US1952731A - Process for manufacturing shoes - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1934. C RIDDQCK 1,952,731

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SHOES Filed May 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 27, 1934. c, M RIDDOCK 1,952,731

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SHOES Filed May 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 at zz fl facturing shoes.

:by the use of a center plate.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improved method for shoe manufacture and has for its object a process'whereby acheaper shoe maybe made in a very simple fashion.

Heretofore there have been several attempts to produce a shoe which could be made of a less expensive material and further furnish greater simplicity in the manufacture thereof. Stitching is of primary importance in all shoe manufacturing processes and of course increases the unit cost of a shoe due to the expense of machines required to do this work.

In my present process, I have produced a shoe which can be very cheaply made of a fabric material which is characterized by a very novel design both in arrangement of the elements and in coloring effects incorporated in said elements. Moreover I have practically eliminated stitching from the process except at one point which is of a very simple nature. I attain this result by'the use of a cement plate together with a vulcanizing step. A part of the elements in my improved'shoe consist of strap members so arranged as to form loop portions which may be drawn together by means of a cord or lacing to form the shoe upper incidentally resulting in a very novel design.

It is apparent that these members may be colored to enhance the novelty of the design and it is still further apparent that by passing a cord through these loops greater facility in adjusting the shoe on the foot is obtained.

The principal object of my invention is to produce, therefore, an improved method for manu- Another object of my invention is to produce a process for a shoe having some novelty due to coloring effects and in the arrangement of the elements of the shoe.

Still another object is to producea process for a shoe which can be simply made and easily adjusted to thefoot.

Other objects and novel features comprising the construction and use of my shoe will appear as the description of my invention progresses.

Another object is to produce a process for shoe manufacture which forms a rand on the outsole In the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 is a plan view of an inner sole showing strap members attached thereto. 7 p

Fig. 2 is a plan view of inner sole reversed showwith the upper member drawn through the sym- 31 corresponding to the outline of the inner sole her sole as shown in Fig. 1 which consists of a fabric material coated on the under side with a rubber film. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17, 18, and 19 indicate strap members of fabric material which are firmly attached to inner sole 10 by nieans'of a rubber cement as shown in Fig. 1. Inner sole 10 is now reversed, placed upon a second fabric surface 20 and stitched thereto as indicated at 32 in Fig. 2. The fabric surface 20 is 76 considerably thinner than inner sole 10 and is coated on its upper side with some rubberized material which may be of any desired color. A

thin metal center plate 30 having an opening 10 is next placed upon inner sole 10 and strap members and sole are drawn up through the opening 31 leaving the finished fabric surface 20 in contact with the bottom of the metal plate 30 and fastened to the inner sole 10 by means of said stitching. Although I prefer to show stitching in the drawings, it 'is not absolutely necessary that" stitching be used at this point as any other suitable binder may be used. The next step in my process consists in placing a rubber sole member 21 in a. recess in the lower die member 35, adapted to conform said sole member to some shape as shown in Fig. 3, and then placing complete unit-as shown in Fig. 2 on rubber sole member 21 and inserting a heel member 22 between heel portion of member 21 and heel portion of unit shown in Fig. 2. If desired, heel portion 22 and sole member 21 may comprise one unit. A felt member 37 is now placed on top of the inner sole 10 as shown in Fig. 3 and the top die member 36 is now placed on top of the felt member 37. Heat is applied to die members 35 and 36'under pressure vulcaniz ing sole member 21 together with heel portion 22 solidily to fabric material 20. After the vulcanizing operation is complete the shoe is removed from the die and the fabric material is trimmed off to conform to the outer sole. Due to. the action of the upper die member 36 and thefelt member 3''! the upper surface of inner sole member 10 results in a smooth wearing surface due to the fact that the upper surface of the rubberized fabric 20 under the vulcanizing process adheres firmly to the under side of the inner sole member 10. The slight indentations caused by the ends of the strap members projecting slightly below the bottom of the inner sole member are filled in by the rand of the outer sole member 21 when the felt member is compressed against the top of the inner sole. The fabric surface of the member 20 becoming vulcanized with the outer sole member 21 to the effect that the finished product becomes one solidified mass all the way through the sole portions of the shoe and thereby leaves the aforesaid finished top surface of the inner sole perfectly fiat and smooth as shown in Fig. 3. Straps 12 and 19 are then brought together and fastened and strap 11 is passed over this junction and back under it forming loop 24 and comprising the toe of the shoe. In the same fashion straps 15, 16 and 17 are brought together and fastened to form the heel portion of said shoe as shown in Figs. 4; and 5, said strap 16 passing around strap 14. The straps are preferably fastened by means of some cementing material although they may be handsewed. Members 18 and 13 form loop portions 26 and 27 respectively which are inherent in the construction thereof. Likewise member 14 may be disposed to form loop portions 28 and 29. A cord or. lacing 23 passes through loop 29, across to loop 26, down to loop 24, returns through loop 27, and finally passes through loop 28 thereby causing said strap members to take a position as shown in Fig. 5 when tension is exerted upon the two ends of the lacing.

The action of the die in operation achieves several important results simultaneously due to the presence of the center plate 30 located upon the, fabric member 20. As has been stated previously, the opening in the center plate 30 is symmetrically formed with respect to the inner sole 10 but is smaller in size than the periphery of the outer sole with the result that the outer portion of the periphery of the, out sole upon which, the plate bears, is depressed and an inner raised portion referred to in the trade as the rand is formed.

In addition to, forming the rand, it is to be noted that the center plate'bearing as it does upon the fabric member 20 conforms the latter to the shape of the rand and the outer depressed portion of the outer sole and thereby disposes the fabric member in the form of an improvised weltv member sole. The rand thus formed is pressed against the fabric member and the under side of the inner sole while the upper side of the inner, sole is maintained against this pressure bythefelt member 37 to the effect that the edge. or extremity of the shoe upper located between the fabric member 20, and the inner sole 10 is embedded in the rand andv very strongly secured thereby.

It will be apparent that I may secure any form of. shoeupper in the manner. described and form the strap members from various materials such as, fabric, leather, rubber, and the like and that. I may employ various color effects upon such strap members without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Having. thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. The processor shoe manufacture comprising supplying an inner sole member coated on its u der ide w t a ru be me t prq l e n a,

assembly by attaching strap members to the said under side of the inner sole, covering said coated side of the inner sole together with the engaged portions of the strap members with a fabric material, temporarily fastening the said fabric mate rial upon the inner sole, placing said inner sole within a metal center plate member, said metal plate having an opening coincident with said inner sole, said fabric material being in contact with the said metal platethroughout its base for the purpose of forming a randed welt sole, fastening an outer rubber sole to the said fabric material, placing a felt member upon said inner sole member, placing the sole assembly in a die adapted to conform the said unit assembly into a conventional sole shape, subjecting said die and center plate to heat and pressure for the purpose of simultaneously forming a rand on the upper side of the outer sole and vulcanizing the inner surfaces of the sole assembly together, and gathering the said strap members to form a toe portion, a midsection, and a heel portion respectively of the said shoe upper.

2. An improved process for manufacturing shoes comprising attaching an upper member to the under side of an inner sole member, securing a fabric member below the said inner sole mem ber, interposing a center plate member between the said fabric member and the said shoe upper, disposing an outer sole member below the said fabric member, forming a rand on the outer sole adapted to fill in around the engaging upper skirt and vulcanizing all of the inner surfaces together.

3. An improved process for manufacturing shoes comprising the attachment of an upper member to the under side of an inner sole member, securing a fabric member below said inner sole, locating a metal center plate member adjacent the edges of said inner sole and above said fabric member, disposing an outer sole member below said fabric member, positioning a felt memher on the upper side of said inner sole adapted to maintain said side in a smooth state, forming. on the upper side of said outer sole,conforming said fabric member into a welt sole member disposed over said rand, vulcanizing said outer sole, welt sole, and inner sole together. V

4.. The improved method of shoe manufacture comprising the attaching of strap members to the under side of an inner sole member, disposing said inner sole upon a rubberized fabric material, temporarily fastening said inner sole to said fabric material. applying a center plate member around said inner sole edge and upon said fabric mate.- rial, disposing an outer sole member below said fabric, positioning the whole in a die, the simultaneous, forming of a raised inner portion and depressed outer portion upon the upper surface of said outer sole and conformation and vulcanization of said fabric material, to the top surface of said raised portion, the rim of. said raised portion, 7 and the depressed outer portion of said outer sole.

5. An improved process. for, manufacturing shoes comprising the attachment of an upper member to the under side of an inner sole member, securing a welt member below said inner sole, interposing a center plate member'between the said shoe upperand the welt solemember, disposing an outer sole below said welt member, locating a felt member on the upper side of inner sole, superimposing the whole in a die, forming a rand on the upper side of the outer sole member adapted tohave the skirt of said upper member and adjacent welt sole portions embedded therein, 150

securing outer sole, welt member, and inner sole and upper member together.

6. An improved process for manufacturing shoes comprising producing a sole assembly by attaching a shoe upper member to an inner sole member, securing a welt sole member below the said inner sole, disposing an outer sole member below the said welt sole, applying a center plate in combination with a felt member to the said sole

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