US552506A - Half to the james a - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 1.

W. T. BENJAMIN. UPPER FOR LAUED SHOES.

No. 552,505. Patentd Jan. 7, 1896.

ATTORNEY-F.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

w T BENJAMIN UPPER FOR LAGED SHOES;

(No Mode l.)

NITE TATES -ATENT FFrcE.

\VILLIAM T. BENJAMIN, OF NEWARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO THE JAMES A. BANISTER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

UPPER FOR LACED SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,506, dated January '7, 1896.

Application filed November 23, 1894. Serial No. 529,744.. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Newark, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uppers for Laced Shoes, of which the following.

is a specification.

The hooks, studs or, eyelets of shoes, being of hard and rigid material and subject to all the pressure of the lacing or other fastening means, often give much trouble, especially with persons having tender or high insteps or where the hook happens to come just over one of the prominent bones of the foot. In such instances, if the shde is snugly and properly laced, the hooks or other rigid fastening devices will, by the pressure of their roughprojecting bases, cause much irritation, discomfort and pain, and the thin tongue which sometimes lies beneath them is found to aiford no efficient protection. It has been attempted to obviate this difficulty by reversing the fastening devices where they were eyelets and inserting them, with their rough upset side or base outward, in a stay beneath the edge of the upper. In such construction, however, the hard unyielding metal of the eyelet still came next to the foot, as well as the thickness of the lacing, and bore upon the instep and cords of the ankle with much pressure unless the shoe was loosely laced, and the strain came entirely upon the stitching which secured such stay to the upper. Moreover, those fastening devices which are almost universally used-namely, hooks or studs-could not be applied in this way. I have therefore been led to effect a remedy for the difficulty in question, which is applicable to all kinds of fastening devices, to hooks and studs, as well as to eyelets, and which leaves such devices in their usual and more convenient position.

According to 'my invention the fastening devices are inserted and secured in the edge of the top, and I form beneath their bases a protector which partakes more or less of the nature of a cushion, thusmaking the foot perfectly comfortable at the instep and front of the ankle, imparting a fine finish to the edges of the upper and leaving the lacing strain to be imparted directly to the upper, instead of to a part stitched thereto. Ialso protect the stocking and foot from the verdigris or rust which dampness or grease in the leather, or sweat, causes to form on the bases of the fasteners.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical effect, without limiting my improvements in their useful applications to the particular construction which for the sake of illustration I have delineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front or outside view of a portion of an upper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an inside View of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line III III, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a sectional view on line IV IV, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a View of the upper and its lining united and opened to show their interior faces. Fig. 6 is an inside view of another form of upper also embodying my invention. VII VII, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line VIII VIII, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a portion of a top of a laced shoe. 2 is astrengthening-stay of canvas, leather or other suitable material laid beneath the front edge 3 of the top and stitched thereto at I.

5 indicates the fastening device, which may be a hook, stud or eyelet. Usually a series of eyelets is employed along the lower part of the edge of the top, and a series of hooks along the upper part. These fastening devices pass through the top properly stayed, as at 2, and have their bases riveted or upset upon the under side thereof, as shown at 6.

7 is a covering-stay of leather, cloth, felt or other substance below the bases 6, conforming in shape with the edge 3 of the top and secured to the latter in any desired manner. In Figs. 1 to 5 the securing means is a line of stitching 8 at the back edge of the stay 7, which may be supplemented by short horizontal lines of stitching 9 between the eyelets and by a front line of stitching 1O opposite the hooks. This mode of fastening the stay 7 permits the lacing (shown at 11) to pass in through the eyelets forward between the top and intermediate of the stitches 9 and out at the edge of the top. It will be observed that Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line the instep is thus perfectly protected from the ridges ordinarily formed by the lacing upon the under side of the upper and against the foot. The stay 7 may, however, be secured at its front edge opposite the eyelets by a line 12 of stitching, Fig. 6, which will be a 0011- tinnation of the stitching 10. In such case the stay 7 will be perforated, as at 13, opposite the eyelets, to permit the passage of the lacing. By the stay thus perforated the foot will be protected from the projecting bases (3, as well as when the stay is imperforate.

It will be understood that the covering-stay 7 may both be perforated and stitched, as at 9, leaving the wearer to pass the lacing either through the perforations or out between the top and the stay, according to preference, or said covering-stay may be left perfectly free and unst-itched at its outer edge.

14 is the top lining, which may be of canvas stitched to the top edge of the upper, as shown at 15. At the forward edge, however, I prefer to unite the lining with the stay 7, as shown at 16, extending its edge 17 forward under the bases 6 to aid in the forming of a cushion beneath them by serving as a filling within the stay 7.

It will be understood that by the term laced shoe I intend any shoe having hooks, v

studs, eyelets or other fastening devices at its front or side from which the foot requires 1 protection, whether or not such devices are united by a string. The invention also includes shoes which are not actually laced, but which have imitation fastening devices and lacing, and are otherwise adapted, as by elastic gores, to be put on and off.

I claim 1. In an upper for laced shoes, the combination with the top having eyelets or hooks secured in its edge, of a cushioning stay secured to the top, conforming to the edge thereof, perforated opposite to said fastening devices and situated beneath the bases of the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. In an upper for laced shoes, the combination with the top having fastening devices secured in its edge, of a cushioning stay secured to the top conforming to the edge there of, situated beneath the bases of said fastening devices, and having an opening or openings at its front edge for the passage of the lacing out between'the top and stay, substantially as set forth.

3. In an upper for laced shoes, the combination with the top having eyelets or hooks secured in its edge, of a cushioning stay secured to the top, conforming to the edge of the same and situated beneath the bases of said fastening devices, and secured to the top along one edge, and the top lining having its edge between said bases and the stay, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

W. T. BENJAMIN. \Vitnesses WM. HASELMAYER, J. IV. DENNY.

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