US1545554A - Shank-stiffening device - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1925. I 1,545,554

K. ENGEL SHANK STIFFENING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 4, 1918 M 4 i l F1514 7 7 5 v l 1 2 V//// ////////////////7 v//l; III, II, 8

' NVf/VTOH A F136; m

Patented July 14, 1925..

UNITED STATEVSPATENT OFFICE.

KARL ENGEL, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQR TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, 01? IE'ATERSON, NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHANK-STIFFENING DEVICE.

Original application filed February 4, 1918, Serial No. 215,339. Divided and this application filed July 9,

1920. Serial No- 395,054.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL ENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arlington, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Shank-Stiffening Devices, 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.

This invention relates to devices for boots and shoes.

The invention is herein set forth with shank stiffening special reference to molded metal shank stiffeners arranged to be attached, as by prongs struck up from the body thereof, to

a sole member or other suitable portion of a shoe and particularly, though by no means, necessarily, in accordance with the method described and claimed in my application Serial No. 215,339, filed February 4, 1918 and resulting in Patent No 1,281,540,

granted October 15, 1918, and referred to in my copending application Serial No. 257,- 954, filed October 14, 1918 and resulting in Patent No. 1,464,501, granted August 14, 1923, of both of which this application is a division.

According to the method of preparing outs'oles disclosed in the patent above identified, a shank stiffening device of such longitudinal and transverse conformation as is suitable to the shoes under consideration is associated with a sole member as an incident to the moldingof the sole member to the desired shape. It is essential that the shank stiffening device become finally associated with the sole member in a manner to retain the solev member in the shape to which it is molded and that the shank stiffener be of such conformation and material as to provide the required rigidity and support for the longitudinally arched shank portion of the shoe. 'A further desirable property of the shank stiffener is that it be capable of final attachment'to the sole member of the shoe during the molding of the sole, or otherwise, without impairing or marring the finished appearance of the sole member or of the shoe.

lVith these requirements in mind the shank ifi i r 9 the Present invent n mof approximately prises a metal plate molded to present longitudinal and transverse curvatures and provided at or near its ends with attaching means such as prongs bent up at an angle from the body portion to be embedded in the substance of a sole member to attach the shank stiffener thereto. The illustrated shank stiffener is provided with a pair of attaching prongs bent up from the forward portion of the shank stiffener at an angle and with attaching prongs at the rear bent up approximately at right angles to the body of the shank stiffener, the latter acting effectively as impaling prongs to prevent endwise movement of the stiffening device after it is on the sole. By reason of the angular disposition of the prongs on the forward end of the shank stiffener'the prongs are enabled readily to enter the substance of the sole member if the stiffener and sole member are molded together. On the other hand, if the sole member is molded prior to the attachment of the shank stiffener thereto, the inclination of the prongs at the forward end of thestiffener is in no way disadvantageous. The prongs at the rear end of the device are effective to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the two parts under any circumstances This plurality of prongs at or near each end of the device assists materially in maintaining the transverse curva-" ture of the sole and renders the device substantially more effective than it would be if a (single prong were relied upon at either en Other objects and features of the invention, including novel locating means comprising a locating or jig hole to determine the longitudinal position of the stiffener and aslot to determine its angular and therefore its lateral position, will appear from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which embodiment of the'invention and the invention will then be defined inthe appended claims. i I

Fig. '1 is a perspective view of a shank stiffener made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a side elevation and Fig. 3 a v e o a b anks 1 9 a nk illustrate a preferred stifiener, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, may be formed;

Fig. 4- is a view partly in longitudinal cross-section showing the shank stiffener assembled with the shaping molds for the op.- eration of shaping the said element;

Fig. 5 illustrates in longitudinal section the operation of the shaping molds;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross section illustrating a shoe sole and the shank stillener of the present invention assembled lolthe operation of the sole-shaping molds; and

Fig. 7 is a detail section showing an attaching prong provided at the forward end of the shankstillener.

In the drawings, 1 represents a blank from which the shank stilfener may be formed. This blank is out out from sheet metal possessing the right degree of hardness to meet the requirements of the kind of shoe to be made and to st-ilfen the shank portion of the quality of sole to be used Preferably, and as herein show-n, the blank is shaped generally }to lit within the'inseam of the shoe {from the heel seat portion to substantially the break or ball line or the shoe.

4 In cutting out, this blank a projecting prong 21s formed at each of the forward corners and.

rear corners of the blank and two holes 16 and 18 are also 'formed in the blankas shown in Figs. 1 and The hole 16 is located substantially centrally of {the blank at the point of the highest longitudinal curvature ofthe linally shaped shank stiilencr while the hole 18 which is elongated is located forwardly of the. hole 16 and in the median line of the blank. "These holes have no utility in the shank stifiener per se but serve the purpose of f-acilitating'the manufacture of the shank. To enable'ihe. prongs 2 at the forward end of the blank readily to enter the sole in predetermined direction they are preferably. beveled asshown in Fig. 7. The

' blank as thus out out is molded to the precise shape that it is desired that the shank portion of the both as to longitudinal curvature ora'roh and as to transverse curvature. Also the molding-operation serves to bend the prongs 2 into the desiredangu lar relation to the 'iody of the blank.

Conveniently the molding of the shank stiffener blank may be done between co-opcrating dies or molds 4 and '6 which may be of any well-known construction and operated by anysuitable mechanism. The bottom mold 6 is shaped to present the longitransversely curved surface positioning pins or pilots 5 are fixed in the 18in the blank 1 and hold it in position in the mold the pin 5 projec'tingthrough sole of the shoe shall possess,

mold so as to project through the holes 16,

the hole 16 preventing the blank from moving endw'ise on the molding surface .and the elongated slot 18 preventing lateral displacement of the shank member on the mold when pressure is applied, but allowing the blank to be curved "longitudinally. At either corner of the molding surface prong-shaping recesses 7 are provided to receive and properly shape the projecting prongs 2 of the blank. The too-operating mold 4 presents a longitudinally and transversely curved molding surface which is complemental to that of the mold 6 and is provided with recesses "S to receive the projecting ends of the blank-positioning pilots 5. Depending from the molding surface of the mold at each corner s a prong bending member 9' Fig. 1. This shape preserving element has a longitudinal and transverse curvature corresponding to the longitudinally arched conformation of the shank of the shoe and a transverse curvature corresponding to the lateral convexity desired for the shank portion of the sole. This transverse curvature of the stiffening device is of considerable practical importance inasmuch as it serves to increase the rigidity and strength of the shank, so muchso in fact, that under ordinary conditions relatively thin piece of metal may be used to constitute the stiffener. Moreover, it will ordinarily be found unnecessary to-temiper :the metal after the desired shape has been imparted to it in order lion-it to have the required strength and stiffness.

The sh ank stiffener, as a result of the shaping operations, conforms to the molding face of the molds which are to mold a sole member fora shoe in the desired manner. Inthe use of the shank stiffener in accordance with the method disclosed in the aboveddcntified patents and applications, the stiffener device 1 is placed upon the bottom mold 12. The relative positioning of the shank stiffener on this mold is conveniently aide'd by means of pilots 15 fixed in the mold 1'2. Thereafter, a sole member 10 which has been previously died out substantially to edge contour the sole molds in proper longitudinal and transverseposition all as indicated in Fig. 6. 'These molds 12 and 14. are operated by mean's well-kno'wn in the moldingart and in the first I hajse oft' he molding operation the sole member is conformed longitudinally and transversely into near parallelism with the opposed face of the stilie'n'ing device 1 is assembled in immaterial whether they and the molding surfaces of themolds 12, 14. As an incident to this phase of the molding operation the sole member is forced upon the prongs 2 at the forward end of the stiffener which by reason of their inclination act to draw the sole member rearwardly in the mold and into finally attached position on the stiffener. As the pressure continues there being, of course, no separate stages in the application of the molding pressure, the prongs 2 at the rear of the stiffener are forced into the sole memben and owing to their inclination relatively to the forward prongs 2 act to impale the stiffener on the sole and prevent endwise movement of the stiffener which would tend to withdraw the forward prongs from the sole member. In the final application of pressure the sole member is molded to the exact shape which has been previously given to the shank-stiffening device and inasmuch as the stiffener becomes finally affixed to the sole member by reason of the prongs as an incident to the molding operation the stiffener is thus enabled effectively to maintain the conformation imparted to the sole member. This latter function of the stiffener is assisted to a large extent by the provision of the prongs at either of the forward corners of the stiffener since they engage the sole at either side and thus are effective in holding the sole member to the transverse convexity imparted to it. It will be noted that the inclination of the prongs at the forward end of the stiffener enables them finally to enter the sole without injuring or marring the outer tread surface of the sole. Since the rear prongs are located within the area of the heel seat it is project through to the tread side of the sole.

The bulkiness of the shoe in the shank need not be increased by the presence of the stiffening element to any appreciable extent inasmuch as sufficient pressure may be applied during the sole molding operation to embed the stiffening device in the sole, this being possible because its construction is such that maximum strength and rigidity are obtained in the stiffener with a mini-' mum thickness of the metal plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a shank stiffener molded to the longitudinal and transverse curvature of a shoe shank and having at its front end an attaching prong bent up from the body portion at an angle of about to stand in a direction for the sole to be drawn on to the prong during the longitudinal melding of a superposed sole and provided at its rear end with a prong bent up at an angle of about 90 to impale the superposed sole.

2. As an article of manufacture, a shank stiffener molded to the longitudinal curva-' ture of a shoe shank and having at its front endan attaching prong bent up from the body portionatan angle of about 60 to stand in a direction for the sole to be drawn onto the prong during-the longitudinal molding of a superposed sole and provided at its rear end with a prong bent up at an angle of about 90 to impale the superposed sole, and provided intermediate its ends with means to co-operate with a sole mold for holding the shank stiffener against longitudinal displacement during the sole molding operation.

3. As an article of manufacture, a shank stiffener blank having means at opposite ends to secure it to a shoe sole, and provided with a circular hole closely to embrace a locating pin in a shank stiffener mold during the manufacture of a stiffener from the blank and a similar locating pin in a sole mold when a sole and the stiffener are being operated upon to mold the sole, to prevent longitudinal movement in either direction of the blank and stiffener in the respective molds, and further provided with an elongated slot closely to embrace opposite sides of a second locating pin in each mold, to determine the angular position of the blank in the first mold while allowing the material of the blank to move longitudinally past the second pin as the blank is molded and to determine the angular position of the stiffener in the second mold, the hole and slot operating to predetermine exactly the position of the blank of the stiffener in the second mold.

4. As an article of manufacture, a shank stiffener provided with spaced locating holes, one being circular closely to embrace a locating pin in a sole mold to prevent longitudinal movement of the stiffener therein, and the other being elongated lengthwise of the stiffener and adapted to engage opposite sides of a second locating pin to determine the angular position with respect to the first locating pin, said stiffener being further provided with means for attaching it to a sole.

5. As an article of manufacture, a shank stiffener molded to the longitudinal curvature of the shank portion of the shoe in which it is to be incorporated and transversely arched to increase its rigidity, the stiffener being formed with an edge at the front end thereof extending substantially at right angles to the length of the stiffener and having an attaching prong bent up from the body portion at each extremity of said edge and substantially along the line of said edge, and a pair of attaching prongs bent up from the opposite end of the body portion.

6. As an article of manufacture, a shank in the first mold and 5 having a pa stifiener molded to the l'dngibuclinal curvafare of the shank portion of the shcej which it igbo ineeitponated and Ltraiasversely arched to increase its rigidity, and of attaching prongs farmed from material located without theouflineof the shank stiifener aheaeh extremity :thenedian line of the s-ti-ffenep In testimony whereof I have signed my name t0 :this specification.

KARL EN GEL.

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