Untitled record

Application filed October 9, 1886. Serial No. 215,767. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Benjamin W. Hayes, of Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Oxford or LowQuarterShoes, of which thefollowingisaspecification.

My invention relates to lace shoes of what is commonly known as the “Oxford” or “lowio quarter” type, and has for its object to so improve the construction of such shoes as to enable them to be drawn on or off the foot of the wearer without unlacing or undoing the fastenings, and at the same time secure greater 15 comfort to the wearer, as well as to improve the appearance and fit of the shoe.

To these ends my invention consists in providing· the shoe with an elastic lacing and an elastic tongue, both of which are always in 20 place, as I will now proceed to describe, so that others skilled in the art may be able to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of 25 this specification, and the invention being particularly pointed out in the claim hereunto appended. .

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a shoe constructed in accord30 ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of the shoe, showing my invention as applied thereto, the elastic tongue and lacing being represented as distended. Fig. Sis a section on the line x x, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all of the figures.

My invention, as has been indicated, is particularly applicable to what are commonly known as “Oxford” or “low-quarter” shoes 40 andhigh-cut slippers, and in carrying it out on articles of this character I provide an elastic tongue,a,which I stitch at both of its edges to the under side of the lace-flies b, and between the latter and the lining c of the quarters, by a 45 line of stitches, d—such as is usually made in shoes of this character—at a point a short distance back from the line on which the eyelets e are inserted in said lace-flies b.

The elastic tongue a is stitched to the shoe in such a way that when in its normal position it 50 will draw and hold the edges of the lace-flies δ together, as represented in Fig. 1. Ithenlace through the eyelets e, attached to the lace-flies in the usual manner, an elastic string or lacing, /, drawing it sufficiently tight to insure 55 that there is no slackness therein when the .elastic tongue is in its normal position, and permanently fasten the ends of such elastic string or lacing, by sewing or tying them together, or in any other suitable way, preferably at a point 60 where the knot or fastening will be brought under one of the lace-flies, or out of sight.

The shoe is otherwise constructed in a manner common in the manufacture of Oxford or low-quarter shoes, there beifig no other fasten- 65 ' ing than that provided by the elastic tongue and lacing just described.

. In use my improved shoe may be easily drawn on or uff the foot of the wearer without unlacing or loosening the fastenings, both the tongue 70 and lacing yielding to any undue strain, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to permit this to be done, as will be readily understood.

. A double fastening of the character shown and described has the advantage over an elas- 75 tic goring or lacing of common construction when used separately, in that when any strain is put upon the fastening in putting the shoe on or taking it off the foot, or in any other use of the article, it is distributed between the lac- 80 ing/ and tongue a, tending in this way to prolong the life of both, and, furthermore, there is no liability of tearing out of the eyelets. The tongue a being secured at both sides to the lace-fly, there is no liability of it becoming dis- 85 placed, and the lacing requiring no untying or loosening, there is no such trouble in the use of the shoe, as the manipulation of these things usually require. It is to be noted, also, that by my invention the shoe is made to conform co more closely to the shape of the foot, and thus affords greater comfort to the wearer than if the tongue and lacing were not elastic' or yielding. .

Should it be desired at any time, for any reason or purpose, to substitute the old or com- 95 mon style of lacing for the elastic lacing provided by my invention, this can be done at the mere cost of a pair of shoe-laces, which can be

355,265 used in the well-known way in place of my elastic laces.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a shoe with an opening at the side of the instep, 5 a button-flap, an elastic goring under the button-flap, and buttons secured to elastic cords or tapes. I am also aware that a boot or shoe has heretofore been constructed having a slit or opening in the center of the upper, in comio bination with an elastic fabric extending across said opening, and that it is not new to provide a shoe with elastic fillets or lacings. I do not therefore claim a boot or shoe constructed in accordance with either of these principles, but 15 confine myself to the construction, combination, and relationship of parts particularly set forth in the claim hereinafter made. In my structure the opening is in front directly over the instep, the tenderest portion of the foot, 20 and consequently provides for easiest adjustment or yielding at the point where such thing is most desirable, and hence secures greater comfort, and also a better fit of the shoe, than in the constructions mentioned, which do not have my combination and arrangement of 25 parts. My shoe possesses, in addition to the foregoing, all the advantages, both in structure and appearance, of a tongue-and-lace or Oxford shoe.