Improvements in Detachable Soles for Boots and Shoes, Chiefly Designed for the use of Cyclists.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Detachable Soles for Boots and Shoes, Chiefly
Designed for the use of Cyclists.
We, GEORGE FRANKLIN HALL, of No. 399 Springfield Avenue, in the City of
Newark, County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Inventor, and JOHN WILLIAMS BAKER, of Riggs Place, in the Town of South
Orange, County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 has reference to a sole adapted to be removably secured to the
sole of a shoe, for the use of bicyclists, and the purpose of the invention is to enable
a bicycle rider to wear his ordinary shoes and to provide a removable sole, whereby
the constant slipping of the shoe upon the pedal, by reason of our improved sole is
successfully overcome.
This result is accomplished by means of the constructions shown in the accom-
panying sheets of drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a plan view of the removable sole detached from the shoe.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, and
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, taken centrally through line al in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the sole taken on line a in said Figure 1, and
Figure 5 is a rear view of the same, illustrating one construction of a clamping
device secured to a spring plate for attaching this end of the sole to the bottom of
a shoe directly in front of the heel thereof.
Figure 6 is a side view of part of the said spring-plate provided with a yoke for
attaching it directly around the heel of a shoe.
Figure 7 is a side view of the front portion of the detachable sole, provided with
a toe-piece for holding this part of the sole to the shoe.
Figure 8 is a view similar to that illustrated in Figure 6 of part of the spring
plate provided with a stud for attaching said end to a perforated plate secured on
the sole of a shoc directly in front of the heel thereof.
Figure 9 is a plan view of said perforated plate;
Figure 10 is an enlarged section of the same taken on line y in Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a vertical section taken on line y' in said Figure 9, and
Figure 12 is a vertical section of a modified form of plate.
Figure 13 is a view of the stud employed in the construction shown in Figure 8,
detached from the end of the spring plate.
Figure 14 is a plan view of the detachable sole provided with a modified form of
spring plate, said plate being provided with oppositely extending portions projecting
out on each side of the sole and having guards thereon with openings for securing
a strap thereto.
Figure 15 is a side view of the same, clearly illustrating the arrangement of said
guards on the side of the sole, and
Figure 16 is a blank from which said spring plate is struck up.
Figure 17 represents the end of a spring plate provided with a staple, through
which a strap can be passed for securing this portion of the detachable sole to the
rider's shoe.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the views.
In said views, a indicates the upper or inner portion of the sole which may be
made of leather. Beneath said piece of leather is cemented thereto.a. rubber or
leather sole-portion provided with any desirable number of corrugations or
projections' of any suitable form. Said sole portion b, may be made of felt, if
:

page_text: desirable, which can be stitched to the leather portion a. Between said portion a
and the sole portion is arranged a spring plate e preferably of sheet metal, which
extends from the toe part to the back end a¹ of the portion a, from which it
projects and is provided with a bent portion c¹ on the free end of which is arranged
a clamping device d. Said sole conforms in outline with and has the same curve as
the sole of the shoe, as will be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, and near the toe end,
projecting from between the sides of the leather portion a and the sole portion bare
two straps a² and a³ by means of which the detachable sole can be secured around
the toe portion of a rider's shoe to prevent a side movement of the detachable sole.
Said straps a² and a³ can be secured between said portions a and b by means of
rivets, or in any other well known manner.
As will be seen from Figures 1, 14 and 16, said spring plate, which acts as the
sole stiffener, can be considerably lightened, by providing it with perforations or a
cut away portion ² and said plate can be further secured between said portions a
and b by means of rivets c³.
The clamping device shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5, for securing the free and
projecting end of the spring plate to the sole of a shoe directly in front of the
heel thereof, consists essentially of a plate d¹ provided with an arm d³ having a
jaw d³ and is secured to said portion c¹ by means of a pin or rivet d. Said arm d²
is provided with a downwardly projecting arm d having a perforation therein in
which can be made to rotate a screw threaded pin d. The under side of said
arm d² is cut away having depending portions which act as guides for a slide d
provided with an upwardly projecting jaw and a downwardly extending arm do
having a screw threaded perforation therein. Said pin do is made to screw into
this hole in the arm do and is squared on its end d¹². By means of a key, said
jaw d can be made to slide toward or away from said jaw d³, and the holding
prongs don each jaw can be brought into close holding contact with the sole of a
shoe directly in front of the heel thereof, as will be clearly evident from Figure 5.
As will be seen from Figure 7, said sole portion can be provided on the toe end
thereof, with a cap 2, in lieu of the straps a² and a³, into which the front end of the
rider's shoe can be inserted.
Instead of the clamping device described in connection with Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 5, the free end of the spring plate can be formed in the manner of a yoke c¹,
adapted to be slipped around the heel of a shoe and provided with a fastening
screw for firmly holding the same on the heel, as is clearly shown in Figure 6.
In Figures 8 to 14,, we have illustrated the end c¹ of the spring plate provided
with a stud having oppositely projecting arms (15, a shoulder d and a shank d
which is inserted in a perforation in said end c and firmly riveted thereto. In this
case the sole of the shoe is provided with a holding plate e secured thereto by means
of screws passing through holes e in said plate. Said plate is provided with an
elongated hole e² and oppositely arranged recesses e³. When it is desired to fasten
the end of the plate e on the detachable sole to the shoe, said stud 14 with its
arms d¹ is pushed through the elongated opening in the plate e and by means of a
quarter turn said arms dis on the stud are forced into the recesses e³ while the sole
portion has been brought directly under the sole of the shoe worn by the rider. In
this manner said end c¹ is positively secured to the sole of the shoe directly in front
of the heel thereof, as clearly shown in said Figure 8.
The plate e may be made in the form of a bridge, as shown in Figure 12, whereby
any dirt which might accidentally get into said elongated hole e² can be easily
forced therefrom.
As indicated in dotted lines in said Figure 8, said end of the spring plate can
be provided with an arm projecting down at a right angle therefrom and provided
with a rubber or felt or other heel 3, which, when the detachable sole has been
arranged on the bottom of a shoe is in position directly beneath the heel of
the shoe.
As will be seen from Figures 14, 15 and 16, said spring plate e may be provided
with the oppositely extending portions c' which project from the sides of the sole

page_text: and are turned
up
at right angles, or approximately so, forming the protectors 8.
Said protectors C& can be slotted, as at c to which are secured the straps for holding
the sole to the front portion of the shoe.
Said protectors c serve to prevent the sides of the rider's shoes from coming in
contact with the side pieces on the pedals of a bicycle, thereby preventing the
wearing away of the side of the rider's shoes and also the sides of the portion a of
the detachable sole.
The free end c' of the spring plate c can be provided with a tongue c which rests
against the heel, and a staple can be secured to said end c¹ through which a strap
can be passed for securing this portion of the detachable sole to the back of the
rider's shoe. This construction is illustrated in Figure 17.
There are a great many advantages derived from the use of our detachable sole.
In the first place, it is a well known fact that in riding bicycles, when the rider
wears his ordinary shoes, the leather sole cannot be kept upon the pedals, constantly
slipping and the foot becoming displaced, often causing the rider to be thrown.
In the present form of detachable soles there is no slipping upon the pedals, and
the use of cumbersome and unsightly bicycle shoes is avoided.
The detachable sole can also be put to other uses, as for instance, in the
winter it can be strapped to a person's shoe, and used as an ice creeper, as will be
evident.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A detachable sole for shoes, comprising therein a sole portion and a spring
plate secured thereto, said plate having a free end projecting from the sole portion
and provided with a clamping device for attaching it to the bottom of a shoe, for
the purposes set forth.
2. A detachable sole for shoes, comprising therein a portion a of leather and a
sole portion of rubber or felt, or other like material, provided with means for
securing it to the toe part of a shoc, and a spring plate secured between said
portions a and b, having an upwardly projecting free end c' provided with a
clamping device for attaching it to the bottom of a shoe, for the purposes set forth.
3. A detachable sole for shoes, comprising therein a portion a of leather and a
sole portion of rubber or felt, or other like material, provided with means for
securing it to the toe part of a shoe, and a spring plate between said portions a
and having oppositely projecting portions and guards c³, and an upwardly
projecting free end e provided with a clamping device for attaching it to the
bottom of a shoe, for the purposes set forth.
4. A. detachable sole for shoes, comprising therein a sole portion and a spring-plate
secured thereto, said plate having a free end c projecting upwardly from the back
end of the sole, and a stud on said end having oppositely projecting arms d, in
combination with a holding plate e adapted to be secured to the bottom of a shoe,
said plate having an elongated hole and recessed portion e³ with which the
arms engage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. A detachable sole for shoes comprising therein a portion a of leather and
a sole portion of rubber, felt, or other like material, provided with means for
securing it to the toe part of the shoe, a spring plate secured between said
portions a and b provided with an upwardly projecting free end c¹ and a stud on
said end having oppositely projecting arms d, in combination, with a holding
plate e, adapted to be secured to the bottom of a shoe, said plate having an
elongated hole e and recessed portions with which the arms d³ engage, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. A detachable sole for shoes, comprising therein a portion a of leather and a
sole portion of rubber, felt, or other suitable material, provided with means for
securing it to the toe portion of the shoe, and a spring plate between said portions a
and having oppositely projecting portions c* and guards c³, and an upwardly

page_text: projecting free end c', a stud on said end having oppositely projecting arms d¹³, in
combination, with a holding plate e adapted to be secured to the bottom of a shoe,
said plate having an elongated hole e³ and recessed portions e³ with which said
arms engage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. A sole for shoes made from corrugated leather, for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 28th day of October 1901
GEORGE FRANKLIN HALL.
JOHN WILLIAMS BAKER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.