US2344503A - Lasting shoes - Google Patents

Description

M. CUOZZO LASTING SHOES March 21, 1944.

Filed Sept. 3, 1941' 5 Sheets-Sheet l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 21, 1944. -M. CUOZZO LASTING SHOES Filed Sept. 3, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LASTING snoss Michele Cuozzo, Lynn, Mass. Application September 3, 1941, Serial No. 409,368

18 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in lasting shoes and has'as its primary object the method of lasting a pair of shoes in a single operation.

Heretofore it has been the universal practice, so far as it is known, to last the two shoes of a pair independently. Thus there was no certainty that both shoes of a pair would be subjected to the same lasting stress and would have the same appearance when finished or would wear equally well. Moreover, the usual lasting methods, so far as factory production is concerned, ordinarily require expensive machinery and highly skilled operators. Among the advantages of the present invention are the reduction in the time consumed in lasting a pair of shoes; the provision of a very simple method which can be performed for example by relatively inexpensive machinery and by relatively unskilled operatives; the assurance that both shoes of a pair will be subjected to the sam lasting stress and will thus have substantially the same appearance when completed and will wear substantially equally; and further a saving in upper leather since the usual lasting margin may be substantially reduced. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of two superposed comunit along the lasting margin;

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view of a pair of lasts carrying insoles with the quarter unit of Fig. 13 attached thereto:

Fig. illustrates a vamp unit consisting of two tongues connected by straps; and

Fig. 16 is a side elevational view of a pair of lasts carrying insoles with the straps of the unit of Fig. 15 attached thereto;

plete uppers of a pair of shoes which have been united at the vamps in accordance with this Y invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the uppersv of Fig. 1 turned inside out;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation, with parts broken away, of the uppers of Figs. 1 and 2 assembled with the insoles upon a pair of lasts:

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken along theline 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates in perspective the uppers, insoles and lasts mounted in a machine by which the vamps of the uppers are pulled over and attached to the insoles;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the machine of Fig. 5, one of the lasts with its insole and upper being removed;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of a machine by which the quarters and shanks of a pair of shoes are pulled over and attached to the insoles;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the wiping element of such machine;

Fig. 9 is a perspective'viewwf a welt which may be assembledwith the shoes:

The application of the invention to the manufacture of shoes having full uppers will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of the drawings.

A pair of complete uppers 20 provided with elastic box toe linings 2| (only one shown) is laid face to face with the outer surfaces in contact and united at the edges by a row of stitches 22 along the lasting margins. The united right and left uppers are then turned to expose the outer surfaces, and the heel counters applied in the usual manner to the closed heels. Lasts 25 to which insoles 28 are tacked are otherwise secured, are then inserted into the uppers, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Prior to the insertion of the lasts the insoles 23 are treated along the bottom edges with a suitable adhesive such as pyroxylin or liquid plastic cement or thermoplastic cement. When pyroxyiin cement is employed it is activated by an acetone solution before the lasts are inserted... If a thermoplastic cement is employed it is activated by heat at a later stage in the process. I

The pulling over of the uppers is preferably though not necessarily performed by the use of an appropriate machine. The numeral 3|! (Fig. 5) designates a very simple mechanism for the purpose. The pulling over in the machine 30 is performed by a-looped constricting strand 3! of wire or suitable strong and flexible material. The united uppers on their respective lasts are so presented to the machine that the loop portion of the 38 Fixed to the adjacent edges of the tables 33 are journal bearings 35 which receive the ends of shafts 3'! carrying pulleys or grooved rollers 38 over which the strand 3| is guided. These pulleys '38 are arranged to cause the crossing point of the strand to be located at the desired point relative to the shoe and, to accommodate shoes of different sizes, the shafts 31 may be mounted in adjustable bearings if desired. The shaft 35 is rotatably supported in Journal bearings 40 mounted on two .of the legs 34 and carries at one end a disk 4| provided with a handle'42 and at the other end a ratchet 43. The lasts 25 carrying the uppers 20 are supported on the tables 33 with the strand 3| in the space 32 (see Fig. 5). The strand 3| crosses just below the ball portions of the vamps (Fig. 6) so that, when the shaft 35 until the margins of the uppers have adhered firmly to insoles 25. In order to wipe the margins over the insoles at the shank, spools 39 of rubber or similar material are slipped along the strand so thatwhen the strand is tightened the spools 39 will be located as in Figs. 5 and 6.

The two lasts 25 carrying the uppers 20 thus attached to the insoles 26 are then mounted in a machine 45 by which the heel seats and shanks of the uppers are pulled over and attached to the insole and the lasting of both shoes completed. The machine 45 comprises a post 45 on which are supported a pair of arms 41 and 48 and a wiping device, 49. The device 49 comprises a pair of wipers 50 which may be solid rubber or inflatable bags, pivotally supported at one end upon a sleeve 5| through which the post 45 passes. The wipers 50 are yieldably held in contact with each other as by a bolt 52 passed through both wipers 50, a coil spring 53 and a crank 54 threaded on one end of the bolt 52, the other end being fixed in one wiper 50. The tension of the spring 53 between the crank 54 and the other wiper 50 is regulated by the crank 54 so that the wipers are yieldably advanced toward each other to pull over the margins of the heel seats and shanks and wipe them against the adhesive coated surfaces of the insole 25. The lasts 25 are held in the machine 45 by the arms 41 and 48 between which the lasts are positioned as shown in Fig. 7. The arm 41 rests upon a collar 55 fixed on the post 46. The arm 48 carries a pinion 55 which meshes with a rack 51 on the post and which is rotated by a crank 58 to resist separation of the lasts during the wiping operation. The sleeve 5| is yieldably held in position on the post 45 by springs 58 and collars 60 so that the wipers engage both uppers.

The lasted uppers and insoles are at this stage joined to form two completely lasted shoes still connected at the forepart. The connection at the forepart is now severed, preferably by a knife at the space 32, and the making of the shoes is 7 completed separately in any well known manner.

If it be desired that the finished shoes be provided with welts, a V-shaped strip 65 is inserted in the space 32 before pulling over the foreparts of the uppers in the machine (see Figs. 9 and 10). The contacting surfaces of the strip 55 and the uppers 20 are joined by a suitable. adhesive. The strand 3| seats the strip 65 in position when the pulling over of the foreparts previously described starts. Those surfaces of the upper which contact with the strip 35 are preferably roughened before adhesive is applied. a

This invention is applicable to the manufacture of scuffs and other shoes having an upper consisting of a vamp alone or in combination with a separate quarter. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, two vamps 10 are superimposed with the outer surfaces in contact and joined by a line of stitch-.

ing 1|. alongLthe inner edges of the lasting margins. The vamps ID are then turned and lasts 15 carrying insoles I5 inserted. A strand 1! similar to the strand 3| previously described is employed to pull over the margins of the vamps and attach them to the outer surfaces of the insoles which have previously been provided with adhesive coatings. The vamps 10 are separated and the shoes completed independently.

If shoes having separate vamps and quarter are desired the quarters 30 are "prepared as shown in Figs. 13 and 14. The quarters are joined with the outer surfaces in contact by a line of stitching 8| along the edges of the lasting margins and wrapped around lasts to which have been attached the insoles 18 carrying the vamps 10. The lasts 85 may be truncated, the foreparts being removed so that the toe portions of, the insoles 16 with the vamps ID are free. The insoles and quarters are assembled on the lasts and secured by tacks or the like in the well known manner. A strand 81 is employed to pull over the margins of the quarters 30 and attach them to the insoles in'the same manner as are the vamps 10 treated. The quarters 80 are then severed and the shoes suitably completed independently. It will be understood, however, that this operation may be reversed and the insoles 15 secured to the quarters before'assembly with the lasts 15 or that the quarters may be attached to insoles carrying uppers of other types than that described or carrying no uppers whatsoever.

This invention is also applicable to the lasting of shoes, e. g. sandals whose forepart uppers each comprises a tongue and a plurality of straps connecting the'tongue with the insole. Heretofore the straps have been inlasted and secured separately to the insoles, which has required the expenditure of considerable time and labor and much skill in order to provide equal stretch of the several straps. Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate one way of employing this invention in lasting shoes of this type. Two tongues are Joined by a plurality of straps 9| to form a pocket, the straps varying in length as required by the finished shoes. Lasts provided with insoles 96 are inserted into the pocket thus formed, with the tongues 90 resting on the cones of the lasts. The straps 9|, which as shown in Fig. 16 extend over the toes of both lasts, are pulled over the insoles 96 and secured thereto by a strand 91 in the manner previously described. The portions of the straps thus brought into contact with the insoles 95 are secured thereto by adhesive or other means in the well known manner. The straps are severed along the line taken by the strand 3! and the shoes completed independently in the manner desired.

From the preceding description it will be noted that the essence of this invention resides in the simultaneous lasting of a' pair of shoes. Several ways of carrying out this invention have been disclosed as by forming the uppers of the two shoes (either complete. uppers, vamps or quarters) as a single unit, assembling said unit with both lasts, pulling over the unit and attaching it to the insoles and severing the unit between the insole attached portions thereof. The pulling over andiattaching of this unit are described as performed by a constricting strand of wire or any other strong and flexible material suitable for the purpose actuated by a mechanical means, but obviously means other than constrictive strands, for instance, suitably actuated wiper-plates or the like, might be employed, and the strands or other devices may be actuated manually. Moreover when making shoes having full uppers, the foreparts of the shoes are first lasted, and then the quarters and shanks are simultaneously lasted before the foreparts of the two shoes are separated.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that other embodiments thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

' Iclaim:

1. The method'of lasting a pair of shoes simultaneously which comprises as steps preparing a pouch-like blank suitable to form corresponding end portions of a right upper and a left upper respectively, inserting corresponding end portions of a right and a left last in said blank with the bottoms of the lasts opposed to each other, and applying constrictive force to the blank in a plane substantially midway between the last bottoms, thereby to force portions of the blank inwardly between the last bottoms and snugly to stretch said end portions of the upper about the end portions of the respective lasts.

2. The method of lasting a pair of shoes simultaneously which includes the steps of Joining the lasting margins of corresponding elements of the two shoe uppers to form a unit, and assembling' the two lasts on which the shoes are to be lasted with such unit.

3. The method of lasting a pair of shoes simultaneously which includes the steps of joining the lasting margins of corresponding elements of the two shoe uppers to form a unit, ailixing the insoles to the two lasts on which the shoes are to be lasted, and assembling the lasts and insoles with such unit.

4. The method of lasting a pair of shoes simultaneously which includes the steps of joining the lasting margins of corresponding elements of the two shoe uppers to form a unit, affixing the insoles to the two lasts on which the shoes are to be lasted, assembling the lasts and insoles with such unit, and pulling the unit over both lasts.

5. The method of lasting a pair of shoes simultaneously which includes the steps of joining the lasting margins of corresponding elements of the two shoe uppers to form a unit, afhxing the insoles to the two lasts on which the shoes are to be lasted, assembling the lasts and insoles with such unit, and pulling the unit over both lasts and attaching the margins of the elements forming the unit to the outer surface of said insoles.

6. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes having full uppers which includes the steps of superposing the vamps of said uppers with their outer surfaces in contact, joining the lasting margins of said vamps, turning said uppers, affixing insoles to the lasts on which shoes are to be lasted, assembling the-lasts and insoles with the uppers, pulling the joined vamps over said lasts, and attaching the lasting margins thereof to said insoles.

7. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes having full uppers which includes the steps of superposing the vamps of said uppers with their outer surfaces in contact, Joining the lasting margins of said vamps, turning said uppers, affixing insoles to the lasts on which shoes are to be lasted, assembling the lasts and insoles with the uppers, pulling the Joined vamps over said lasts and attaching the lasting margins thereof to said insoles, pulling the lasting margins of the shanks and quarters over said lasts, and attaching the lasting margins thereof to said insoles, and serving said vamps between the attached lasting margins.

8. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes which includes the steps of superposing the vamps with the outer surfaces in contact, joining the lasting margins of said vamps to form a unit, turning said vamps, inserting into the units the toes of a pair of lasts and insoles, pulling said vamps over said lasts, attaching the lasting margins thereof to said insoles, and separating the vamps between the attached lasting margins.

9. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes which includes the steps of superposing the vamps with the outer surfaces in contact, Joining the lasting margins of said vamps to form a unit, turning said vamps, inserting into the units the toes of a pair of lasts and insoles, rendering the outer surfaces of the foreparts of the insoles adhesive adjacent to their edges, and tightening a strand upon the unit between the outer surfaces of the insoles to pull the vamps over the lasts to wipe the margins of the vamps against the adhesive areas of the insoles and to hold the margins in contact with the insoles until attached thereto and severing the unit between such margins.

10. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes which includes joining the two quarters along the lasting margins with the outer surfaces in contact to form a unit, assembling insoles with two lasts, wrapping the unit around the heel ends of the lasts and insoles with the line of Joinder between the insoles, securing the upper edges of the quarters to the lasts, pulling the quarters over the lasts, attaching the lasting margins to the outer surfaces of the insoles, and separating the quarters between the attached lasting margins. 4

11. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes which includes joining the two quarters along the lasting margins with the outer surfaces in contact to form a unit, assembling insoles with two lasts, wrapping the unit around the heel ends of the lasts and insoles with the line of joinder between the insoles, securing the upper edges of the quarters to the lasts, rendering the outer surfaces of the heel ends of the insoles adhesive adjacent to the edges thereof, tightening a strand about the unit between the outer surfaces of the insoles to pull the quarters over the lasts and wipe the margins of the quarters against the adhesive areas of the insoles, holding the margins in contact with the insoles until attached thereto, and severing the unit between such margins.

12. That method of lasting simultaneously a pair of shoes having vamps which comprise a tongue portion and a plurality of straps connecting the tongue portion with the insole which method includes the steps of forming a pouch-like unit consisting of two tongue portions connected by a plurality of straps. inserting into such unit a a pair of lasts with which insoles are associated with the tongue portions in contact with the cones of the lasts, rendering the outer surfaces of the foreparts of the insoles adhesive adjacent the edges thereto, tightening a strand upon the portions of the straps between the insoles to pull the vamps over the lasts and wipe the straps against the adhesive areas of the insoles, holding the straps in contact with such areas until attached thereto, and severing the straps between the attached portions.

13. That method of lasting shoes which comprises as steps preparing a pouch-like blank suitable to form a right upper and a left upper, inserting a pair of lasts in said blank, and forcing portions of the blank inwardly between the bottoms of the lasts thereby-snugly to stretch the uppers about their respective lasts.

14. That method of -lasting shoes which comprises as steps providing a right and a left upper, uniting the lasting margins of said uppers while the uppers are inside out, turning the uppers, inserting a last in each upper, assembling a V- shaped strip with the portions of the uppers between the lasts, rendering the contacting surfaces of strip and uppers adhesive, and causing constricting means to engage the strip and to force the strip and the uppers in contact therewith inwardly between the last bottoms thereby simultaneously drawing the uppers snugly about their respective lasts.

15. That method of lasting shoes which comassasos prises as steps providing a right and a left upper, uniting said uppers to form a pouch-like blank, inserting a last and an insole into each upper, and engaging constricting means with the outer surfaces of the uppers between the insoles and thereby forcing said uppers inwardly between the insoles so as to draw the uppers snugly about their respective lasts.

16. That stage product in the simultaneous lasting of a pair of shoes which comprises a right and a left shoe upper disposed with their lasting margins in contact, and means uniting said mar- 17. That stage product in the simultaneous lasting of a pair of shoes which comprises a corresponding end portion of a right and a left shoe upper, said end portions having their lasting margins firmly united, each of said end portions being completely lasted.

18. That method of lasting-shoes which comprises as steps providing corresponding end portions of a right and a left upper, uniting the lasting margins of said end portions while said end portions are inside out and turning the united end portions thereby forming a. pouch-like unit, inserting within said pouch-like unit rigid forming means having surfaces contoured like the uppershaping surfaces of a pair 01' lasts, and applying constrictive force to the pouch-like unit in a plane substantially midway between said upper-shaping surfaces of the forming means thereby to stretch and last the respective upper end portions about the respective upper-shaping surfaces of the said forming means.

MICHELE CUOZZO.

. cxnnmcnm 0F conmzcnon. Patent No, 2,3h1p,5'O, March 21, 191414..

MICHELE GUOZZO.

It is hereby certified that error appear: in theprinted specification or the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows; Page 5, second column, line 15, claim 7, for 'eerving' read wavering; eudth'at the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ceee in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 9th day or Hay, A. 1:. 19%.

Leslie Frazer (seal) Acting commissioner of Patents.

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