IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."-A communication from abroad by
William Emerson Baker, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
Sealed the 18th August 1865, and dated the 12th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
May 1865.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engi-
neer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved process of sewing shoes by means of
mechanism like that described in the Specifications of Letters Patent,
No. 1111, for the year 1858, No. 483 for the year 1861, and No. 1113 for
the year 1862, the object of the Invention being to facilitate the manufacture
of such shoes as when finished have no inner soles entering into their con-
struction, though they may have light paper, cloth, or leather inner soles

page_text: applied by paste or cement for the purpose of finish. In the common
construction of shoes upon such machines the stitches uniting the soles and
vamps pass through the outer sole, the vamp, and the inner sole. Shoes
having no permanent inner sole have, however, to some extent been
constructed upon these machines, a narrow leather or pasteboard inner sole
being used, this sole being lasted with the vamp, and temporarily secured to
the outer sole, or the outer sole to it, by lasting tacks, and forming no part
of the union between the outer sole and vamp, but being ripped or torn out
after the shoe was sewed. By the present Invention, however, the employment
of such flexible temporary inner sole and lasting tacks is dispensed with, a
metallic plate or inner sole being used for lasting, this plate having such form
and size with respect to the outer sole that the stitches uniting the vamp and
outer sole are formed outside of and equidistant from the edge of the metallic
inner sole. This false sole has a number of pins projecting from its outer
surface, around which a thread is wound, this thread basting or temporarily
uniting the opposite edges of the vamp in lasting, these pins also serving to
keep the outer sole in position. When the vamp has been drawn over the
last and over the edges of the metal sole, and its opposite edges laced or
basted by the crossing thread, and the outer sole applied to the vamp and
plate by the pins of the plate, the last is removed, the shoe being then in
condition to be sewed, the needle in sewing passing just outside of the false
sole and through the contiguous edges of the vamp and outer sole. Shoes
made under this construction are a great improvement upon shoes made as
turns," because the turning process distorts the leather, and there is not a
proper relation in a turned shoe between the vamp and the lining, and the
construction is preferable to that in which a temporary narrow leather or
paper insole is used, because the employment of lasting tacks is dispensed
with, the false or narrow sole is not injured, and the shoe is kept comparatively
rigid in the process of sewing, preserving it in proper shape. In the manu-
facture of some styles of boots and shoes it is unnecessary to employ an inner
sole, either of metal or other material, such necessity being obviated by the
last being placed in the vamp, the edges of the vamp being drawn over the
sole and fastened as already described for the metal insole. The vamp and
sole are temporarily held together by small pins when the last is removed for
the action of the sewing mechanism. Instead of the stitches to confine the
edges of the vamp together upon the last, said edges may be secured in any
other desirable manner.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
5 HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Haseltine, Her special licence that I, the said George Haseltine,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Haseltine, 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I. the said George Haseltine, my executors or administrators, by au
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 of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to an improved process of sewing shoes upon
mechanism like that described in the Specifications of Letters Patent,
No. 1111 for the year 1858, No. 483 for the year 1861, and No. 1113 for
the year 1862, the object of the Invention being to facilitate the manufacture
of such shoes as when finished have no inner soles entering into their con-
struction, though they may have light paper, cloth, or leather inner soles
applied by paste or cement for the purpose of finish. In the common
construction of shoes upon such machines the stitches uniting the soles and
vamps pass through the outer sole, the vamp, and the inner sole. Shoes

page_text: having no permanent inner sole have, however, to some extent been con-
structed upon these machines, a narrow leather or pasteboard inner sole being
used, this sole being lasted with the vamp and temporarily secured to the
outer sole, or the outer sole to it, by lasting tacks, and forming no part of the
union between the outer sole and vamp, but being ripped or torn out after the
shoe was sewed. By the present Invention, however, the employment of such
flexible temporary inner sole and lasting tacks is dispensed with, a metallic
plate or inner sole being used for lasting, this plate having such form and size
with respect to the outer sole that the stitches uniting the vamp and outer
sole are formed outside of and equidistant from the edge of the metallic inner
sole. This false sole has a number of pins projecting from its outer surface
around which a thread is wound, this thread basting or temporarily uniting
'the opposite edges of the vamp in lasting, these pins also serving to keep the
outer sole in position. When the vamp has been drawn over the last and
over the edges of the metal sole, and its opposite edges laced or basted by the
crossing thread, and the outer sole applied to the vamp and plate by the pins
of the plate, the last is removed, the shoe being then in condition to be sewed,
the needle in sewing passing just outside of the false sole, and through the
contiguous edges of the vamp and outer sole. Shoes made under this con-
struction are a great improvement upon shoes made as "turns," because the
turning process distorts the leather, and there is not a proper relation in a
turned shoe between the vamp and the lining; and the construction is
preferable to that in which a temporary narrow leather or paper insole is
used, because the employment of lasting tacks is dispensed with, the false
or narrow sole is not injured, and the shoe is kept comparatively rigid in the
process of sewing, preserving it in proper shape. In the manufacture of some
styles of boots and shoes it is unnecessary to employ an inner sole, either of
metal or other material, such necessity being obviated by the last being placed
in the vamp, the edges of the vamp being drawn over the sole and fastened,
as already described for the metal insole. The vamp and sole are temporarily
held together by small pins when the last is removed for the action of the
sewing mechanism. Instead of the stitches to confine the edges of the vamp
together upon the last, said edges may be secured in any other durable
manner.
a
The process will be further understood by reference to the Drawings making
part of this Specification, of which Figure 1 denotes a cross section of a shoe
upon a last; Figure 2, a bottom view of the shoe before the application of the
outer sole; Figure 3, a cross section with the last withdrawn, the shoe being
then in condition to be sewed upon a machine.

page_text: A denotes the vamp or upper; B, the narrow metal inner sole; C, the
outer sole; E, the last.
From the outer surface of the metal sole or plate B
three or any other suitable number of pins a, b, c, project, one being preferably
at or near the centre of the toe part, one at or near the centre of the heel
part, and one midway between these two. Each pin is either made as a
screw and provided with a suitable nut, or has a slide d and screw e, by which
the sole C having holes punched through it to correspond with the position of
the pins may be clamped to the plate B. Spurs g, g, applied at their inner
ends to the plate B, and having their outer ends turned down at right angles
thereto may be used to further prevent lateral movement of the upper with
respect to the sole when the last is removed, the teeth of these spurs extending
through the vamp and some distance into the sole C, as seen in Figure 3.
The last being laid within the vamp, and the metal sole B applied to the
bottom surface of the last, the edges of the vamp are drawn over the plate
and a strong thread f is then passed through the overlapping edges across the
plate and around the pins a, b, c, as seen in Figure 2, the overlapping edges
being at the same time drawn over and hooked to or upon the teeth of the
spurs g, g. Holes being punctured in the outer sole corresponding to the
positions of the pins a, b, c, the outer sole is then laid upon the vamp and
clamped against the same, the teeth of the spurs entering the sole and aiding
in keeping it in position. The last is now withdrawn, and the shoo is ready
to be sewed upon a machine, the needle passing outside of or beyond the
plate B through the space h, as will be readily understood. After the sewing
the clamps are removed, when the plate B may be withdrawn, a cloth or
5 paper lining being subsequently pasted upon the inner surface of the sole, if
advisable, covering the line of stitches and the cross threads. In the manu-
facture of some styles of boots and shoes it is unnecessary to employ an inner
sole, either of metal or other material, such necessity being obviated as
follows: The last being placed in the vamp the edges of the vamp are drawn
over the sole face of the last and fastened together by whipping a thread across
from side to side, as already described for the metal insole. The sole is then
placed over the vamp in the position it is to occupy when stitched to the
vamp, and small pins are driven through the sole and vamp in or near to the
channel or line for the stitches, these pins clinching against the face of the
last, and being at such distance from each other as shall serve to temporarily
hold the vamp and sole together when the last is removed. The last being
now taken out the shoe is ready to be sewed, the pins serving to sustain or
hold the vamp and sole in proper relative position for the action of the sewing
mechanism, dispensing entirely, as will be readily understood, with the use of

page_text: any inner sole. Instead of the stitches to confine the edges of the vamp
together upon the last, said edges may be confined in their overlapped position
upon the last in any other convenient or desirable manner that shall keep
them in position until the sole is tacked to the vamp; or the last may be
placed in the vamp, and then while the last is supported in position a series
of thin metal fingers or clamps around the last are brought against the
overlapped edges of the vamp, these fingers holding the said edges in position
and down upon the sole surface of the last while the sole is being applied
and temporarily fastened to the vamp by a series of pins or tacks driven
at suitable distances apart around the edge contiguous to or in the channel or
line in which the stitches are to be made. The tacks being so applied the
fingers are removed, and the shoe is in condition to be sewed.
Having thus fully described the said improvements as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I claim as my Invention,―
First, the process of manufacture of boots and shoes by the employment of
the narrow metal inner sole or plate with its pins and clamps, substantially as
shewn.
Second, the method of temporarily securing a vamp to a sole for the purpose
of constructing a shoe without an inner sole.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEORGE HASELTINE.
(L.S.)
Witness,
ROWLAND GREEN.