US2340603A - Shoe - Google Patents

Description

Feb 1, 1944. H. s. LYNESS 2,340,603

SHOE

Filed Feb. 17, 1943 Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT 2340503 snon Horatio vS. Lyness, .Lynn, Mass, assignor ,to

United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. .La' corporation ofNeyv Jersey Application February 17, 1943,-Serial;No. 476,144

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of footwear and more particularly to improvements in the manufacture of moccasin-type shoes.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the construction of unlined moccasin-type shoes by strengthening the ball portion of such shoes and providing maximum comfort to the wearer while at the same time making the ball portion sufliciently flexible so that the shoe may be lasted with a minimum of difficulty. This is accomplished, in accordance with a feature of the invention, by attaching a moccasin plug to a vamp which extends over the ball portion of the foot of the wearer below the plug, thus eliminating the seam normally exposed to the foot in shoes of this type as well as eliminating the danger of the shoe coming apart from breaking of the stitching which may occur from constant flexing of the shoe. To make it possible to last such a shoe properly with a minimum of difficulty, that portion of the vamp underlying the plug is suitably perforated to render the ball portion flexible without unduly weakening it, thus retaining the advantages of the two-ply construction at the plug. These and other features of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with a portion broken away, of a vamp and plug assembly constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the toe portion of a shoe embodying the improved vamp and plug assembly.

It has been the parctice in the manufacture of unlined shoes having a moccasin-style toe to stitch a moccasin plug to a vamp, assemble the vamp with the other parts of the upper and then last the shoe in the usual manner. The vamp is cut away below the plug, which is stitched to the vamp with a lap joint for ease in manufacture. This construction provides flexibility of the ball portion of the shoe desired in shoes of this type, but is subject to certain disadvantages. While it is customary to skive the vamp around the opening below the plug, the joint formed between the vamp and plug contacts the foot of the wearer and often causes discomfort to the wearer. Furthermore, constant flexing of the shoe during wear is apt to cause breakage of the stitching between the plug and vamp so that the shoe, the ball portion of which is held together by the plug, may fall apart. To overcome these disadvantages, some manufacturers do not cut the vamp away below the plug thereby eliminating the foot-contacting seam between the plug and the vamp. The two-ply construction thus provided imparts the requisite strength to the ball portion of the shoe. However, in the making of unlined shoes rather heavy upper leather is employed and the two plies of leather stitched together at the mocasin plug provide a very stiff construction which is extremely diificult to last properly. The puller has to exert so much tension on the shoe that a very large percentage of uppers is broken during the lasting operation and the flexibility desired in an unlined moccasintype shoe is not present. Consequently, the advantages of this two-ply construction over the first construction described are considerably offset by these disadvantages.

The advantages of the above methods of making unlined shoes having a moccasin-style toe without the attendant disadvantages are obtained by the following construction. A vamp 4, having the usual toe portion 6 and side portions 8, is formed with an integral mid-portion 10 connecting the side portions in the area between the toe portion and the forward end of the throat opening l2. The portion In is provided with a large number of perforations M which are preferably circular in shape, although other shapes may be employed if desired. A moccasin plug I6 is secured by a row of stitching I8 to the vamp 4 so as entirely to cover the portion l0 thereof, the perforations I4 being thus obscured in the completed shoe.

The employment of a vamp having an integral mid-portion II) for overlying the ball of the foot substantially strengthens the shoe and insures that no seam ridge will be formed to cause discomfort to the foot where the plug and the vamp are secured together. The perforations I4 in the integral portion J0 of the vamp provide desired flexibility at the fo-repart of the shoe such as would not be present in a two-ply construction in which no perforations were provided. It has been found that the perforations l4 cause no discomfort whatever to the wearer and that, because of their circular formation, they permit stretching of the mid-portion of the vamp, in which the perforations occur, in all directions. Consequently, the dimculty commonly found in two-ply vamp and plug constructions in lasting the upper down to the wood because of the stiffness of the vamp is entirely eliminated so that less tension need be exerted when the upper is pulled over and fewer vamp breakages occur during this operation. Accordingly,

vamp having a portion extending completelyacross the ball portion of the shoe and a moccasin plug secured to said vamp, that portion of the vamp underlying the plug being perforated to impart flexibility to the ball portion of the shoe.

2. An unlined moccasin-type shoe, including a. vamp having a portion extending completely across the ball portion of the shoe, that portion of the vamp underlying the plug being provided with a plurality of circular performations to impart flexibility to the ball portion of the shoe and to facilitate the lasting operation.

3. An unlined moccasin-type shoe, including a vamp and a moccasin plug stitched to the vamp, said vamp having a foraminous portion underlying the plug. j I j 4. An unlined moccasin-type shoe, including a vamp and a moccasin plug secured at its edges to the vamp, said vamp having a mid-portion extending beneath said plug from one side of the vamp to the other and said mid-portion having a multiplicity of perforations therein to impart flexibility to the vamp.

HORATIO S. LYNES S.

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