US2505706A - Platform shoe construction and shank therefor - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1950 a. M. DAMON 2,505,706

PLATFORM SHOE CONSTRUCTION AND SHANK THEREFOR Filed June 23, 1949 INVENTOR. Qaz-dwcr/Z 00222202? Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATFORM SHOE CONSTRUCTION AND SHANK THEREFOR Application June 23, 1949, Serial No. 100,858

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoes of the platform type, and is concerned more particularly with improvements in the construction of such shoes in the region where the thick platform sole joins the shank.

In platform shoes of the high-heeled open shank type wherein a platform or sole of substantial thickness is employed in the forepart of the shoe, with the thickened forepart merging smoothly into a shank of conventional thickness, it is found that any flexing action that takes place is concentrated at the junction of shank and forepart, since the stiffness of the thick platform prevents normal flexing throughout the forepart. This concentration of flexing stresses has presented a distinct problem in securing properly the shank and forepart, so as to prevent relative twisting between the parts.

To overcome these difficulties and to provide a form of construction which permits adequate flexing while supporting the parts against lateral twisting or distortion, the present invention contemplates the provision of a novel form of shank construction and mode of connection to the forepart of the shoe. tion has a feature the provision of a construction wherein the steel shank at least partially embraces or engages the thick platform sole and thereby effectively locks the platform and steel shank against relative twisting movement.

As a further feature, the improved construction is simple and inexpensive, and requires no special techniques or modification of usual shoe making procedure in order to take advantage of the resulting benefits.

In the drawings illustrating the invention according to a preferred embodiment, Fig. 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a platform shoe embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an oblique view of the improved shank stiffener; Fig. 3 is a top view of a shoe with a portion of the insole cut away to shoe the construction at the junction of shank and forepart; and Fig. 4 is a corresponding bottom View, with a portion of the outsole cut away in the vicinity of the junction of steel shank and platform sole.

The shoe illustrated in the drawings is in its general construction and arrangement, of more or less conventional design, embodying an upper Iii, insole i2, and outsole I4. Intermediate the insole and outsole at the forepart of the shoe is a thick platform sole I 6 which may be formed of compressed cork or other suitable material. The platform sole is provided with substantially straight-wall sides and forepart but is beveled at More specifically, this invenits rear edge, as is usual in platform shoe construction, in order that the shank portion of the shoe may merge smoothly with the outsole.

To impart the necessary stiffness to the shank of the shoe and to insure adequate rigidity between heel and forepart in spite of the thin section in the region of the shank, a steel shank is employed, in accordance with usual practice. Such shank is formed to the desired contour for the shoe and is hardened in order to provide maximum strength. At its upper or heel end 20, the shank may be forked and provided with apertures 22 to receive the usual staple 24.

At its lower end, unlike arrangements hitherto existing, the shank is arranged to engage the thick platform sole in such a manner as to substantially resist twisting or lateral distortion but without interfering with the required flexing action that takes place in walking. For this purpose, the shank end is provided with a fork or tongue 26 which is pressed or struck up from the surrounding portion 28 of the material, thus providing diverging portions which engage both the top and the oblique rear edge of the platform. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 1, the portions 24 and 26 will diverge at an angle corresponding to the acute angle formed by the beveled platform. In the'illustrative embodiment, the central tongue portion 26, which curves forwardly and outwardly from the body of the steel shank, overlies the platform, while the side portions of the shank extend downwardly along the beveled edge of the platform substantially to the bottom surface thereof.

The provision of this improved form of steel shank interferes in no way with the construction of the shoe, which may be carried out in the usual manner. It will be apparent, however, that the engagement between the vertically forked end of the steel shank with the rear portion of the thick platform sole, provides a connection which is relatively resistant to twisting, yet does not prevent normal flexing action to take place between the shank and the forepart of the shoe during walking.

While the invention has been described in terms of a steel shank, the forward end of which is formed by striking up a central tongue portion to overlie the top surface of the platform, it will be understood that forked engagement with intersecting surfaces at the rear of the platform may be accomplished by interchanging the relative position of tongue and adjacent portions of the end of the shank to provide substantially the equivalent form of engagement.

Having thus described the invention in terms of a preferred but by no means exclusive embodiment thereof, I claim as my invention:

1. A steel shank for platform shoes comprising a body portion curved to conform to the contour of the shank of the shoe and having at its forward end integral diverging portions adapted to embfafce both the top and the beveled rear edge portion of a platform 501e,.

2. A steel shank for platform shoes comprising a body portion curved to conform to the coh= tour of the shank of the shOe and having at one end a tongue portion diverging outwardly and forwardly from the :body of the shank to overlie the platform sole. r w A v 3. A steel shank for platform shoes ompr s ing a body having a curved portion to conform to the contour of the shank of the shoe, the shank at its forward end having a central integral tongue portion diverging outwardly and forwardly 1 from the remaining portion of the shank, the incliided angle between tongue and adjacent end portion correspondin substantially to the angle between the top and the beveled rear edge of a platform sole.

4. In a platform shoe having a thick platform sole intermediate the insole and the outsole of the shoe at the forepart, a steel shank stiffener curved to conform to the contour of the shank of the shoe and having at its forward end an integral tongue portion diverging from the body of the shank and overlying the platform at the rear thereof, the side portions of the shank ends being substantially aligned with and extending downwardly along the beveled rear edge of the platform.

5. In a platform shoe having a thick platform so-le intermediate the insole and the outsole at the foiepart of the shoe, a steel shank stiffener having a contour corresponding to the shank of the shoe; the steel shank having at its forward end integral diverging portions engaging both top and rear edge portions of the platform sole.

GARDNER M. DAMON.

No references cited

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