Lyman Reed Blake (August 24, 1835 – October 3, 1883) was an American
inventor who devised a
sewing machine for sewing the soles of
shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture ...
s to the
of the shoe.
Born in South Abington,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, Blake started off in the shoemaker business at a young age, first working for his brother Samuel. Blake later worked in
inventor Isaac Singer
Isaac Merritt Singer (October 27, 1811 – July 23, 1875) was an American inventor, actor, and businessman. He made important improvements in the design of the sewing machine and was the founder of what became one of the first American multi-n ...
's company,
Singer Corporation, setting up sewing machines in shoe factories. By 1856, he had become a partner in a shoemaking company and spent his time inventing machines to help speed up the process of
shoemaking.
Two years later, on July 6, 1858, Blake received a patent from the United States government for his
sewing machine for helping attach the soles of shoes to the
upper of the shoe. The sewing machine helped permit the production of low-cost shoes by eliminating the heavy work of hand sewing. Blake then sold the patent to
Gordon McKay
Gordon McKay (1821–1903) was an American businessman and philanthropist.
Biography
He was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was trained as an engineer, worked on a railroad, and then on the Erie Canal before he purchased a machine shop. ...
a year after for $8,000 in cash and a $62,000 share of future profits. Blake later worked for McKay from 1861 until his retirement in 1874, working on improving the machine.
The McKay sole-sewing machine was at the top of the market for twenty-one years in both the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. Blake died on October 5, 1883 at the age of 48.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Lyman Reed
1835 births
1883 deaths
19th-century American inventors