US2761225A - Elastic foot grip for shoes - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1956 v c. c. LO PRESTI 2,761,225

- ELASTIC FOOT GRIP FOR SHOES Filed Oct. 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (i2 WIIWIA VIIIIIIII v INVENTOR. 3?? 5' GZarkd CZaPr-eaff A T 1' ORNEY Sept. 4, 1956 c. c. LO PREsTI 2,761,225

ELASTIC FOOT GRIP FOR SHOES Filed Oct. 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN TOR. Char-Z526 C .Zafri 21 .ATT NEY United States Patent ELA'STIC FOOT GRIP F OR SHOES Charles C. Lo Presti, Astoria, N. Y., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 22, 1954, Serial No. 463,865

Claims. (Cl. 36'58.5)

This invention relates to the combination of a shoe and an elastic insole cover for retaining the shoe on the foot. The invention also relates to the elastic cover and the method of incorporating it in the shoe.

The invention is particularly applicable to shoes having a vamp, an open back without straps, and a high heel. In shoes of that type, the pressure exerted on the foot between the vamp and the sole of the shoe is relied upon to hold the shoe on the foot when it is suspended.

It is an object of this invention to effectively retain shoes of the above type on the foot by constructing an elastic covering for the inside or upper surface of the sole or insole of the shoe which is adapted to be attached to the periphery of such surface, but suspended out of contact within such periphery in the shank portion of the sole. Such elastic covering is depressed upon the insertion of the foot into the shoe and is stretched so as to exert resilient gripping pressure on the foot between the vamp and the elastic covering.

Another object of this invention is to provide downwardly extending side panels on the elastic covering in the shank area so as to conceal the space between the suspended portion of the elastic covering and the underneath portion of the shank, and thereby improve the appearance of the shoe.

The invention and its foregoing objects and advantages of the invention are further described in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the completed shoe embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the shank of the shoe taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an elastic insole covering to be combined with an insole structural member and built into the shoe as a composite insole;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the insole covering taken on line 44,of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an insole structural layer;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the shoe illustrated in Fig. l, but further showing the insole and a portion of the upper in cross section; and

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are side elevational views of a last, and longitudinal cross sectional views of the elastic insole covering shown in Fig. 3 and the structural insole layer shown in Fig. 5 illustrating the method of assembling the composite insole into the improved shoe.

Referring to Fig. 1, the shoe 10 comprises a composite insole 11 over which a vamp 12, comprising the forward portion of the upper, is lasted, and to which is atlixed the tread member, comprising a built-up heel and platform sole member 13. The composite insole 11 is shown in the transverse and longitudinal cross sections of the shoe 10 in Figs. 2 and 6, respectively, and the parts thereof, comprisingthe elastic covering 11a and the relatively stiif structural layer 11b, are shown respectively in the plan views of Figs. 3 and 5. The elastic covering comprises an inner elastic layer of sheet material 14, and an rce outer elastic layer of material 15 between which is sand- Wiched an elastic cushioning layer 16. The inner and outer elastic layers 14 and 15 are preferably made of one way stretch woven elastic textile fabric, in which the stretch extends from the heel to toe direction. The cushioning layer is preferably made of sponge rubber,

and if desired the inner layer 14 of elastic fabric may be practice.

The elastic insole covering 11a, as shown in Fig. 3, is in its relaxed or unstretched condition, but when it is built into the shoe 10, it is stretched in the heel to toe direction and the area covered by the inner elastic layer 14 assumes the shape of an insole of the normal length, and it is retained in the stretched condition by the relatively stiff inelastic insole structural layer 11b having the shape of the normal insole. The structural layer 11b is preferably made of split leather, and is provided with a marginal guide line 18 for the purpose of facilitating the operation of assembling the elastic insole cover 11a on the structural member. The elastic insole 11a and the structural member 11b are assembled together as will be here inafter explained, and when these parts are so assembled, the outer edge 19 of the outer layer 15 of the insole is folded over the member 11b until it matches with the guide line 18, and the perimeter of the folded over elastic cover is adhered throughout its length to the structural layer 11b.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the elastic insole cover 11a is stretched across the shank 20 and ball portion 21 of the shoe between the forward point 22 of the heel seat 23 and a point 24 at the toe of the shoe. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, a hollow space 25 is formed between the insole cover 11a and the top inside surface of the sole provided by the insole structural layer 11b when the insole cover is so stretched, and the shoe is not filled by the foot. The sides of the air space or pocket 25 are enclosed by side panels 26 and 27, which are formed by the crescent shaped areas 28 and 29 of the outer elastic layer 15 bounded by the outer edge 30 of the inner elastic layer 14 and the dot and dash lines 31 and 3 2, which latter represent the inner edges 31 and 32 of the turned in margin 33 of the outer elastic layer 15 bordering on the crescent shaped areas 28 and 29. Such areas are so designed that they will form the side panels 26 and 27 free from wrinkles, and so that the top surface of the insole will be substantially flat as shown in Fig. 2. The guide line 18 on the structural layer 111) is particularly useful for locating the outer edge 19 of the outer elastic member 15 opposite the areas 28 and 29 so as to produce the above effect.

The elastic insole cover 11a and the structural layer llb are assembled in the shoe as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, which show the several steps of assembly. In assembling these members, the front edges 34 of the structural layer 111; and the inside elastic layer 14 of the insole cover 11a are placed opposite each other, with the heel portion of the structural layer extending towards the heel portion of the insole cover 11a. The outer elastic layer 15 of the insole is then placed on the bottom of a.

aligned with the front edge, of the toe 3.6 of the last 35. A tack 37 is driven through the structural layer 11b and insole cover 11a into the last 35 near the front edge 34! of such members. The rearwardly extending elastic insole cover 11:: is then stretched until the rear end 38 of its inside elastic layer 14 is placed opposite the rear end 39 of the structural layer 11b, which determines the size of the stretched elastic insole cover llla when it is assembled in the shoe. The ends 38 and 39 of the respective members are then held in that position and tacked to the heel 40 of the last with a tack 41, as shown in Fig. 3. in that position the elastic insole cover 11a is stretched in a straight line between the forward end 42 of the shank of the last and the tack 41. The insole structural member 11b curves upwardly between such points 42 and 41. As shown in Fig. 9 the upwardly curved portion 43 of the structural member 111) and the straight bridging portion 44 of elastic insole 11 is caused to conform to the bottom contour of the shank and heel by pressing the structural member 11b downwardly and driving additional tacks 45 through the member 1112 and insole cover 11a into the last 35, as shown in Fig. 9. The outer margin 33 of the outer elastic layer 15 of the insole cover llla is now turned over the outer marginal edges 46 of the insole structural member 1111 so that the outer edge 19 of the outer elastic layer 15 is positioned on the guide line 18 of the member 1115, and such edges 33 are cemented to the margin 46 of the structural member illlb in any conventional manner. In cementing the marginal edge 33 to the structural mernber 11b, it is important that no cement be applied to the areas 28 and 29, andv such areas should bulge outwardly from the outer edge of the layer 1117 when the edge 33 is cemented throughout its length to' the margin 46 of such layer 1112. When the insole cover 11a and structural member Ill) are thus assembled on the last 35 sufficient free uncemented material will be available in the crescent shape areas 28 and 29 to form the side panels 26 and 27 of the air pocket 25, as shown in Fig. 2, when the last 35 is removed from the shoe, and the elastic insole is allowed to assume the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6.

As shown in Fig. 9, the insole 11 is now ready toreceive the vamp 12, which is lasted over the composite insole 11 in the conventional manner. The forward tack 37 is not now required, as the lasted vamp 12' will hold the stretched insole in place. Therefore the tack 37 is pulled out of the insole to facilitate the removal of the last 35 from the shoe it after the built-up heel and sole member has been applied. The built-up heel and outsole member 13 is then placed over the bottom of the lasted shoe and cemented thereto in the usual manner. After the cement has been dried, the last 35 is removed from the shoe by pulling the heel of the shoe away from the last 35, in which movement the heads of the tacks 41 and 45 are pulled through the structural layer 11b and the elastic insole cover 1101, and the points of the tacks are left in the last. The toe portion of the shoe is then pushed forwardly and removed from the last 35.

Where the shoe 10 is constructed as above described the insole cover 11a is attached to the shoe only where the margin 33 of the outer layer is turned over and adhered to the outer margin 46 of the structural layer 111). The bottom surface 47 of the inner elastic layer 14 is not adhered to the opposite or upper side 48 of the structural member 11/), and it is adapted to be pulled away from such side. The elastic insole cover 11a being stretched in the heel to toe direction around the margin of the structural member 11b, the top surface of the insole cover 11a tends to assume the position of a plane extending from the rear of the heel seat 23 to the forward edge 34 of the built-in insole. However, the-top surface of the insole cover 11a may be restrained from assuming such position in the toe area of the shoe by pulling this area downwardly as a result of stretching the insole transversely in such area and not allowing suflicicnt material abovethe structural member 11b. This result is achieved as shown in Fig. l, and the top surface of the insole cover 11a extends substantially in a plane from a point 24 in rear of the extreme end 34 of the sole of the shoe to the rear of the heel seat, as such heel seat lies generally in a plane extending from the point 24 to the rear of the heel seat. In some instances it may be desirable to cement the bottom surface 47 of the insole cover ila to the area of the structural layer 11b below the heel seat 23 and below the forward toe portion of the shoe, in order to increase the elastic resistance of the insole cover 11th to depression in the area between the forward point 22 of the heel seat and the point 24 in the toe, when the foot is forced against the top surface of the insole cover 11a at the shank portion 20 of the sole.

When the shoe 10 is off the foot, there is insufficient space between the top surface of the insole cover 11a and the top of the vamp 12 to receive the foot of the wearer. When the shoe is placed on the foot, the top surface of the elastic insole cover 11:: is stretched downwardly over the area of the pocket 25 to permit the entry of the foot into the shoe 10. In the event the foot, with the shoe 10, thereon is suspended, the stretched elastic insole cover forces the top of the vamp 12 downwardly upon the instep of the foot with a comfortable pressure, but sufficient to securely hold the shoe in place. In the event the weight of the body of the wearer is exerted on the top surface of the insole cover 11a,.it isfurther stretched downwardly, and the pressure of the vamp 12 against the instep is relieved to some extent, but the holding power of the shoe is increased by the downward pressure of the foot thereon. This action takes place alternately with each step the wearer takes, and the shoe is retained on the foot at all times.

While the preferred form of this invention has been described herein in detail, it will. be understood that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is intended to cover such changes that come within the scope: of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe comprising a sole and a high heel forming the tread member'and a vamp attached to said tread member and forming the forward portion of the upper, said sole having its shank portion extending downwardly from said heel, a relatively stiff structural insole layer and a flexible elastic cover therefor, said structural layer conforming and afiixed to the upper surface of said tread member, said elastic cover being stretched in the heel-totoe direction over the. upper surface of said structural layer and having its perimeter secured throughout its length to said structural layer, and said elastic cover spanning over the top surface of said structural layer at the shank portion of said sole.

2. A shoe comprising a sole and ahigh heel forming the tread member of said shoe and a vamp attached to said tread member and forming the forward portion of the shoe upper, said sole having itsshank portion extending downwardly from said heel, an insole comprising a relatively stiffv stmcturallayer and a flexible elastic cover therefor, said structural layer conforming and aflEixed to the upper surface of said tread member, said elastic cover being stretched in the heel-to-toe direction over the upper surface of said structural layer and having an outer margin turned under and'secured to said structural layer, said elastic cover spanning over the top surface of said structural layer at the shank portion of said sole, and said elastic cover having side panels on each side of said shank extending abruptly downward from said spanning portion to said structural layer.

3; A ladys shoe comprising an open high heel and sole forming. the tread member of said shoe, said sole a flexible elastic cover for said structural layer, said structural layer conforming and adhered to the upper surface of said tread member, said elastic cover being stretched in the heel-to-toe direction over the upper surface of said structural member and having an outer margin turned under and adhered to the under surface of said structural member, said elastic cover spanning the shank portion of the top surface of said structural member, said elastic cover having side panels extending downwardly from said spanning portion to said turned under outer margin, a vamp lasted over said insole, and said tread member adhered to said insole and lasted vamp.

4. A ladys shoe comprising an open high heel and sole forming the tread member of the shoe, said sole having a shank portion extending downwardly from said heel, an insole comprising a relatively stiif structural member, a flexible elastic cover for said structural layer, said elastic cover comprising a woven elastic layer and a cushioning layer adhered thereto, said structural layer conforming and adhered to the upper surface of said tread member, said elastic cover being stretched in the heel-to-toe direction over the upper surface of said structural layer and having an outer margin turned under and adhered to the under surface of said structural layer, said elastic cover spanning the top surface of said structural member over the shank portion of said sole, said elastic cover having side panels extending downwardly from said spanning portion to said turned under outer margin, and a vamp lasted over said insole, and said tread member adhered to said insole and lasted vamp.

5. An elastic cover for the top surface of a tread member of a high heel shoe having a heel seat, a depressed shank and a ball portion, said cover comprising an outer margin adapted to be turned inwardly for attachment to said shoe around the outer margin of said top surface of said tread member, an inner portion within said margin conforming to the shape of an insole having a shank portion interposed between a heel seat and a ball portion, side panels on each side of said cover shank portion and interposed between said insole shaped portion and said outer margin, and said insole shaped portion being shorter in the heel-to-toe direction than a straight line extending from the extreme end of the heel to the extreme end of the toe of said top surface of said tread member, and adapted to be stretched to the length of said line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,811,380 Bernard June 23, 1931 2,422,947 Calderazzo June 24, 1947 2,465,817 Perugia Mar. 29, 1949 2,533,336 Walsh Dec. 12, 1950

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