Improvements in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
We, FRANK FOWKES SWAIN, 108, Stoughton Street, Leicester, Boot Manager,
and JOSEPH LEESON, 26, Springfield Road, Stoneygate, Leicester, Boot & Shoe
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of boots & shoes especially football boots & shoes, it is
essential that the toe of the boot & shoe should be made as hard as possible with-
out increasing the weight, various methods have been adopted to meet this require-
ment, the one we claim being as follows.
وو
A thin piece of leather, linen, canvass silk, or woolen material is covered on
either sides, or both, with "papier mache or the "papier mache" may be covered
on either side, or both, with the above materials or the toe may be composed of
papier mache" only, which when moulded into the required shape is ready to
be attached to the upper.
"
By this process an almost unbreakable toe can be made without adding weight.
The "
papier mache" being enamelled on one or both sides makes it entirely
waterproof which prevents the softening of the toe by dampness, so usual in foot-
ball boots & shoes.
141 1
1007
FRANK FOWKES SWAIN.
JOSEPH LEESON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
We, FRANK FOWKES SWAIN, of 10S, Stoughton Street, Leicester, Boot Manu-
facturer's Manager, and JOSEPH LEESON, of the Firm of J. Leeson & Sons, Albion
Shoe Works, North Evington, Leicester, Boot Manfacturer, and also of 26, Spring-
field Road, Stoneygate, Leicester, 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:-
This invention relates to boots, shoes and the like and embodies improvements
which are mainly, though not exclusively, applicable to those used for playing
football.
For the purposes of this game it is essential that the toe or toe-cap should be
sufficiently hard and rigid to maintain its shape and the present invention is

page_text: designed to construct a boot or shoe which shall embody this condition and the we
of which will not collapse or become distorted when saturated or from being
trodden upon in wet weather.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description
in reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates our improved toe- 5
cap in its various stages of production.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a moulded papier-mache toe-cap forming a
chief feature of this invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same with a superposed fabric covering
having a lasting flange or extension.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a section of the toe portion of a football boot having our improved
toe-cap embodied therein.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 3 of a modification.
To carry out our invention we prepare a blank of papier-mache or the like of
the required size and mould or block it in dies while in a damp and pliable condi-
tion to the shape shown in Figure 1 or to such other shape as it is intended the
toe-cap of the football boot or shoe shall assume.
This papier-mache toe-cap A, shown in dotted line only in Figure 2, when
removed from the die or mould and dried becomes hard, after which it is coated
on one or each side with enamel or like material so as to waterproof it and make
it impervious to moisture.
It may then have attached thereto, by cement or other suitable adhesive
material, a superposed covering or jacket B of thin leather or woven or other fabric
with a flange or extension B¹ to facilitate the subsequent lasting operation and the
attachment of the toe-cap to the sole in the well known manner.
In Figure 4 is shown a section of the toe portion of a football boot with the
hereinbefore described toe-cap lasted therein.
In this figure C represents the upper to which is attached on the underside of
the vamp, a flap C¹.
Between C and C¹ the rear or straight end A¹ and the upper part A2 of the
toe-cap are interposed, the flange B₁ and the toe portion of the upper C being
turned under between the insole D and the outsole E and fixed thereto by rivetting
or sewing in the well known manner.
In the modification shown in Figure 5 the papier-mache toe-cap A has attached
on its underside also a thin leather or fabric cover or jacket B2 similar in construc-
tion to B, so that the papier mache is sandwiched between the two jackets or
coverings B B².
Or as a further modification a single layer of leather or fabric such as BB
may have cemented or attached on each of its sides a thin papier-mache covering
or toe-cap such as A treated as before described.
A toe-cap constructed in the manner herein specified is hard and practically
unbreakable and will maintain its shape under the most adverse atmospheri
ccuditions.
It is also comparatively light in weight and is not liable to become crushe
when trodden upon during the course of the game and thereby rendered useles
for kicking purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that wh
we claim is:-
1. A toe-cap for a boot or shoe, consisting of one or more layers of papier-mach
or the like and one or more layers of thin leather or woven or other fabric substa
tially as and for the purpose described.
2. A toe-cap for a boot or shoe, consisting of one or more layers of papier-mac
or the like and one or more layers of thin leather or woven or other fabric pr
1

page_text: vided with flanges extending beyond the edges of the papier-mache, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
3. A toe-cap for boots and shoes consisting of one or more layers of papier-
mache, coated on one or each of its sides with enamel or like to render it damp-
proof and provided on one or each of its sides with an attached covering of thin
leather or woven or other fabric having a flange or extension substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. A toe-cap for boots and shoes consisting of the combination of materials
treated and arranged substantially as described and with reference to the accom-
panying drawing.
5. A football boot or shoe provided with a toe-cap as herein set forth, interposed
between the vamp of the upper C and a flap C₁ attached to the latter and to the
insole and outsole substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 14th day of March 1898
FRANK FOWKES SWAIN,
JOSEPH LEESON.