Untitled record

Application filed January 23,1893. Serial Ko. 459j377. (Ko model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William Hall, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen,in the 5 State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the ic art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in 15 boots or shoes. Its objects are to provide, first an improved spring sole to relieve the jar on the feet, and second an improved boot or shoe which will still better provide for the movement or elasticity of a spring sole; other 20 objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. And the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in 25 which—

Figure 1 is a bottom view of the spring sole. Fig. 2 is a side view of the spring sole and the main upper. Fig. 3 is a side view of the slipper upper, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of a block 30 of cork with weight above it with lines showing method of cutting.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the spring sole consists of a thin intermediate sole 5 of leather or other suitable material, to which 35 numerous pieces of elastic material, preferably blocks of cork 6 are attached in any suitable manner, either by glue, or adhesive mixture, or by sewing. These blocks 6 are spring or elastic blocks of any suitable elastic mate40 rial placed in contiguity with each other, but with such spaces between them that room is provided for their separate compression and expansion, so that such compression and ex• pansion shall be uniform over all the surface 45 of the sole, and each separate block shall have room for individual compression and expansion. These spring blocks may be made of rubber, cork or any suitably elastic material. I prefer to use cork, especially prepared for 50 the purpose and made more durably elastic by a process which will be the subject-matter of another application. When cork is used it is sub-divided as in the case of large blocks (Fig. 4) and is cut into horizontal slabs 7, which are further divided into the smaller 55 blocks 6.

My improved boot or shoe consists in combining a main upper 7, provided with an inner sole 8, with a slipper upper 11 provided with a wearing sole 9, and preferably with a 60 heel 10, as shown in Fig. 3, the slipper upper 11 being adapted in size and shape to inclose and fit over the main upper 7. Between the inner sole 8 and the wearing sole 9 is placed a spring sole 5, preferably constructed with 65 spring blocks as above described. The slipper upper is then secured to the main upper 7 in any suitable manner, preferably by sewing along the upper edge 12 of the slipper 11, so as to hold the intermediate sole 0 closely 70 against the inner sole 8. This construction permits the two soles 8 and 9 to move to and from each other with the movements of the elastic blocks 6, without rubbing the stockings or chafing the feet, and this provision is 75 essential to secure the full advantages of my invention.

Heretofore cork soles have been placed removably in boots and shoes inclosed in felt, for the purpose of protecting the feet from 80 moisture, but thej' have never been so constructed as to give sufficient elasticity to relieve the jar upon the feet. An additional objection has been, that they were more or less loose inside of the shoe and easily became 85 deranged in place, and stiff and hard by absorption of the perspiration of the foot. My invention obviates all these difficulties, and in addition provides for an elasticity, not possible in the ordinary cork sole. Cork soles 90 have also been placed between the parts forming the sole of the shoe for the purpose of preventing dampness, sewed in so as to make a part of the sole. Such construction while preventing dampness has no function whatever 95 in making the sole elastic. Rubber has been used in like manner and for the same purpose, but its elasticity has been confined and restricted by such construction, so that practically it did not relieve the jar upon the foot; 100 in fact was not intended to do so.

I therefore do not broadly claim the use of cork or elastic material in the construction of the sole of a shoe.

500,385