GB2172189A

GB2172189A - A method of manufacturing footwear

Info

Publication number: GB2172189A
Application number: GB08520921A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giancarlo Tauzi
Original assignee: ASOLO SpA
Current assignee: ASOLO SpA
Priority date: 1985-02-14
Filing date: 1985-08-21
Publication date: 1986-09-17
Also published as: NZ215135A; JPH07114722B2; EP0191389A3; IT8541517A0; GB8520921D0; ES552205A0; IT1189716B; ES8706411A1; AU5295586A; JPS61187804A; GB2172189B; EP0191389A2

Abstract

Pre-formed component parts, which consist of a lining or innerboot 1, an anatomically-shaped stiffened or semi-stiffened insole 3 with integral toe-puff 4 and heel counter 5, an upper 8 and a profiled sole 9, are assembled as follows: a) the insole 3 is mounted onto the pre-formed lining or innerboot 1, b) the upper 8 is pulled over the insole 3 and the lining or innerboot 1 to enclose the latter, c) the sole 9 is positioned on the in sole 3 and onto the bottom of the upper 8, and d) glue which has already been spread over the connecting parts is activated and the parts are held together by pressure until the glue sets. <IMAGE>

Description

1 GB2172189A 1

SPECIFICATION

A method of manufacturing footwear This invention concerns a method of manufac- 10 turing footwear.

Modern techniques of footwear manufacture invariably include the step of mounting footwear upper onto a last by using temporary fixing means, such as metal needles, to attach the upper to the last. A toe-puff and a separate heel counter are then arranged between the upper and a lining. The toe-puff and heel counter are manipulated so as to take up the shape of the last at the toe and heel and they are hardened by heating to provide the inner structure for the finished item of footwear. Thus, it is usual practice that the individual parts making up the item of footwear are gra- dually sewn and glued together to obtain the finished product.

This method is quite complex and time-consuming and requires considerable skill on the part of the production worker. Consequently production (labour) costs are high and the number of defective items produced is often quite considerable.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method which in the first place cuts down 39 production time and in the second place reduce _the amount of equipment used on the production line.

A further object is to provide a footwear manufacturing method which does not require much skill on the part of the production workers yet enables a product of excellent and consistent quality to be produced.

Further objects are to minimise dead production time between one operation and an other and to cut down the overall production cost of the footwear.

These objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by a method of manufacturing footwear which is characterised by the following steps: a) pre-forming four component parts, namely an anatomically shaped, pre-formed and stiffened or semi-stiffened insole with integral toe-puff and heel counter, a lining or innerboot, an upper and a sole; b) mounting the pre-formed insole with integral toe-puff and heel counter onto the pre-formed lining or innerboot; c) mounting the pre- formed upper onto the insole assembled with the lining or innerboot, d) positioning the pre-formed sole onto a prepared bottom part of the upper, and) activating glue which is spread on the various component parts to connect same firmly together.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 a, b, c, d, show the four footwear component parts used in the new method of the invention, namely lining, insole, upper, sole; Fig. 2 illustrates the first step of the method; Fig. 3 illustrates the second step of the method; and Fig. 4 illustrates the third and final step.

Fig. 1 shows the four component parts which must first be pre-formed in the method of the invention. First, in Fig. 1 a there is a softened lining or innerboot 1 (often referred to in the trade as a sock) which includes padded sections 2 having more or less the same structure as the ultimate interior of the footwear item being made. Second, in Fig. lb there is a stiffened or semi-stiffened anatomi- cally-shaped insole 3 which is formed in one piece with a toe-puff 4 and a heel counter 5. This is accomplished by injection moulding of plastics. The above-mentioned insole can also be stiffened or reinforced by a stiffening blade 6 which can be fixed to the insole by rivets 7, as shown in Fig. 2, and/or by glue. The third component, shown in Fig. 1 c, is an upper 8 and the fourth component, shown in Fig. 1d, is an outer sole 9 preferably with raised edges 10, a heel counter 11 and ridges 16 on the underside. All these components are mass produced at fixed prices by the usual tech niques used in this technical field.

This preliminary production or pre-forming of the semi-finished parts, i. e. the component parts shown in Fig. 1 a to d, creates a store for the subsequent procedures in accordance with the invention.

The remainder of the method, consisting of assembly of these pre-formed components may take place some time later and at a different location, The method of assembly consists firstly of mounting, i.e. inverting, the softened lining or inner-boot 1 onto a simple support 12 (not a special last), and mounting the pre-formed stiffened or semi-stiffened insole thereon, as shown by the arrows 13 in Fig. 2. In the second phase of assembly the upper 8 is pulled over the insole 3 and the lining or innerboot 1 as shown by the arrow 14 in Fig. 3. Thus the upper 8 surrounds the softened lining or innerboot 1 which is still located on the support 12.

After this operation the support 12 is no longer needed because the stiffened or semistiffened anatomically-shaped insole 3 which is now located between the softened lining or innerboot 1 and the upper 8 gives stability and rigidity to the structure. In other words, the footwear item is now practically mounted around the stiffened or semi-stiffened insole 3 which provides the frame or structural component of the assembly. Subsequently the insole 3 is mounted onto the outer sole 9, as shown in Fig. 4.

All the component parts of the footwear item are spread beforehand at appropriate places with special glue which is only acti- vated and rendered adhesive by ultrasonic or 2 GB2172189A 2 thermal means.

Once the footwear item has been completely assembled as described above, it is treated appropriately to activate the glue and for the time necessary to obtain secure connection of the four component parts 1, 3, 8, 9. Until the glue sets definitely, the component parts are held together mechanically e.g. by clips or clamps around the periphery. At the end of this operation, the footwear item is 75 completely and perfectly assembled and no further operation is required.

Obviously, it will be understood that the above-described method may differ-in minor details, such as materials and dimensions which will vary according to requirements.

With the described method the component parts making up the footwear can be assembled quickly with notable reduction in the time compared to that which is nowadays neces- sary for carrying out similar operations by tra ditional methods. Indeed a time saving of some 30% is readily achieved by the method described above.

Moreover, to carry out all the operations special equipment is not necessary and in fact the amount of equipment required is notably reduced compared to the equipment needed hitherto. In particular, it is not necessary to fix the materials or component parts onto the last which can now be just a simple support.

The whole structure is assembled around the stiffened or semi-stiffened anatomicallyshaped insole making up the rigid frame of the entire item of footwear. The toe-puff and heel counter are integrally formed with the insole and they do not require manipulation or heating to mould them to the correct shape and harden them, which processes often lead to material defects and premature deterioration of these parts in items of footwear made by the traditional method. Moreover, the heating which was previously essential precluded the use of certain new waterproof materials in the toe cap and heel counter and such advantageous materials can now be used without any problem. Furthermore, the pre-formed insole can be made, as required, to suit the particular type of footwear with materials moulded thereon to impart strength or other properties to any or all regions of the onepiece insole. A further advantage which facilitates speed of assembly in the method of the invention is that only one part, i. e. the integral insole, is required to be made in different sizes and selected during production rather than three separate sized parts (toe-cap, heel counter and insole) in the previously known method.

Given its simplicity, the method of the invention allows production of footwear in notably reduced time and at reduced cost compared to other current methods. The assembly of the semi-finished (pre-formed) component parts around a stiffened structure creates a product of high quality and homogeneity without having to depend on the skills of the individual production worker. In this way massproduction with high output and low costs can be obtained.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing footwear which is characterised by the following steps:

a) pre-forming four component parts, namely an anatomically-shaped, pre-formed stiffened or semi-stiffened insole with integral toe-puff and heel counter, a lining or innerboot, an up per and a sole, b) mounting the.pre-formed insole with inte gral toe-puff and heel counter onto the pre formed lining or innerboot, c) mounting the pre-formed upper onto the insole assembled with the lining or innerboot, d) positioning the pre-formed sole onto a prepared bottom part of the upper; and e) activating glue which is spread on the various component parts to connect same firmly together.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 charac terised in that during the first assembly stage the lining or innerboot is mounted on an inter nal support before the stiffened or semi-stif fened insole is mounted onto said lining or innerboot.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that during the second assembly stage the pre-formed upper is pulled over the insole and the lining or innerboot which are mounted on the internal support so that the insole is retained between the upper and the lining or innerboot and gives structural rigidity to the assembly.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised in that the simply assembled footwear has glue applied to join the components which are held intact mechanically until the glue sets definitely.

5. A method of footwear manufacturing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Printed in the United Kingdom for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Dd 8818935, 1986, 4235. Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.