US59419A - Improvement in water-proof shoes - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

JOHNSON LEISON, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-PROOF SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,4l9, dated November 6, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHNSON LETsoN, of New Brunswick, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Boots and Shoes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which is represented, in vertical section, a rubber overshoe constructed in accordance with my invention.

My invention relates to that class of rubber shoes in which an upper of cloth, felt, or other suitable fabric is combined with a rubber foxing and sole; and its object is to produce a shoe which, while water-proof or impervious to moisture at those points where the shoe is most likely to become wet, shall yet be ventilatin g and afford perfect opportunity for the insensible moisture and perspiration from thefoot `to pass off. The improvements therefore which I have made the subjectof this application have relation to the construction of the upper-the only part ofthe shoe which can be made ventilating without detractin g from its waterproof properties, and they consist in interposing between the cloth vamp and inner lining a sheeting of rubber under such an arrangement that' the air is free to circulate between the lining and the rubber, and also,if desired, between the vamp and the rubber, while, at the same time, the upper is still kept waterproof, and prevents the water or moisture from reaching the foot.

In order to effect these improvements, I take, before the shoe is put together, the cloth upper and attach to its under side a thin sheet of rubber, either by means of cements or by pressure between calenders. need not be spread over the whole surface of the vamp, but may only extend up sufficiently high to cover that part of the upper which is liable to become wet. The vamp thus prepared is attached to the lining, forming the upper, which is secured to the other parts of the shoe in the usual way. The woolen or felt lining, however, is not cemented to the waterproof vamp, but is secured to it only at its edges, the rest of the lining being perfectly loose, and detached from the sheet of rubber interposed between it and the vamp. The effect of this arrangement, is that the air is This sheeting.

free to circulate between the lining and vamp, and a medium is thus furnished by which the moisture from the foot is carried oii.v The same process may be employed to make the quarter Water-proof, the lining remaining detached from the water-proof quarter.

In order to still further promote the ventilating of the shoe, the rubber sheet which is interposed between the lining and the vamp need not be cemented or calendered to the vamp. It will be sufficient to have it secured at its lower edge to the vamp or foxing, leaving the other part of the sheet entirely loose and separate from the vamp. The air under this arrangement can circulate as well between the rubber sheeting and the lining, the three parts which compose the upper-viz., the cloth vamp, sheeting of rubber, and lining-being y loose and unattached to each other except at their lower edges, while at the same time the rubber sheeting will eifectually keep the water ing.

The shoe there shown consists of the following parts: the sole c, foxing b, vamp c, interposed sheet of rubber d, and lining e.

Before the shoe is put together I take the vampc, and to its under side I attach, by means of cement or by passing .the two be tween calender-rolls, a thin piece of rubber, d, which extends upon the upper to the height indicated by the line x. The lining e is bound to the vamp at its edge, but with this exception is entirely loose and unattached to the vamp throughout its whole extent. It will thus be seen, by reference to the drawing, that a space is left between the rubber d and 'vamp c and lining e, which enables the air to circu late freely through the upper and affords a passage for carrying off the insensible perspiration and moisture of the foot. The lining of the quarter f is made loose also for the same purpose. Instead of making the whole surface of the vamp Water-proof, I have found it best to attach the rubber to the vamp only to the extent indicated by the line this being ample for all practical purposes, while it increases materially the ventilation of the shoe.

The rubber sheet d, instead of being cemented or calendered to the Vamp c, need not be attached thereto except at its lower edge, at the point where the vamp, lining', foxng, and rubber .are secured to the sole a. This arrangement still further increases the ventilation, the air being free to circulate between the rubber (l and vamp e, as well as between the rubber and the lining e, while, at the same time, the rubber still keeps oft' all external moisture from the foot. The upper thus constructed is secured to the other parts of the shoe by the method usually employed in the manufacture of this species of rubber shoe,

JOHNSON LETSON. Witnesses: V

K. T. B. SPADU, H. M. VAN GLUF.

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