushed down into the heel end of the shoe as shown by dotted lines.
Afterwards the fore end of the tree can be expanded by pushing the red F
downwards, this lowers the rear end of the lever D as the projection on the end
of the rod F coming against the pin D2 on the lover D prevents the rear end of the
rod F from being lowered without turning the lever D downwards along with it.
When the parts come into the position shown by full lines in Figure 2 the sole
plate bears firmly against the sole and the casting A against the underside of the
upper. By still further turning the rod F downwards into the position shown by
dotted lines in Figure 2 a still further expansion of the fore part of the tree can
be obtained.
By adjusting the length of the rod F so as to increase or decrease the distance
apart to which the plates A and B can he turned the same boot tree can be used
either for stretching stout boots where considerable freedom is ordinarily required
to allow for the thickness of stockings worn with them or the tree can be used for
shoes with which thin stockings would be worn.
In the boot trees shown at Figures 3 and 4 and at Figure 5 the construction
J

page_text: and action is the same except that the casting A and heel plate G extend upwards'
to a greater height and are connected together at their upper ends by a link H.
The pin Fat the extremity of the rod F.in place of passing through a slot G
serves to joint the extremity of the rod to the lower end of a rod which can be
pushed up and down through guides G on the heel piece' G.
1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my 'said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware
that boot trees have before been made in a variety of ways so that the parts of
which they are composed can be pressed away from one another, what I claim is
1. The manufacture of the upper pressure plate of the foot of a tree for boots
and shoes in aluminium substantially in the manner herein before described so that
the shrinkage of the aluminium in cooling may bring the plate to the form, and size
required.
2. A tree for boots or shoes with the foot or front portion of the tree formed of
two plates jointed together near their forward' ende a lever jointed to the rear end
of the upper plato a link passing from an intermediate point in the length of this
lever to the rear end of the lower plate and a rod adjustable in length jointed to
the extremity of the lever and extending from it to a heel piece shaped to fit
against the heel end of the upper of the boot or shoe and capable of being moved
upwards.or downwards along this heel piece substantially as described.
3. The construction of trees for boots or shoes substantially as hereiubefore,
described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
15
Dated this 9th day of July 1895.
5
REGINALD T. D. BROUGHAM. ·