US1237464A - Last. - Google Patents

Description

C. H. BROWN.

LAST.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1.1915.

LQWASD Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

' Fig.1.

' InvenToh Chufles H.Brown.

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rrnn sra rns ra'rnnr oniuon CHARLES H. BROWN, 0]? BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 IBERENICE BROWN, 01 BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.-

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of which the following descriptiom'in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a novel construction of shoe lasts.

, This last is of a configuration such that shoes made thereon will have a construction adapted to correspond more closely to the anatomical structure of the human foot and will provide means for bracing those arched portions of the foot which naturally function'to sustain the stress of the load carried.

The construction of the human foot is such that it has two members which are substantially bridge structures. The longitudinal foot arch is trussed by the bow-string'which is attached to the heel bone and leads substantially along the median portion of the foot bottom to the ball of the foot at which end it has several attachments at different points just back of the forward transverse arch, known as the anterior or metatarsal arch. This transverse arch is formed by the joints of the ball of the foot. This arch rests upon .a pad or cushion of flesh which in walking barefooted is pressed upon by the bones of this arch. The bone structure is such that the tension of the weight borne thereon spreads these bones apart and, when the weight is lifted, they are immediately contracted by the flexible ligaments fastening the bones together. This action, resolved into a cycle of operations in walking, functions as a pump for the blood to .assure the proper circulation in the foot.

The present disadvantages and defects of the last structure overcome in this novel structure are several, The shank of the present last structure is rounded and is also too short as the shoes formed relatively thereon have enough heel properly to brace the bow-string. Round shank lasts produce a shank in a shoe which presents a concaved surface as a support for the bow-string which, as stated,

shanks which are not long is naturally formed to be presented to a flat I for approximately flat surface. And, being with relation to the forepart and relatively too short, the normal bow-string is without support at that portion of the present shoe which is just at the rear of the usual tread portion. This non-supported and non-fitted portion is comprehended between the points at which the bow-string is attached to the anterior arch and the juncture of the usual shank and concaved innersole. Hence, the bow-string sags at this portion. Further, the usual rounded last shank is not of a configuration destined to form a shoe shank which will fully and efficiently carry the bow-string portion as well as the curved inner portion of the instep of the foot. A serious defect of the last commonly employed is that the forepart is convexed or rounded, an especially disadvantageousfactor at the tread portion of the forepart or ball. The shoes finished from such lasts have innersoles which present a concaved or rounded surface to the foot. Such conformation strains and tends to break down the flexible ligaments of the anterior arch, as the human foot is constructed to be placed upon a flat surface and not upon a surface simulating the interior of a tube. Such a surface as is presented to the bottom of the foot by shoes formed on the usual lasts, also operates to curtail, if it does not ultimately prevent, the eflectuation ofthe blood pumping function of this flexible arch.

These disadvantages are overcome in this novel last structure by forming a last in which there is a radical departure from the present generally rounded shank portion. Herein, the shank portion is longer with relation to the last forepart, theilnder surface of the forepart is substantially flat and a novel conformation is given to the portion of the forepart forwardly extending from the usual tread thereof so that the shoe formed on this last has a forward tread extension.

An object of this invention is to provide a shoe last such that shoes made thereon will correspond more closely to the formation of and more efliciently cooperate with the functionsofth'e human foot.

A. more specific object is to provide a shoe last having a relatively short forepart, a tread extension and a novel shank portion.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

the lines 11 and 12, which ings, there is illustrated a last of the twopart type though obviously lasts embodying this invention may be of any of the general types. The relatively long heel 1 has se cured thereto, by any suitable means, the

5 usual heel seat plate 2. The last shank or longitudinal bow-string arch 3 runs from the forward end of this heel seat to the forepart-l of the last. The shank of the last, in relation to the forepart of the last, is

longer than in the usual last conformation. The toe portion 5 of the forepart is slightly upwardly turned, as indicated in Fig. 1,

I while the tread portion ,6, the middle transverse portion of the forepart, is substantially 5 flat or substantially in the plane of the horizontal as shown in Fig. 1. An approx mately concave surface 7 is formedin t e under face of the last. This surface 7 meets the tread portion 6, as here 'shown, in the transversely arcuate line 8. Rearwa-rdly,

this surface, in this preferred embodiment,

joins the inner surface 9 and the outer surface 10 of the under surface of the shank in form a generally obtuse. angle, the apex of which is at the forward termination of the line 13 formed by the intersection of the two shank-forming portions. v,

The shank, as noted, is substantially an-' gular. in crom-section. The outer surface 10 of the shank is longitudinally arcuate and is of such conformation that its transverse elements are all, in this preferred embodiment, substantially parallel to each other 5 and also to the transverse elements of the flat tread portion 6 of the forepart.

. This conformation corresponds generally to the foot bow-string structure and a' shoe formed on this novel last will be provided a 5 with a relatively broadbow-string supporting surfaceg Fufther, in the. formed shoe, this outer supporting portion 10 provides a transversely fiat surface to be offered to the bow-string and thus properly. functions to support this portion of a foot more efficiently than does the interiorly rounded or concaved shank of a shoe formed on the usual last having the rounded or completely curved shank contour. In the selected embodiment illustrated, the shank inner surface 9 begins at a point well back of the forward endiof the heel seat and runs to the concave surface 7 meeting it "as indicated by the line 11. This inner sur- 5 face 9 is also longitudinally arcuate in conslightly concaved which effectuates a relatively short extension of this concave surface 7 into the inner surface 9 of the last shank.

There is thus presented a novel last structure by means of which shoes formed thereon will more easily correspond to and more efliciently cooperate with the natural structure and functions of the human foot.

The relatively lengthened last shank results ina proportionately lengthened shank in the formed shoe, so that the long cord or bowstring is more completely supported throughout its length from the anterior arch back to its'junction with the heel bone. The formed shoe will also be provided with a tread extension which will substantially form an outside rearward continuation of the tread portion of the shoe and to a relatively slight degree the innersole will beconvexed to afford greater support to the rear portion of the anterior or transverse ball arch. 7 Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is: I I

1. A shoe last having fore, shank and heel parts, the under surface of the shank being formed by angularly apportioned inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface when continued meeting the outer surface in a line extending longitudinally of the shank, and forming an outwardly presented angle, the transverse elements of the outer surface being approximately horizontal. Y 2. A shoe'last having fore, shank and hee parts, the under surface of the shank having defined inner and outer surfaces and the heel part having a heel seat, the iImer portion only of the surface of the heel seat being shaped to form substantially a continuation of the shank inner surface in order to conform to the human foot structure. I 3. A shoe last having fore, shank and heel parts, the under surface bf the shank formed by angularly apportioned inner and outer surfaces and the fore part rearw-ardly extending-and meeting said shank, the line of intersection of said surfaces forming'a substantially obtuse angle. 4 4. A shoe last having fore, shank and heel parts, th tread portions of the fore part having its transverse elements substantially horizontal andhaving a substantially con- 130 caved rear portion whereby arch-supporting means are provided in a shoe formed upon said last. i v

5. A shoe last having a fore part and a shank, the undersurface of the shank being formed by angularly apportioned inner and outer surfaces, the tread portion of the fore part being substantially flat and the outer of said angularly apportioned shank surfaces having its transverse elements substantially parallel to those of said tread portion. Y

6. A shoelast having a forepart and a shank, the under surface of the shank being formed of an inner and an outer surface, the tread portion of the forepart being substantially fiat, the outer surface of the shank having its transverse elements substantially parallel to those of said tread portion and the inner surface of the shank having its transverse elements upwardly curved and extended to form the elements of the inner side of the upper portion of the last, said shank surfaces forming at their intersection an outwardly presented angle.

7. A shoe last having a forepart, a shank and a heel, the under surface of the'shank being formed of an inner and an outer surface, said surfaces meeting 1n an outwardly presented angle, the inner portion of the heel seat being shaped to form a'substantial continuation of the inner surface of the shank, and the forepart having an angular portion rearwardly extending to the shank part, the construction and relation of the parts being such that a shoe formed thereon offers means for supporting the several arches of the human foot.

8. A shoe last including a shank having its under surface formed of an outer section having substantially horizontal transverse elements and an inner section having CHARLES H. BROWN. p

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