US2472263A - Method of producing felt footwear - Google Patents

Description

June 7, i949. w, PA'SKO METHOD OF PRODUCING FELT FOOTWEAR Filed Jan. 9, 1947 ,9 Tron/Vey.

Patented June 7, 1949 METHOD F PRODUCING FELT FOOTWEAR William Pasko, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application January 9, 1947, Serial No. I'121,110

3 Claims. (Cl. 28-72.3)

The invention relates to improvements in methods for producing felt footwear as described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings that form a part of the same.

Footl coverings made from felt have long been known and have attained a certain degree of.

popularity in cold climates but heretofore such devices as have been .known have been made up from a sheet, or sheets, of felt sewn together, with the result that due to heat, perspiration, strain and other causes they have given way at the seams particularly and therefore have not lprovided the satisfaction from every standpoint,

including economy, that should attend the use of felt. Furthermore no means has heretofore been provided for varying the thickness of different parts of the article to insure longevity.

One ofthe main objects of the present invention is to provide an article of footwear made of felt moulded to the'required shape and size so as to eliminate seams.

Another object of the invention is to provide for increased thickness at the points most susceptible to wear, without interfering with the comfort of the wearer.

And generally the objects of the invention are to provide a warm, pliable and comfortable article of footwear, of lasting quality, which may be worn as an inter-liner for a boot, or as an outer covering for the feet, and which may be washed without injury to the felt.

The invention consists in the novel features set out in the present specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims for novelty following.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a fabric model of the article of footwear to-be produced laid out y on a sheet of carding wool.

Figure 2 shows the wool folded over the fabric model as the rst step in the production of the article.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line li-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the fabric envelope in which the device shown in Figure 6 is placed for working.

Figure 8 shows the envelope and its contents in process of being rolled and worked.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a finished article.

Like numerals of reference indicate correspending parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, I will now describe in detail the manner in which I produce an article of footwear according to my method, but

it must be understood that while I refer herein to an article of footwear such other articles as the method can be applied to may be produced thereby.

I prefer to use in the production of the article referred to herein a good grade of carding Wool which is obtainable in long strips or sheets slightly greater in width than the length of the felt foot covering to vbe produced and which can easily be torncrosswise to provide strips I.

I then produce a fabric model 2 of the article, corresponding in size and shape to that which it is intended to produce in felt and I lay this model at on a piece of the carding wool in such relation thereto .that the open end of the model is preferably substantially flush with one edge of the piece of wool and with marginall pieces 3 and 4 at the sides of the model sufficiently wide that when folded inwardly they will meet intermediate of the width of themodel. I then pick the meeting edges of the marginal pieces and then work them together to cause the wool particles of the meeting edges to intermingle and provide an endless envelope encircling the model. I then wrap the model and its enclosing envelope oi wool in a relatively thin sheet 5 of wool with the meeting edges of this second layer on the side opposite to the meeting edges. of the first layer. I preferably then, though not necessarily, wrap the whole in another thinlayer 6 of wool with its meeting edges on the side opposite to the meeting edges of the second layer, each time working the meeting edges into one another to as far as possible make each layer endless. The arrangement of the various layers is illustrated in the enlarged sectional view numbered 5.

It is desirable in footwear of this type that the material be thickened at the points most liable to wear, such as at the toe, and this is accomplished by laying thin layers of wool around the toe, as shown at 1, preferably extending alternately in directions at right angles to one another and having their edges picked or worked to merge with the woolen base to avoid bunching at any point.

It will now be seen that an article has been 3 formed which follows quite closely the form of whichit is built but being of much greater outside dimensions in every respect owing to the fact that it has been built up from dry and fluffy; `Wool.

The article thus far produced is next inserted in a fabric envelope 8 which is shaped substantially in accordance with the desired final shape of the article, which in this instance is an interliner for a boot.

The envelope 8 is provided with an opening 9 therein through which the dry woolen built-up device is passed to the interior of the envelope, and this opening is provided with a zipper I0, or other closing means. whereby the interiorly positioned device may be completely locked in.

The envelope containing the woolen device is now laid out on a fiat surface and rolled this way and that much in the manner that dough is kneaded in bread making, the envelope during this rolling process being folded and refolded in different directions.

The reason for this rolling and kneading of the device is to cause the Wool particles tocontinuously more closely adhere to one another, thus increasing the density of the mass and causing the device to shrink in size the longer the working is continued. It is preferable that occasionally during the rolling process the envelope be opened and that the operator insert his, or her, hand in the inner fabric model and spread it to its full extent. When the envelope is open the operator has a chance to see the contents of the device as to density and when it is seen that the article has attained a satisfactory state of compactness for dry wool the zippered envelope is again closed and together with its contents is dipped in boiling water and after removal is again rolled and thoroughly kneaded. Frequent dipping of the envelope in boiling water and rolling and working several minutes during which the condition of the article is observed from time to time and when the article has attained the required firmness and appearance which is desired in the finished article and has shrunk to the desired size in respect to the interior model it is removed from the envelope and after having been trimmed at the top edge, if necessary, allowed to dry, after which the model is removed.

According to this method an article of footwear can be produced which is without seams; which is of varying thickness throughout according to desire; which may be made of any desired weight or size, and which will last under similar conditions very much longer shape formed up from previously manufactured felt cut to the desired shape and sewn ui).

What I claim is:

1. The method of producing a seamless felt article consisting in folding a sheet of dry carding wo'ol around a flexible model of the article in a is continued over a lperiod of than an article of like` 4 at state, inserting the model and its wool covering in a flat state in a fabric envelope. immersing the envelope and its contents in boiling water at frequent intervals and after each immersionrolling and kneading same until the wool has shrunk to the size of the model around which it is rolled and has attained the texture desired in the nal article, then removing the article from the envelope and allowing the article to dry, and subsequently removing the model.

2. The method of producingy a seamless felt article, consisting in enclosing a model of the article to be produced in a fiat state within a number of layers of carding wool, each layer in succession having its meeting edges located at the side of the model opposite to that on which the meeting edges of the last preceding layer are located, applying additional wool where added thickness is desired, inserting the model and the wool covering same in a fabric envelope, immersing the envelope and its contents in boiling water at frequent intervals .and rolling and kneading same after each immersion while hot until the wool has shrunk to cause the article to assume a size substantially equal to that of the interior model, then removing the article from the envelope, then drying the article and removing the model.

3. The method of producing a seamless felt article, consisting in wrapping a number of layers of carding wool around a fabric model of the article to be produced in a fiat state, working the edges of the respective layers together and into the material of the underlying layer, applying additional layers of wool at points where adv ditional thickness is desired, then rolling and kneading the whole to cause lthe wool particles to intermingle and the texture to become hard and dense, then enclosing the whole in a fabric envelope and immersing the envelope and its contents in boiling water and after withdrawal from the water rolling and kneading same while hot to cause the wool to shrink to the extent that the article is of substantially the same wearing size as the model, then drying the article.

WILLIAM PASKO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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