US1519320A - Shank for boots and shoes - Google Patents

Description

A. M. MOORE SHANK FOR BOOTS AND SHOES .Filed Feb. '7, 1921 Inveni/ow:

dig edMMoore. 19 W, v c1217 f Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

um stares -5AJZFEED ivr.*ivrooan,or-=ra.ar.nnr-r, nassnenosnrrrs, ASSIGNOR- T0 orrns'rnnivr. noose, or WAKEFIELD, arassncnosnrrs, DOING BUSINESS As MOORE a COMPANY, or

EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

"SHANK FOB/ BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application filed February 7, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. lVIoonn, a citizen of theUnit-ed States, and resident of Maiden, county of Middlesex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shanks for Boots and Shoes,'of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This inventionrelates to shanks for boots and shoes. Its object is to provide an improved shank having, among others, the advantages hereinafter pointed out and described.

In the drawings of one embodiment of my invention described herein:

Fig. 1 is a plan;

Fig. 2, a bottom view;

Fig. 3, a longitudinal section on the line 3s, Fig. 1

Fig; 4, a plan of a modified form of the shank; and 7 Figs. 5 and 6, plans of still further modifications, I

Referring to the drawings, the shank body 1 is made of any suitable material asleather, l-eatherboard, etc., and fashioned generally, in outline, to suit the particular style of shoe for which it is intended.

Commonly, see Fig. 1, it comprises a slender curved section 2 known as the waist of the shank provided in turn with a relatively narrow rear end 3 to overlie the forward edge of the heel and a wider forward end 4 which overlies the rear end of the sole. Usually the body 1 has but little stiffness or rigidity of its own and this stiffness is supplied by a stiffening or reinforcing member 55, sometimes termed a reinforcing member which is conveniently secured to the body 1. This member 5 is preferably more or less resilient to allow it to accommodate itself somewhat to the movement of the foot.

As stated, the body 1 commonly has little, if any, stiffness or supporting strength of its own, but acts as a filler between the inner and outer sol-es and more or less to give symmetry to the shank of the shoe. Consequently the body member has a tendency to flatten out, sag and consequently to deform the shank or arch of the shoe as soon as the weight of the foot is placed upon it. To assist in retaining the curved or arched Serial No. 442,905.

form of the body member is one object to be accomplished by securing to it the rein-- forcing member 5. For securing themember 5 to the body 1 quickly, inexpensively and positively, I have conceived the novel con struction disclosed herein.

The member 5, Fig. 1, which is'preferabl-y a more or less stifi spring member isprovided by drilling, with two or more apertures 6 properly spaced, and it is thensecured to the body member 1 at the proper point, as approximately the longitudinal center of the waist section, by suitable means. I preferably secure the two members, see Fig. 2, bya metallic staple or fastening member 7, the legs of which are passed through the apertures 6, then driven through the body 1 and clinched over against the lower face thereof.

The staple 7 retains the stiffener always in the proper position on the body '1, both longitudinally and laterally, and, What is very important, the staple serves to 'hold the more or less collapsible body arched upwardly close against the member 5, so'that the archof the instepisalways in proper, elevated position, both for support to the foot and appearance of the shoe. The staple 7, and particularly when position as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, prevents pivotal or rotative movement of the member 5 with respect to the body t. The long portion of the staple 7 permits the two ends thereof to be passed through the member 5 at points relatively remote from each other, so as to resist torsional movement.

This means of securing the two members effected by a one step operation, is quickly and inexpensively done and is permanent. Furthermore, the ends of the stiffener being free to move longitudinally somewhat, relative to the body 1, more resiliency is available for use under pressure of the foot.

Heretofore stiffeners or reinforcing members have been mounted on the shank body in various ways, for instance, by tacking each end of the stiffener to the body, also by securing each end of the stiffener to the body by staples positioned crosswise on the stiffener ends. In each of the cases mentioned however, the body and stiffener are relatively free to move or separate vertically between their ends, or at the waist sections.

1 su h case, the arch of the body member usually collapses" quickly, deforming the boot shank so that it is not only very noticeable, but also uncomfortable.

The collapse of the shank body in such cases is due to the fact that the body yields downwardly with the stifiener above it when under pressure but, having no resiliency of its own, fails to return to its arched position again when the pressure is removed, while the stifiener, owing to its resiliency does return to its normal position. Sometimes the shank body 5 collapses owing to the moisture which reaches and softens it.

Another objection to the securing of the two members by tacking the ends which is avoided by my novel construction, is the insecure fastening of the ends by improperly driven tacks. When they are driven crooked or not driven entirely in, the tacks quickly loosen up and the shank is then useless.

The expense of manually driving the tacks is much more than that of driving and clinching the staple, the former requiring, as it does, two operations.

There is still another objection to the method of fastening the reinforcing menr her and body by securing them at their ends. In such case when the stiffener yields downwardly under pressure of the foot the tendency is to stretch the body lengthwise or even pull it apart at the waist, in which case it is certain to collapse.

In Fig. 4: I illustrate a modified form of shank body with the stiffener extended rearwardly of the end of the body so that it can be tacked to the innersole.

In. Figs. 5 and 6 are shown still further modified forms of my invention wherein the staple is placed crosswise 0f the stiffener, in

the'case of Fig. 6 one leg only being extended through the stiffener.

Having described one embodiment of my invention which is not limited however, to the precise form illustrated, I claim:

1. A shank stiffener comprising a. body narrow at the waist and gradually increasing in width toward its heel and forward ends, and a spring member parallel sided and markedly narrower throughout than the narrowest portion of the shank body, and a single staple positioned lengthwise said spring member and of a length substantially exceeding the width of the spring member and penetrating the latter and said body at points at the waist only, relatively remote from each otherso as effectively to resist torsional or turning movement of said spring member and said body, said spring member being wholly unattached to said body except ing by said staple, whereby relatively free movement is permitted of the ends of said spring member.

2. A shank stiffener comprising a body narrow at the waist and gradually increasing in width toward the heel and forward ends thereof, a spring member parallel sided and of markedly less width than the body at its waist, and a single wire staple penetrating said spring member and said body at space-d points at the waist only and holding said spring member and saidbody from torsional or twisting movement, said spring member being unattached to said body excepting by said wire staple.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specificatio ALFRED M. MOORE.

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