WO2005048762A1

WO2005048762A1 - Method of manufacturing a shoe last, and shoe lasts obtained by such a method

Info

Publication number: WO2005048762A1
Application number: PCT/IT2004/000641
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefano Ferazzoli
Original assignee: Linea B.F. Moda Plast S.R.L.
Priority date: 2003-11-24
Filing date: 2004-11-18
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: ITNA20030071A1

Abstract

The method of manufacturing a shoe last comprises making a shoe last from two separate portions that are forefoot (2) and centre-rear (1) portions, designed to be connected one to other, before modelling a determined shoe over the shoe last. The shoe last obtained comprises male-female type couplings (12, 13) as centring and assembling members, and further mutual tightening and locking means (14) to tighten and lock the foreffot portion to the centre-rear portion. In modelling shoes, the centre-rear portion remains always the same, both the shoe size and heel height being equal, while the foreffot portion changes according to the trend of the fashion.

Description

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SHOE LAST, AND SHOE LASTS OBTAINED BY SUCH A METHOD

DESCRIPTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a shoe last, and shoe lasts obtained by such a method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that shoes are manufactured over a wooden, sometimes plastics, forms o shoe lasts that reproduce closely the foot in its various sizes.

Further, it is known that also shoes, as well as other clothing articles, follow the dictates of fashion. This involves the shoe factories' need of either making different shoe lasts or ordering the same to specialised firms, at each season, to follow the current trend.

The drawbacks due to such a need are various, and affect the manufacturing process, the quality of the final product, the cost of the shoe, and the surrounding environment.

The applicant realised that on the same shoe size (generally a shoe with an Italian size 37 is chosen as a sample), some portions of a shoe last remain equal also when the trend changes. In fact, if a shoe must fit to a foot, the portion of the shoe that surrounds the foot more closely, i.e. the centre-rear portion, has to remain well adherent to it. Therefore, in shoes, particularly in lady's shoes, things that are usually changed from one season to another are tip and heel. With reference to Figure 1, a profile of a lady's shoe having a flat, elongated tip in fashion in this season is shown by way of example. In Figure 2, which is a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, a last for the lady's shoe D in Figure 1 is shown, in which a centre-rear portion A of the last is divided from a forefoot portion B of the same by a plane α. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION On these grounds, it was envisaged to overcome the drawbacks above mentioned by providing in a first aspect of the invention a method of manufacturing lasts, in particular for lady's shoe. In a second aspect of the invention, it concerns the lasts obtained by such a method.

The method of manufacturing lasts according to the invention comprises making each shoe last from at least two separated portions that are designed to be joined one to other before modelling a determined footwear over the shoe last. A shoe last obtained by the above method comprises at least two separate portions, i.e. a forefoot portion and a centre-rear portion, which are able to be joined one to other through respective and correspondent connecting pails comprising male-female type couplings as centring means and assembling members. The shoe last further includes mutual clamping means of the forefoot portion to the centre-rear portion. The shoe last further comprises locking means of the forefoot portion to the centre- rear portion. With the shoe last in two portions, that is at the present the preferred embodiment according to the invention, the centre-rear portion remains always the same, both the shoe size and heel height being equal, while the forefoot portion changes according to the trend of the fashion. In other words, with the present invention the same centre-rear portion is always used, while the forefoot portion changes to have shoes that are tipped or stumpy, more or less elongated, etc. The advantages of the invention can be readily appreciated. They are of economic kind: in fact, after the centre-rear portion has been made, the costs will be limited to manufacturing the only forefoot portion. The environment is more respected: until now, the shoe lasts of previous collections have been disposed in order to reduce storing problems and costs. According to the present invention only the forefoot portion of the shoe last should be disposed; as a matter of fact, for their reduced dimensions, it could be suitable to keep them for their reuse when the fashion will go on the same way.

According to the present method, the forefoot portion could be shaped beginning from its raw last of larger dimensions, using the centre-rear portion as a support. Further there are advantages for the manufacture: the shoe collections can be more various, thanks to the interchangeability of the forefoot portion with respect to the centre-rear portion. Furthermore, also the quality is improved and high levels of precision are achieved. In fact, a concave region of the centre-rear portion, that depends on the size of the shoe being manufactured but also on the height of the heel, has not to be repeated for every shoe model. If it had to be repeated, a shoe-last maker should work carefully every last, with a consequent easier possibility to make mistakes. On the contrary, according to the invention, once the concave or hollow region of the centre-rear portion is made, it remains always the same, being both the heel height and shoe size equal, and the forefoot portion has to be applied to the centre-rear portion to change the shoe last according to the fashion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be now described with reference to its preferred embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of a last for lady's shoe in which the heel has been taken away; Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of the shoe last of Figure 1, which is divided into two portions, i.e. a forefoot portion and a centre-rear portion;

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal vertical cross-section view of a centre-rear portion in a first embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention;

Figure 4 shows a perspective, partially sectioned view of the centre-rear portion of Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, of a forefoot portion of a first embodiment according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a side view of the forefoot portion of Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, of the forefoot portion in a second embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention;

Figure 8 shows a central vertical cross-section view of a centre-rear portion of the second embodiment of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a side view of the forefoot portion for the second embodiment;

Figure 10 shoes a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, of the centre- rear portion in a third embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention;

Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, of the forefoot portion in the third embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention;

Figure 12 shows a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, of the centre- rear portion in a fourth embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention; Figure 13 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section view of the forefoot portion for a fourth embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention; Figure 14 is a central vertical cross-section view of the centre-rear portion for a fifth embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention; and Figure 15 shows a diagrammatic perspective view, as a grid drawing, of the forefoot portion in the fifth embodiment of the shoe last according to the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a method of manufacturing shoe lasts, in which, instead of a step in which a last in a sole piece for a determined shoe is made, a shoe last is made from two portions that can be connected one to other by connection means with which the two portions are provided. The connection means can be of any suitable kind. However, with reference to drawings, some arrangements that carry out this function of connection are shown below. In particular, in Figures 3 to 6 a first embodiment of a shoe last made by the method according to the invention is shown. Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section view of a centre-rear portion, indicated as 1, and Figure 4 depicts the same in a partially sectioned perspective view from above. Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views as a grid drawing and as a side view respectively of a forefoot portion 2. The centre-rear portion 1 and the forefoot portion 2 are obtained through the separation plane α as shown in Figure 2. The surfaces facing each other of both the portions 1 and 2 have male-female coupling means in the shape of an edge 3 made in the separation plane on the centre-rear portion and designed to receive a portion 4 having a shape equal to the internal profile of the edge 3. The centre-rear portion 1 and the forefoot portion 2 are readily connected by two centring pins 5, 5 as diagrammatically shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the portion 2. The centring pins 5, 5 are shown movable, so that they can be fitted in correspondent holes 6, 6 of the forefoot portion 2 or the centre-rear portion. In order to complete the coupling, there is provided a threaded pin 7 engaging a counter-threaded seat 8 inside the centre-rear portion 1 of the shoe last with a counter-threaded 8' in the forefoot portion 2. Finally a conic peg 9 (Figure 4) is fitted transversally to assure a firm connection. The grid structure, which has been used for the drawing, although it is diagrammatic, helps to improve the comprehension of all the connection parts. Referring to Figures 7 to 9, which are a perspective view and a partial cross-section view of a centre-rear portion and a side view of a forefoot portion respectively, a second embodiment of a shoe last according to the invention is shown. The centre- rear portion is indicated as 10 and the forefoot portion is indicated as 11. The male- female coupling is performed by means of a shaped protrusion 12, which projects backward from the forefoot portion 11 and is accommodated in a corresponding recess 13, which is provided in front of the centre-rear portion 10 of the shoe last. Moreover, in order to complete the connection between the protrusion 12 and the recess 13 as a seat thereof, a conic peg 14 (Figure 8) is provided to be fitted from above both in co-axial holes 15 and 17 of the centre-rear portion 10 and in the hole 16 of the interposed body 12, when the centre-rear portion 10 and the forefoot portion 11 are coupled. Thanks to the depth of the protrusion 12 in this second embodiment, any tightening pin is not provided.

Now, reference is made to Figures 10 and 11, in which a third embodiment of the invention is shown. In this embodiment a centre-rear portion 20 and a forefoot portion 21 have a central protrusion 22 of the forefoot portion 21 being fitted in a recess 23 of the centre-rear portion 20. A tightening pin 24, which is provided in a respective screw, is feed into a corresponding threaded hole 25 in the central protrusion 22 of the forefoot portion 21. Moreover, centring pins 26, 27, which are fitted in holes 28, 28, are provided. Finally, a frustoconical pin 29 is fitted from above to hold the forefoot portion 21 to the centre-rear portion 20.

Now, reference is made to Figures 12 to 15, in which a fourth embodiment of the invention is shown. In this embodiment the centre-rear portion 30 and the forefoot portion 31 have male-female couplings in the form of pins 32 orthogonally projecting from the wall of the forefoot portion 31 and accommodated in holes 35 of the centre-rear portion 30. At least a tightening pin 33 is provided in a respective threaded place 34 of the forefoot portion 31, screwed in a hole 36 of the centre-rear portion 30.

It should be clear that centring, mounting, tightening and locking means are chosen in an only illustrative way and that others means can be used without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a shoe last, the shoe last being the basis on which a shoe is modelled, characterised in that each shoe last is made from at least two separate portions that are a forefoot portion and a centre-rear portion, the one portion being connectable to the other to make up a certain shoe last, before modelling a determined shoe.

2. A shoe last obtained by the method according to claim 1, characterised in that the shoe last comprises at least two separate portions that are a forefoot portion and a centre-rear portion, the one portion being connectable to the other by means respective, corresponding joining parts comprising male-female type couplings as centring and assembling members.

3. The shoe last according to claim 2, characterised in that the shoe last comprises mutual tightening means to tighten the forefoot portion to the centre-rear portion of the shoe last.

4. The shoe last according to claim 2, characterised in that the shoe last further comprises locking means to lock the forefoot portion to the centre-rear portion of the shoe last.