Improvements in Boot Trees.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 13th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot Trees.
1, GEORGE HENRY STEPHENS, of 55, Parliament Street, in the City of
Westminster, A.M.L.C.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to boot trees.
According to my invention the toe and heel portions of a boot tree instead of
being made separate and adapted to be forced apart by means of a wedge placed
between them are connected together by means of a link, so that after the toe
portion of the tree is placed in the boot and the heel portion is in its place, the said
link forms a kind of toggle to force the said toe portion firmly into the boot.
Dated the 18th day of April 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4. South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot Trees.
I, GEORGE HENRY STEPHENS, of 55, Parliament Street, in the City of
Westminster, A.M.L.C.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to boot-trees.
According to my invention the toe and heel portions of a boot-tree, instead of
being made separate and adapted to be forced apart by means of a wedge placed
between them, are connected together by means of a link or linkwise in such a
manner that, a kind of toggle is provided to force the toe portion firmly into the
boot.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan of a boot-tree constructed according to my invention; and
Figure 2 is a side view of the same.
Figure 3 is a view illustrating the method of applying the boot-tree shewn in
Figures 1 and 2.
Figure
invention.
is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modification of my
u, are respectively the toe and heel parts or portions of my improved
boot-tree.
In the arrangement of my invention shewn in Figures 1 to 3 the two parts a, b
are connected by a link, and pins d, d' which link, when the parts are in the
position shewn in Figures 1 and 2, is adapted to lie in a recess formed partly in the
part a and partly in the part b.
It will be seen by reference to the drawings that the tree is flat upon the upper
side, but it is to be understood that, if desired, the toe and heel parts of the
In this
tree may be made higher, so as to stretch the instep portion of the boot.
case, however, the recess in which the link is located must be of such size as to
allow the free movement of the said link.
In applying the tree shewn in Figures 1 and 2 to a boot, the heel portion of
the tree is raised relatively to the toe portion a, as shewn in Figure 3, so as to
allow the toe portion to be readily introduced as far as possible into the boot, the
CD1

page_text: the boot.
heel portion is then moved down to the position indicated by dotted lines, and
pressure is applied above the pivot d to straighten the toggle, formed by the
link e and heel piece b, and thereby press the toe portion firmly into the front of
In the arrangement of my invention shewn in Figure 4 I dispense with the link c
and connect the two parts a, b linkwise so that the said two parts form a kind of
toggle.
To enable the tree to be readily withdrawn I provide notches e, e in the toe
portion so that the fingers can be applied to the edge of the heel portion to raise
the same.
Some of the chief advantages of my improved boot-tree are that it can be
quickly and easily applied and removed, that it is comparatively light, and that it
is extremely portable and very suitable for travellers, there being no loose parts to
become detached.
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 what I
claim is
1. A. boot-tree, the toe and heel portions of which are connected by a link or
link wise in such a manner that the parts cannot become detached and that the said
link with the heel portion, or the toe and heel portions together form a kind of
toggle by means of which the toe portion can be pushed into the boot, substantially
as described.
2. The manufacture and use of boot-trees substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and in Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the 13th day of January 1809
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.