US48943A - Improvement in boot-heels - Google Patents

Description

NITED STATES PATENT OFrrete.J

SAMUEL HODGINS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOT-HEELS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,943, dated July 25, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL HoDGrNs, of No. 44 Olive street, of St. Louis,in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulIrnprovement-in Boots and Shoes, which I term a Boot and Shoe Heel Regulator, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled inthe art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

Almost every person wears the heel of his boot or shoe unevenly. Sometimes it is worn down on the outside much sooner` than at any other spot on its surface, and ofttimes it is inconvenient to have the boot or shoe haltheeled, and the consequence is that the same begins to run down, and the counter, being affected thereby, loses its neat form, and many times the wearing down is at the back of the heel, and if the half-heeling is not attended to in good season the boot or shoe is likely to chate the heel of the foot, besides straining the boot or shoe out of its proper shape.-

The object of my invention is to obviate this running down of the heel of the boot or shoe caused by the wearing away of one part sooner than the other; and it consists inthe employment or use, in the heel of a boot or shoe, ofa metallic plate extending either wholly or in part down to the lower surface of the heel, or that which rests upon the ground, said plate being bent round so as to correspond with the shape of the heel for the distance it may be desired to have it extend round the same; and the said plate having its inner or upper end beveled in such manner thatacorrespondentlybeveled plate arranged over the same in the heel of the boot may be caused to force it out by means of a set-screw or any other suitable device, and which may be retained in position when out by a similar device.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it with refer ence to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the bottom of the heel of a boot with my improvement applied to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken in the plane of the line x w, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional View, showing more particularly the manner of forcing out and retaining the projecting plate.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the heel of a boot which has a suitable recess formed init for a portion of the distance round the same, into which is placed a plate, B, having beveled teeth, which rest against correspondently-beveled teeth on another plate, C, which is placed above it in the said recess, and which, or portions of which, extend out to that part of the heel which rests on the ground.

The plate B, instead of having beveled teeth, may be made inclined its whole length and the top ofthe plate C made to correspond with it.

a, is a set-screw, one end of which rests against the plate B, and the other extends out near where the shank joins the heel, so as. to be out of sight. b is another set-screw, which bears against the plate Gand extends out of the heel in the same way as the screw a, so as, like it, to be in a convenient place to be operated by a pocket screw-driver or any other suitable instrument. Thus it will be seen by screwing in the said screw a the plate B will he moved forward, whiclrwill force the plate O downward so as to project below the surface of the bottom of the heel. Vhen the said plate U has been forced out the desired distance the said screw b is screwed down hard upon it, which keeps it rigidly in place. The plate O can also be made to project out farther at one of its ends than at the other by merely altering the bevel of the teeth on the plate B.

My improvement may be applied to any part of the heel of the boot or shoe, according to the way in which the person for whom the boot or shoe is intended wears out the heel, and it will be found tobe of great advantage. Rows of nails have been driven in the heel, and plates have been nailed upon the same, and metallic heels of various kinds have been used to answer the same ends; but none ot' these seem to answer the purpose fully, for the reason that the metal wears away with the leather, and the heel, though indeed it may last longer than an entirely leathern heel, yet wears oft' in the places where it is desired to have it equal in depth or height with the rest of lLhe heel. By my arrangement the plate C tion with the heel of a boot or shoe, arranged may be forced outward as fast as the heel to operate in the manner and for the purpose wears ofgandin this Way the metal itself Wears herein specified.

and the heel may be kept continually at a unform height. SAMUEL HODGINS.

What l olanu as my inventioxn' and desire Witnesses:

to secure by Letters Patent, s- GHAs. PETELER, The adjustable plates B and C, in oombna- PETER BERGER.

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