US2660743A - Method of making rigidified slip-lasted shoes - Google Patents

Description

Dec. l, 19515 J, MELTZER 2,660,743

METHOD OF MAKING RIGIDIFIED SLIP-LASTED SHOES Filed MaICh 19, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l lzrl. 4?

INVENTOR. JACK MELTZE/Z BY@ /r/l .14,

Dec. 1, 1953 J. MELTZER METHOD oF MAKING RIGIDIFIED SLIP-LASTED sHoEs 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1952 INVENTOR J4C/ MEL7ZEB Dec. 1, 1953 J. MELTZER 2,660,743

- METHOD OF MAKING RIGIDIFIED SLIP-LASTED SHOES Filed March 19, 1952 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED srgrss garant" QFEICE METHOD 0F MAKING RIGIDIFIED SLIP-LASTED SHOES 3 Claims. 1

My presentinvention relates generally to shoes, and has particular reference to shoes of the socalled slip-lasted type, and to certain procedural steps involved in their manufacture.

A general object of the invention is to provide a construction in which it is possible simultaneously to obtain the advantages (l) of a counter which is not only fully rigid but which is stitched into location, and (2) of a full-length sock lining stitched to the upper throughout the full extent of the uppers lower edge.

As is known, a stitched-in sock lining is highly desirable because it is not susceptible to displacement and is devoid of edges which may curl and thereby cause discomfort or impair the attractiveness of shoes having openings at the toe or elsewhere.` A rigid counter is desirable for obvious reasons, lending staunchness and formretaining qualities to the shoe and imparting a stylish and attractive appearance to it. Theadded advantage of stitching the counter into position lies in the fact that it is more securely held against displacement, thus avoiding premature distortion of shoe contours and impairment of comfort.

It has been found that the simultaneous stitching in of a sock lining and of a counter presents manufacturing difficulties of great magnitude` The sharp curvatures at the end regions of the shoe, where reinforcement is most commonly called for, and the manipulations required of the operator in properly guiding the parts to and through the sewing machine, have made it almost impossible, from a practical standpoint, to

achieve satisfactory results, even where yieldable :.2.

counters of inferior rigidity are used. Consequently, the stitching into position of-a counter has usually involved not only a sacrifice in the rigidity of thevcounter itself but also an impairment of the appearance and workmanship of the finished shoe. Because of this, the employment of a really rigid counter of leather or fibre (as distinguished from counters formed of impregnated buckram or the like, which are only semirigid and tend to lose their shape and stiffness tirely satisfactory since they do not always fit as nicely, nor stay in place as neatly, as is desirable.

The present invention is specifically aimed toobviate these difficulties and disadvantages.

riety of styles of shoes, slippers, sandals and.

other articles of footwear intended for either street wear or indoor use.

The invention is predicated upon a recognition of the fact that it is not the rigidity of the counter that has made it so difficult heretofore to incorporate it in the shoe by stitching, but the endeavor to stitch it into a sharply curved re-A gion in which the relationship of the other elements of the-shoe, especially the sock lining and lower edge of the upper, imposes an obstacle to` the freedom of manipulation of the parts during their passage through the sewing machine. To obviate this, I assemble the parts in such a way that direct attachment of the counter to the lower edge of the upper is entirely avoided.'l

Briefly, the construction involves a counter (preferably with no lower flange) whose lower edge is stitched only to the lower margin of a counter cover and to the top edge of a platform wrapper,

A the counter being incorporated into the shoe, on

the exterior of the Lipper, by means of the counter cover and the platform wrapper. A feature of the invention resides in purposely securing the counter cover to the upper only along mar-V gins other than the lower margin to which the counter is stitched, thus leaving the counter free of direct attachment to the upper and sock lingether, the parts are appliedvto a last and the l sole structure is completed in any desired wellknown fashion, including the application of a platform and the covering of its edges by the platform wrapper.

The invention lends itself admirably to the reinforcement of shoes not only in the heel region but also at the toe end, and in intermediate regions if desired. The upper can be made continuous throughout, or may be formed of sections joined in overlapping relation or spaced apart to define open-work. The shapes of the counters employed, and of the counter covers and platform wrappers, can be widely varied to suit different styles and purposes. And the sequence in which the several steps are performed may be varied in a number of respects as will be pointed out hereinafter.

Several ways of achieving the advantages of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Varticle vof footwear constructed in accordance'with the in-` vention, a part of the upper being lbroken away to show the sock lining;

Figure 2 is an enlarged View showing how the upper of Figure 1 can be joined to the sock lining in a preliminary operation;

Figures 3 and 4 are views of the counter unit for the heel region of the shoe, before 'and after the counter and counter cover have been molded into a'dhesively bonded relation; y

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the molded counter unit for the toe region of the shoe;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross'esection sub'- stantially along the line 6;-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a View showing how the platform wrapper of Figure 1 'can be joined to the counter units shown in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure v8 is a crosse-sectional view substantially along the line 8 8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the line 9-9 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a vi'ewhshowing a vstep in the joining of the sub-assembly of Figure 7 to the sub assembly of Figure '2;

Figures 11 and 12 are longitudinal cross-sectional views of Figure 1() at the toe and heel ends respectively;

Figure 13 is a View similar to Figure 10, on a reduced scale, of the 'parts completely joined together and ready for application to a last;

Figure 14 is an enlarged crossesection oh the line lll-1 4 of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is 'a longitudinal cross-sectional view, partly broken for compactness of illustration, of the finished construction after the sole structure has been completed on the last;

Figure 16 is a plan view of a modified counter unit for the heel region of a shoe, prior to mold- 111e;

Figure 17 is 'a perspective View of this unit, afterth counter and counter cover have been molded into a bonded unit and after the platform wrapper has been stitched thereto;

Figure `1S is an elevational view of the rear end of one type of shoe in which the assembly of Figure 17 may be employed;

Figure 19 is a fragmentary cross-section along the line I9-I9 of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a longitudinal cross-section subfstantially along the line 20- 20 of Figure 19;

Figure 2l is a View similar to Figure 20 showing a modification;

Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of the heel counter unit shown in Figure 4;

Figure 23 is a perspective view similar to Figure 4, showing a heel counter unit of modified design;

Figure 24 is a cross-sectional View along the line 24-24 of Figure 23;

Figure 25 is a view similar to Figure 24 showing a possible modification;

Figures 26 and 27 are views similar to Figure 18, showing the heel regions of other styles with which the invention may be employed;

Figure 28 is a fragmentary cross-section on the line 28-26 of Figure 26;

Figure 29 is a fragmentary cross-section on the line 29-29 lof Figure 27; y,

Figure 30 is a view similar to Figi-tires 18, 26 and 27 showng the heel region of a shoe style employing the counter unit of Figure 23;

Figure 31 is an elevational View of the front end of a modified shoe style with which the invention in'ay be employed; and

Figure 32 is a cross-sectional view along the line 32--32 of Figure 31.

The article of footwear depicted in Figure 1 has an upper 40, a sock lining 4|, a heel reinforcement or counter covered by the counter cover 42, a toe reinforcement or counter covered by the counter cover i3, 'a platform whose edge is covered by the platform Iwrapper M, and .an outer sole E35. For the sake of simplicity, the upf` per has been shown as a single uninterrupted element, Tout the invention is notrestrictedto this or any other particular style of upper. 'Nor is it restricted to the particular shapes or styles of counter covers and platform shown in this figure. n Y I One way of forming the shoe 'of Figure 1 is il'- lustrated in Figures 2-15.

Figure 2 shows how the upper 4U may be joined to the sock lining in a. separate preliminary operation. The sock lining extends the full length of the shoe and its edge is stitched at it to me upper throughout the full extent of the uppers lower edge. 4

Figures 3 and 4 show the counter 'unit employed in the heel region. The practice of the invention imposes no restrictions or limitations upon the selection of the counter material, hence any dee sired material may be used. I prefer to form the counter li'of a material Vof high duality, suchas leather or nbre, rnoldable to the 'saine permanent state of complete rigidity as that of the convene tional hard counters heretofore regularlyused as separate insertstted loosely 'into counter pockets specially provided for the purpose. The 'mar-'- ginal regions of the counter lmay be skived or tapered, if desired, although this is not essential. Sometimes it is preferable to skive one or more margins and to leave others of normal thickness. In any case, the practice of the invention imposes no necessity for thinning any of the margins of the counter merely to facilitate stitching opera'-v tion's. For this reason, and also to simplify the disclosure, no skiving of counters has been 'shown in any of the figures. Y

For a heel reinforcement of the shown in Figure 1, the counter 47 may have a substantially trapezoidal shape, as indicated in Figure 3. The counter cover 2 is larger in area than the counter 41 but its lower edge is preferably even with the lower edge of the counter. The cover is composed of a material that'is relatively soft and limp, such as leather or fabric. Since it will be eiiposed on the outside of the finished shoe, a large variety of materials are suitable, and the choice will depend upon the ornamental eiect desired.

In the construction illustrated, the shape of v the cover 42 is substantially the same as that of'.

ltend only slightly beyond the corresponding edges of the counter. It is by no means essential, however, that the shapes of the counter and of its cover be similar, and the cover may have a configuration quite different from that of the counter, with its margins extending considerably beyond those of the counter. Under certain circumstances (e. g., when the top edge of the cover is engaged by a binding or collar) the top edges of the counter and counter cover may be even with each other.

By employment of heat and pressure, and other procedures and apparatus Well known per se, the counter and cover are molded to the appropriate desired curvature, as shown in Figure 4, and are at the same time adhesively bonded together into the form of a single unit.

In accordance with my invention, .the lower edge of the counter unit is secured, by stitches 48 (Figure 7) to the top edge of the platform wrapper 44 which is laid rig ht-side down upon the convex face of the counter unit. Regardless of whether the lower edges of the counter and counter cover are even with each other, as shown in the present drawings, the stitches 48 pass through the counter as well as through the cover. They preferably terminate short of the side edges of the cover 42, for a purpose presently to be explained.

In the shoe illustrated, there is a counter also at the toe end, although it will be understood that the use of a counter at one or the other end of the shoe, or both, or in any intermediate region, is a matter or choice and depends upon the style and purpose to be achieved. Where the toe counter is to have the general shape indicated in Figure l, s.'

a unit such as that shown in Figures 5 and 6 may be preliminarily formed. Here, too, no limitation upon material selection is imposed by the invention, hence any desired counter, material, such as leather, fibre, or equivalent substance, may be used. The counter 5| is in this case of` appropriate initial shape and final curvature for use at the toe, and it is adhesively bonded to the cover 43 in accordance with procedures hereinbefore referred to and well known per se. The side and top edges of the cover eXtend beyond the correspending edges of the counter, as shown. The bottom edges of the counter and cover may be arranged even with each other, as best shown at 5D in Figure 6.

The unit of Figure 5 is also secured alongv its bottom edge to the platform wrapper 44. This is done by means of stitches 4B which pass through the counter as well as through the counter cover and preferably terminate short of the side edges of the cover 43. f r 1 Where the platform` wrapper is formed Aof a single length of material, it may be provided in advance with positioning notches or marksv (not shown) lthat assure,4 proper. location thereon, with respect to each other, of the two counter units. A single platform wrapper strip 44 has been shown in the present drawings. It extends around the entire shoe peripheryand its ends overlap,y preferably on the inner side of the shoe in the shank region. Obviously a platform'wrapper of shorter length, or of varying width, or of sectional or pieced character, may bel used if the natureor style of the shoe so requires.-

If counters are to be used in addition to those at the heel and toe, correspondingly constructed counter units, appropriately contoured and preliminarily molded, are also stitched to the platform wrapper vat this stage of the procedure', in themanner indicated inFigure '7.

Regardless of the stiffness or quality of the counter material, and rregardless of the sharp curvatures involved, neither of the stitching operations 48 and 43 presents any manufacturing difficulty. Sewing machines of quite usual and' well known kind are easily able to join the parts as shown, and no particular skill is required of the operator, as will be recognized by those familiar with shoe manufacturing techniques.

The next step is to unite the sub-assemblies of Figures 2 and 7. This is achieved in the two stages indicated in Figures l0 and 13. Each counter unit is applied to the exterior of the shoe upper in the appropriate region, and is' secured lto the upper in any desired or suitable manner, as by stitching, lacing or gluing, or (preferably) by combined use of these expedients. In no event, however, is any stitched connection made or attempted alongr the troublesome lower edge of the counter unit. For example, `in the construction herein illustrated, the heel counter cover 42 is stitched 'to the upper 40 along its'sides and top (see Figure 10) by stitches `52. To facilitate this operation, the platform wrapper 44 may use of adhesive to enhance the rm securement'..

of the counter units is optional, where stitchingor the like is employed. In some cases, adhesive alone may be found to be sufcient.

The second stage of this phase of the process` involves stitching into position those parts of 'the wrapper 44 which have been left unattached. This is achieved by means of stitches 54 (Figure 13) which are continuations of the lines of' stitches 48 and 49 and which preferably overlap the latter to `a vslight degree. The degree of overlap is not critical since there is no counter pocket involved, the counter having been already stitched into its proper position. In this respect, the present procedure affords a distinct advantage over -that described in my Patent No."

2,493,497, since the corresponding overlapping of stitches in that case reduces the entrance opening of the pocket into which a loose Icounter is still to be inserted.

The stitches 54 extend through Athe upper '40 and through the sock lining 4I, and lie "closely adjacent to the stitches 46, as shown in Figure 14. No sewing difculties are encountered,sincethe parts involved are relatively soft and are' readily manipulable in well known-fashion as the stitching progresses.

Thepar-ts are now ready for application to a last (not shown) and for completion of ythe sole structure. This may be of any desired character.

In the shoe illustrated, the final steps of manufacture involve merely the .application of the ments or pads, shank stifening pieces, etc., may be used wherever desirable. One of the Yadvantages of the invention lies in the fact that thev platform wrapper tsmore smoothly over the edge of the platform in the sharply curved rein`r` Additional ller, ele'"' forced regions oi the shoe because it :ree of direct connection with the .socle l ns those regions. f

It is te be understood that the relationships ci the parte are somewhat exaggerated and .sches matieally represented in Figure 1.5.. In actual lractice, .the parts adiust themselves into a .come pastel' relation tha-n vthat shown.

The finished shoe -'has a smooth comfortable interior devoid of stitches, linings, counter .co-vers, or other elements whose edges or whose wrink'ling might create discomfort. The reinforcements, wherever they may he iocatsd, are rm, stitched into position, and long lasting. The counters employed may be .of the --nest quali-ty, and need not have flanges at their Alower ends, `thus .el-lminatins such danses possible sources of dis- .On the .other hand, the use of a short danse, to round on? the bottom edse .of the counter, is not precluded if it is deemed to be then to ioin the various sections of the upper, 1.

and then to Stilton .in the sock; lining..

The top edge of the uriner has been left -raw, es .it were, in Figures 1F15- ,It Will be understood that this show-.ing is. merely for .the sake of sim;-

lelieitv of :illustration and that any usual unisa may beprovided ier. such as a turnedfin edge. a-

binding such as .a French cardine, a turned down collar or other trimming, etc.

por a l'similar reason I have shown all the edges of the counter covers in raw State. (See Fic- 'lhls iS not objectionable where the odge is to be concealed (as is the case, for example, with respect to the lower edge, and would be the case with respect to, the top edge Where the latter sec/ed in or caught beneath a binding or I collar), but the case .of edges which are to he exuosed (slloh as the side edges of the counters shown in Figures 1-15) it may be desirable to turn the edge as indicated in Figures -24 and 2Q: In the former, the edge of the cover is turned in to overlie the adjacent margin of the counter: in the latter, the edge of the cover is turned in tg Lie the plane of the counterbutnot in overA lashed to it. Depending upon the leliatel-` rial of which the counter cover is made, this ternir-is of one or more edges may or may not be of advantage. Where it is done, however, it is a step which precedes the stitching of the edge, as will be understood.

E igure 2 3 is illustrative of how the countersV and counter covers may be varied in their rela-l tio hips to each other, In this figure I have shown a heel counter 55 bonded into unitary re,- lat ..n to a .cover 5l which entends upwardly bef youd the tou elise of the counter to term a sort of Deal; 58. is useful in a shoe of the style. shown ln. Figure 30.V the peak 58 serving not only as an ornamental embellishment which projects up beyond the top edge of lShe upper but also as ald in pulling the .shoe onto the Soot- The last-men- -The counter cover can also be naadeto terminate short .ci the ton edge .of the shea,

Such a style is shown :in Figure 2 6. in which the top edge o f the counter cover 59 lies well below the top edge .of the upper itself.

The shoe upper, .as mentioned, ,can be'made of sections joined together. Where these sections include two which are connected along a verlE tical seam at the rear end of the shoe, the heel counter and counter cover of the present invene tion may serve the additional function of concealing this seam.

The possibility of making the upper of sections leads to another advantage of the invention arising from the fact that the section oi' the upper Which is to be reinforced, hence cov ered over and concealed by the counter unit, may be made of less expensive or thinner materia-1 than other exposed parts or sections oi the upper.

The sections of the upper need not necessarily beljoined to form an uninterrupted whole, nor need they necessarily be joined to each other at all. For example, the type of shoe shown in Figure l0 of my Patent No. 2,493,497, in which the vamp and the quarter are completely separated, may be constructed in accordancerwith the present invention, as will be readily understood. Gaps in the upper, whether they are `in the sha-nk region of the shoe or elsewhere, do not preclude the practice of the invention.

In Figure 27, the style Vis one in which the upper has a quarter 60 spaced from the forward parts (not shown) and in which the quarter is extended to vdefine a strap 6l. The bonded premolded counter unit this casa his formed of the counter S2 and of the cover 63. The latter extends forwardly beyond the counter and cons' forms substantially to the contours of the quarter 6G. Along the lines of stitching 64, which join` the counter cover to the upper, the edges indy,

forwardly, as ShownZ to constitute a Section (in.

this case the quarter) of the upper of the shoe.

The parts and 67 are areas of a single initial.

blank of material, and the areal may be provided with a notch 68 adapted to 'be seaxned.

closed as at 69 (Figure li to impart the desired. curvature to itl A The procedure involved .in forming the shoe ls,- substantially the same as that .hereinbejore des scribed. The counter 65 and the cover 55 are subjected to the Well known heat and pressure`- treatment to .mold the counter into the come@ curvature and to bond it adhesively to the cover.

Thel lower edge of the resultant counter unit; is. then stitched to the platform wrapper 1g by a' line of stitching 'H which passes, through both the counter and the counter-cover. 1n a separate operation, performed either before or after the Stitching 1|, the lower edge of the part Blvins stitched, as at 12, to the sock lining 13. The side margins of the counter cover 66 are then stitched' as atul, to the section or quarter 61, and then those parts of the wrapper Hll as yet unattached' are stitched to the upper and the sock lining in the corresponding regions or the shoe. Finally, the assembly is applied to a last (not shown) and the sole structure completed.

The reinforced quarter can be left standing alone (in which case the shape would probably be somewhat different from that shown), or it can be joined in various ways to other parts of the upper. One possibility, illustrative of a variety of expedients that could be used, lies in providing the, vamp part 14 (Figure 18) with rearwardly extending strap-like parts 15 which can be engaged by the stitches i9 (or by separate stitches) and thus held in sandwiched position between the quarter 91 and the counter cover 69.

The construction of Figures 16-20 can obviously be modified, if it should prove desirable or advantageous to do so, by joining the parts by means of a seam instead of forming them as areas of a single piece. This is indicated in Figure 21 which corresponds in every respect to Figure except that the counter cover 69 is joined to the upper section 6l' along the top edge by means of an inturned Seam, as shown.

Figure 31 shows the forward end of a shoe in which the upper is formed of sections one of which is at the toe end and is spaced from the adjacent one. The section 'H is reinforced by a counter unit which overlies it and has substantially the same shape. The counter unit consists of the counter 18 and the counter cover 79, these parts being adhesively bonded into a unit in the manner hereinbefore described. The lower edge of the unit is stitched to the wrapper `Si), and the side and top edges of the cover 'I9 are stitched, as at 8|, to the upper element or section '51. I have illustratively shown an adjacent section 82 of the upper, in the form of a strap-like element extending across the shoe, joined in any desired manner to the top edge portion of the section 77.

In other styles (not shown) the section 11 might extend upwardly and rearwardly to a greater degree, engaging with two or more straplike sections of the upper, or contoured in a variety of ways. In any such case, the construction shown would apply, and the same procedure could be followed, the only diiierence being that the counter cover 19 would probably be extended upwardly beyond the upper edge of the counter, in a manner similar to that described in connection with Figure 27.

The type of counter unit shown in Figure 16 could obviously be employed in the toe region, or

10 elsewhere, by simply modifying its contours and curvatures.

In general, it will be apparent that the advantages of the invention may be achieved in an almost innumerable variety of styles, and for this reason many of the details herein described and illustrated are merely illustrative, as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I cla-iin as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In the process of making a slip-lasted shoe rigidined in at least one of its sharply curved end regions, the steps which consist in stitching a fulllength sock lining to an upper throughout the full extent of the uppers lower edge, separately stitching the lower edge of a rigid counter of appropriate relatively sharp curvature to the lower margin oi a counter cover and to the top edge of a platform wrapper, appiying the counter to the exterior of the upper, securing the counterl cover to the upper only along margins other than said lower margin so that the lower edge of the counter is left free of direct attachment to the lower edge of the upper, then force lasting the assembly and while it is on said last applying a platform and covering its edge with said platform wrapper.

2. The procedural steps dened in claim l, in which the upper is formed of sections, and in which the counter cover and section of the upper which it is intended to overlie are joined together along their top edges prior to the assembly of the sections of the upper into nal stitched relation to the sock lining.

3. The procedural steps deiined in claim 2, in which the counter cover and the section of the upper which it is intended to overlie are formed of a single element of material.

JACK WLTZER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 640,900 Gordon Jan. 9, 1900 2,277,770 MacDonald Mar. 3l, 1942 2,391,445 Cohen Dec, 25, 1945 2,404,587 Maling July 23, 1946 2,493,497 Meltzer Jan. 3, 1950 2,495,590 Meltzer Jan. 24, 1950 2,514,057 Herlihy July 4, 1950 2,520,301 Ayers Aug. 29, 1950 2,580,037 Meltzer Dec. 25, 1951 2,584,276 Lisbon et al. Feb. 5, 1952

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