US2554075A - Shoe construction - Google Patents

Description

May 22, 1951 A; VIGORITH SHOE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5 1949 INVENTOR.

May 22, 1951 A. VIGORITH SHOE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flnfhony Vigorif/z INVENTOR.

Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,554,075 SHOE CONSTRUCTION Anthony Vigorith, Cincinnati, Ohio Application July 5, 1949, Serial No. 103,105

This invention relates to a shoe construction, and has reference particularly to soft forms of shoes such as moccasins or moccasin-type childrens shoes having relatively light or soft flexible soles.

An object of the invention is to provide a shoe of the general character outlined above, which is highly simplified and consequently adapted for production at a fraction of the cost of other shoes in the same category.

Another object is to improve upon the construction of such shoes, with the advantage attained of greatly enhancing the comfort of the shoe, and the ability to properly support the foot and ankle of the growing child.

Another object is to provide a shoe of the class described, which is of advanced durability and serviceability notwithstanding its low cost and simplicity of construction.

A further object is to provide a shoe which is constructed from a minimum number of parts easily and quickly assembled, with a substantial saving of time, materials, and skilled labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method and means of reinforcing the back of the shoe in the interests of comfort and proper support for the foot of the wearer.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a shoe body unit forming part of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a top panel which forms a detail of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plain view of the shoe sole.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a complete shoe embodying the parts of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental cross-section taken on line -55 of Fig. 4. Y I

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section of the complete shoe, taken on the major axis of the shoe.

The shoe of the present invention is an improvement over that of the Vaisey Patent No. 2,385,743, issued September 25, 1945. The improved shoe is advantageously modified structurally, as to the nature and the number of constituent parts involved in the manufacture, and in the manner of assembly, all of which has resulted in greater comfort and better support for the foot, in addition to other advantages previously stated and hereafter to be pointed out. Provision has been made also for quickly and inexpensively incorporating a heel reinforcing member or back-stay when needed or desired, and in the region of the back-stay or heel portion of the shoe an improved mode of assembly ensures against pinching, chafing or cramping of the wearers heel. A snug fitting of the shoe heel to the foot of the wearer is highly desirable, particularly in a shoe of the general type disclosed, wherein the heel portion usually tends to assume a square or boxy configuration. As constructed, the improved shoe of this invention is free of all structural limitations which tend to depreciate comfortable fitting to the foot.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 4 depicts a shoe which in this instance is a child's shoe, incorporating the improvements of the present invention. With minor changes of proportions, and the application of suitable heel lifts, the shoe readily may be adapted for adult use without departing from the invention and it is accordingly intended that the present invention shall apply to shoes for adults as well as children.

The shoe comprises the body unit indicated generally by the character l2, the top panel I3, and the sole Id. The body unit is a stamping of leather or other suitable material which is flexible and capable of being shaped to form the major portion of the shoe upper. The curved substantially semi-circular portion l5 forms the toe of the shoe, and this portion may be perforated marginally as at It to facilitate stitching thereof to the vamp or toe portion I! of the top panel. The portion ll may be perforated marginally as at It, to accommodate the stitching [9, (Fig. 4), for securing together the margins of parts I3 and 82 in forming the complete toe of the shoe. This stitching may be performed either by hand or by machine, although hand stitching is indicated upon the drawing.

The body unit I2 incorporates also the wings 26-26, which are integral parts of the unit and which furnish the sides and the back of the shoe. The forward portions 2 l2l of the wings may be perforated at 22 to receive the usual laces which secure the shoe over the instep. The top edges 2323 extend rearwardly from the uppermost perforations 22 to meet one another at the back seam, indicated at M of Fig. 4. The back seam is continuous from the top of the shoe to the heel, and is formed by the abutting back seam edges 2525 of the body unit. Along the edges 2| and 23, tapes or finish strips 26 may be applied by means of rows of stitches 21, or otherwise, to finish and reinforce said edges. These tapes or strips will preferably meet at the back of the shoe.

To complete the description of the body unit l2 attention is directed to the welt 28 of leather or other suitable material which is stitched at 29 to the unit piece and placed thereon to substantially outline the shape of the shoe along the front and sides. At the rear, the tails 30-36 of the welt turn outwardly in substantial parallelism with the back edges 2'525, resulting in the formation of the curves 3l-3|. Between these curves, and on the medial line of the unit piece l2, the material is cut away to form a notch having side edges 32-32 and a connecting base edge 33. The length of the base edge approximates the combined length of the sides edges 3232, so that the edges 32-32 may :be turned against the edge 33 in forming up the shoe, to provide the lower extremity of 'the'back seam 24. The edges 333232 maybe cemented together at 34, or merely butted, (Fig. 6), to complete the joint at the heel and impart thereto a smooth inner surface which will not afford discomforture to the wearers heel.

In forming up the shoe, the edge portions of the solid piece 52 of .Fig. 1 are merely turned at the stitch row 29, and in a direction away from the observer, to dispose the welt 28 and the solid central portion 35 in a common plane, whereas 'the wings .2ll2!l and toe portion l are directed margins .of the back edges 25-25 fall against the last, with said edges abutting, and the tails 3D3ll of the welt extend in substantial parallelism (Fig. 4), terminating at the top edge 23 of the shoe upper.

The tongue 36., which is an integral part of top panel l3, of course rests upon the instep portion of the last, while the shoe is temporarily laced over the last. The stitches 19 may be applied at this stage of the procedure, or at any other appropriate stage, as may be considered desirable or expedient.

After the shoe has been formed up as just explained, the sole 44 may be applied. It may be noted that the sole has a tail 3'! integral therewith, and which may be bent along a line such as 38 (Fig. 3), to direct the tail along the shoe back in coinciding relation with the welt tails, as indicated upon Fig. 4. With the sole so disposed, it may be stitched or otherwise secured to the welt all the way around the shoe and up the back thereof. shown at 39.

Referring again to Fig. 4, it will be noted that a space 4!) exists between the ends of the welt tails at the top of the shoe back. This space may accommodate a backstay or reinforcing member 4|, (Figs. 5 and 6), which member may be in the form of a strip or ribbon of resilient metal, plastic, or other suitable material. The

Stitching for this purpose is strip may have a curved lower end 42 underlying the sole at the heel, and to keep the strip in this position it may be cemented, or closed in ,at the top of the back by means of stitching extending across both of the welt tails. As

shown, the strip is cemented within the space corporated therein. If the space 40 is allowed to remain open at the top, which is desirable in most instances, the support member or flexible strip 4| may be inserted and removed at the option of the user.

By referring to Fig. 5, it is readily evident that the back of the shoe will conform snugly to the heel of the wearer, lending full support thereto and presenting no voids or hard seams to discomfort the foot. Where the joint is effected at 33 the inside of the shoe is smooth and rounded, with butted edges featured throughout in the interests of comfort, simplicity, and appearance. An insole is not needed in a shoe constructed as herein disclosed, due to the fact that the single unitary body part l2 of Fig. 1 is of solid material Within the confines of the welt 28.

Any type or kind of material suitable for shoe construction may be used in making shoes in accordance with the present invention. For childrens shoes, a satisfactory leather for the sole illustrated by Fig. 3 would be from 6 to 8%.; ounce weight, affording a relatively flexible soft sole capable of being shaped and having good wearing qualities.

A somewhat lighter and softer leather, of 4 or 4 /2 ounce weight, can be used with satisfactory results in forming the top panel member of Fig. 2 and the body unit of Fig. 1. Correspondin weights and thickness of material other than leather, having the necessary other qualities, may be employed in fabricating the shoes, if desired. These and other modifications, and structural changes within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

.1 claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe I body unit comprising a sheet of material having a forward toe portion, opposite side portions, a

rear portion notched on a line substantially bisecting the toe portion to provide a pair of opposed rear edges, and a welt secured to a face of the sheet, said welt including a major loop portion confining a solid central area of the body unit sheet, and including also a pair of tails secured against said sheet in substantial spaced parallelism with said opposed rear edges of the body unit sheet.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe body unit comprising a sheet of material having a forward curved toe portion, opposite side portions, a rear portion notched on a line substantially bisecting the toe portion to provide a pair of opposed rear edges, and a welt secured to a face of the sheet, said welt including a major p portion and a pair of tails, said tails resting upon the sheet in substantial parallelism with said opposed rear edges of the body unit.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe body unit comprising a sheet of material having a forward curved toe portion, opposite side portions, a rear portion notched on a line substantially bisecting the toe portion to provide a pair of opposed rear edges, and a welt secured to a face of the sheet, said welt including a major loop portion and a pair of tails, said tails resting upon the sheet in substantial parallelism with said opposed rear edges of the body unit, and extending outwardly in opposite directions from the notch aforesaid.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe body unit comprising a sheet of material having of opposed rear edges, and a welt secured to a face of the sheet, said welt including a major loop portion and a pair of tails, said tails resting upon the sheet in substantial parallelism with said opposed rear edges of the body unit, and extending outwardly in opposite directions from the notch aforesaid, said notch being defined by side edges and a base edge, the latter being approximately twice the length of a notch side edge.

5. A shoe comprising in combination, an upper with opposed rear edges and a welt secured to one face of the upper, said welt including a major loop portion bounding a solid central planar area of the upper and including also a pair of tails secured against the upper in substantial parallelism with said opposed rear edges, an outer sole member having a tail extending rearwardly thereof, and means securing the margins of the outer sole member to said major loop portion of the welt and securing the tail of said sole member to the tails of the welt.

6. A shoe comprising in combination, a onepiece upper having a solid central sole portion, and opposed rear edges in abutment, a welt se- 6 cured to one face of the upper, said welt including a major loop portion bounding said sole portion of the upper and including also a pair of tails secured against the upper in substantial parallelism with said opposed rear edges, an outer sole member having a tail extending rearwardly thereof, and means securing the margins of the outer sole member to said major loop portion of the welt and securing the tail of said sole member to the tails of the welt, with the tails of the welt spaced apart at the rear of the shoe to provide a pocket space between the sole tail and the abutting rear edges of the upper.

ANTHONY VIGORITH.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,412,051 Lee Dec. 3, 1946 2,420,466 Cordeau May 13, 1947 2,472,987 Rizzo June 14, 1949

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