US2154241A - Underbody for shoes - Google Patents

Description

April 11', 1939. D F HERBST 2,154,241'

` UNDERBODY FOR SHOES Filed July 28, 1937 D ATTORNEY .s

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in re'- silient under-bodies for shoes.

The object of my invention is to provide an under-body or supporting structure for shoes which will provide added resilience, but without detracting from lateral stability of footwear.

More particularly stated, it is the object of my invention to provide an extremely resilient ply in a multiple-ply heel. or sole for shoes, and to so shape the various plies as to maintain the lateral stability of the supporting structure of the shoe.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe, and showing the heel portion thereof in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the heel portion of the shoe shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is an expanded view of the plies of my shoe under-body in separate relation.

Like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

I am aware that highly resilient material has heretofore been used in the soles and heels of shoes, or in particular plies of the material found in multiple-ply composite heels and soles of shoes. Such resilient material comprises com positions of rubber, or rubber with other materials, such as fabric. However, if the resilient substance or ply, in a multi-ply under-body for shoes, is in a single plane conguration, or substantially so, the lateral stress thereupon will cause the shoe underbody to be unstable and provide a feeling of jelly-like instability which becomes very tiring to the wearer, and usually results in short life of the shoe underbody. I,

therefore, have provided an extremely resilient v construction in the under-body such as the heel or sole of the shoe which is pressed between plies having shoulders or irregular surfaces, as will be apparent from the following description.

I have shown in the drawing a construction of a shoe heel embodying' my invention, but it will be understood that any form or shape of shoe under-body be constructed in accordance with invention.

Any shape or size of shoe l0, embodying my invention, includes a multi-ply under-body such as a heel wherein a shoewsole il of leather, or other suitable material, extends from the toe I2 clear through to the counter i3. Against the underside of the sole II, there may be any suitable number of lifts M to attain the proper height of heel, and it is to the sole II, or any lift I, that my improved resilient structure is attached.

The resilient portion of my shoe under-body includes two special lifts i5 and I6, with an interposed layer I? of highly resilient material, such as sponge rubber; and as illustrated in my drawing, I have shown the lifts I5 and I6 formed of relatively harder hubber which is cemented or vulcanized to the sponge rubber I'I.

Of great importance, as embodying my invention, it will be noted that the plies I5 and I6 as to their juxtaposed surfaces are not in one plane but are formed with portions in oir-set planes as shown most clearly in Figure 4 where in I have exaggerated the dimensions of the respective plies so as to show the marginal portion o-f my shoe under-body in a plane at I9, and the central portion in a plane at 2t, with a shoulder therebetween at 2|.

The extremely resilient sponge rubber, or other suitable soft material, is positioned between the plies I5 and I6 and forced into a coniiguration conforming to the shape of the juxtaposed portions or planes of the plies I5 and I6, but it will be noted that it has extreme stability against lateral pressure or thrusts which may be communicated from the one ply I5 to the other ply I6, or vice versa, since the shoulder 2I, although cushioned by the resilient material, is restrained .against extremes f movement relative to the juxtaposed ply.

Usually the highly resilient material, such as sponge rubber which may be used at Il, is not very satisfactory as a wear-resisting substance. I therefore shield` this substance with wearresisting substances, such as relatively hard rubber in the plies I and I6, so that nails 22 may be used to secure my new under-body to the sole II or to the under-portion of the shoe.

From` the above description it will become apparent that I have provided a shoe heel, or other shoe under-body, which will permit of extreme resilient relation of the plies I5 and I5 so rar as vertical pressures are concerned, but that the lateral stability of the shoe will be maintained because of the cupped or shouldered relation of the plies. Under pressure the marginal portions of the highly resilient ply or lift I'I will be permitted to expand laterally to a slight extent, the degree of possible expansion being dependent upon the thickness and width of that portion of the ply Il which bears upon that portion of the ply I6 exterior to its shoulder Z I.

But the central portion of the ply Il, i. e., that portion which bears upon the bottom of the recess in the ply I6, is confined by the shoulder at 2| and the portion 2|! of the upper ply, and is thus held against lateral expansion, since the upper ply enters the cup-shaped recess in the lower ply to a sufficient extent to definitely limit lateral expansion.

Therefore, the central portions of the ply l? have a higher degree of resistance to compression than the marginal portions, inasmuch as the central portion can neither expand nor shift laterally, and the portion 20 of the upper ply is also held against lateral shifting movement relatively to the lower ply IB.

I claim:

1. A shoe heel composed of a plurality of plies, including upper and lower plies of relatively rigid wear resisting material, having interacting shoulder portions adapted to prevent material lateral shifting movement of one ply upon the other, and an interposed ply of material having substantially the characteristics of sponge rubber, and having a central portion held by said interacting shoulder portions against material shifting movement in a lateral direction.

2. A shoe heel composed of a plurality of plies, including upper and lower plies of relatively rigid wear resisting material having opposing marginal surfaces in substantially parallel planes, the central portions of said plies having their opposing surfaces in different planes, said central portions being flanked by obliquely extending shoulders leading from the central portions of said plies to their respective marginal portions in positions for relative movement of interaction, said upper and lower plies having an interposed ply of highly resilient material of substantially the charactristics of sponge rubber and co-extensive with the opposing surfaces of the other plies, the central portion of the interposed ply being confined by said shoulders against material lateral, shifting, and expansive movements, whereby the heel has high resilience in a vertical direction and stability against relative lateral movement of its parts.

DONALD F. HERBST.

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