US2076931A - Last - Google Patents

Description

J. D. ADAMS April 13, 1937.

LASI

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5', 1936 \\n i A HL.

April 13, 1937. ADAMS 2,076,931

LAST

Filed May 5, 1956 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAST James D. Adams,

White Plains, N.

Application May 5, 1936,, Serial. No. 77,929

9 Claims.

My invention relates to sectional boot and shoe lasts of that type which comprise a fore part section, a heel sectionv and an intermediate section, and which include means for locking said sections in operative relationship while the last is in use, said means being operable to unlock the sections so that the latter can be adjusted rel atively in order to permit removal of the last from the boot or shoe.

Heretofore, lasts of the character referred to have commonly been constructed with the three parts thereof permanently. connected together in such manner that the heel section could be removed from the shoe only by a lifting move- 5 ment thereof relatively to the other parts of the last and to the shoe after adjustment of the intermediate section to shorten the last, and could not be turned about and around or otherwise manipulated as withdrawn to avoid injuriously stretching the top or neck of the upper which in many types of womens shoes is always smaller than the lower portion of the shoe near the sole.

That is to say, the top of the upper made constricted so that it Will fit the ankle with the desired snugness and in removing lasts as heretofore constructed it was necessary to force the heel section through this constricted opening at the top of the upper with the result that the latter was stretched and enlarged to an undesirable and injurious extent.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a sectional last of the class described which will be strong and rigid while in use within a shoe and which may be collapsed and manipulated when removing the same so as to avoid stretching the top or neck of the upper.

To these ends I have provided an improved sectional last having the construction and mode of operation set forth in the following description,

the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a sectional last constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the last shown on Fig. 1.

50 Figure 3 is an elevation of the front end of the heel section of the last shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the rear end of the intermediate section of the last shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the front end of the .55 intermediate section.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the rear end of the fore part section of the last shown in Fig. 1.

Figure '7 is a sectional detail illustrating the construction of the spring latches hereinafter referred to. 5

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a tool for use in operating the spring latches.

Figure 10 is a side elevation partly in section, of a last embodying another form of this invention.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the last shown in Fig. 10.

, Figure 12 illustrates a tool for usein operating the spring latches of the last shown in Figs. 10 and 11. 15

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, is a sectional boot or shoe last comprising a fore part section III, an intermediate section II and a heel section I2.

The intermediate section I I is preferably wedge shaped as viewed from the side, or in longitudinal 20 section as in Fig. 1, being longer at itstop than at its bottom, and its front end is formed near its tread with a downwardly facing transverse shoulder or ledge I3 extending from side to side i thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, while its rear end is also formed with a downwardly facing transverse shoulder or ledge I4 extending from side to side thereof as shown in Fig. 5.

Above the shoulder I3 the front end of the intermediate section I I is made with a fiat surface I5, Fig. 5, and below said shoulder with a fiat surface I6. Above the shoulder I4 the rear end of the intermediate section is made with a fiat surface I'l, Fig. 4, and below said shoulder with 30 a flat surface I8.

The shape of the rear end of the forepart section It! is a counterpart of the shape of the front end of the intermediate section, being formed near its tread with an upwardly facing transverse shoulder I9, Fig. 1, opposed to the shoulder I3 of the section I I, while the shape of the forward end of heel section I2 is a counterpart of the shape of the rear end of section II, being formed v with an upwardly facingshoulder 20 opposed to the shoulder I4 of section II.

To the shoulders I9 and 20 are cemented or otherwise secured layers 2I and 22 respectively of resilient sheet material such as rubber, to serve as cushions when the last is subjected to blows applied to the tread portions of the heel and fore part sections.

The heel section I2 is rigidly and separately locked to the intermediate section I I by a pair of longitudinally disposed bolts 23 while the fore part section is similarly locked to the intermediate section II by a pair of longitudinally disposed bolts 24. Each of these four bolts is part of a well known type of spring latch mechanism illustrated in Fig. 7 and as there illustrated is slidably mounted within a tubular socket or housing 25 that is driven into a hole bored in its last section. The inner end of each bolt 23 and 24 is made with a stem extending loosely through an aperture formed through the inner end wall of the housing and provided at its extremity with a head 26 that is normally held against said end wall by a coiled spring 21 within the housing and acting against the bolt to yieldingly hold the lat-.

ter projected from its last section.

When the last is in its assembled condition the outer end portions of the bolts 23 occupy metal lined sockets 28 formed in the intermediate section Ii while the outer end portions of the bolts 24 occupy metal lined sockets 29 provided in said section II.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6 the axes of the bolts 23 are obliquely disposed relatively to the plane of the shoulder 20 while the axes of bolts 24 are similarly disposed relatively to the plane of the shoulder l9 so that the distance between the tip of each bolt and the shoulder of its section is less than the distance between the mouth of the socket within which it is mounted and said shelf. It will therefore be clear that each pair of bolts co-acts with its shoulder to lock its section to the intermediate section I I.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2 the bolts 23 and also the bolts 24 project convergingly from their last sections which gives additional holding function thereto.

The last is assembled by merely pressing the sections thereof together end to end, the bolts 23 and 24 yielding inwardly until the sections are fully fitted together whereupon the springs 21 project the bolts outwardly into their sockets 28.

At their inner ends the sockets 28 communicate with a well 30 extending downwardly from the top of the intermediate section II part way through the latter and when it is desired to disassemble the sections of the last the pronged ends of the tool 3|, Figs. 8 and 9, are inserted within the well with the prongs 32 thereof entered within one of the pairs of sockets. Then by forcing the ends of the tool lengthwise of the sockets the prongs will force the two bolts out of said sockets thus disconnecting the two sections of the last.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 only two bolts 23 and 24 are employed and these are disposed with their axes disposed approximately coincident with the medial plane 33, Fig. 11, and obliquely with respect to the shoulders l9 and 20 of sections l0 and I2. To disconnect the last sections the tool 34 shown in Fig. 12 is employed.

Both tools 3| and 34 may be formed from steel wire.

It will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 4 that the top of the upper, which is fitted snugly to the sides of the heel part of the last, is very much narrower than the bottom portion of the shoe and consequently even when the intermediate part of a last, constructed as heretofore, is unlocked and adjusted upwardly to permit the heel part to be moved forward into the waist of the shoe, said heel part can only swing upwardly on a fixed path parallel with the vertical median plane 33, Fig. 11, with the result that the wider tread or lower portion of said heel part will subject the constricted neck portion of the upper to objectionable and injurious stretching action. This deformation and stretching of the upper while removing the last has heretofore resulted in the frequent return of shoes to the manufacturer.

In removing my last from a finished shoe the intermediate section is first completely disconnected from the other two sections and removed. Then the heel section is moved forwardly into the waist portion of the shoe where it can be turned on a longitudinal axisin a left hand direction in Fig. 3-and removed more or less sidewise Without stretching or deforming the constricted neck of the upper.

The rear end of the forepart Ill is made with a socket Ina, into which the prong or prongs of a tool such as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, or Fig. 12, may be inserted and used to pull the 'forepart rearwardly for removal after removal of the other two sections of the last.

In addition to serving as cushions the rubber layers are more or less compressed when the last is assembled and serve as springs to hold the intermediate section tightly against the lower sides of the bolts 23 and 24.

With the above described construction it is possible to provide interchangeable heel parts of different types or designs and to select and use the heel part of the desired design. For example heel parts may be provided of different width including wide, narrow and medium.

Another advantage to the above described construction is that it is particularly adapted to be employed in connection with lasts for deformed feet which, as heretofore constructed, were difficult to remove from the finished shoe. By constructing such lasts in accordance with this invention they may be easily and quickly removed.

What I claim is:

1. A last divided transversely to provide a fore part section, an intermediate section and a heel section, and locking devices permanently mounted on said last separably and rigidly locking said sections together in assembled relationship independently of the shoe within which the last is used, said locking devices being operable to disconnect said sections while the last is within said shoe so that the sections of the last can be separately removed therefrom without stretching the neck of the upper of the shoe.

2. A last comprising three sections including a fore part section having a rear end face whose lower portion is stepped to provide a transverse abutment shoulder, an intermediate section having a front end face whose lower portion is stepped to provide a transverse abutment shoulder to seat against the shoulder of the fore part section and having a rear end face whose lower portion is also stepped to provide a transverse abutment shoulder, and a heel section having a front end face whose lower portion is stepped to provide a transverse abutment shoulder to seat against the shoulder of the rear end face of the intermediate section, and locking devices co-acting with said shoulders to separably and rigidly lock said sections together in assembled relationship independently of the shoe within which the last is used, said locking devices being operable to disconnect said sections While the last is within a shoe so that said sections can be separately removed therefrom.

3. A last comprising three sections including a fore part section having its rear end made adj acent to its tread with an upwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder, an intermediate section having its front end made adjacent to its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder of the fore part section and having its rear end made adjacent to its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder, and a heel section having its front end made adjacent to its tread with an upwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder on the rear end of the intermediate section, and locking devices co-acting with said shoulders to separably and rigidly lock said sections together in assembled relationship independently of the shoe within which the last is used, said locking devices being disposed between said shoulders and the top of the last and being operable to disconnect said sections while the last is within a shoe so that said sections can be separately removed therefrom.

4. A last comprising three sections including a fore part section having its rear end made adj acent to its tread with an upwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder, an intermediate section having its front end made adjacent to its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder of the fore part section and having its rear end made adjacent to its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder, and a heel section having its front end made adjacent to its tread with an upwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder on the rear end of the intermediate section and locking devices disposed between said shoulders and the top of the last co-acting with said shoulders to separably and rigidly lock said sections together in assembled relationship independently of the shoe within which the last is used, comprising a longitudinally disposed spring pressed latch bolt mounted to move endwise within a socket formed in the rear end of the fore part section and projecting into a socket formed in the front end of the intermediate section and a longitudinally disposed spring pressed latch bolt mounted to move endwise within a socket formed in the front end of the heel section and projecting into a socket formed in the rear end of the intermediate section and said bolts being manually retractible to disconnect said sections while the last is within a shoe so that said sections can be separately and individually removed therefrom.

5. A last constructed in accordance with claim 4 and wherein said intermediate section is made with a well extending downwardly from the top of said section and having its inner end disposed between and communicating with the inner ends of the sockets of said intermediate section.

6. A last constructed in accordance with claim 4 and wherein the axis of each spring pressed latch bolt is obliquely inclined relatively to the plane of the abutment shoulder of its section so as to co-act therewith to hold its section and the intermediate section against movement away from each other. I

7. A last constructed in accordance with claim 4 and wherein a layer of resilient sheet material is provided between the abutment shoulders of each pair of shoulders and is fixed in position on one of the latter.

8. A last comprising three sections including'a fore part section having its rear end made adjacent to its tread with an upwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder, an intermediate section having its front end made adjacent to its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder of the fore part section and having its rear end made adjacent tov its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder, and a heel section having its front end made adjacent to its tread with an upwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder on the rear end of the intermediate section, and locking devices disposed between said shoulders and the top of the last co-acting with said shoulders to separably and rigidly lock said sections together in assembled relationship independently of the shoe within which the last is used, said devices comprising a pair of longitudinally disposed spring pressed latch bolts mounted to move endwise within sockets formed in the rear end of the fore part section and projecting therefrom convergingly into sockets formed in the front end of the intermediate section and. a pair of longitudinally disposed spring pressed latch bolts mounted to move endwise within sockets formed in the front end of the heel section and projecting therefrom convergingly into sockets formed in the rear end of the intermediate section, and said bolts being manually retractible to disconnect said sections while the last is within a shoe so that said sections can be separably and individually removed therefrom.

9. In a last comprising three sections including an intermediate section, a heel section abutting the rear end of the intermediate section and a fore part section abutting the front end of the intermediate section, the intermediate section having one end thereof made adjacent to its tread with a downwardly facing transverse abutment shoulder and also made with a longitudinal socket disposed between said shoulder and the top of said section, and one of the abutting sections having its abutting end made adjacent to its tread with a transverse upwardly facing abutment shoulder to fit against the shoulder on said intermediate section and also made with a socket for a latch bolt the outer end of which socket registers with the outer end of the socket in the intermediate section when the two. sections occupy abutting relationship, and a longitudinally and obliquely disposed spring pressedlatch bolt permanently mounted to move endwise within one of said sockets and automatically engageable with the other socket when the two sections are brought together in assembled relationship thereby positively to lock the two sections against separating movement relatively.

JAMES D. ADAMS.

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