US809623A - Waterproof sole. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

J. N. MOULTON.

WATERPROOF SOLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1904.

Inveniam Likes 1V. Mbuliwn.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. MOULTON, OF-PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN R. REYNOLDS, OF HARTFORD. CONNECTICUT.

WATERPROOF SOLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed May 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,515.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES N. lNIoUL'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an 1mprovement in \Vaterproof Soles, of which the following description, in connection'with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

I rious kinds.

like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in waterproof shoes.

\Vaterproof shoes as now usually constructed are made by inter-posing a sheet of cork between the outer and the inner soles, and when the shoe is of the character known as the welt-shoe there is located in the cavity formed by the welt a filler of suitable material, usually ground cork. Shoes of this character are cumbersome in appearance and are further open to the objection that they are not durable, for the reason that the cork sole is not flexible or pliable, and therefore is liable to crack or break when the shoe is worn, this cracking or breaking of course destroying to a greater or. less extent the waterproof characteristics of the cork. Protectors of various kinds have been proposed as substitutes for cork, these protectors usually consisting of sheets of composite material of va- These composite sheet-protectors have, because of their initial cost or because of their unsuitability for the purpose for which it was proposed to use them, proved impracticable and have not gone into general use, there being at this time on the market substantially no waterproof shoeexcept the cork-sole shoe above referred to.

This invention has for its object to produce a waterproof protector for shoe-soles which shall be simple and inexpensive, which shall be reliable in its waterproof qualities, and can be added to the shoe without changing its appearance.

\Vith this and other objects in view the invention consists in a certain construction which will be hereinafter fully described and then more specifically pointed out. I

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the under side of a shoe embodying the invention, the parts being turned back in order to disclose the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. line 3 8 of Fig. 2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, (Z indicates the inner sole, and g the upper, of a welt-shoe, the welt being marked h,said parts being united by a line of stitches in the usual manner. The outer sole of the shoe is marked (6. According to the invention, there is located between the inner sole and the outer sole a waterproof protector. While the component parts of this protector may be varied, it will include a sheet of waterproof material, such as rubber, which forms the waterproof element of the protector, this waterproof material being combined with other material or materials, and the structure being made in such a way as to provide a body portion and an edge portion. The body portion is of proper size and shape to fill the cavity which in welted shoes and boots, to which this invention is especially applicable, is formed by attaching the welt to the upper and inner sole, and the edge portion isthin and flexible or pliable, so that it may overlie the seam by which the welt, upper, and inner sole are secured together. In order that the body portion may thus act as a filler, there is attached to the waterproof element a fillersection, which in the best constructions consists of a woven fabricsuch, for instance, as duck or canvas-this material being cheap, being readily attached to the sheet which forms the waterproof element, and having sufficient thickness to enable it to effect the desired function. In the particular construction illustrated the waterproof element consists of asheet'of rubber and is marked 0, and on this sheet there is superposed afiller-piece of duck or canvas, (marked 0,) this piece being Fig. 3 is a section on the of such a size, as has been indicated, to be contained within the cavity which exists between the inner sole and outer sole, this cav ity being bounded by the inner edge of the welt. The edge of the rubber sheet 5 extends beyond the edge of the piece of canvas or duck and is formed toprovide the thin, flexible, or pliable edge before referred to, which overlies the seam by which the welt, upper, and inner sole are secured together, this edge being relatively thin as compared with the thickness of the composite body portion of the protector. The term flexible as herein used is to be understood to mean that the material of which the edge is composed has the capacity of bending without breaking or cracking, as, with an edge of such mate rial, the constant flexing of the shoe-sole in wearing will not break or crack said edge. and thus destroy its waterproofing capacity. While this edge overlies the seam in the manner before described and is thus located between the welt and the outer sole, in the best constructions it will not extend out to the edges of the welt and sole. Because of the thinness of this protector edge it can be incorporated into a shoe without changing the appearence thereof, so that the shoe is not rendered bulky or unsightly in appearance by reason of the existence of this waterproof protector therein. The protector will, further, in the best constructions be provided with a reinforcing-sheet, which consists of a backing-sheet of thin fabricsuch, for instance, as muslin,(marked b on the drawings) which backing reinforces the protector against the stress upon the sole incident to use.

The protector may be produced in a variety of ways. A convenient Way of manufacturing it, however, is to form sheets of material consisting of the canvas, the rubber, and the muslin hereinbefore described, from which blanks for the protectors may be cut with suitable dies. These blanks may afterward be skived to remove the canvas from the rubber around the edge of the protector, the backing I) when it is employed materially assisting in the s'kiving operation.

It will be readily understood that the protector described will form an absolutely waterproof shoe. It is well known that the chief source of leaks in shoes is due to the fact that the water enters between the soles and filters into the shoe along the seam-line which connects the inner sole and upper. The protector described effectually prevents the water from entering at this point and further prevents dampness from penetrating into the shoe through the bottom of the sole. The protector further forms a filler for the space existing in welted shoes between the inner and outer soles, this rendering the use of any additional filler unnecessary. While the specific construction hereinbefore described forms a specific means for carrying the invention into effect, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications of this construction may be made without departing from the invention. The invention is not, therefore, to be limited to the specific construction hereinbefore set forth.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A waterproof protector and filler for welted shoes to be interposed between the inner and outer soles thereof, said protector including a body portion comprising a sheet of waterproof material and a filler-section attached thereto, and a relatively thin flexible a size to be contained within the cavity existing between the inner and outer soles and bounded by the edge of the welt and forming in connection with the rubber and the reinforcing-sheet a body portion, the rubber extending beyond the body portion and forming a thin flexible edge to overlie the seam by which the welt is secured to the upper and inner soles.

3. A waterproof protector and filler for welted shoes to be interposed between the inner and outer soles thereof, comprising a sheet of rubber, a filler-section secured to the sheet of rubber, said section being of a size to be contained within the cavity existing between the inner and outer soles, and a reinforcingsheet on the side of the rubber sheet opposite to that on which the filler-section is mounted, the filler-section, rubber and reinforcing-sheet forming a body portion and the rubber and reinforcing-sheet extending beyond the body portion and forming a relatively thin flexible edge to overlie the seam by which the welt, upper and inner soles are secured together.

4:. A shoe comprising an upper, an inner sole and a welt stitched together, an outer sole,

and a waterproof protector or filler interposed between the inner and outer soles, said protector including a body portion comprising a sheet of waterproof material and a filler-section and a relatively thin flexible waterproof edge, the thicker body portion serving as a filler for the cavity between the soles, and the thin flexible waterproof edge serving to overlie the seam by which the welt, upper and inner sole are secured together.

5. A shoe comprising an upper, an inner sole and a welt stitched together, an outer sole, a waterproof protector and filler interposed between the inner and outer soles, said protector comprising a sheet of rubber, a reinforcing-sheet and a filler-section, the filler-section' being contained within the cavity existing between the inner and outer soles and bounded by the edge of the welt, and forming in connection with the rubber sheet and the reinforcing-sheet a body portion, the rubber extending beyond the body portion and forming a relatively thin flexible edge which overlies the seam by which the Welt is secured to the upper and inner sole.

6. A shoe comprising an upper, an inner sole and a welt stitched together, an outer sole, a waterproof protector and filler interposed between the inner and outer soles, said protector comprising a sheet of rubber, a filler- I0 ing a relatively thin flexible edge which overlies the seam by which the welt, upper and inner sole are secured together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES N. MOULTON.

WVitnesses:

F. P. REYNOLDS, L. Z; POTTER.

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