US2271888A

US2271888A - Method for decorating lasts

Info

Publication number: US2271888A
Application number: US313083A
Authority: US
Inventors: William P Manley
Original assignee: Vulcan Corp
Current assignee: Vulcan Corp
Priority date: 1940-01-09
Filing date: 1940-01-09
Publication date: 1942-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1959-02-03

Description

Feb. 3, 1942. w. P. MANLEY 2,271,833

METHOD FOR DECORATING'LASTS Filed Jan. 9, 1940 INVENTOR. W|l||dm P Manley B k i I z ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 3, 1942 IWETHOD FOR DECORATING LASTS William P. Manley, Portsmouth, Ohio, assignor to Vulcan Corporation Application January 9, 1940, Serial No. 313,083

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of decorating shoe lasts and has for its chief object to enhance the appearance thereof, thereby to demonstrate more forcefully its styling and attractiveness.

A further object of the invention is to provide a last having a representation of a shoe thereon to thus demonstrate more effectively the style and fit which the last will impart to a shoe built thereon. H

Another object of the invention is to provide a last which will prove valuable to retail shoe merchants for window display and other demonstration purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a last for demonstration purposes which is caused to assume the correct posture of a foot when Wearing a shoe which has been constructed upon the last.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out specifically in the appended claims.

To enjoy a better understanding of the invention, a detailed descriptionof a selected embodiment thereof will now be presented, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a last processed in accordance with the principles of the invention- Fig. 2 illustratesthe masking step in the meth- The steps of the process embodied in the present invention are executed subsequently tothe completion of the shaping and smoothing operation, as accomplished in the regular course of producing lasts, using standard equipment found in a last manufacturing plant. However, the

block or one-piece type of last fulfills the purposes of the invention to best advantage.

In producing lasts for the purposes of the invention, however, a wider choice of material is available. In the case where a last manufacturer desires to produce his lasts of hard maple in the same manner as those he would manufac- The total cost of production, therefore, would be The last is then given a protective coating of a suitable coating material, such as lacquer, varnish, etc. This coating may be applied over the whole surface of the last or may be applied to those portions of the last which will remain uncovered by the decorating process. The nature of the coating material may vary according to the specific requirement, but it need notbe of 'the same type as that employed in finishing a last designed to be used in production. The object of this coating is to give the last a finished appearance and need not be sufilciently durable to withstand the hard usage to which. a last is subjected in production. Such a finish may be selected with a view to reducing costs below that of the finish applied to'a production last.

An appropriate heel is then selectedand at.- tached to the last. This heel should have the proper height to cause the last to assume its normal position with respect to the tread surface. With the heel attached to the last, it is rendered self-supporting and will rest in a firm position on a fiat surface and illustrate the normal position of the foot of the'wea'rer of a shoe constructed upon th last.

A valuable feature which may be incorporated into the invention to advantage is the use of lasts other than normal, full-scale reproductions, as for example, a normal size 4 last may be reduced to one-half scale.

by reason of its unusual appearance. Such a last has a certain dramatic appeal which it would not, otherwise possess. with the other features of the invention creates an article which has demonstrative power greatly in excess of the ordinary undecorated production last.

, To further increase the appeal of the last and heel combination, an attractive design may be applied, by the application of coating material thereon, of a contrasting color or hue. A desirable form of design would be the outline and pattern of a shoe. Assuming that the design to be placed on the last is a simulation of a shoe, it is applied to the last in the following manner: The selected design 5 is drawn, traced or otherwise marked upon the last to indicate the outline of a shoe and the pattern of its decoration. A mask or system of masks 6 is now prepared and applied to the last, covering those areas not covered by a shoe of the design selected. The mask conforms to the outline previously marked there- Such a drastic reduc- I tion from normal size tends to arrest attention This small'size coupled may outline a suitable design on a shoe without having to first mark the pattern thereof on the last. The masking material is preferably of that type which has an adhesive base, which may be applied to a surface by pressure only and may at any time be readily removed without injuring the surface to which it was applied.

While the masking may be applied in any suitable manner, it is desirable to employ a special technique. For example, to facilitate the application of the masking material, a plurality of relatively narrow strips of the material are used. These strips of material can readily be applied to smoothly cover the contours of the last and by over-lapping a number of short strips and applying them at the most convenient angles, the areas to be masked are readily and thoroughly covered with a minimum of effort. The most exacting part of the process is that of establishing smooth, clean cut edges for defining the pattern. Toinsure smooth and rapid progress in defining the desired pattern, a quite narrow strip of masking tape is first applied at the line of the pattern to be created. This narrow strip, because of its greater flexibility, may readily be made to conformto the curve or other configuration of the pattern.

In Fig. 2, the narrow strip 8 is shown applied to the last along the outline of a design. This narrow strip is applied first, then having the design outlined properly, wider strips 9 of masking material are applied in over-lapping relation upon the last, thereby to quickly cover the area to be masked, and insure that it will be impervious to the subsequently applied coating material. Small areas, such as the cut-out portions II] of the shoe design are formed by cutting small pieces H from the masking material and applying them to the last in their correct position.

A coating material is then applied to the uncovered portions of the last. This coating may be applied in any convenient manner, such as by means of spraying in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. One or several coats of this spray material may be applied. Preferably, sufficient mate rial should be applied to produce a layer of substantial thickness. A relatively heavy layer is desirable, not only to increase durability, but the effectiveness of the illusion of the shoe upon the last is much increased, as will appear hereinafter. Another feature which may be employed to enhance the appearance of the last is to apply a coating of fiock upon the portions of the last included in the design or upon a portion of the design only. This is done by applying a coating of material which will not harden too rapidly and while the coating is tacky, applying the flock thereto. In this manner, a very striking simulation of suede leather is created.

After the coating material is dried, the mask is then removed and if a relatively thick coating has been applied, the mask will have molded an edge face 12 all around the shoe outline, which projects outwardly from the normal plane of the last surface. This edge presents the apon. After considerable experience, an operator pearance of a layer of material of relatively substantial thickness. This effect is increased by a slight capillary action which builds up the edge thickness of the coating at the marginal edges of the mask, while the coating material is in a liquid state. The coating on the last thus creates a strong impression of a shoe fitted thereon. Innumerable attractive effects may be created by this method. Colors of any hue or shade may be used and designs employed embracing any type of shoe or any design which will enhance the appearance of the last.

The present invention provides the manufacturer of a last with a means for presenting its product having a unique sales appeal. Further more, the retail shoe dealer may employ this invention to inform the public of the manner in which the beauty, grace of line and the healthful fit of his shoes is built into products which he sells. The means embodied in this invention for presenting and demonstrating the close relation between the shoe and the last upon which it is made, constitutes a most effective educational medium to bridge the gap which exists in the minds of the general public as to what deter-. mines the fit and graceful lines of the shoes they wear. With this knowledge, the public will also be made to realize the important part a last plays in producing a high quality shoe. Coupled with the relatively low cost of manufacturing, demonstration lasts prepared by the method of the present invention constitute a valuable asset to both the last manufacturer and the retail shoe merchant.

I claim:

1. A method of simulating a shoe upon a last comprising attaching a heel to the last, applying a narrow stripof pressure adhesive masking material to the last in a manner to cause the edge thereof to outline the shoe representation, applying additional strips of masking material with their marginal edges in over-lapping relation to cover the larger areas of the last not to be included in the shoe representation and not covered by the initial strip, applying by spraying, a relatively thick layer of coating material upon the last, drying the layer and removing the mask whereby the coating material, will present the appearance of a shoe fitted to the last.

2. A method of simulating a shoe upon a last comprising applying upon the last a system of pressure adherent masks to cover those areas of the lasts not included in the representation, that part of the masking system which covers the larger areas being covered with a plurality of narrow strips, the initial strip being applied with its edge defining the shoe outline and subsequent strips with their margins over-lapping, applying by spraying, a relatively thick layer of coating material to the last and removing the system of masks, thereby to present a representation of a shoe which is raised from the nor- WILLIAM P. MANLEY.