US1373157A - Protected shoe and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

'EPWEIL PROTECTED SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1920. 1,373,157.

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Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

UNITED STATES EMIL- WEIL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PROTECTED SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application filed May 26, 1920. Serial No. 384,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL -Warn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Protected Shoes and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing l1ke parts.

My present invention is an improved boot or shoe, having a wear-resisting protector concealed within the shoe at the point desired to be protected, together with a novel method of building the shoe and incorporating such protector and a new protectlng device for this purpose.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes, it has been customary heretofore to apply heel protectors, of various forms, shapes and sizes, in addition to the heel nails, such protectors being additional nails, pronged dc-.

vices of various shapes, circlets. etc., but it has been the universal practice, so far as I am aware, to drive such protectingdevices into the shoe after the shoe is otherwise completed. Owing to the unsightly appearance and somewhat rough manner 1n which these protecting devices are attached they have usually been limited to application at the heel. Some attempts have been made to pro tect the toe portion by driving in similar devices, but these have also been applied after the shoe has been otherwise built and have been simply afiixed to the sole. Owing to the difficulty of attaching such protectors at places other than the heel, because of the thinnessof the sole, it has been heretofore suggested to afiix protectors in the shape of metallic toe clips. All such prlor devices, however, were unsightly, were ineificient n use, did not wear long, and necessarily weakened the parts to which they were applied, and when the shoe had been worn for a short time, such protectors frequently dropped out. a

My present inventionis designed to, ob viate the difiiculties briefly noted above, and furthermore to provide a protecting or wearresisting element which will be concealed within the shoe, which will be built into the shoe sole during the process of manufacture, and which will actually strengthen and solidify the part to which it is attached or applied. I believe that the provision of a boot or shoe, with a concealed protecting element, and that the method of manufacturing such a boot or shoe, which consists in applying and concealingthe wear resisting, protecting element, are distinct novelties in the art of shoe manufacture, and I therefore wlsh to claim the same broadly.

My present invention is intended primar ly to strengthen and protect the toe portion of a shoe, although it is not limited to such location, and could be equally well applied to and concealed in any other portion of the sole, or underneath the toplift of the heel. My invention is furthemore suitable for use in the manufacture of either welt of McKay shoes and can be applied to turn shoes if desired. In carrying out my lnvention, I prepare a wear-resisting protecting element, preferably of metal, with a plurality of prongs thereto, and if the protector 18 to be applied to the toe of the shoe, as herein shown, and as primarily designed, the contour of the protector would be substantially like that of the toe of the shoe to which it is to be applied. In the manufacture of both welt and McKay shoes it s customary to form a channelin the bottom of the sole, to receive the outsole stitchmg in welt shoes and the through and through stitching in McKay shoes, the stitching being thereafter covered by laying and cementing the channel lip which has been formed therefor. In welt shoes if, desired to apply my invention, a channel could be cut around the toe portion a short distance, just sufficient to receive the length of the protector to beemployed. With this chan nel then ready for cementing and laying, I apply my protector therein, adapting it to fit snugly within the inner recesses of the channel thus formed, directly over the sewing if the latter is applied entirely around the toe, or I can even dispense with the sewing at the extreme toe portion and clench one or more nails therein, this being preferably in McKay construction, so that the stitching will stop short of the toe and approximately at the points on each side where the protector will extend. Thus the protector can take up the room and space normally occupied by the line of stitching, the

small nails used at the toe being driven well into the mass of the leather at the toe portion, rendering the bottom surface smooth and concealing the protector entirely from view, at the same time compressing and solidifying the leather and actually adding considerable increased strength to the toe portion of the shoe. This is particularly of value in the manufacture of pointed toe shoes, the narrow or pointed toe being necessarily somewhat weak. Furthermore, my concealed protector is the only feasible wear resisting element which could be applied, satisfactorily, to ladies shoes, wherein appearance is of the greatest importance. Also any fine grade shoes would not be acceptable to the purchasing public with a visible protector at the toe, or at any other portion exceptingonly at the heel.

I have found that in wear resisting capabilities my invention is of great importance and thesame being preferably built into the shoe during the process of manufacture, and subjected to the relatively heavy pressures of the sole laying or similar machines, can be quickly and readily incorporated into the shoe, substantially without expense, and in so effectual a manner as to be entirely invis i ble, while nevertheless performing its toeprotecting, wear-resisting, strengthening qualities.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a Mc- Kay shoe showing the toe portion with the channel lip or fiap turned upwardly;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred type of protector employed at the toe Fig. 3 is a fragmentary portion of the toe of shoe completed, with the protector illustrated in dotted lines; and

Fig. at is a modification illustrating a welt shoe construction.

Referring to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a McKay type of shoe, the outsole 1 has the channel lip or flap 2 cut therein, usually leaving a slight rim or ridge 3 to aid in protecting the edge of the flap when turned downwardly and cemented in position, thus leaving the recess a in which the stitching '5 is set, being here shown as through and through stitching in a McKay shoe. I prefer to start the stitching at either side a slight distance back from the toe, as indicated at 6, 6, nailing the extreme toe portion and then fitting over the toe portion my protector 10. It will be appreciated that the cutting of the lip 2 is usually made with a slight groove recessed at the bottom of the cut in which the stitching will lie, this groove being taken out so that the stitching willnot bulge, such groove running around the toe portion and in which the protector 10 will fit'snugly. The protector 10 has a plurality of prongs 11 and 12 at each end and 13, at the middle portion. A slight blow of the hammer by the operator will afiiX and hold the protector 10 in position, which is applied before the channel flap 2 is cemented and turned downwardly, the subsequent operations of turning down the channel flap, sole laying and leveling, resulting in firmly embedding the protector 10 into the material of the sole, thus beating and solidifying the leather there-around and effectually compressing and hardening the sole leather at this point, the completed shoe entirely concealing the protector 10, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus a wear resisting protecting member is applied to the toe of a shoe by my invention, strengthening and reinforcing the toe part, performing its protecting functions and being readily incorporated therein during the process of manufacture, at a minimum of expense and cost.

In applying the protector to a welt shoe, wherein it is necessary to apply the outsole stitching entirely around the toe, through the welt and outsole, and wherein the channel cut is not as far from the edge as in a. McKay shoe, I would cut back the channel somewhat deeper at the toe portion. I have illustrated this feature in Fig. 4-, wherein the channel flap 15 is cut back an extra distance, as clearly shown, the outsole stitching 16 extending in the usual manner around the toe and with my protector 10 applied within the line of stitching.

In a turn shoe if the protector is to be applied, a special channel is cut around the toe portion from the outsole, the protector applied and then the channel flap cemented and laid.

lVhile I prefer to embody the protector during the process of making the shoe, it is, of course, possible to apply the same as a separate operation after the shoe is made, either turning back the channel flap, and fitting in the protector, or cutting a special recess therefor. In each and all instances the protector is concealed from view, and yet in position to perform its functions, thereby carrying out my invention.

It will be understood also that a greater plurality of retaining prongs than those illustrated can be utilized, or other retaining means, the important characteristics of my invention consisting in the feature of utilizing a wear-resisting protector which is concealed within the shoe sole, and whether applied at the toe, heel or other portion. Furthermore, with my protecting element applied to the shoe, the subsequent operations of edge finishing and inking, sole bulling, staining, polishing and the various finishing operations, are performed upon the shoe sole without any interference from the protector, the latter being entirely concealed within the normal confines of the shoe sole.

No special machines or other devices are required and the entire operation and method of manufacturing are simple, efficient and readily carried out.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A boot or shoe, having a Wear-resisting protecting element fitted within the channel formed in the outsole at the toe portion, and concealed and covered by the channel flap.

2. A McKay shoe, having a channel flap formed in the outsole, through and through stitching applied therethrough, along the sides and shank, to a short dlstance of the toe, clenching nails applied around the toe, and a wear-resisting element fitted to the toe portion and extending substantially from the ending of the stitching on one side of the shoe to the other, said protector being concealed by the laying of the channel flap.

3. The process of making boots and shoes having a protecting element therein, which consists in assembling and constructing the shoe in the usual manner, forming a channel flap around the portion to receive the protector, fitting the protector therein, cementing and laying the channel flap over the protector, and completing the shoe, whereby the protector is firmly embedded in the part to which it is applied and is concealed from View.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EMIL WEIL.

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