US3218735A

US3218735A - Re-enforced heel and insert

Info

Publication number: US3218735A
Application number: US731040A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur F Ball
Original assignee: Essex Products Inc
Current assignee: Essex Products Inc
Priority date: 1958-04-25
Filing date: 1958-04-25
Publication date: 1965-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-23

Description

Nov. 23, 1965 BALL 3,218,735

RE-ENFORCED HEEL AND INSERT Filed April 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 UUU n, u M 25 l? $131 18 11 7 9 5 j I 1.6 1 l .4 INVENTOR.

Artiurf' Baa BY M W jaw AT TORNL'Y Nov. 23, 1965 A. F. BALL 3,218,735

RE-ENFORGED HEEL AND INSERT Filed April 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Anfiuz' I. Eaff WWW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,218,735 RE-ENFORCED HEEL AND INSERT Arthur F. Ball, Haverhill, Mass, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Essex Products, Inc., Haverhill, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 731,040 14 Claims. (Cl. 36-34) The present invention relates to re-enforced heels for shoes and the like, components thereof, being more particularly directed to plastic heels.

While the invention will be described in connection With its important application to plastic heels, it is to be understood that it may also be employed with other types of heel wherein the advantages of the invention are desired. In such plastic heels, and the like, particularly where very thin heel stems are employed which the inherently relatively weak, it is necessary to provide reenforcing structures in order to prevent fracture of the fragile heel in use. The concept of employing re-enforcing dowels and the like, of course, is not new, but priorart proposals of this character are decidedly not suited to the very thin heel stems of plastic and similar heels. Many of the prior-art re-enforcing structures, for eX- ample, are so mechanically arranged that they can only be used with heels of substantial thickness.

An object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide a new and improved re-enforced heel of thin heel stem. In summary, the thin heel stem is recessed and fitted therein with a dowel provided with means for preventing slipping or rotation within the recess, and provided at the free end of the dowel with a pre-formed top lift that is prevented from relative rotation with respect to the dowel.

A further object is to provide a novel re-enforcing insert.

Still an additional object is to provide a unitary reenforcing insert and top lift that obviates the necessity for separate assembly of a top lift with the re-enforced heel.

Other and further objects Will be explained hereinafter and will be more particularly pointed out in the a ended claims.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing FIG. 1 of which is a perspective view of a heel constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the component parts thereof being shown separated;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the assembled re-enforced heel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modification;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified insert; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a preferred method of assembly of the component parts of the re-enforced heel.

Referring to FIG. 1, a solid thin-stemmed plastic heel,

as of acrylic plastic, acetate or other similar material, is shown at 1, the thin longitudinal tapered stem 5 thereof, being relatively weak and subject to easy fracture in view of its length and thinness. The physical characteristics of such plastic materials, of course, prohibit the driving of inserts into the plastic heel itself. In order to employ a re-enforcing dowel, therefore, it is necessary to provide a pre-formed longitudinal recess 9 for receiving the same and that extends upward toward the heel seat 3. The reenforcing dowel, moreover, must be of sufficient crosssection and strength to impart adequate re-enforcement to the heel stem 5 when inserted within the recess 9 thereof. inherently, therefore, the cross-dimension of the recess 9 will consume an appreciable proportion of the crosssectional surface of the thin heel stem 5, giving rise to problems in providing suitable re-enforcement.

In accordance with the present invention, the re-enforcing insert 11 is of rod or dowel shape, preferably having a tapered guiding or leading-in end 13 and ridges, serrations or ribs 15. The cross-section of the dowel insert 11 at the ridges 15 is slightly greater than that of the heelstem recess 9 in order that, as the insert 11 is forced into the recess 9, the ridges will cut into the plastic walls of the recess 9 and lock therein, preventing any possible longitudinal slipping or rotation of the insert, which can not, of course, be tolerated. The rod insert 11 is first assembled, however, with a top lift 19, pre formed into toplift shape with a flat breast region 23 corresponding to the flat breast region of the lower extremity 7 of the heel stem 5. If the lower or free end of the insert 11, adjacent the head 17, thereof, is enlarged to a diameter slightly greater than at the ridges 15, and preferably provided with ridges or serrations 17', FIG. 1, it may be force-fitted within a preferably recessed aperture 21 in the top lift 19, rigidly to secure the top lift 19 to the insert 11 and to prevent rotation between the same which could cause injury to the user. The recessed aperture 21, to this end, is preferably somewhat tapered, as shown.

Thus, in the assembled re-enforced heel of FIG. 2, the re-enforcing insert 11 is locked within the recess 9 and the top lift 19 is automatically assembled against the bottom end of the heel stem 5. The top lift 19 may be provided with the flange 25, for decoration, and with treads 27, FIG. 3, if desired.

It has been found that the insert 11 must be of properly case-hardened or completely hardened steel, preferably of hardness ranging from 43 to 55 on the Rockwell scale. Harder steels have been found often to be too brittle for the purposes of the invention, and ordinary iron rods have been found to be too soft to support the thin heel. Tests on an acrylic heel of the type shown in FIG. 1, having a thin heel stem 5 that, at its lower extremity 7 is a flattened inch circle, and employing on 0.136 inch-diameter recess 9 two inches in length, show that the plastic unreenforced stem begins to yield when only fifty pounds of lateral pressure are exerted at the top lift region. The heel stem gradually buckles over at an ultimate pressure of seventy pounds. With a 43 to 55 Rockwell hardened steel insert 11, of diameter 0.142 inch that the region 15, the heel did not even begin to yield until one hundred ten pounds of pressure were laterally applied, and the ultimate collapse did not take place until two hundred twenty five pounds of pressure were applied. In this in sert, the diameter at the region 17' was 0.008 inch wider than the aperture 21 in a steel top lift 19, permitting a rigid force fit of these parts. If desired, of course, the top lift 19 and the insert 11 may also be formed in an integral single piece.

The heal may be enameled or covered with fabric, suede, etc., as is well-known; and, as shown in FIG. 3, the covering 1' may be overlapped at 1" over the top lift end 7 of the heel stem 5 before the insert 11 is forced into the recess 9, so that the top lift 19 clamps over the overlap 1". The hardened steel top lift 19 may also be colored or plated, as with bronze, nickel, chromium, etc., to provide the desired decorative appearance, and it may be treated for rust-proofing. The top lift may also be constituted of leather or other material.

Instead of a metal top lift 19, a plastic top lift 19', as of nylon, for example, FIG. 4, may be provided. The lower end of the insert 11 is then preferably provided with a larger head 17". The bottom of the top lift 19 and/or the head 17" may also be scored or otherwise provided with treads, not shown, if desired.

Because the recess 9, the insert 11 and its assembled top lift 19 are all pro-formed and the assembly of these parts may be effected on the completed or finished heel,

it is essential that the assembly be carried out with precision and proper orientation and alignment. This is achieved, in accordance with a feature of the invention, by securing the heel 1 with the fiat breast region of the thin recessed heel stem 5 engaging a fiat base surface 2. A clamp 8 may engage the heel seat 3 and a shoe 4, operable when a pressure cylinder 6 is activated, may clamp downward to prevent lateral slipping of the heel stem 5. The top lift 19 is positioned with its flat pro-formed breast surface 23 engaging the surface 2 between lateral guides 10 and, upon actuation of the piston 12 of the pressure cylinder 6, may be forced longitudinally to the left to drive the insert 11 into the recess 9. Since the ridges 15 of the insert 11 lock within the plastic walls of the recess 9, no angular re-adjustment is feasible. The use of the flat surface 23 of the top lift 19 to effect guiding of the insert 11 as it is forced into the recess 9, however, provides for true and accurate alignment so that the preaformed top lift 19 fits properly 'upon the top-lift end 7 of the heel 1. Release of the piston 12 will release, also, the shoe 4 so that the next heel may be similarly provided with a re-enforcing insert and top lift unit. The top lift 19 being secured in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the insert 11, close-location tolerance in drilling or otherwise forming and centering the recess 9 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the top-lift lower surface 7 of the heel stem 5 is required if a tight fit of the top lift is to be achieved.

Further modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reinforced heel having a body portion of relatively weak material provided at its upper end with a relatively large imperforate heel-seat surface and at its lower end with a relatively small apertured tread end the aperture of which is of cross-dimension occupying an appreciable portion of the cross-dimension of the tread end, the body portion being tapered sharply from the heel-seat surface toward the tread end in the neighborhood. of the heel-seat surface but much less sharply at regions more remote from the heel-seat surface to provide a relatively thin stem extending longitudinally throughout the greater portion of the length of the body portion at the said regions more remote from the heelseat surface, the body portion being interiorly provided with a recess of cross-dimension substantially the same as the cross-dimension of the aperture in the tread end extending longitudinally throughout the greater portion of the length of the body portion, including the stem, from the aperture in the tread end to just below the heelseat surface, and an elongated reinforcing dowel constituted of material much harder than that of the body portion driven into the recess, the reinforcing dowel being provided with one or more projections biting into the walls of the recess to prevent movement of the reinforcing dowel in the recess, and a top lift of dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the tread end secured rigidly to the lower end of the reinforcing dowel in engagement with the tread end, means being provided for preventing separation of the top lift from the reinforcing dowel when the reinforcing dowel is mounted in place in the recess.

2. A reinforced heel having a body portion of relatively weak plastic provided at its upper end with a relatively large imperforate heel-seat surface and at its lower end with a relatively small apertured tread end the aperportion of the length of the body portion at the said regions more remote from the heel-seat surface, the body portion being interiorly provided with a recess of cross dimension substantially the same as the cross-dimension of the aperture in the tread end extending longitudinally throughout the greater portion of the length of the body portion, including the stem, from the aperture in the tread end to just below the heel-seat surface, and an elangated reinforcing dowel constituted of material much harder than that of the plastic driven into the recess, the body portion of the reinforcing dowel being provided along its surface with a plurality of longitudinally extending projections biting into the walls of the recess to prevent movement of the reinforcing dowel in the recess, and a top lift of dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the tread end secured rigidly to the lower end of the reinforcing dowel in engagement with the tread end, the top lift having an aperture of dimensions larger than the dimensions of the body portion of the dowel plus the projections, the other end of the reinforcing dowel being of correspondingly larger dimensions and secured rigidly in the aperture of the top lift, the walls of the aperture of the top lift and the walls of the said other end of the reinforcing dowel interengaging to prevent separation of the top lift from the said other end of the reinforcing dowel when the reinforcing .dowel is mounted in place in the recess.

3. A unitary combined reinforcing-dowel-and-top-lift member for a heel and the like having a body portion constituted of relatively Weak material comprising an elongated reinforcing dowel constituted of material much harder than that of the body portion and adapted to be driven into a correspondingly elongated interior recess of the heel and the like, the reinforcing dowel being provided with means for preventing its movement in the recess, and a top lift secured rigidly to one end of the reinforcing dowel, means being provided for preventing separation of the top lift from the reinforcing dowel when the reinforcing dowel is mounted in place in the recess.

4. A unitary combined reinforcing-dowel-and-top-lift member for a heel and the like having a body portion constituted for relatively weak material comprising an elongated reinforcing dowel constituted of material much harder than that of the body portion and adapted to be driven into a correspondingly elongated interior recess of the heel and the like, the body portion of the reinforcing dowel being provided with one or more projections for biting into the Walls of the recess to prevent movement of the reinforcing dowel in the recess, one end of the reinforcing dowel being of dimensions larger than the dimensions of the body portion of the reinforcing dowel plus the one or more projections, in order that it may be received in a correspondingly shaped aperture of a top lift that may he slipped over the other end and the body portion of the reinforcing dowel and the one or more projections into unitary combination with the said one end of the reinforcing dowel.

5. A unitary combined reinforcing-dowel-and-top-lift member for a heel and the like having a body portion constituted of relatively weak material comprising an longated reinforcing dowel constituted of material much harder than that of the body portion and adapted to be driven into a correspondingly elongated interior recess of the heel and the like, the body portion of the reinforcing dowel being provided with one or more projections for biting into the walls of the recess to prevent movement of the reinforcing dowel in th recess, and a top lift having an aperture of dimensions larger than dimensions of the body portion of the reinforcing dowel plus the one or more projections, the other end of the reinforcing dowel being of correspondingly larger dimensions and secured rigidly in the aperture of the top lift, the wall of th apertur of the top lift and the walls of the said other end of the reinforcing dowel interengaging to prevent separationof the top lift from the said other end of the reinforcing dowel when the reinforcing dowel is mounted in place in the recess.

6. A unitary combined reinforcing-dowel-and-top-lift member as defined in claim 5 th interengaging walls of which are flared.

7. A unitary combined-reinforcing-dloweland-top-lift member as defined in claim 5 the interengaging walls of which are provided with interlocking projections.

8. A plastic heel for a womans shoe comprising a broad top portion tapering to an elongated very narrow bottom portion to form a narrow high heel having a very narrow bottom portion extending more than half the height of the heel, said heel having a central vertical opening extending from the bottom end through said narrow portion, an elongated rigid hardened steel reinforcing member extending into said opening through said narrow portion of said heel, means for frictionally retaining said reinforcing member in said opening, said means including longitudinal flutings on said member, said reinforcing member having an enlarged flat head abutting the bottom of said heel, a tap for the bottom of said heel having a central opening for receiving said head, and means for mounting said tap on said heel and for preventing rotating movement of said tap.

9. A heel for a womans shoe comprising a broad top portion tapering to an elongated very narrow bottom portion to form a narrow high heel having a very narrow bottom portion extending more than half the height of the heel, said heel having a central vertical opening extending from the bottom end through said narrow portion, an elongated rigid reinforcing member extending into said opening through said narrow portion of said heel, means for frictionally retaining said reinforcing member in said opening, said reinforcing member having an enlarged flat head abutting the bottom of said heel, a tap of the bottom of said heel having a central opening for receiving said head, and means for mounting said tap on said heel and for preventing rotating movement of said tap, said mounting means including flutings on the perimeter of said head and complementary flutings around the central opening of said tap.

10. A plastic heel for a womans shoe comprising a broad top portion tapering to an elongated very narrow bottom portion to form a narrow high heel having a very narrow bottom portion extending more than half the height of the heel, said heel having a central vertical opening extending from the bottom end through said narrow portion, an elongated rigid hardened steel reinforcing member extending into said opening through said narrow portion of said heel, means for frictionally retaining said reinforcing member in said opening, said means including longitudinal flutings on said member, said reinforcing member having an enlarged flat head abutting the bottom of said heel, a tap for the bottom of said heel having a central opening for receiving said head, and means for mounting said tap on said heel and for preventing rotating movement of said tap, said mounting means including flutings on the perimeter of said head and complementary flutings around the central opening of said tap.

11. A plastic heel for a womans shoe comprising a broad top portion tapering to an elongated very narrow bottom portion to form a narrow high heel having a very narrow bottom portion extending more than half the height of the heel, said heel having a central vertical opening extending from the bottom end through said narrow portion, an elongated rigid hardened steel reinforcing member extending into said opening through said narrow portion of said heel, means for frictionally retaining said reinforcing member in said opening, said means including longitudinal flutings on said member, said reinforcing member having an enlarged flat head abutting the bottom of said heel, a tap for the bottom of said heel having a central opening for receiving said head, and means for mounting said tap on said heel and for preventing rotating movement of said tap, said tap being made of metal.

12. A plastic heel for a womans shoe comprising a broad top portion tapering to an elongated very narrow bottom portion to form a narrow high heel having a very narrow bottom portion extending more than half the height of the heel, said heel having a central vertical opening extending from the bottom end through said narrow portion, an elonated rigid hardened steel reinforcing member extending into said opening through said narrow portion of said heel, means for frictionally retaining said reinforcing member in said opening, said means including longitudinal flutings on said members, said reinforcing member having an enlarged flat head abutting the bottom of said heel, a tap for the bottom of said heel having a central opening for receiving said head,v

and means for mounting said tap on said heel and for preventing rotating movement of said tap, said tap being made of leather.

13. A plastic heel for a womans shoe comprising a broad top portion tapering to an elongated very narrow bottom portion to form a narrow high heel having a very narrow bottom portion extending more than half the height of the heel, said heel having a central vertical opening extending from the bottom end through said narrow portion, an elongated rigid hardened steel rein forcing member extending into said opening through said narrow portion of said heel, means for frictionally retaining said reinforcing member in said opening, said means including longitudinal flutings on said member, said reinforcing member having an enlarged flat head abutting th bottom of said heel, a tap for the bottom of said heel having a central opening for receiving said head, and means for mounting said tap 'on said heel and for preventing rotating movement of said tap, said tap being made of nylon.

14. A unitary combined reinforcing core and tap member for a heel and the like having a plastic body portion constituted of relatively weak material comprising an elongated metal reinforcing core constituted of material much harder than the plastic body portion and adapted to be driven into a correspondingly elongated interior opening of the heel and the like, the reinforcing core being provided with means for preventing its movement in the opening, and a tap secured to 'one end of the reinforcing core, means being provided for preventing separation of the tap from the reinforcing core when the reinforcing core is mounted in place in the heel opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,378,261 5/1921 Mencarelli 3634 X 1,401,808 12/1921 Monfils 36--34 1,985,651 12/1934 Branca 36-34 2,069,585 2/1937 Marchant 36-34 Examiners.

LEWIS J. LENNY, EDWARD V. BENHAM,

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A REINFORCED HEEL HAVING A BODY PORTION OF RELATIVELY WEAK MATERIAL PROVIDED AT ITS UPPER END WITH A RELATIVELY LARGE IMPERFORATE HEEL-SEAT SURFACE AND AT ITS LOWER END WITH A RELATIVELY SMALL APERTURED TREAD END THE APERTURE OF WHICH IS OF CROSS-DIMENSION OCCUPYING AN APPRECIABLE PORTION OF THE CROSS-DIMENSION OF THE TREAD END, THE BODY PORTION BEING TAPERED SHARPLY FROM THE HEEL-SEAT SURFACE TOWARD THE TREAD END IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE HEEL-SEAT SURFACE BUT MUCH LESS SHARPLY AT REGIONS MORE REMOTE FROM THE HEEL-SEAT SURFACE TO PROVIDE A RELATIVELY THIN STEM EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGHOUT THE GREATER PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE BODY PORTION AT THE SAID REGIONS MORE REMOTE FROM THE HEELSEAT SURFACE, THE BODY PORTION BEING INTERIORLY PROVIDED WITH A RECESS OF CROSS-DIMENSION SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE CROSS-DIMENSION OF THE APERTURE IN THE TREAD END EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGHOUT THE GREATER PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE BODY PORTION, INCLUDING THE STEM, FROM THE APERTURE IN THE TREAD END TO JUST BELOW THE HEELSEAT SURFACE, AND AN ELONGATED REINFORCING DOWEL CONSTITUTED OF MATERIAL MUCH HARDER THAN THAT OF THE BODY PORTION DRIVEN INTO THE RECESS, THE REINFORCING DOWEL BEING PROVIDED WITH ONE OR MORE PROJECTIONS BITING INTO THE WALLS OF THE RECESS TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE REINFORCING DOWEL IN THE RECESS, AND A TOP LIFT OF DIMENSIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE DIMENSIONS OF THE TREAD END SECURED RIGIDLY TO THE LOWER END OF THE REINFORCING DOWEL IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TREAD END, MEANS BEING PROVIDED FOR PREVENTING SEPARATION OF THE TOP LIFT FROM THE REINFORCING DOWEL WHEN THE REINFORCING DOWEL IS MOUNTED IN PLACE IN THE RECESS.