IMPROVEMENTS IN ELASTIC GORING FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELASTIC GORING FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
-A communication from abroad by Charles Winslow, of Boston,
in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States
of Amaxion
Sealed the 13th May 1873, and dated the 16th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th November 1872.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELASTIC GORING FOR BOOTS AND
SHOES," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Winslow,
of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of elastic
goring for boots and shoes, the goring being made from two elastic
fabrics.

page_text: The object of the Invention is to protect and strengthen the edge,
and still retain at that point the required elasticity, and it consists in
the introduction between the edges of two fabrics (both made elastic by
the introduction of rubber between them of an elastic material) con-
sisting of a fabricated material doubled, the threads of which are out
of parallelism with either the warp or weft, or otherwise, so as to allow
the stitching of the fabric. The fabric is coated or filled with india-
rubber, or rubber compound, that the natural elasticity of the rubber
will return to its original position, (and the said materials as combined
are finished by the process of vulcanization, making when complete an
article of manufacture from which the gores may be cut, one edge
making the upper edge of each alternate gore; the said intermediate
fabricated portion of the rubber serves to protect and strengthen the.
edge of the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence
that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 ELASTIC GORING FOR BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication to me from
abroad by Charles Winslow, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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
the aid Tattown Datast

page_text: The width of the article A (Fig. 1) corresponds to the width of the
gore desired. The two fabrics a, b, are made elastic by so cutting a
woven fabric that the threads will be diagonal, or by any other
fabrication of material which will allow it to stretch. Between these
two fabrics, one of which is to form the outside and the other the inside,
a coating of india-rubber or rubber compound while in a plastic state is
applied, and between the fabrics at each edge the binding edge or stay is
introduced.
The edge is made by using a diagonal fabric or other fabricated
material which will allow the required stitching. This is also coated or
thoroughly impregnated with india-rubber, and doubled as in Fig. 3,
thus doubled it is placed between the two fabrics as in Fig. 2, the edges
of the two fabrics being pressed hard down thereon so as to adhere
firmly thereto, and the two fabrics pressed together are then submitted
to the ordinary process of vulcanization, which completes the article
ready for market in strips varying in length and in width according to
the style of shoe for which the goring is intended. This article the
consumer receives, and cuts the gores therefrom, substantially as
indicated by the diagonal broken lines in Fig. 1, the upper edge of the
alternate gores being cut from opposite edges of the fabric.
The edge of the fabric without the introduction of the stay d is liable
to tear or break away and soon destroy the gore. The use of this inter-
mediate part or stay d strengthens the gore at that point, so that the
liability to break or tear if not entirely removed is to a great extent
prevented. To accomplish this manner of staying the edge in shirred 2
goring I take one strip of fabric a¹ and spread it out its full length, as
seen in Fig. 5, and coat the upper surface with any suitable india-
rubber gum or material to cause the india-rubber to adhere thereto; then
on to this I place a sheet or strands of vulcanized rubber, the length of
which in its natural state is less than the length of the fabric, say
extending to about d'. This I secure at one end and stretch until it
covers the fabric, and secure at the other end, then upon the edge place
a strip of non-elastic material A', which if it be of sufficient strength
and with a selvedge may be single, or if not may be double, as seen in
Fig. 4. This is secured by suitable gum, as before mentioned, so as to
be flush with, or slightly project above the edge; then coat the upper
surface as before, place thereon another fabric ¹, and press hard
together or otherwise to set the adhesive material, then remove the

page_text: means which held the india-rubber stretched, and it will contract, taking
with it the fabric to about the natural state of the rubber, or to the
point d'. Thus prepared the goring is ready for use, the stay A' giving
a neat appearance and finish at the edge, as well as preventing the
tearing down or turning over of the edge.
For ordinary use, and as before described, I insert this stay upon both
edges, cutting from opposite edges alternately the gores.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said Inven-
tion, I claim,-
First. As an article of manufacture the herein described elastic
goring for boots and shoes, consisting of two surfaces of elastic fabric
having an elastic material introduced between the the two edges, and their
meeting surfaces coated with a vulcanizable rubber compound, and the
article completed by the process of vulcanization, substantially as
described.
Second. The herein described shirred or corrugated goring consisting
of the outer and inner fabric with the vulcanized strands or sheets of
rubber between, and the stay A' of an elastic material inserted between
the edges of the two fabrics, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand an seal, this Fifteenth day of May One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-three.