Untitled record

^oeF^hiy,

Faien/eclFeb. bb b360.

<img file="US46408A_D0001.tif" />

. Λ PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON.

C.

United States Patent Office.

WILLIAM H. TOWERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED SHOE-STRING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,408, dated February 14, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William H. Towehs, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a. new and Improved ShoeString; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which make a part of this specification.

Figures 1 and 2 represent two views of the shoe-string, and the letters a a represent the extremities of the same.

Now, I will explain the nature of my invention, which is so simple that it needs no explanation, except in manufacture. It consists simply of a strip of untanned cow-skin, or what is commonly called “rawhide,” cutin a manner similar to the common leather shoe string. Rawhide when dried becomes very hard and unyielding, and in order to make it soft and pliable take it while it is wet and green, just after the hair is removed in the usual mode, and cut the parts to be used into strips of any length and size desired, either rolling or pressing them into any desirable shape. Then immerse the strips, except about an inch of the extremities, into neat’s foot oil or other oil or substance which will answer the same purpose. The string being green, the oil takes and renders it soft and pliable. At the same time, the extremities being exposed to the air become dry and nearly as hard as horn, and in order tokeep them hard and impervious to moisture, they may be dipped into shellac or other substance which will render them water-proof.

Now, it will be perceived also, by referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, that the extremities are pointed and slightly bulging near either point, the effect of which is readily understood. The point also having become hardened, as before described, will pass very easily through the eyelet-hole, superseding the use of tin or other metallic substance generally used for that purpose.

This string may be made perfectly round by rolling· or otherwise, or flat by pressure, resembling the common silk shoe-string and scarcely distinguishable from it by embossing or rolling while in the green state, as before described. It is exceedingly strong and durable, and one pair of which will last as long as the shoes or boots in which they may be used. It can be dyed any color desired, and, in fact, this string combines beauty, durability, and cheapness—the qualities so much needed in such an article.

I do not confine myself to the use of cowskin, but claim to use any untanned hide in a similar manner. Neither do I confine the use of the string to boots and shoes, but it may be used for corsets, lacings, or fastenings of any sort with similar advantage.