Untitled record

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N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. DC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I

ANDREW VETTER, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERSHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent Ho. 4,497, dated May 2, 1846.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Andrew Vetter, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and use5 fill Improvement in the Manner of Manufacturing Overshoes, Either for Male or Female Wear; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

My improved overshoe I denominate “ the elastic spring shank over shoe.”

In my over shoes the. soles do not extend back any farther than to the commencement of the part denominated the shank, and from 15 this part to the heel where the shank terminates, the shank and quarters consist of upper leather between which and a lining of soft leather of other suitable material, there are interposed strands or strips of india 20 rubber to operate as springs, or spiral springs of wire, which are kept in place by stitching through the two thicknesses of leather or other material or by the use of india rubber cement. The wire springs, or 25 the india rubber strands or strips, extend lengthwise -of the shoe and they are firmly confined in place by the india rubber cement; or, in the case of wire springs, by sewing, in the same way with wire springs used in 30 braces and other like articles. The leather or other material between which the springs are interposed is corrugated or in slight plaits, and the shoes not only bend with facility at the instep but they are capable also 35 of a slight degree of elongation and are thereby rendered peculiarly easy to the foot although fitting thereto as closely as may be desired. When intended for gentlemen’s wear the same principle, or manner of form40 mg the shank is employed, there not being any connection of sole leather between the sole and the heel; but in addition to the elastic shank I form a cavity or receptacle in the heel of the over shoe for admitting the 45 heel of the ordinary shoe or boot. For this purpose I prepare a box of tin plate, or other metal, of a proper size and form to receive the heel of the boot or shoe and this I insert in the heel part of the overshoe be50 tween the two thicknesses of leather which with said box is to constitute the hollow heel of the overshoe.

In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, I have represented one of my overshoes 55 adapted to ladies’ wear; the shank A A and the part Β Β of the quarters consist of one piece of upper leather and of lining, between which the elastic material or the springs are to be placed, there not being any portion of sole leather in that part of the 60 shoe, the sole terminating at the part c. The lines a a show the parts along which the elastic strands, or strips of india rubber, or the spiral springs pass; the ends of these spiral springs when such are used being made fast 65 at δ b.

Fig. 2 is a side view of an over shoe for gentlemen’s wear, one half of the heel part being cut away for the purpose of representing the manner in which I insert the metallic 70 box. Fig. 3 is a representation of one of these boxes prepared for being inserted in the hollow heel. D is the hollow heel, and e e the metallic box which is inserted between the two thicknesses of leather j and /,75 forming the inside and outside of said heel; and below the metallic box is the sole leather h, forming the heel tap. The hollow heel so constructed is equally convenient and permanent as the metal box preserves it in 80 the due form rendering it incapable of running down or of becoming crooked.