US1493903A - Shoe plate - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1924. '1,493,903

1 F. SMALL.

SHOE PLATE Filed March 29.1918

Patented May 13, 1924.

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LEW'IS Fi SMALL, OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO C. C. BLAKE, IN- CORPORATED, Ol? BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F NEW' YORK.

SHOE PLATE.

Application 'lcd March 29, 1918` To all whom t may concern:

lie it knovvn that I. Lnvvrs F. SMALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Braintree, in the countyv of Norfolk and State of lilassachusetts. have invented certain Improvements in Shoe Plates.; of which the following' description -in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating' like parts in the several figures.

The present invention relates to plates which are located upon the tread surfaces of shoes to resist the Wear thereof, and more particularly to plates used on the tread surfaces of soldiers shoes intended for trench use overseas.

At the present time the Government speci tieations call for a horse shoe shaped plate to be. secured to the tread face of a heel along the peripheral margin thereof. rlhis plate has proved unsatisfactory owing to the conditions in the trenches overseas. .ln order to provide a firm footingr in the trenches the bottoms thereof are covered With a grating, called a duck Walk` which becomes so slimy that chicken Wire is laid across the gratingY in order to prevent slipping. This Wire catches in the front ends of the heel plate hereinbefore referred to causingthe soldier to trip and fall or the heel plate to be ripped from the shoe. Another great objection to the use of the heel plates as at present specified is that the plates do not prevent Wear alonef the breast of the heel. t the present time when the breast of the heel becomes Worn the shank breaks dovvn at the breast line thus allowing the shoe to turn up at the toe and heel thereof.

As at present constructed both the field and trench shoe for army use, similarly to shoes for civilian use. Whether provided with heel plates or not. are liable to produce flat feet owing to the .manner in which the heels are built. In these shoes there are three critical ground engaging pivotal points located on the heel. The first critical ,around engaging pivotal point is located on the ontside edee of the back of the heel, the second critical point is at the outside breast corner and the third critical point is located at the inside breast corner. l/Vith this construe-tion the foot must tip inwardly laterally to bring the shoe from the outside breast corner to a bearing on the inside breast corner which serial no. 225,553.

forms the main support for the body in Walkingv as the point of articulation of the lower leg bones With the astrag'alus is directlv over the ii'isidc breast corner. Experience has demonstrated that this manner of locating` the three critical ground engaging* pivotal points is responsible for the inward flop of the foot in Walking.

. The object of the present invention is to produce a heelplate which will obviate the use of the leatherfillingnon' used thus effecting' a considerable economy in the shoe carrying the plate, which will protect the heel breast from weer, which will prevent catching in the chicken wire of the duckl Walks. and which will have four critical ground engaging pivotal points located so as to avoid the inward roll or iopof the foot in Walking. f

To the accol'nplislunent of this object, and

such others as may hereinafter appear, the features of the invention relato to certain constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and then set forth broadly and in detail in the appended claims which possess advantages readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The various features of the present invention Will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which7 Figure 1 is a plan of a shoe having my improved heel plate thereon, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2. Fig. 1.

The heel plate l illustrated in the drawings is secured to the tread face of a heel 2 by a series of nails 3. The heel plate l is provided with a portion 4 which extends along the margin of the breast of the heel from the inside breast corner towards but not reaching the outside breast corner 6. This portion protects the breast of the heel.

The heel plate turns at the breast corner 5 and extends partially around the peripheral edge of the heel to the point 7 Where it turns abruptly inwardly towards the median line of the heel. At the point 8 indicating the median line of the heel the plate bends in a reverse direction and extends towards the back of the heel terminating,r in a bevel 9 spaced from the portion of the plate at the back of the heel.

With this construction the outside breast corner 6 is uncovered by the plate. The

irst critical ground engaging pivotal point of the shoe provided with my heel plate 1s located at 10 as in all shoes. The second critical ground engaging pivotal point, instead of being located at the outside breast corner 6, is located at 1lVV and the third critical point at l2. By means of this construction the shoe is brought to its final Weight supporting position at;l the inside breast corner 5, the fourth critical ground engaging pivotal point, Without the quick inward Hop or rock which heretofore has been a characteristic feature of all shoes.

As my heel plate is provided with a portion extending along the median line of the heel it is not necessary to lill the space left by theplate with leather or hob nails thus effecting a considerable saving in stock and in labor in making and tltting the leather or hob nails. r

The heel plate is beveled at 9 so as to prevent the Wedging of a stone between the end of the portion of the heel plate extending along the median line of the heel and the portion of the heel plate at the back of the heel.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection With a heel plate it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that certain features of the invention are applicable to toe plates.

lVhat is claimed as new, is:

l. A shoe having a heel plate secured to the tread face of the heel thereof, said heel plate having a portion extending from the inside of the shoe across the heel at the breast thereof, leaving unenclosed the outside breast corner of the heel.

2. A shoe having a heel plate comprising a strip secured to the tread face of the heel thereof, said heel plate extending around and partially enclosing the marginal edge of the heel, the marginal edge adjacent the outside breast corner of the heel being the part left unenclosed.

3. A heel plate comprising a strip curved to fit the. rear margin of the heel having an end portion thereof bent angularly to extend partially across the heel and thence rearwardly within the curved portion of the strip, said latter portion extending along the median line of the heel.

Ll. A shoe having a. plate comprising a strip secured to the tread face of the heel thereof, said plate having a portion terminating in an extremity extending partially across the breast of the heel, another portion extending partially around the peripheral edge of the heel, another portion eX- tending partially across the heel on a line intermediate the breast and back of the heel, and another portion extending along the median line of the tread face of the heel towards the back of the heel, the marginal edge adjacent the outside breast corner of the heel being left unenclosed.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

LEWIS F. SMALL.

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