IE47190B1

IE47190B1 - Improvements in or relating to footwear

Info

Publication number: IE47190B1
Application number: IE1922/78A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Clarks Ltd
Priority date: 1977-09-26
Filing date: 1978-09-25
Publication date: 1984-01-11
Also published as: ZA784208B; NZ187955A; AU521796B2; AU3839978A; IE781922L; GB1600852A

Description

This invention relates to footwear.

According to the invention there is provided an article of footwear comprising a moulded sole unit having moulded integrally therewith an upstanding rib extending peripherally of but spaced inwardly of the edge of the top surface of the unit so as to form an outwardly facing rebate about the rib, an upper which provides the side wall of the article about the wearer*s foot and the lower edge portion of which projects downward in vertically overlapping relationship with said rib, and a separately formed strip extending lengthwise of the rib and disposed outward of said lower edge portion of the upper, at least one marginal part of the width of the strip being disposed in said rebate, said strip and said lower edge portion of the upper being secured to the rib.

In one embodiment according to the invention said strip is wrapped about the rib so as to extend over the top and down the two sides thereof. In this construction it is preferable that an insole be secured by its edge to the lower edge portion of the upper and bonded to the top surface of the sole unit.

In an alternative construction the lower edge portion of the upper is disposed in said rebate and in contact with the outer face of the rib, and said strip is disposed against the outer surface of said lower edge portion. Preferably said strip is folded, viewed in cross-section, the fold being at the upper edge of the strip and the two free edges formed by the fold being substantially in abutment with the upper surface of the sole unit outside the rib.

Preferably the strip is made from leather or a plastics sheet material. The rib, strip and said lower edge portion of the upper are conveniently secured together by stitching.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings which show a fragmentary cross-sectional view of two articles of footwear according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a shoe is shown having a moulded sole unit 10 provided with an integral peripheral upstanding rib 11 extending adjacent but spaced inwardly of the edge of the unit to form an outwardly facing rebate about the rib, and a strip of leather 12 is folded about and bonded to the rib. To the unit is then cemented a lasted upper 13 which provides the side wall of the shoe about the wearer’s foot, the upper having been stitched (at 14) to a sock and then lasted by a sliplasting (otherwise known as Californian) technique. The covered rib 11 is disposed against the outer face of the lasted upper, and the construction is completed hy stitching through the covered rib 11 and the upper, as shown at 16. The surface 17 of the sole unit which supports the foot is at a lower level that the bottom of the rebate at the outer side of the rib.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, a moulded sole unit 20 has a peripheral upstanding rib 21. Outward of the rib is formed a rebate 22 which is sufficiently wide to accommodate the lower edge portion of the upper 23 and a rand strip 24 which is folded to provide a double thickness of material, the fold being at the upper edge. The bottom face of the rebate is at a lower level than the foot-supporting surface 25 of the unit. At 26 where the inner surface of the rib joins the surface 25 a fillet is formed which has a radius conforming generally to that of the complementary part of the foot. The inner and outer faces of the rib meet in a line, the rib being somewhat triangular in cross-section. A sock 27 is secured to the top surface of the sole unit and has its outer edge secured to the rib by decorative stitching 28 which also secures the strip and the lower edge portion of the upper.

Claims

1. What we claim is:

1. An article of footwear comprising a moulded sole unit having moulded integrally therewith an upstanding rib extending peripherally of but spaced inwardly of the edge of the top surface of the unit so as to form an outwardly facing rebate about the rib, an upper which provides the side wall of the article about the wearer's foot and the lower edge portion of which projects downward in vertically overlapping relationship with said rib, and a separately formed strip extending lengthwise of the rib and disposed outward of said lower edge portion of the upper, at least one marginal part of the width of the strip being disposed in said rebate, said strip and said lower edge portion of the upper being secured to the rib.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1, wherein said strip is wrapped about the rib so as to extend over the top and down the two sides thereof.

3. An article as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein an insole is secured by its edge to the lower edge portion of the upper and is bonded to the top surface of the sole unit.

4. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower edge portion of the upper is disposed in said rebate and in contact with the outer face of the rib, and said strip is disposed against the outer surface of said lower edge portion.

5. An article as claimed in claim 4, wherein said strip is folded, viewed in cross-section, the fold being at the upper edge of the strip and the two free edges formed by the fold being substantially In abutment with the upper surface of the sole unit outside the rib. 471θθ

6. An article as claimed in claim 5 wherein, viewed in cross-section, the surface of the sole unit is concavely curved where the inner surface of the rib joins the top surface of the sole unit 5 so as to form a fillet corresponding generally in radius to the complementary part of a foot, the rib extending about the periphery of the foot.

7. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upper and said strip are secured 10 to the rib by stitching.

8. An article as claimed in claim 7 in conjunction with claim 6, wherein a sock is disposed on the upper surface of the sole unit and has its outer edge secured to the inner surface of the rib by 15 said stitching.

9. An article of footwear substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.