US1763744A - Shoe-shank stiffener - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1930- I R. a BARTELS 1,763,744

SHOE SHANK STIFFENER' Filed July 31, 1928 Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES REINHARD 1B. BARTELS, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS SHOE-SHARK STIFFENER Application filed July 31,

In Patent No. 1,638,136 granted to Reinhard E. Bartels August 9, 1927, for shank stiffeners, is disclosed and claimed a shoe shank stiffener formed with opposed pairs of 5 clinching prongs inclined toward each other, which when clinched in the sole or shank though it has been developed with particular relation to the requirements of such use.

According to this invention, therefore, the prongs are arranged in spaced opposed pairs as in the patented construction, but are so disposedrelative to the stiffener that when they are driven into the sole or other support, their inclination toward each other is increased so that they take a bite of less depth into the support than if this inclination remained unchanged or were modified only by the bending efiected by the clinching operation. This may be done by striking the prongs from a convex portion of the stifiener. When this portion of the stiffener is struck with a ham- 85 mer, or is molded in a press to drive the prongs into the support, this convex portion is flattened, which results in tilting the prongs toward each other, so that they clinch considerably nearer to the face of the support to which the stiflener is applied than they otherwise would.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective of a shoe stiffener embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the same drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section through the portion shown in Figure 2, but

1928. Serial No. 296,571.

shown in initial position for attachment to a shoe sole or shank piece.

Figure 4 is a similar section showing the stiffener fixed to the sole or shank piece.

Referring to the drawings, the stiffener comprises a strip 1 of ductile metal of sui cient stiffness to impart the resired rigidity to the sh'oesole or shank piece. As shown best in Figure 1, when first formed, it may be provided with a longitudinally extending stiffening rib 2 formed by bending the metal into substantially V cross section, this rib extending throughout the intermediate portion of the length of the stiffener and terminating adjacent to opposite ends. At one end are shown a pair of prongs 3 struck from the material of the stiffener and these as shown are of a construction commonly employed for the purpose. These will normallybe placed at the heel end of the stiffener where the stiflener engages into the heel seat portion of the shoe as at that point there is considerable thickness of material for the prongs to engage in and even though the sole or shank piece may be thin no difficulty can arise by its complete piercing by the prongs. At the forward end of the stiffener, however, it is important that the prongs do not project through, particularly where the stiffener is applied to the outer face of an innersole. In

order that a firm attachment of the stiffener at its forward endmay be effected without, however, causing the projecting prongs to project deeply into the supporting member, whether a sole or a shank piece, the prong construction at the opposite end of Figure 1 has been devised. Itwill be noted by reference to this figure and to Figures 2 and 3, that this end portion of the stiflener is formed longitudinally curved, as at 4, and struck from this curved portion are a pair of opposed attaching prongs 5. As shown these may be formed by striking from the body of the material to form a single opening 6 there in, a pair of portions which are divided from each other substantially midway of the opening 6 thus to form the prongs 5 which are somewhat inclined toward each other in a plane of the curvature, being struck from the material at a slightly obtuse angle, the prongs projecting from the convex face of the stiffener.

lVhen the stiffener is applied to the support, as for example to a sole or a shank piece as shown at 10 in Figure 3, the prongs are driven into and clinched in the support 10 but at the same time the portion 4 is straightened out, thus causing the curved portion to bend about an axis between the prongs, thus swinging the free end of the prongs toward each other. Not only does this action take place, but the prongs themselves bend toward each other as they are driven into the material so as to grip between them a portion 11 thereof, as shown in Figure 3. Because of the fact that the prongs engage the material at opposite sides, the stiffener is fixed firmly in position and can not be separated by a relative sliding movement as might be possible were the prongs both inclined in the same direction. Due to the bending of the prongs toward each other during the clinching operation, both by the flattening of the curved portion and by engagement of the prongs in the work, the depth to which they bite into the support is greatly reduced so that a stiffener thus formed may be securely fixed to a relatively thin support which would be entirely penetrated by the prongs were it not for the fact that they project from the convex portion and that this is straightened during the clinching operation. This clinching operation may be effected by striking the end portion of the stiffener with a hammer, or it may be done in a molding press where the stiffeneris not only attached to the sole or shank piece, but is also molded to the desired longitudinal curvature. It should, of course, be understood that the stifi'ener could be molded to the desired longitudinal curvature before being applied to the sole or shank piece if desired, though the longitudinal molding after attachment is usually preferable.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A shoe shank stiffener, comprising a strip of ductile metal having a curved end portion, portions of the material of said stiffener at said curved portion being struck out to form a pair of opposed attaching prongs projecting from the convex face of said stiffener and slightly inclined toward each other in a plane of the curvature, whereby when said convex portion is flattened said prongs Will be bent further toward each other.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

REINHARD B. BARTELS.

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