ITPI20120037A1 - ACCESSORY FOR A PRESSING FORMER OF FOOTWEAR INSOLES. - Google Patents

Description

TITLE

ACCESSORY FOR A FORMING PRESS OF

INSOLES FOR FOOTWEAR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is part of the technical sector of equipment for the footwear industry.

STATE OF THE ART

In the category of equipment for the footwear sector, molds are known, an example of which is illustrated in Fig. 1, consisting of a lower half-mold, S1, and an upper half-mold, S2, mounted on a press (not illustrated in detail as a note). The half-molds S1, S2 are complementarily shaped and are suitable for shaping insoles, 1, in particular for women's shoes, so that they assume a predetermined curvature in a direction substantially parallel to their longitudinal development.

The aforementioned curvature will determine, in the finished shoe, the plantar arch as well as the difference in height between the toe area, P, of the foot and that of the heel, T, compensated by the application of a heel of suitable height.

The slab 1 to be machined consists, for example, of:

â € ¢ an upper layer, 1A, of flexible material, so-called insole, punched with an appropriate profile that completely follows the sole of the shoe;

â € ¢ a lower layer, 1B, of more rigid material, the so-called heel, which follows the profile of the upper one in the heel T area and ends in a median position with respect to the same upper layer 1A;

â € ¢ a non-visible metal reinforcement, so-called shank, interposed between said upper layers 1A and lower layers 1B, able to give the insole 1 the necessary rigidity in the posterior-central area, so as to maintain the correct plantar arch.

The `` sandwich '' described above is assembled by glue and obviously has a very different resistance to deformation between the front area (tip P), in which there is only the 1A insole, flexible, and the rear-central one, in the which is the shank, decidedly rigid.

As clearly visible in Fig. 1, the insole 1 to be shaped is placed on the lower half-mold S1 (which forms the female footprint), when the upper half-mold S2 (which forms the male footprint) is located in the raised position.

The descent of the upper half-mold S2, in the absence of stops for the slab 1, would cause, in the first section of the relative stroke, a slippage of the same towards the rear part of the mold, caused by the combination of the shape of the half-molds S1, S2, which generate components of the forces directed in this direction, and by the aforementioned differentiated resistance of the sole 1, which yielding more in front, amplifies said slippage.

To avoid this effect, which obviously would give rise to incorrect positioning of the slab 1 and therefore to processing waste, a device, 2, illustrated in the same Fig. 1, is known, associated with the rear part of the lower half-mold S1 and comprising a blade, 20, arranged for cutting within a vertical slit, 21, provided in the half-mold itself, in such a way as to be lying in correspondence with the vertical centreline plane of the slab 1; in practice, the front end, 20A, of the blade 20 is able to intercept the rear edge, T1, of the heel T of the aforementioned sole 1.

When positioning the slab 1 on the lower half-mold S1, the blade 20 acts as a reference to define its longitudinal position (see again Fig. 1); however, the maneuver requires some attention, since the heel area T almost always has a rounded plan profile and the blade 20 has a small thickness, so that an incorrect transversal centering of the sole 1 leads to an error in the longitudinal position.

The protruding rear part of the blade 20 is fixed to a vertical sleeve, 22, sliding inside a sleeve, 23, inside which there is a spring (not shown) whose elastic reaction pushes the € ™ together with sleeve 22 and blade 20, in abutment with an end-of-stroke present in the same sleeve 23 and not highlighted.

With the half-molds S1, S2 open, a portion of the blade 20 is internal to the slit 21, while the remaining portion protrudes from the top up to a higher level than the slab 1.

The descent of the upper half-mold S2 causes the thrusts which would tend to make the slab 1 retract into the mold, opposed by the front head 20A of the blade 20 which encounters the rear edge T1 and prevents movements in this direction; at the same time the blade 20, pressed by the upper half-mold S2, is lowered and re-entered the slot 21.

As a consequence of the phenomena described, and due to the thin thickness of the blade 20, which involves relatively high specific pressures, on the aforementioned rear edge T1, at the end of the molding operation, a sort of notch, M, remains marked ( Fig. 2) which compromises the quality of the slab 1, so much so as to require, in the following operating phases, adequate grouting or similar interventions to avoid that said notch M remains visible.

To prevent the blade 20 from damaging the upper half-mold S2 in the contact area, an insert, 24, is provided, made with a metal harder than the aluminum with which the half-mold itself is made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is therefore to propose an accessory for a shoe insole forming press, shaped in such a way as to ensure correct positioning of the insole before and during the molding, without requiring particular expertise, and at the same time avoid the onset, on the sole itself, of any imperfection or marking determined by the subsequent molding action.

Another purpose of the invention is to propose an accessory that can perform its functions without requiring adaptation work on the mold, in particular avoiding the creation, in the lower half-mold, of the slit intended to accommodate the blade described in the introduction, as well as © avoiding to apply, in the upper half-mold, the insert that prevents localized wear caused by contact with the aforementioned striking blade.

A further object of the invention concerns the desire to obtain an accessory that is separate from the mold and, at the same time, able to adapt quickly to cooperate with the different formats of the latter that can be mounted on the press.

Another object of the invention resides in realizing an accessory shaped in such a way as to be able to easily enslave its operation to that of the press, in particular to the descent and ascent stroke of the upper half-mold, or of the lower half-mold, with a suitable relationship of phase.

Another further object of the invention consists in proposing an accessory which can be produced both in the right and left version, to be used also in combination on presses in which two molds are mounted.

Yet another object of the invention is to obtain an accessory of simple design, reliable in operation, robust and with limited production costs.

The aforementioned purposes are entirely achieved by means of an accessory for a press for forming shoe insoles, with said press of the type comprising: a base, to which a lower half-mold bearing a female footprint is fixed; a movable upper pad, to which an upper half-mold is made integral with a male imprint complementary to the aforementioned female imprint, with the aforementioned half-molds intended to constitute a mold capable of conferring, to said sole, a predetermined curvature permanent, at least according to the relative longitudinal development, with the aforesaid accessory in turn comprising: a frame, fixed to the aforesaid base; a plate, arranged almost vertically as well as transversal to the aforementioned lower half-mold, near the rear part of the latter in which the heel area of the aforementioned insole is destined to be located; a plate, associated with said plate, arranged almost horizontally, extending towards said lower half-mold and located near the upper limit of the aforementioned rear part of the latter; an actuator, supported by the aforementioned frame, associated with said vertical plate and able to move the latter between two extreme positions, in phase relationship with the closing and reopening of said mold, respectively an operating position, in which the same plate is located near the aforementioned lower half-mold and the aforementioned plate is partially internal to the latter to define, with the corresponding front end, a stop for the heel area of said insole, and an inoperative position, in which the same plate is further away from the lower half-mold itself and the aforementioned plate is located outside the latter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the invention will be more easily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, provided as a non-limiting example, in accordance with what is reported in the claims and with reference to the attached figures in which:

- Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of an insole forming press equipped with a device of the known art;

- Fig. 2 shows a detail, on an enlarged scale, of an insole printed with the forming press of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 partially illustrates, in perspective, a press for forming slabs to which the accessory object of the invention is associated;

- Fig. 4A shows, in side view and with parts removed, the press and the accessory of Fig. 3, with the latter in its operative position;

- Fig. 4B shows a view similar to Fig. 4A with the accessory in its inoperative position;

- Fig. 5 illustrates, in a view similar to Fig. 2, a molded slab with the forming press and the accessory of Fig. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MANUFACTURING FORMS

In relation to the figures listed above, 1 has been indicated as a whole with an insole for footwear, in particular for women's shoes.

As described in detail in the introduction, the insole 1 is preferably of the type consisting of a `` sandwich '' in which an upper layer 1A of flexible material, so-called insole, a lower layer 1B of more rigid material, so-called heel, are identified non-visible metal, so-called shank, interposed between said upper layers 1A and lower 1B.

The slab 1 is intended to be shaped so that it assumes a predetermined curvature, at least according to a direction substantially parallel to its longitudinal development, by means of a mold associated with a press (not shown) and consisting of a lower half-mold S1 (which conforms the female footprint) and an upper S2 half-mold (which shapes the male footprint).

Figs. 3, 4A, 4B, 5 relate to the accessory object of the present invention, which has been indicated as a whole with the reference 100.

The accessory 100 comprises a frame, 101, fixed by known non-detailed means, for example screw, to the base, B, of said press to which said lower half-mold S1 is also fixed; the frame 101 presents, in plan, a substantially â € œLâ € shape, which is arranged to circumscribe one side and the rear part, S1p, of the lower half-mold S1, in which part S1p is destined to be located the area heel T of insole 1 (Fig. 3).

The accessory also comprises a plate, 102, arranged almost vertically and hinged at the bottom, in this embodiment, to said frame 101, along a horizontal axis, X1, arranged transversely to the lower half-mold S1, near its rear S1p.

The plate 102 is associated, by means of supporting members, 104, with a plate, 103, arranged almost horizontally, extending towards said lower half-mold S1 and located at a greater height than the plate 102 itself, as well as slightly higher than at the upper limit of the aforementioned rear part S1p of the same lower half-mold S1.

The plate 103, according to a method better described below, is able to define, with the corresponding front end, 103A, (i.e. the one facing towards the half-mold S1), a stop for the heel area T of said sole 1 ( Fig. 4A).

To this end, and according to a preferred embodiment of the figures, said front end 103A is shaped with a profile complementary to that of said insole, for example curvilinear (Fig. 3).

Furthermore, the plate 103 itself has, towards the relative front end 103A, a tapered thickness, for reasons which will become more evident later on.

The plate 103 is associated with the aforementioned support members 104 by means of a hinge constraint whose axis, X2, is parallel to the articulation axis, X1, of the plate 102, and is subjected to the action of elastic means, 105, housed in the same support members 104, capable of imparting a rotation to it so that the front end 103A is lowered; this last position is delimited by an end-of-stroke (not visible) provided in the support members 104.

Said support members 104 are locked to the plate 102 by means of fixing, 114, for example screw, providing the possibility of adjusting the position of the support members 104 according to two orthogonal directions coplanar to the plate 102 itself, to adjust the height and centering of the plate 103 with respect to the lower half-mold S1.

For this purpose, for example series of threaded holes at different heights are provided in the plate 102 (not shown in detail) and horizontal slots, 124, in the support members 104 (Fig. 3).

Associated with the plate 102 is an actuator, 106, for example a pneumatic jack with linear action, supported by the frame 101, able to make the plate 102 oscillate between two extreme positions, respectively an operating position, K, in which it is located close to the lower half-mold S1 and the aforementioned plate 103 is partially internal to the latter to define, with the corresponding front end 103A, a stop for the heel area T of said sole 1 (Fig. 4A), at a inoperative position, W, in which the plate 102 is further away from the lower half-mold S1 itself and the aforementioned plate 103 is located outside the latter (Fig. 4B).

In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 106 is advantageously associated with the frame 101 with the interposition of adjustment means 108, suitable for modifying the inclination angles, hence the distances from the half-mold S1, assumed by the plate 102 at the respective extreme positions K, W.

The recording means 108 consist, for example, of: a slide, 118, sliding horizontally with respect to the aforementioned frame 101, in a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned articulation axis X1 of the plate 102;

a bracket, 128, fixed above said slide 118, to which the aforementioned actuator 106 is hinged together, along an axis, X3, parallel to the aforementioned articulation axis X1; screw members 138, which can be operated manually, for example a threaded stem equipped with a knob, adapted to adjust the position of said slide 118, and of the associated actuator 106, with respect to the aforementioned frame 101 (Fig. 3).

The accessory 100 described up to now can be made both as illustrated and mirrored, to obtain a â € œrightâ € and a â € œleftâ € version; as well as for particular needs, this allows to use at the same time, with optimal arrangement, two accessories 100 on presses in which two molds are mounted.

In a construction variant not illustrated of the accessory 100, the plate 102, instead of oscillating with respect to the articulation axis X1, moves in a rectilinear, horizontal or even slightly inclined direction, to facilitate positioning and € ™ removal of the plate 103 on and from the lower half-mold S1.

The operation of the accessory 100 in relation to that of the mold is now described; for the correct timing there is, for example, a sprung vertical slider, 109, carried sliding by the frame 101, destined to be pushed downwards, as a consequence of the closing of the mold, by a contrast (not shown) integral with said half - upper mold S2.

The cursor 109 is able to intercept a microswitch, 119, (schematically illustrated with dashed lines in Fig. 3), which provides the impulse for the activation of a changeover valve (not shown) suitably located in the power supply of the actuator 106.

When the mold is reopened, the slider 109, due to the action of the springs, rises and is released from the microswitch 119, causing the return to the previous condition.

As an alternative to what has just been said, other known devices can be provided, in place of the cursor and the microswitch, for example optical sensors, proximity sensors or the like.

With the mold open, for example with the upper half-mold S2 raised, the actuator 106 is operated so as to arrange the plate 102 in the aforementioned operating position K, in which the plate 103 is partially elastically resting on the half-mold lower S1 (Fig.4A).

The operator places the insole 1 to be molded resting on the lower half-mold S1, placing the heel T against the shaped front end 103A which, thanks to its width and its curved shape, complementary to that of the insole 1 itself, it allows to obtain both the correct longitudinal and transversal position of the latter (see again Fig. 4A).

At this point the operator commands the closure of the mold, carried out for example by the descent of the upper half-mold S2 to mold the slab 1; with appropriate advance with respect to the end of the descent stroke, the actuator 106 is operated to bring the plate 102 into its inoperative position W, in which the aforementioned plate 103 is located outside the area between the lower half-mold S1 and the half-mold S1 upper mold S2 (Fig. 4B).

In this phase, the hinged articulation of the plate 103, with respect to the support members 104, as well as the tapering of the front end 103A, which avoid possible damage to the upper half-mold S2, is useful.

When the mold is reopened, the actuator 106 is automatically operated to return the plate 102 to its operative position K.

As shown in Fig. 5, the insole 1, after molding, has the heel area T absolutely intact.

The particular characteristics of the accessory object of the present invention emerge very clearly from the above, in particular to ensure correct positioning of the insole before molding, without requiring particular expertise, and at the same time to avoid the onset, on the insole itself, of any imperfection or marking determined by the subsequent molding action, thanks to the conformation of the plate which distributes the pressure over a large area, unlike the solution of the known art.

An important advantage given by the proposed accessory concerns the fact that it is not necessary any adaptation process neither on the lower nor on the upper half-mold, with evident cost savings and greater versatility of use.

In fact, the accessory is â € œphysicallyâ € separate from the mold and therefore it is adaptable with very simple and quick registration operations to the different formats of the latter.

The conformation of the accessory in question makes it easy to enslave the operation of the press, so as to make it completely automatic.

Another advantage derives from the aforementioned possibility of obtaining an accessory in both right and left versions, for the technical reasons already mentioned in the description; however, it should be pointed out that, with suitable precautions, foreseen in the executive project, it is possible to assemble one version or the other indifferently using the same components.

The simplicity of the technical solutions adopted guarantees, for the accessory, high reliability and duration, as well as limited production costs.

The accessory can also be an integral part of the forming press.

However, it is understood that what has been described above has an exemplary and non-limiting value, therefore any constructive variations and / or modifications of detail are considered from now on to fall within the same protective scope defined by the following claims.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS 1. Accessory for a press for forming shoe insoles, with said press of the type comprising: a base (B), on which are mounted a lower half-mold (S1) bearing a female footprint and an upper half-mold ( S2) bearing a male imprint complementary to the aforementioned female imprint, with the aforementioned half-molds (S1), (S2) being reciprocally movable and intended to constitute a mold capable of conferring, to said sole (1), a predetermined curvature permanent, at least according to its longitudinal development, with the aforementioned accessory (100) characterized in that it comprises: a frame (101), integral with said base (B), a plate (102), arranged almost vertically as well as transversal to the mentioned lower half-mold (S1) near the rear part (S1p) of the latter in which the heel area (T) of the aforementioned insole is destined to be located (1); a plate (103) associated with said plate (102) and arranged almost horizontally, extending towards said lower half-mold (S1) and located at a height close to the upper limit of the aforementioned rear part (S1p) of the latter; an actuator (106), supported by the aforementioned frame (101), associated with said plate (102) and able to move the latter between two extreme positions in phase relationship with the closing and reopening movements of said mold, respectively a operative position (K), in which the same plate (102) is close to the said lower half-mold (S1) and the aforementioned plate (103) is partially superimposed on the latter to define, with the corresponding front end ( 103A), a stop for the heel area (T) of said sole (1), and an inoperative position (W), in which the same plate (102) is further away from the same lower half-mold (S1) and the the aforesaid plate (103) is located outside the latter. 2. Accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned plate (102) is hinged at the bottom to said frame (101), according to a horizontal axis (X1), and is able to oscillate by a predetermined angle, to define the aforementioned extreme positions (K), (W). 3. Accessory according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises support members (104), suitable for supporting the aforementioned plate (103), with the latter hinged to the top of the support members (104) according to an axis (X2) orthogonal to the direction of movement of the aforementioned plate (102), said plate (103) being subjected to the action of elastic means (105), housed in the same support members (104) and able to impress said plate (103) a rotation so that the relative front end (103A) is lowered. 4. Accessory according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the aforementioned front end (103A) of the plate (103), intended to meet the aforementioned heel area (T), is shaped with a profile complementary to the latter . 5. Accessory according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the aforesaid plate (103) has, towards the relative front end (103A), a tapered thickness. 6. Accessory according to claim 3, characterized in that in said support members (104) there is provided an end-of-stroke able to limit the aforementioned rotation of the plate (103) impressed by said elastic means (105). 7. Accessory according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said actuator (106) is of the linear type and is associated with said frame (101) with the interposition of recording means (108), suitable for modifying the distances between said lower half-mold S1 and said plate (102) in correspondence of said extreme positions (K), (W). 8. Accessory according to claim 7, characterized in that said recording means (108) comprise: a slide (118), sliding horizontally with respect to the aforementioned frame (101), in a direction substantially parallel to that of movement of said plate (102 ); a bracket (128), fixed above said slide (118), to which the aforementioned actuator (106) is hinged, according to an axis (X3) orthogonal to the sliding direction of said slide (118); screw members (138), which can be operated manually, adapted to adjust the position of the latter, and of the associated actuator (106), with respect to the aforementioned frame (101). 9. Accessory according to claim 1, characterized by the fact of providing fastening means (114) suitable for locking the aforementioned support members (104) to said plate (102), with adjustable position according to two orthogonal directions coplanar to the plate (102) same.