GB1274559A - Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of articles of footwear - Google Patents

Abstract

1,274,559. Boots &c. SEMPERIT A.G. 10 Nov., 1970 [11 Nov., 1969; 20 Feb., 1970], No. 53363/70. Heading A3B. A method of making footwear includes the steps of joining by adhesive or injection moulding a sole to an upper of rough, e.g. unfinished, material to which the sole can be directly joined without further processing, and applying to the part of the upper which is not covered by the sole in the finished article at least one covering layer which provides the finish to the upper material. The layer(s) may be applied to the lasted upper before or after the sole is joined to the upper. The upper may be (i) a conventionally lasted upper of unfinished, e.g. fallow, leather, (ii) a textile, e.g. a woven or knitted fabric which is applied in tubular form 2 (Fig. 1) over a last 1, the ends being closed by horizontal seams 5, 6 which are folded under in the direction of arrows 9, 10; alternatvely the end seams may be vertical and folded sideways (iii) a foil of shrinkable synthetic material which may be applied to the last in tubular form and caused to shrink to the shape of the last by the application of heat, or (iv) a polyurethane foam material. The finishing layer is preferably a coating or coatings of polyurethane. The coating may be applied to the lasted upper prior to soling by spraying using a template or mask to cover the area to which the sole is attached. Alternatively the coating may be applied to the upper by spraying after the sole has been moulded and while the sole is still in the mould. The coating may also be applied after the sole has been removed from the mould by (i) an electrostatic spray process (Fig. 5) which directs the spray 24 onto the upper only or (ii) by dipping the entire shoe into the coating material, the sole having been covered by a release agent so that the coating can easily be removed from the sole, e.g. by brushing.