US269800A - Boot or shoe - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. A. LEMMON.

BOOT 0R SHOE. No. 269,800. Patented Dec. 26,1882.

Miran STATES *ATENJT Fries.

JOHN A. LEMMON, or HILL enovn, VIRGINIA.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,800, dated December 26, 1852,

Application filed October 9, 1882. (No model.)

1' 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoI-I A. LEMMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hill Grove, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of'Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Man u facture of Boots and Shoes; and I do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference'marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The main obstacles which have heretofore prevented the successful manufacture of seamless shoes, either for the wholesale trade or to fill individual orders for personal use, have been, first, the labor required to work out the wrinkles; secondly, the necessity for using flanky or unsubstantial leather, which, by reason of its having less strength and body, would lessen the amountof labor required in working out the wrinkles. The last, but perhaps not the least, objection was that the pattern cut out would not leave the upper in shape for manufacture of any style of shoe required.

My invention, I have demonstrated from practical experience, has overcome said objections; and it consists of an upper having the vamp, quarters, and heel in one piece, and having a piece cut therefrom to form the ankleopening in substantially the form herein described and claimed, and shown in the drawings.

To avoid the objections hereinbefore stated, 1 have found it necessary in cutting the ankleopening to dispense with right lines and to make the depth of the opening nearly equal to its width, to have its sides curved outwardly and its ends inwardly, avoiding short curves or corners, which wouldcentralize the Wrinkles at such points. It is important to throw the wrinkles as nearly equally at all points of the. opening as possible, and yet have the opening the desired shape for formation in the finished shoe. This result is accomplished by my iiivention. If the sides of the opening are straight, all the wrinkles form at the ends,

and vice versa. If a perfectly round cut were made, the wrinkles would of course form equally at all points; but such an opening would make the sides too low and the ends too high.

The shape of my pattern is such that it distributes the wrinkles better than any pattern heretofore known. I

With my pattern I can make seamless shoes of any of the popular styles-as, for instance, the buttoned gaiter, imitation buttoned gaiter, imitation tie gaiter, tie, laced, imitation laced gaiter, side-laced, side-laced imitation buttoned, side-laeed imitation tie, &c.

Some of'the advantages of my invention, not before stated, are, first, by reason of'the ends being gradually curved inwardly and extending from side to side the depth of the opening is increased by turning the inwardlyprojecting parts outwardly, whereby I am enabled to cuta minimum quantity of leather from the uppcrand utilize smaller pieces; secondly, by the-better distribution of the wrinkles around the edges of the opening I am enabled to use strong and substantial leather, whereby when the upper is lasted and the inwardlycurved end pieces are drawn outwardly very few wrinkles remain to be rubbed out.

The upper halves of two ordinary railroad T-rails placed togethentreads outward, would form a figure a transverse section of which would be substantially like the patternmade in accordance with my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a shoe-upper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a shoe made after my improvement.

ln carrying out myinvention, Icutfrom the piece of leather or prospective upper A, by means of a pattern laid thereon, an opening, B, for the insertion of the foot. This opening B, as will be observed more particularly by reference to Fig. 1, is approximately square in its general shape. In other words, its rear and forward edges or sides are curved inward at the center at a moderate degree, as at a a, with the corners rounded or oppositely curved, as at I), while its sides are curved slightly out of a straight line outward, as at c c. The piece B is further out to cause it to assume substantially the shape shown in Fig. 1, for attachment to the sole.

The upper can be made of either flanky or substantial leather, to which may be added by stitching or sewing on an added piece when it is desired to be used in makinga gaiter or boot.

The waste piece removed from the upper can he utilized for making a fine quality of leather strings. The upper can also he ornamented by contigurated stitching, an example of which is shown in the figures of the drawings.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An upper for a shoe or boot, made in one 1 piece, substantially as herein shown and described, the ankle-opening having an inwardlyprojecting end, a, and sides having aslightlyoutward curvature, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The upper A, cut to assume substantially the shape shown, and having the ankle-opening B constructed with inward-projecting curved edges a (l/ at its rear and forward edges, and with slightl outward curved sides 0, as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN A. LEMMON.

\Vitnesses:

B0. A. T. CLEMENT, B0. A. CLEMENT, Jr.

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