US2110249A

US2110249A - Manufacture of shoes

Info

Publication number: US2110249A
Application number: US48383A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin P Walker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-11-05
Filing date: 1935-11-05
Publication date: 1938-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1955-03-08

Description

March 8, 1938. I E, P. WALKER 2,110,249

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Nov. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor; 24 m 1? way); 5 g wtredc fl ix 0T;

J A tst Mmhs, 193s. E, P, WA KE 2,110,249

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Nov. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i y-z 1720622602: Edwin E hfaZfi'er;

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNETE STATES F'ATENT GFFECE 7 Claims.

This invention pertains to the manufacture of shoes or the like and relates more particularly to an improved method of preparing parts for shoe uppers. Many shoe uppers as now made comprise an outer or facing member of textile fabric or other very thin and sheer material which is too light and flimsy or too easily stretched to be used alone in the upper of a shoe. For this reason such materials are usu ally reinforced by what is known as a doubler, backer or backing member, which is a piece of cloth or other flexible sheet material which is strong but relatively cheap as compared with thefacing material, and. which is secured by means of adhesive to the back or inner side of the facing member of the shoe part.

The facing material (particularly textile fabric) and its backing fabric are usually united by manufacturers who specialize in the preparation of laminated or multi-ply fabrics, and who furnishtheduplex upper stock, comprising the united facing and backing materials, to the shoe manufacturer. No particular difficulty is experienced in thus preparing and uniformly uniting' the facing material and the backing fabric, since both are obtainable in great lengths of substantially uniform width and weight, and may thus be delivered to a coating machine of standard and well-known type which uniformly coats the'meeting surfaces of both fabrics, and brings them together under pressure to produce a duplex material wherein the adhesive is distributed with almost absolute uniformity over the areas of its constituent plies. If suchduplex upper stockbe a white dyeable fabric it is capable,

after being made up into a shoe, of takingv dye or stain uniformly over its entire area so that the shoe may be finished to any appropriate shade, no matt-cr'how delicate, without danger of irregularity in color or surface appearance.

Since textile material, even more than leather, would present a rough and unpleasing appearance at any exposed edge unless protected by a finish, it is desirable to fold over or double the margin of the upper member wherever an exposed edge is to appear. When the fabric is reinforced by a doubler or backing member and the latter is of any substantial thickness, it is manifest that when the margin is folded over it includes four thicknesses, of which two are of relatively thick and stiff backing material, so that it is difiicult to avoid a bulky appearance at the edge of the upper. Moreover, since the adhesive employed. in connection with the folding operation is usually activated by the same type of solvent as is the adhesive which is used in uniting the backing member to the facing member, there is a tendency for the solvent applied in the folding operation to loosen the facing fabric from the backer adjacent to the edge, which results in a very unsightly appearance. If it be attempted to make the edge thinner, as by skiving the margins of the material, the folding operation (which is done by machine) results in stretching this thinner edge material so that when the edge has been folded it tends to take on a Wavy appearance due to the greater length of the margin as compared with the body material adjacent thereto.

In shoes which have openings within the borders of the upper parts, for example, ornamental cut-outs, it is necessary to finish the edges of these cut-outs in the same way as the outer margins of the material, but to do this effectively is very diihcult and in fact almost impossible. These openings are. often very small and when the margins of such openings are turned in, the area for the adhesive to act on is so limited that the adhesive will not hold. 0n the other hand, it is practically impossible to skive the edges of the material at these small openings so as to make it more flexible and thus to facilitate the folding and cementing operation.

One desirable procedure designed to produce a satisfactory finished edge, comprises cutting a facing member from unbacked facing material and a backing member from backing material, the backing member being of a shape generally similar to but slightly smaller than the facing member, and accurately conforming to the shoe pattern. The backing member is then laid upon the inner surface of the facing member and caused to adhere thereto, and the projecting margin of the somewhat larger facing member is then turned over onto the back or exposed surface of the backing member and caused to adhere to the latter. Where cut-outs occur the material of the facing member is slit and turned in through a preformed cut-out opening in the backing member and is adhered to the latter. In this Way, finished edges having only three thicknesscs of material are provided, the backing member being included but once in such an edge. Since the facing material is ordinarily quite thin as compared with the backing material, this method provides a much thinner and more perfect edge than may be obtained in accordance with previous methods of procedure.

However, ordinary modes of uniting the backing and facing members are not wholly satisfactory when following the above procedure since, in practice, it is difficult to apply adhesive material uniformly to the facing and backing members after they have been out. Some of the parts of a shoe upper are very irregular,frequently comprising narrow tongues or the like, for example integral straps, and in attempting to apply fluid adhesive to such parts or in the vicinity of cutouts by usual methods it is very difficult to avoid daubing the outer surface of the fabric, which is often of a very delicate shade or texture. Even if the outer surface is not thus soiled, the nonuniform application of the adhesive often allows the facing material to separate from the backing material, thus forming blisters at various points during the wear of the shoe. Such non-uniform application of cement makes it difficult, under some conditions, to stain or dye the shoe uniformly, since those parts of the material which have received the adhesive sometimes take a different tint from those which have not, either initially or after the shoe has been worn.

To avoid the above difficulties the present invention further contemplates the preparation of facing material and backing fabric, one or both of which is coated uniformly in the roll with a suitable adhesive of a type which is normally tacky.

The tacky coating layer is then protected and rendered normally neutral or non-effective by means of a cover or coating sheet of a non-sticky nature, for example a sheet of wax paper or the like to which the adhesive coating layer adheres less strongly than to the facing or backing materials, so that the coating or covering sheet may, at will, be stripped off from the sticky surface, leaving the latter intact and in active condition.

The facing and/ or backing materials thus prepared, with their adhesive coatings and protective coverings, may be furnished to the shoe manufacturer in rolls in the same way as the usual duplex backed stock, and he may then cut out the proper shapes by means of a dinking machine or otherwise, as preferred,the backing member being out exactly to the pattern and the corresponding facing member to a somewhat larger size. The matching pieces of material are then taken to an operator who strips off the paper from each adhesively coated piece and lays the two pieces together in proper symmetrical registering relation. Slight pressure is then sumcient to cause a firm and uniform adhesion of the two pieces.

After thus being united the edges of the facing member may be folded over onto the exposed surface of the backing member and stuck to the latter. Likewise whenever a cut-out opening occurs in the backing member, the overlying facing material may be slit and its margins may be folded back through the opening in the backing member, the adhesive on the back of the facing fabric usually being sufficient to hold the folded over margins in place until they have been stitched.

A modification of the above procedure resides in providing the adhesive in the form of very thin sheet material which is normally dry, that is to say, non-sticky, but which may be made sticky by the application of heat and/or a suitable solvent. From such sheet material may be cut out a duplicate of the facing member and this adhesive uniting member may then be interposed between the backing and facing members when the latter are assembled, and as a step in the operation may be made active either by the application of heat or a solvent or both, so as to unite the several parts to form a substantially unitary structure.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain desirable embodiments of the invention have been disclosed by way of example,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a completed shoe vamp of typical contour prepared in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear plan view of the vamp of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic'perspective view illustrating sheet material, prepared in accordance with the present invention, in readiness for use in making the facing member of a shoe part;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the step of cutting a facing member from the material illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating backing material prepared in accordance with the present invention for use in making the backing member of a shoe part;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the step of cutting a backing member from the backing material of Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a plan View, partly in perspective, showing the rear side of a composite facing member as out from the material of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section, to larger scale, substantially on the line 6-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan View, partly in perspective, showing the inner surface of a composite backing member as cut from the material of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a section, to larger scale, on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view, partly in perspective, illustrating the step of removing the covering or protective sheet from the adhesive surface, for example, of the backing member;

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing an adhesive member cut from thin sheet adhesive; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing an adhesive member cut from very thin textile material having inclusions, impregnations, or coatings of adhesive material.

In accordance with the preferred method, both backing and facing members are adhesively coated, and this preferred procedure is specifically illustrated and hereinafter described in detail, but the invention is contemplated as inclusive of that modified procedure in which but one of the associated members (backing and facing) is provided with the tacky adhesive layer.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I (Fig.

3) designates a roll of facing material made in accordance with the present invention. This roll may be of any desired length convenient for manufacture or handling, and the material may be of any suitable and practical width. This facing material comprises the facing fabric 2 which may, for example, be silk, satin, thin and flexible leather, or the like, having a layer 3 of normally tacky adhesive spread uniformly upon its inner or rear surface. This layer of adhesive may be applied by means of rolls, brushes, doctor knives or any of the other usual appliances commonly employed for the purpose and forming elements of paper or fabric coating machines, it being readily possible in dealing with fabric in long lengths to apply a coating which is of substantially uniform thickness and which covers all points of the surface of the material. In accordance with the present invention the adhesive layer 3 is normally tacky or sticky and the exposed surface of such sticky layer is protected during storage, shipment and in handling, by a protective covering 4 such, for example, as heavy waxed paper; Since the adhesive layer 3 has a preferential affinity for the facing fabric 2 it is possible topeel' off the wax paper covering without disturbing the continuity of the adhesive layer.

Further, in accordance with the present method there is provided aroll 5 (Fig; 4) of backing material comprising'the backing fabric 6", for example cotton duck, cotton flannel or the like, such as is commonly employed for backing parts of shoe uppers and which may be obtained in almost any desired length and width, This material, in accordance with the preferred procedure, is provided with a layer 1 of normally tacky adhesive which is uniformly spread over the entiresurface of'the backing fabric. Over this adhesive layer there is disposed a covering or protecting sheet 8 of waxed paper or'the like which may readily be stripped I from the adhesive layer.

Rolls such as l' and 5 of facing and backing material are prepared by the maker of such goods and furnished in this condition to the shoe manufacturer. The lattermay unroll the material at will and place it upon the cutting block, for example, of a dinking machine. Facing and backing members are cut from the facing and backing materials respectively by means of patterns or dies, as preferred; In Figs. 3 and 4 the steps of cutting out the facing member 54 from the facing material and the backing member l5 from the backing material are diagrammatically indicated, the respective materials l and 5 being shown as having been partially unrolled and spread out fiat.

In'Fig. 1 the numerals designates a shoe vamp illustrative of certain characteristics commonly found in' the parts of a shoe upper; Thus, for example, this vamp comprises the very narrow integral tongue member ID whose lateral edges, as well as the upper edges H of the vamp proper, and the edges l2 defining notches in the vamp, must be finished to avoid raw or raveling edges in the completed shoe upper. This vamp also has cut-out openings l3 whose edges must likewise be finished.

Referring to Fig. 5 which shows the back or inner surface of a composite facing member M for a vamp, (including the facing material and its tacky coating and covering sheet) it will be noted that while this facing assembly corresponds in general't'o the contour of composite backing member I 5, Fig. 7, the facing member is of slightly larger area, the additional area as compared with that of the backing member being indicated at the shaded portions of Fig. 5. Having prepared composite facing and backing members M and l5las described, such. members are then given to the assembling operator who performs the next step in the operation, as illustrated in Fig. 9, such step consisting in peeling off the protecting paper 8 from the backing material and the protecting paper 4 from the facing material, and then disposing, the resultant parts in registry with their adhesive surfaces in contact, and pressing them together. In so bringing these parts into contact they are symmetrically disposed, and (with respect to parts shaped as shown in Figs. 5 and 7) those edges of the facing part which are not shown shaded will be placed in direct registry with corresponding edges of the backing part, thus leaving the adhesively-coated margins l2 [2 of the facing part projecting beyond corresponding edges of the backing part. The operator then folds these coated margins I2 i2 back onto the exposed surface of the superposed body part and causes the fold-over portions i2, i2 (Fig. 2) to adhere to the backing part, the adhesive onthese folded over margins usually being sufficient for the purpose, although other adhesive may be employed if necessary. Likewise if the shoe part is to comprise cut-outs, such cutouts are formed, as indicated at I 3 in Fig. 7, in cutting the backing member, and after the facing member has been securedto the backing member, the material of the facing member is slit at the points where it overlies the openings 3 and the facing material at opposite sides of the slit isthen folded in through the openings I 3 and cemented to the exposed surface of thebacking member as indicated at I A, Fig. 2.

Since both backing and facing material have uniform coatings of adhesive which becomes ac:- tive immediately upon stripping off the covering sheet, the mere placing of one member on the other with a very slight pressure or rubbing is sufiicient to cause uniform adhesion of the two members throughout their entire areas without danger of damage from daubing them with cement. Moreover, as above pointed out, in accordance with this method, the backing member is not folded in making the finished edges, so that these edges are relatively thin as compared with the results of usual modes of procedure, and the edges of the cut-cuts are readily finished no matter how small they may be. After the margins have been folded back and cemented, the parts may be permanently united by stitching or otherwise in accordance with the usual practice.

In Fig. 10 a modification is suggested wherein instead of supplying the facing and/or backing material with adhesive before cutting it up into shoe parts, there is provided a thin sheet of adhesive which is normally inactive and from which parts such as the parts 3*, of the same size and contour as the backing member, may be cut. Such parts are then interposed between the backing and facing members and after being rendered active, serve to unite the backing and facing members firmly and uniformly together. Such sheet adhesive may, for example, be a thin layer of flexible glue, a thin layer of a cellulose derivative,- for example, cellulose nitrate, a thin layer of a thermoplastic substance, such as latex rubber, or a thin and flexible layer of one of the synthetic resins.

Fig. 11 illustrates another modification wherein, instead of a layer solely of adhesive material, such as that just referred to, a uniting piece 3 is cut from thin material, for example, thin textile fabric, having coatings of adhesive on its opposite sides, or which is impregnated throughout its substance with adhesive, or which may have included threads at regular intervals of a substance which has adhesive properties when properly treated. Such uniting piece 3 may be interposed between the backing and facing members and caused to unite them either by the application of heat, a solvent, or both, thus providing for a secure and uniform adhesion between the facing and backing members throughout their entire extents.

Obviously other and equivalent modifications are to be regarded as within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. That method of making composite shoe-upper parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive, which comprises as steps providing facing material and backing material, one at least of said materials having on one surface a uniformly distributed layer of a normally tacky adhesive, disposing a flexible sheet-like covering in contact with the adhesive, the outer surface at least of saidsheetlike covering being non-sticky, cutting from the facing and backing materials respectively a composite facing member and a composite backing member, thereafter stripping away the sheetlike covering from the adhesive layer of said member or members, assembling the resultant facing and backing parts with the exposed tacky adhesive interposed between them, and pressing the parts into intimate contact.

2. That method of making composite garment parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive material which comprises as steps providing facing material and backing material each of substantially uniform character and in substantial lengths and each having on one surface a uniformly thin and uniformly distributed layer of normally tacky adhesive, temporarily protecting said adhesive layers by means of a non-sticky covering removable at will from such adhesive layers, cutting from the backing and facing materials composite backing and facing members respectively, removing the coverings from the adhesive layers of said members, and disposing the resultant backing and the facing parts with their adhesive layers in contact. I

3. That method of making composite garment parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive material which comprises as steps providing facing material and backing material each of substantially uniform character and in substantial lengths, each having on one surface a uniformly thin and uniformly distributed layer of normally tacky adhesive, tem-' porarily protecting said adhesive layers by means of a non-sticky covering removable at will from said adhesive layers, cutting from the backing and facing materials respectively a composite backing member and a composite facing member, said members being of generally similar contour but the composite facing member being somewhat larger in area, removing the coverings from the adhesive layers of the composite backing and facing members, disposing the resultant parts with their adhesive layers in contact and with the marginal portion of the facing part projecting beyond the edge of the backing part and turning such projecting marginal portion of the facing part over onto the exposed surface of the backing part, and uniting such marginal portion to the latter.

4. That method of making composite garment parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive material which comprises as steps providing facing material and backing material each having on one surface a uniformly thin and uniformly distributed layer of normally tacky adhesive temporarily protected bymeans of a non-sticky film-like cover removable at will from such adhesive layers, cutting from the backing and facing materials respectively a composite backing member and a composite facing member, the backing member having an opening wholly within its border, removing the covers from the adhesive layers of the backing and facing members, disposing the adhesive layers in contact, slitting the facing material where the latter overlies the opening in the backing material, turning the marginal portion of the facing material bordering such slit inwardly through the opening in the backing material, and securing such marginal portion against the exposed face of the backing member.

5. That method of making composite shoe-upper parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive material, which comprises as-steps providing facing material and backing material each having on one surface a uniformly thin and uniformly distributed layer of a normally tacky adhesive, disposing a sheet of wax paper in contact with each adhesive layer respectively, cutting from the backing and facing materials respectively a composite backing member and a composite facing member, thereafter stripping off the wax paper from each of said members so as to expose the adhesive layers, and bringing said adhesive layers into intimate contact thereby to unit the facing and backing parts uniformly throughout their respective extents.

6. That method of making composite shoe-upper parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive material, which comprises as steps providing facing material and backing material each having on one surface a uniformly thin and uniformly distributed layer of a. normally tacky adhesive, disposing a flexible covering sheet in contact with each adhesivelayer, said covering sheets having nonsticky outer surfaces, cutting from the facing and backing materials respectively a composite facing member and a composite backing member, thereafter stripping off the cover sheets from the adhesive layers on said members, and bringing said adhesive layers into intimate contact thereby to unite the facing and backing parts throughout their entire extents.

7. That method of making composite garment parts in which a facing member and a backing member are united by adhesive material which comprises as steps providing facing material and backing material each having on one surface a uniformly thin and uniformly distributed layer of normally tacky adhesive temporarily protected by means of non-sticky covering sheets removable at will from such adhesive layers, cutting from the backing and facing materials respectively a backing member and a facing member, said members being of generally similar peripheral contour, the backing member being cut to the exact size of the shoe pattern and the facing member being backing member having an opening wholly within its borders, removing the covering sheets from the adhesive layers of the two members, disposing the adhesive layers in contact so as to leave a marginal portion of the facing member projecting beyond a corresponding marginal portion of the backing member, folding the projecting marginal portion of the facing member over onto the exposed face of the backing member, and uniting them to the latter, slitting the material of the facing member where it overlies the opening in the backing member, and turning the facing material bordering said slit inwardly through the opening in the backing member and over onto the exposed face of the latter.

EDWIN P. WALKER.

of somewhat larger area, the