US1349333A - Shoe-stretcher - Google Patents

Description

A. B. ELMSTROM.

SHOE STRETCHER. APPLICATION mzo mac. 4., 1918 Patented Aug; 10, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANSI-IELM BURTON ELMSTROM, 0F VJOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT M. ELMSTROM, DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME OF STANDARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed December 4, 1918. Serial No. 265,274.

Emis'rnori, a citizen of the United States,

residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe stretchers of the type commonlyused by shoe dealers and shoe repairers for stretching the ball or toe portion of a finished shoe.

Such stretchers are well known and are in common use, and it is the general object of my invention to improve and simplify the construction of these stretchers to the end that increased economy of both labor and material may be attained in the manufacture thereof.

With this general object in view, my invention particularly relates to a construction of shoe stretcher in which a minimum number of parts are used, and in which the parts may each be easily and cheaply constructed.

In the preferred form the complete device comprises a pair of last blocks or forms a yielding connection between the blocks, and a threaded rod, preferably of wood, cooperating with a tapered screw thread formed directly in the adjacent portions of the blocks.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a complete stretcher;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 in Fig. 2, but showing a slight modification.

As shown in the drawings, my improved stretcher is of extremely simple construction and comprises two last blocks or forms 10 and 11 commonly of wood, which blocks are connected to each other at their rear ends, as by a spring plate or hinge 12. This plate may be provided with a corrugation by which its resiliency is increased, and is also preferably provided with an opening 14 for a purpose to be described.

In the manufacture of my improved stretcher, the blocks 10 and 11 are first connected by the plate 12, which is secured thereto in any convenient manner as by screws 15, and the blocks are then sprung apart at their front ends and held firmly in the position shown in Fig. 3. A threaded opening is then formed between the blocks while held in this position, the drill and tap entering the blocks throughthe opening let in the plate 12 and extending forwardly and downwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. As the blocks are held at an angle during this operation, the screw threads gradually decrease in depth toward the front. l/Vhen the blocks are released and return to the position shown in Fig. 2, the threaded opening assumes a more or less tapered or conical form.

The stretcher is operated by means of a hand screw 16 commonly of wood and provided with a handle portion 17. This screw may be slightly tapered on the outside and loosely its the threaded opening at its rear or full size portion. As it is turned in and I thus advances along the tapered opening, it gradually forces the blocks 10 and 11 apart. It will thus appear that I have provided a shoe stretcher comprising only four parts, three of which may preferably be of wood, and all of which are of simple and inexpensive construction.

In F ig. 5 I have shown a slight modification in which the screw thread is formed by pressing strips 20 of sheet metal to concave threaded form, these strips being thereafter secured in openings 21 in any convenient manner, as by nails or screws 22. This construction avoids threading the blocks 10 and 11, but involves the use of additional parts. While the drawings show the last blocks as separated in a vertical plane, exactly the same construction may be used in a stretcher in which the blocks are separated in a horizontal plane to form a so-called toe-raiser, and my invention is not limited to a particular location of the separating plane.

Having thus described my invention and a modification thereof, it will be evident that other changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, claim is- 1. A shoe stretcher comprising twowvoo'den blocks connected by a spring plate attheir rear ends, said blocks being threaded from" their rear ends forwardly, the screw threads being formed directly in the wood of the adjacent portions of said blocks and decreasing in depth toward the front ends of said blocks, and a wood screw of uniform pitch diameter throughout and fitting but "what I dogether and their front'ends yieldingly separable, said blocks having parts of a screw thread in their adjacent portionsggra'dually 'decre'asing'in depth" forwardly ine'acli block, and a threaded rod of uniform pitch diameter throughout operable between said 25 threaded blocks to force said blocks apart.

A shoe stretcher comprising a pair of blocks-having their rear ends connected together and their front ends yieldingly sepa rable, and a threaded rod of substantial diameter, said rod being mounted in a screwthreaded opening between said blocks and directly engaging inclinedbearing surfaces on said blocks to force the front ends of saidblocks apart as said rod is advanced.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ANsHELM" BURTON ELMSTROM.

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