US2749629A

US2749629A - Molded lace shoe

Info

Publication number: US2749629A
Application number: US495909A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph D Scala
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-03-22
Filing date: 1955-03-22
Publication date: 1956-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1973-06-12

Description

June l2, 1956 J. D. SCALA 2,749,629

MOLDED LACE SHOE Filed March 22, 1955 wmm"` """""l;% ////////////////////////////l 1N VEN TOR. JOSEPH SCALA United States Patent O 2,749,629 MOLDED LACE SHOE Joseph D. Scala, Bronx, N. Y. Application March 22, 1955, Serial No. 495,909

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-58.5)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shoes and, more particularly, to improved adjustable quarter shoes.

Shoes of the moccasin type are known which include a lace threaded through suitable openings adjacent the upper edge of the soft, flexible quarter for the purpose of tightening the quarter about the heel and ankle of the wearer. The lace is also threaded through suitable openings in the toe piece of the moccasin adjacent the throat to facilitate adjustment and knotting of the lace.

The principal object of the invention is to apply a quarter adjusting lace to a shoe having a relatively inflexible premolded quarter, thereby to adjust the quarter to the wearers requirements.

According to one embodiment of the invention the premolded quarter of a shoe is provided with a laceway at its upper edge to house an adjusting lace. At the throat of the shoe the lace passes out of the laceway and through openings in the vamp of the shoe which are located in substantial front-to-rear alignment with the side portions of the quarter and the laceway therein. Pulling on the ends of the lace in a rearward direction, using the openings in the vamp as pulleys, pulls the rear portion of the quarter against the wearers heel.

In a second embodiment of the invention a second pair of openings are provided in the vamp at substantial angles from front-to-rear lines extended through the points at which the lace exits from the laceway at the throat. Pulling on the ends of the lace in a substantially rearward direction, using the second pair of openings as pulleys, not only pulls the rear portion of the quarter against the wearers heel but also pulls the side portions of the quarter against the wearers ankle. Either pair of vamp openings can be used as desired.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is an isometric View of a shoe constructed in accordance wtih a first form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the shoe of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a shoe constructed in accordance with a modied form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the mode of operation of the means of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1-5 there is illustrated a shoe comprising a one-piece outer sole and heel 10, a premolded relatively inliexible quarter 11 and a vamp 12. Preferably the quarter and the vamp are cemented to outer sole 10. An inner sole 13 may also be cemented in place. A heel liner 14 is secured to quarter 11 by stitching 15. Quarter 11 and vamp 12 are secured together at the throat of the shoe by stitching 16. The upper edge of quarter 11 is folded over and secured by stitching 17 to form a tubular compartment providing a laceway 18.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the side portions of the laceway 18 extendv along substantially front-to-rear lines but gradually flare outwardly and forwardly. At the rearward extremities of the ared portions of quarter 11, the inner wall of the laceway 18 is provided with openings in which grommets 20 or the like are mounted. A shoelace.- 21Y or the like located in laceway 18 extends `out of the latter through the grommets 20.

Forward of the throat of the shoe and in front-to-rear alignment with the grommets 20 the vamp 12 is provided with openings in which grommets 22 are mounted. As shown, the ends of lace 21 also pass through the grommets.

The construction is such that pulling rearwardly on the ends of lace 21, using the grommets 22 as pulleys, exerts a forward pressure on the rearward portion of the quarter 11 tending to draw the latter snugly against the users heel. Knotting of the ends of the lace will maintain this pressure. The substantially front-to-rear alignment of each grommet 22 with the related grommet 20 and the related laceway side portion results in little, if any, compression of the side portions of the quarter 11 toward one another.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 wherein like parts are given the same reference numerals as in other views, there is disclosed a modified form of the invention having the same features as the means of Figs. l-5, and the additional feature that the side portions of the quarter of the shoe can be compressed inwardly against the wearers ankle if desired. As shown, the shoe constructed in accordance with the modification of the invention includes a second pair of openings in the vamp 12 provided with grommets 23. These grommets 23 are located rearwardly and inwardly of the grommets 22 so that to extend the ends of the lace through them rather than through the grommets 22 the lace projects from the grommets 20 at substantial converging angles with respect to the front-torear lines extending through the

grommets

20 and 22.

The construction is such that, as shown in Fig. 8, pulling rearwardly on the ends of lace 21, using grommets 22 as pulleys exerts a forward movement of the rearward loop of the lace as at 25. Substantially no compression of the side portions of the lace toward one another is experienced. However, when the grommets 23 are used as pulleys and the ends of lace 21 pulled rearwardly the side portions of the lace are moved toward one another as at 26, while the rear loop of the lace is moved forward. Translated into terms of the shoe of Fig. 6, use of the grommets 22 effects a tightening of the rear portion of the quarter 11 against the wearers heel. Use of the grommets 23, however, effects this same tightening against the heel and also a compression of the side portions of the quarter against the wearers ankle.

It is to be mentioned that the natural stiffness of the vamp 12 bolstered by abutment thereof with the wearers instep effectively prevents objectionable curling of the vamp when the ends of the lace 21 are knotted between the

grommets

22 or 23.

With this arrangement the shoe may be conveniently tightened when the leather gives or stretches in order to tighten the shoe and therefore the shoe will have the best possible fit at all times during the life of the shoe.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein discl'osedlandx that various changes and modications may be made-withinl the-scope ofthe invention as defined inthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new; and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent-is:

Ar shoe including' a relatively inflexible quarter having an integral lace-receiving tubular compartment alongf its upper edge, a vamp secured tothe quarterat the throat of the shoe, a shoelace loosely housed in said compartment, apair of grommets extending i'ntov said' compartment adjacent the forward` ends thereof and adjacent the throat of the shoe, a pair of grommets extendingl through the vamp, each of'said-latter grommets being in substantiallfront-to-rearalignment with ay first said grommet, and a. thirdl pair of grommets located between and to the rear ofthe secondV pair of grommets andv forwardly and offset laterally from the first pair of grommets and extending through the vamp, the ends of theY lace being passable through the second or third pair of grommets, the side portions of the-quarter being inf substantiallyfront to-rear alignment each with aligned grommets of the first and second pairs, whereby a rearward pull on the ends of the lace using the second pair of grommets as pulleys exerts substantially only a forward pull on the rear portion of the quarter against the wearers heel whereas a similar pull on the ends of the lace using thev third pair of grommets as pulleys also effects. compression. of the side portions of the quarter against the Wearers ankle.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 897,287 Hearn- Sept. 1, 1908 1,145,913 Maetrich July 13, 1915 2,232,215 Cordeau Feb. 18, 1941 2,301,836 Wilcox Nov. l0, 1942 2,627,677 Kashian Feb; 10 11953