US1068089A - Shank-piece for boots and shoes. - Google Patents

Description

' J. H. WAITE.

SHANK PIECE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED P31117, 1912,

Patented! July 22, 1913.

llllllTEU STATES FFIE.

JOHN 1l. "WAfE, F JBRCKTUW, MASSCHUSTT.

Specification of letters latent.

Fatented July 2%, 19rd.

Application filed February 1'?, 1h19. Ferial No. elltl.

l boot or shoe with a practicable and efficient shank piece of a novel and economical form which while having all the strength of an ordinary shank piece will be more flexible, and therefore, more comfortable to the wearer.

'llhe invent-ion also has for one of its objects the provision of these devices of such a form and nature that they will tend to prevent the falling of the arch in a normal foot and will also efficiently support an arch that has already fallen.

'l`he principal cause for the development of fallen arches is thel cheapening of the shoe and particularly of the shank thereof. @n account of the construction of this part with the main supporting element concealed, it can be cheapened very easily without detection and this has been done to such a degree within recent years that even the better classes of shoes have been materially weakened. lhis invention provides yfo-r strengthening this part of the shoe without materially increasing the costi; lt may be remarked also that another cause of this difficult-y is the almost universal demand for light hand sewed or Goodyear shoes. By this invention the advantages thereof are secured without danger of weakening the arches, and in fact with an accompanying means for supporting them. v

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a shoe constructed in accordance with this invention ;y Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof with parts removed to show interior construction; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and Fig. l is a side view of the arch reinforcing piece.

The invention is shown in simple form, and as the order of steps in manufacture is substantially the same as that commonly employed for machine made shoes, it need not be described in detail.

vllhe shoe is shown as having a vamp il, insole 9, counter 10, welt 11, and outsole 12. 'llhe reinforcing piece 13 consists of a single piece of leather skived around its edges and provided with one straight edge 1a and a continuously curved edge 15 opposite. lhis is placed in the shoe after the pounter is in, coming between the lining and the upper on the innerv side of the shank. Freferably it just laps over the inner end of the counter.. rlFhe straight edge 1l is drawn in and lasted, temporarily tacked to the last". rllhen it is rmly secured in position by sewing through the channel 16 in the insole to unite the upper, lining, welt, and reinforcement to 'the insole by a row of stitches 17. llt will be seen that the straight edge permits the reinforcement to be drawn over the edge of the insole and to be secured thereto convene iently in the manner just described. At the same time it does not involve the making of a different shape at this point from that vwhich ordinarily prevails as is the case with integral reinforcements heretofore proposed. And it can be made of a dilerent material from the insole and preferably is made of stiffer firmer material like the counter. Although it materially strengthens the shank at this point and effectively supports the instep it still is capable of yielding sufliciently to make a comfortable shoe and it is particularly comfortable on account of the fact that it can be made to lit'just as closely to the foot' as does any shoe that is Imachine made. lt will be seen also that the shape ofthe reinforcementiis such that it can be made with very little waste and even from small pieces of leather, and also it can be made of different kinds of leather according to the amount of rigidity or fleibility desired. As a particular addition to this feature, attention is called to the shank piece which is shown as composed of two pieces of spring steel Q() and 21. Thejpiece Qdis secured to the sole ixedly at a point substantially as far forward as the front end of the reinforcing strip Vand the piece 21 is secured at the opposite end at a 'point near the adjacent end of the reinforcing strip. The piece 20 is provided with two projections 22 separated from each other so as to constitute a bifurcated structure extending rearward so as just to overlap the front edge of the piece 9.1. The piece 21 has a single projection 23 extending forwardly betweenv -exert pressure upon them and to receive pressure from themwhile the shoe is being worn. This shank piece is `an important feature, as it has great flexibility, but yet is very strong. It is so shaped that practically l no metal is lost in stamping out the two members that compose. it and, taken altogether, it is almost co-extensive in length withlthe reinforcing piece. Their adjacent edges extend along substantially parallel with each other and very close together throughout their lengths. In this way this' part of the shoe is made flexible to a certain extent and yet it is so strong as to hold up the arch effectively. It will be seen therefore that these two features mutually coperate to produce the desired result, and that they are so located with respect to each other that each assists the other in doing so.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention and shown it as appliedto a particulartype of shoe, it is to be understood that I am aware that the invention can'be" 'carried out in other forms and can be applied to many other types of boots and shoes `without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited' to all the details herein shown and described, but

What I do claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a shank piece for boots and shoes consisting of two steelmembers, one member adapted to be Secured firmly to the insole at one end and having two separated projections extending therefrom in the same plane and free at their ends, the other fixed atthe opposite end and having a single projection extending freely therefrom between the two projections on the other member.

2. As an article of manufacture, a shank piece for boots and shoes consisting of two members, one member adapted to be secured lirmly to the insole at one end and having two separated projections extending therefrom and free at their ends, the other adapted to be xed at the opposite end and having a projection extending freely therefrombetween the two projections on the other member, the two projections extending toward the heel and the other projection away from the heel, and each projection overlapping the other member near itsy end.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. y

' JOI-IN H. WAITE. Witnesses:

DAVID W. BActTms, WILLIAM A. BoYDEN.

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