US3228050A

US3228050A - Moccasin type shoe

Info

Publication number: US3228050A
Application number: US288404A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Wall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-06-17
Filing date: 1963-06-17
Publication date: 1966-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-11

Description

Jan. 11, 1966 R. E. WALL 3,228,050

MOCCAS IN TYPE SHOE Filed June 17, 1963 INVENTOR R0561? EWall BY 9 m ATTORNEYS United States Patent 5,223,050 MOCCASIN TYPE SHOE Robert E. Wall, 70 Southworth St., Williamstown, Mass. Filed June 17, 1963, Ser. No. 288,404 9 Claims. (Cl. 12142) My invention relates to improvements in shoes, and has particular reference to those of the moccasin type although not limited thereto.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention has for its primary object to provide, as an article of manufacture, a novel and preferably moccasin type shoe which is produced by a unique method that results in exteriorly invisible stitching connecting at least certain components of the shoe upper.

A particular aim of the invention is to provide a novel dross shoe type of moccasin which eliminates the outwardly protruding U-form bead or ridge at the junction of the top or toe piece with the vamp, and wherein the stitching connecting these parts is exteriorly concealed.

More specifically the invention contemplates a novel method of moccasin manufacture which preferably utilizes a single blank to provide the vamp, quarters, counter, and a sole portion and wherein opposed edges of the top or toe piece are joined by hand sewn stitches from the inner surface, said stitches going only part way through the thickness of said parts. Thus, when the counter-providing edges of the blank are connected and the shoe is turned right side out and lasted, a butted and substantially exteriorly invisible toe piece and vamp-connecting seam will be provided.

Having reference to the preceding paragraph, it is also an object of the invention to provide an inner toe piece of greater area than the previously mentioned outer toe piece so as to overlie the inner surface stitching which connects the outer toe piece and vamp, means being provided to secure the inner toe piece in operative position and connected to said outer toe piece.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention, as to both structure and manufacturing method will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art upon reference to the accompanying drawing in connection with the detailed description thereof.

It is to be noted, however, that the drawing disclosure should be taken as illustrative rather than limitative as my inventive concept, both as to ultimate structure and method steps, is susceptible of other expression within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawing, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts wherever they appear in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a moccasin produced in accordance with and disclosing my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sole and vamp-providing blank with the counter-providing edges joined, the view further illustrating the outer toe portion in the process of being hand stitched to a portion of the vamp and also showing the inner and outer toe portions connected at their rear edges;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating positions of the vamp and toe portion of FIG. 2 and the moccasin type hand sewn stitching connecting the same;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the stitching of FIG. 3 as going through only a portion of the thicknesses of the toe portion and vamp; and

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters and turning to the completed moccasin type shoe shown in FIG. 1, it is seen to comprise the outersole 4 and the Patented Jan. 11, 1966 upper which is generally designated by reference character 5.

Outersole 4 is adhesively or otherwise secured to the insole-providing portion 10 of the blank 6 of FIG. 2. Thus blank 6 in FIG. 2 is shown inside out and provides the vamp 7, quarters 8, and a counter 9 in addition to the aforementioned integral inner sole portion 10. It should be observed that in FIG. 2, the inside-out blank 6 is shown partially assembled with toe piece 15 and its liner 16.

As will be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 2, the heel end of blank 6, which provides not only a portion of the inner sole 10 but also the counter 9 of FIG. 1, has the centrally located and forwardly extending cutout 14 providing the parallel edges 13. The forward end of this cutout 14 terminates in a slit 14a which ends in the region of the rear part of the vamp 7 area of the shoe, as indicated. Opposed edges of slot 14a are ultimately stitched together as at 12 and the function of cutout 14 and slit 14a wiii be presently explained.

While the blank 6 is still inside out as in FIG. 2, its counter-providing rear end portions 9a,'9a are machine stitched together in fiat contact as indicated at 11 in FIG. 2, to provide the counter 9 of FIG. 1.

Earlier reference has been made to the inner liner 16 for toe piece 15; and FIGS. 1 and 2 show marginal machine stitching 17 which secures said liner 16 to the free rear portion of toe piece 15. As suggested in FIG. 2 this attachment of liner 16 to toe piece 15 is preferably made before the toe piece is specially sewn (18) to the vamp 7. One of the primary purposes of liner 16 in the finished shoe of FIG. 1 is to marginally overlie the toe piece and vamp-connecting stitching 18 and thus protect the wearers foot against the discomfort of contact therewith.

In carrying out the invention, moccasin type hand stitching 18 is employed while both blank 6 and toe piece 15 are inside out, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, to join corresponding edge portions of the vamp 7 and outer toe piece 15 in approximate edge-to-edge engagement. FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show that the connecting stitching 18 at the site of the exposed inner surfaces of vamp 7 and outer toe piece 15 goes only through part of the thickness of these parts so that when the upper 5 is thereafter turned right side out, as in FIG. 1, the stitching 18 will be entirely concealed and only the neat inconspicuous seam 1801 will show.

When the exteriorly concealed hand stitching 18 of the vamp 7 to toe piece 15 has been completed, with the upper 5 still inside out, and before the opposed walls of slit 14 are machine stitched (12) together, the blank and

toe piece elements

6, 15 are treated with a softening liquid which may be ordinary tap Water. This softening treatment is to make the leather so pliable that the shoe upper 5 can, with the cooperation of the inner sole 10 provided slit 14a and opening 14, be readily turned right side out as in FIG. 1.

After the last-mentioned operation, the walls of sli-t 14a are stitched together as at 12 and the now right-side-out upper 5 is ready for the usual lasting operation in which the outer sole 4 is attached, etc.

Referring back to the inner sole-provided opening 14 and slot 14a it will be understood that respective opposed walls of same are free to spread away from one another to facilitate the operation of turning the completed upper 5 right side out. However, it is to be understood that with some moccasin shapes such as those with a wide toe portion and a counter 9 which is short in a depthwise direction, the blank 6 provided opening 14 and slit 14a can be omitted.

Either before or after the upper 5 has been turned right side out, as in FIG. 1, it will be understood that the liner 16 will be adhesively or otherwise secured to the inner surface of toe piece 15 and adjacent margins of the vamp 7 so as to overlie the vamp and toe piece-connecting stitching 18 to protect the wearers foot against the discomfort of contact therewith,

Also an interior reinforcing strip 20 will preferably be applied to extend rearwardly from the region of the toe piece and vamp junction about the upper edge of the latter and the upper edges of the quarters 8 and counter 9. Further an inner sole liner 22 will be inserted; and a backing piece 21 applied to the inner surface of counter 9 to interpose between the wearers heel and the stitching 11 which connects the portions 9a of the counter.

From the foregoing description it is believed that my novel manufacturing method and resulting moccasin type shoe will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the shoe art.

Although it is preferred to attach the liner 16 to the toe piece 15 prior to the stitching of the toe piece to the vamp 7, such operation can be attended to later on and even after the upper has been turned right side out as in FIG. 1.

Also, the stitching together of the

portions

9a, 9a to constitute the counter 9 can, of course, follow rather than precede the stitching of toe piece 15 t vamp 7. Then, too, although the stitching of

counter portions

9a, 9a together while the upper is inside out, as in FIG. 2, is a great time saver and a novel and highly important step in my method, still said operation could be performed after the upper has been turned right side out as in FIG. 1.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of making a shoe and particularly one of the moccasin-like type, which method comprises producing a first blank and a second blank for assembly to provide a shoe upper, each blank being of shoe upper material of substantial thickness and which material is either highly flexible or capable of being at least temporarily made so; forming said first blank to provide vamp, inner sole, quarter and counter portions, and wherein its inner sole-providing portion has a forwardly extending cutout of substantial length opening fom its heel end to laterally space joinable counter-providing portions; forming said second blank to constitute the outer toe portion of the shoe upper; succeeding method steps which include marginally connecting the toe-providing second blank and vamp area margins of the first blank by stitching from the inner surfaces of said blanks while the latter are inside out whereby to produce a shoe upper which will be inside out, all individual stitches of said stitching being extended only part way through the thicknesses of said blanks, whereby to provide a butted seam; connecting the 'free ends of the counter portions at opposite sides of said sole area-provided gap to thus close the rear end of said sole-provided gap, then turning the thus formed upper right side out, and finally subjecting same to the lasting operation which involves applying and securing an outer sole to the shoe upper.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, andwhich includes the cutting of a forwardly extending slit in the inner sole-providing portion of said first blank as an extension of said cutout and terminating said slit forwardly of the plane of the counter-providing areas of said first blank, whereby to facilitate the subsequent step of turning the shoe upper right side out.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, which includes the step of closing said slit after the shoe has been turned right sideout.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, and wherein the step of connecting the counter-providing portions at opposite sides of the gap in said first blank comprises extending the said portions rearwardly to align the free ends thereof and then stitching said portions together adjacent said free ends to provide the counter portion of the then inside out shoe upper.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, and wherein the step of connecting the counter-providing portions at opposite sides of the gap in said first blank comprises extending the said portions rearwardly to align the free ends thereof and then stitching said portions together adjacent said free ends to provide the counter portion of the then inside out shoe upper.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, and including the step of applying a material-softening composition to said blanks prior to the step of turning said joined blankprovided shoe upper right side out.

7. The method as set forth in claim 2, and including the step of applying a material-softening composition to said blanks prior to the step of turning said joined blank-provided shoe upper right side out.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 and which includes firstly the step of securing a top reinforcing strip to extend rearwardly from approximately the junction of the second blank-provided toe piece at each side of the interior surface of the shoe upper and about the counter; and then applying an upstanding Wearers heel protecting strip to the interior surface of the counter to overlie both said last-mentioned strip and the junction between the counter-providing portions of said first blank.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, and wherein a superposed inner sole liner is inserted into the upper after the latter has been turned right side out; and wherein in said lasting step, the outer sole is adhesively secured to the outer surface of the inner sole portion of said first blank so that the outer sole-carried adhesive reaches said liner through said inner sole cutout to help retain said liner in place.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,532,327 4/1925 Luppino 112267 X 1,960,803 5/1934 Baumer 112-267 2,050,751 8/1936 Enos 3655 2,420,466 5/ 1947 Cordeau 12142 X 2,866,211 12/1958 Herlihy 3611 2,946,069 7/1960 Bozza 12142 3,076,215 2/1963 Orlando 3657 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A SHOE AND PARTICULARLY ONE OF THE MOCCASIN-LIKE TYPE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES PRODUCING A FIRST BLANK AND A SECOND BLANK FOR ASSEMBLY TO PROVIDE A SHOE UPPER, EACH BLANK BEING OF SHOE UPPER MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS AND WHICH MATERIAL IS EITHER HIGHLY FLEXIBLE OR CAPABLE OF BEING AT LEAST TEMPORARILY MADE SO; FORMING SAID FIRST BLANK TO PROVIDE VAMP, INNER SOLE, QUARTER AND COUNTER PORTIONS, AND WHEREIN ITS INNER SOLE-PROVIDING PORTION HAS A FORWARDLY EXTENDING CUTOUT OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH OPENING FROM ITS HEEL END TO LATERALLY SPACE JOINABLE COUNTER-PROVIDING PORTIONS; FORMING SAID SECOND BLANK TO CONSTITUTE THE OUTER TOE PORTION OF THE SHOE UPPER; SUCCEEDING METHOD STEPS WHICH INCLUDE MARGINALLY CONNECTING THE TOE-PROVIDING SECOND BLANK AND VAMP AREA MARGINS OF THE FIRST BLANK BY STITCHING FROM THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID BLANKS WHILE THE LATTER ARE INSIDE OUT WHEREBY TO PRODUCE A SHOE UPPER WHICH WILL BE INSIDE OUT, ALL INDIVIDUAL STITCHES OF SAID STITCHING BEING EXTENDED ONLY PART WAY THROUGH THE THICKNESSES OF SAID BLANKS, WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A BUTTED SEAM; CONNECTING THE FREE ENDS OF THE COUNTER PORTIONS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SOLE AREA-PROVIDED GAP TO THUS CLOSE THE REAR END OF SAID SOLE-PROVIDED GAP, THEN TURNING THE THUS FORMED UPPER RIGHT SIDE OUT, AND FINALLY SUBJECTING SAME TO THE LASTING OPERATION WHICH INVOLVES APPLYING AND SECURING AN OUTER SOLE TO THE SHOE UPPER.