US2399492A - Shoe construction - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1946.

s. P. LOVELL ET AL 2,399,492

SHOE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 21, 1941 O00 OOOOOOOQ} III rm moms.

B AM i final 3 fgw /x Mw= I lotented Apr. 30, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE SHOE CONSTRUCTION Stanley P. Lovell, Washington, D. 0., and Frank H. Russell,

Needham, Mass, Beckwlth Manufacturing Company,

assignors to Dover,

N. H., a corporation of New Hampshire Original application February 2i, 1941, Serial No. 380,026. Divided and this application June 2, 1944, Serial No. 538,390

8 Claims.

, making process. Our invention includes within its scope the novel shoe structure herein shown as produced by carrying out the process of our invention.

We are aware of U. 8. Patent Nor 2,009,291, issued July 23, 1935 to Ferguson and Hickler disclosing a shoe in which the integuments of lining and upper material are filled with a liquefied material later susceptible of hardening in situ. in their invention the customary stifiening blanks are omitted and adequate stlfiness is obtained by the stiffening compound itself. overcome the practical shoemaking difliculties and expense of the process of that patent and yet produce a shoe oi finer wearing and style qualities.

In carrying out our invention we may select any commercial shoe lining material preferably in sheet form capable of being rolled or coiled. With a doctor knife or other suitable distributin means we apply to one surface of such goods one or more lengthwise bands as a coating or an impregnation of liquefied stiflener compound. The width and positioning of our bands will vary, depending on the size and type of footwear in which the lining is later to be employed, For example, for a man's standard shoe shoemaking requirements would be best served by applying to goods a yard wide three continuous lengthwise bands each 3%" wide leaving two central untreated bands each 7" wide and two marginal untreated bands each 6" wide.

The doctor knife used as an applicator of the compound may be oscillated to produce a wavy movement and thus a serrated or scalloped marsin to the treated bands, or we may so taper the doctor knife that a smaller deposit of compound till 50 outer intesument oi the upper. This assembly is eiiected at the margins oi the treated areas whereby a scarf efiect is produced.

The compound used to stiffen the bands or areas may vary within wide limits. For cheaper shoes we may employ water dispersable com pounds such as starch, dextrine, glue andsodium silicate, with or without modifying amounts of rubber latex and the like; for better grades of footwear we may elect to use thermoplastic compounds of which the following is typical:

Per cent Montan wax 20 Calcium resinate 20 Candelilla wax 2d Rosin 30 Rubber ill For shoes of the best quality, however, we have found the following to be best adapted as a stimeninn agency:

We coat or impregnate the bands with the selected stifiening compound whereupon the web is dried and rolled into a roll or coil for shipment to the shoe lactory.

The shoemaker lays his patterns or dies for full-length Vamps, for example, on the fabric in such manner that the die or pattern intrudes into the stifl'ened area to the desired extent. For example, if he wishes to merely have in his finished shoe an and box toe he will lay his die or pattern upon the fabric to include onl the extreme tip within the pre-stifiened area; if he desires a normal box toe in his finished shoe he will employ all, or the major part of the prestiflened area within the scope of his die.

The died-out lining blanks for the Vamps, quarters or other parts, out to include the desired stiffened area within them, we now assemble with the upper material, such asleather, satin and the like. We prefer to assemble these in such a manner that the stifiening coating on the lining is located within the upper, that is, facing the flesh or inner face of the upper leather or the may be accomplished with rubber adhesive, paste or stitching. I

The shoe is now ready for lasting and the upper may be pulled-over at room temperature or, in the case of tough upper materials, the forepart or rearpart may be steamed or moistened, At the secondary lasting, where such is employed. steam or solvent may be used in the well-known manner to produce complete conformability of the lined upper to the last.

' The uppers may be perforated very conveniently after stitching, as only two plies or layers of upper material are involved, the pre-stiifened lining further serving to produce clean outlines.

Our invention is equally suitable for plain-toe or cap-toe shoes. In the latter case the pattern is cut with exactly sufficient pre-stiife'ned area included to match or mate with the line of captoe tip stitching.

It is obvious that in shoes made by our process the stifiener constitutes an integral part of the lining and that the clicker-die, for example, accurately predetermines where the supported or stiffened area in the finished shoe will be located. Further, there is no chance for malpositioning in the pulling-over machine as no slippage or disturbance can force the stiffener out of correct location.

These and other features of our invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of a preferred manner of carrying out the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sheet of lining fabric of our invention, showing a vamp lining cut therefrom,

Fig. 2 is a view of an assembled vamp and lining.

Fig. 3 illustrates a perforated lined vamp, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a lasted shoe in which is incorporated the lining of our invention.

The lining fabric may comprise any suitable woven textile lining fabric such for example as that disclosed in U. 8. Letters Patent No. 2,088,158, granted July 27, 1937, on an application of Henry M. Spelman, or a similar lining fabric that may be coated on one surface with a rubberized compound including vulcanizing and accelerating ingredients. This lining fabric is obtainable in sheets of any desired width and length. To the treated surface of this fabric are now applied several continuous lengthwise bands ll of stiffening compound. Two of such bandsare shown in Fig. 1 but the number and spacing is optional and will depend upon how the sheet is to be cut up. These bands, as herein shown, may be of the wax-resin-rubber compound of the formula given above, applied in molten condition by any suitable spreading device. In cooling, the molten band to some extent enters the surface interstices of the fabric and in hardening becomes firmly bonded to the fabric. The band herein shown is substantially transparent and may increase the thickness of the sheets by .010" to .012", while if forcibly stripped from the fabric, the band will be found to measure approximately .015" in thickness. It is dry, externally non-adherent or nonlining fabric without special surface treatment or with any desired sizing.

As suggested in Fig. 1 a vamp lining has been died out of the composite sheet in such location as to include a portion of the band II in the area of its tip. Thus we form to exact size a shoe lining'part ready to be assembled directly in the upper of a shoe and containing as an integral part thereof a band or layer of stiffening material normally dry and hard but having a latent capacity of softening when heated.

.The vamp lining I: may now be pasted or cemented to the outer integument it of the upper, and this of course may be of any desired material, but herein indicated as being leather. If it is desired to employ the vamp in a perforated shoe it is desirable to cement the composite lining blank securely, in face to face contact with the flesh side of the vamp it and having been thus prepared the composite vamp may be perforated as suggested in Fig. 3.

Having assembled the upper, which now includes the composite lining of our invention, it may be pulled over in the usual manner without the necessity of employing any separate box toe stiffener blank and thus is eliminated from the shoemaking process the entire burden of providing and handling separate stiffener blanks. For these is substituted a single composite sheet requiring no more attention'in its preparation and handling in the shoe upper than the lining which is customarily employed. All danger of a misplaced stiifener blank is avoided and the location of the stiffened area is insured with greater accuracy and greater compactness of structure than has ever been possible before.

Again. the operation of pulling-over, which is generally limited in men's shoes to 250 pairs per eight-hour day, is seriously retarded by the time consumed in picking up and placing each individual box toe in the pocket formed in the upper, not to speak of the preliminary softening of these blanks. By employing our invention one operator can pull-over about 720 pairs per eight hour day. Not only does he increase his output but the quality of his work is more uniform and, since his production is consumed in matched or mated pairs, this is of vital importance.

When the pulled-over upper goes to the lasting operation, the outer integument may be temporarily turned back and the composite lining subjected to moist or dry heat so that the band it is temporarily rendered limp, entirely plastic and adhesive. The toe lasting operation is carried out with the lining in this condition and in the lasted upper the fine lines of the last will be reproduced with accuracy and precision.

We have mentioned the advantage of employing our novel composite lining in a perforated up per because in this style of shoe it is particularly desirable that no displacement of a stiffening blank should occur after the upper has been perforated. The novel lining of our invention positively eliminates this danger.

It will be understood from the foregoing discussion that the wax-resin-rubber stiffening compound referred to is but one example, although the best now known to us, of a heat-responsive thermoplastic or thermo-setting compound. The cellulose-gum-acetone compound is, similarly, one illustration of a solvent responsive stiifening compound. This may be applied to the lining fabric as a liquid solution in acetone, it dries into a nonadherent band on the sheet material, and may be temporarily softened. and rendered adhesive in the assembled upper by being moistened with acetone.

The starch-dextrine-glue compound above mentioned is n example of a stiiiening compound which may be applied to the lining fabric in a water solution and which may be temporarily softened and rendered adhesive by moisture in the assembled upper.

The various formulae above set forth are the best now known to us, but they may be varied and other ingredients substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the ceilulosc-gum-acetone compound instead of ethyl cellulose we may employ vinyl acetate, cellulose acetate, pyroxylin, polymeric styrene or the equivalent. For de-waxcd gum damar we may employ rosin gum, ester gum, Pontianalr, Loba, or equivalent gum substances. For toluene we may substitute benzol or a suitable aromatic hydrocarbon. For the acetone ingredient we may substitute ethyl or methyl alcohol, ethyl or methyl ketone, or the equivalent.

A lining having a stiffening band or zone of the type above discussed may be temporarily soitened in the shoemaking process by any suitable volatile solvent such as acetone or ethyl acetate.

While for reasons of convenience it is preferable that the applied bands shall be dry, flexible and non-adherent, because in that case the goods may be rolled up, stored and handled like so much yard goods,,these characteristics are not essential ieatures of our invention. For example, the applied bands may be normally so stiif that it is more convenient to handle the lining material in sheets instead of rolling it. While a normal or initial non-adherent band surface is desirable, that feature too is of only secondary importance should occasion arise the composite lining material may be handled with suitable aerator sheets.

The present application is a division of our prior application Serial No. 380,026, filed February 2i, 194i, now Patent No. 2,373,404 granted April iii, 1945, in which the shoe herein disclosed is claimed.

Having thus disclosed our invention and described in detail certain specific embodiments of our novel composite lining and of its manner oi use, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

i. The process of making shoe lining blanks which may be stored or transported in condition ior immediate use in shoe making, which comprises the steps of first continuously coating one entire surface of a sheet of woven fabric with. rubber compound including a vulcanizing agent, then bonding to the coated fabric a superposed band of tiilening material forming a stlfiened area and defining a limp area in the fabric sheet, and then cutting shoe lining parts from the sheet wherein the areas of the lining part destined for flexible portions of the shoe are cut from the limp area of the sheet and the area of the shoe lining part destined for still portions of the shoe are cut from the area of the stiilened band of the sheet.

2. The proces or making shoe lining blanks which may be stored or transported in condition for immediate use in shoemaking, which comprises the steps of first continuously coating one entire surface of a sheet of woven fabric with rubber compound including a vulcanizing agent, then bonding to the coated fabric sheet a superposed band of dry stiffened thermoplastic compound providing in the sheet a substantially stiff...

ened andnormaliy non-adherent band, and then cutting shoe lining parts from the sheet wherein the area of the lining part destined for flexible portions of the shoe is cut from the limp area of the sheet and the area of the shoe lining part destined for stiif portion of the shoe is cut from the stiflened band of the sheet.

3. The process of making shoe lining blanks which may be stored or transported in condition for immediate use in shoemaking. which comprises the steps of first continuously coating one surface of a sheet of woven fabric with a rubber compound including a vulcanizing agent, then applying to the coated fabric sheet a superposed hand of thermoplastic stiflening compound con- 1 rubber and rosin, hardened in the interstices of the fabric but sufficiently tenaciou so that it may be removed as an integral band. and then cutting shoe lining parts from stiffened and unstiflened areas of the sheet whereby the areas of the lining part destined for flexible porticns of the shoe are out from the limp area of the sheet and the area of the shoe lining parts destined for stiff portions of the shoe is cut from the stiiiened band of the sheet.

i. The process of making shoe lining blanks which may be stored or transported in condition for immediate use in shoemaking. which comprises the steps of first continuously coating one surface of a sheet of woven fabric with a rubber compound including a vulcanizing agent, then hon to the coated surface of the sheet a superposed band of non-adhesive stifiening compound having the latent capacity oi temporarily softening when subjected to heat or solvent, and then cutting shoe lining parts from the sheet wherein areas of the lining part destined for flexible portions of the shoe are cut from unstiffened areas of the sheet and the area of the lining 40 part destined for still portion of the shoe is cut from tiflened bands of the sheet.

' 5. The process or making vamp linings which may be stored or transported in condition for iediate use in shoemaklhgwhich comprises at the steps oi first continuously coating one surface ot a sheet of woven fabric with a rubber compound including a vulcing agent, then applying to the coated sheet a superposed band of dry thoplastic stiflening compound conil tag rubber and rosin and providing it normally non-adherent layer bonded to the surface of the fabric, and then cutting a vamp g from the sheet with a portion of said thermoptic layer included in its toe and and the redd mainder of the vamp lining being cut from the unstiflened portion at the sheet.

6. A shoe comprising a single ply woven textile sheet, a first coating co-extensive with one surface of the sheet and comprising rubber to and a vulcanizing agent, and a second coating in the torus of a band solidified from a liquid compris wax, rosin, and rubber and superposed on a limited area of the first coating, thus forming integral lining adapted to be worn to next to the foot and including in the same sheet relatively flexible rubber covered areas and a relatively stid heat softenable area.

7.. d shoe lining comprising a single ply woven textile sheet, an underlying coating co-extensive m with the sheet and comprising in its composition rubber and a vulcanizing agent, and a second coating in the form of a band solidified from composition of ethyl cellulose, gum damar, toluone and acetone and superposed on "a limited to a oi the said underlying coating, thus tormin: an integral lining sdspted'to beworn next textile fabric in a definite area. and illlin: the to the foot and presenting in the some sheet surface interstices of the fabric, the band being relatively flexible rubber coated areas and relasubstantially transparent, externally non-tacky.

tivelystiifneateoftenable areas. flexible and capable of being forcibly stripped. 8. A shoe lining comprising 3 ply ofwoven from the fabric nsa tough continuous elastic textile fabric carryinz on its fibres a mbberiied sheet approximately .015" in thickness. compmmdandaeoetingintheform ofaband STANLEY P. LOVELL.

solidified from a molten mixture of wax, rosin FRANK H. RUSSELL.

andrubbenflrmiybutremonblybondedtothe

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