US1784276A - Soft box toe - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1930. L DALY 1,784,276

SOFT BOX TOE Filed Jan. 18, 1927 Zw@ z- /Z \/1 s s S I zvelztor laallefl.gl

Patented nec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE CHARLES Lno DALY, or BnocxToN, MAssAcHUsE'rTs, AssIGNon, BY masiva ASSIGN- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS WATEBTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- son nox fronv Application 1aed :maartv 1s, 191:7,V serial no. 161,775. l

The usual soft box toe is an all-leather, allcork, or all-rubber blank or a combinationof any'of these with a slight percentage of thermoplastic impregnant to give the blank some 5 stiffness.y In assembling this type of blank in the toe of the shoe the usual practice isv the blank between the lining and thel 15 the foot will drop away from the blank.

Where it is attempted to stitch the soft box toe to the toe tip, the blank will wrinkle below the stitch line.

To the end, therefore, of providing a soft box toe blankwhich may be firmly anchored to the toe tip of the shoe without stitching, and which when so lincorporated,will retain its position relative to the tip without wrinkling, and hold the toe lining up from the toes, I have devised my present invention. According to it, I apply to either or both faces of the soft toe blank, either adjacent the tip line only or through a substantial portion of the blank, a coating of'latently adhesive ma- 3o terial which is capable .of being rendered adhesive upon treatment, as by heat treatment, by wetting, immersion in a solvent, or by exposure to the solvent vapor, and which coating is different in character and results from the thermoplastic impregnant which is sometimes used to stiffen thebody of the s oft toe blank.

Beforethe blank is lasted, this coatingis rendered adhesive so that it will anchor the blank to the toe tip vamp and, if desired, to thelining of the shoe, whereby toof itself adhesivelyfix the blank within the shoe, thus avoiding the necessity for stitching in the blank or for simply laying it loosely in the toe as in present methods. Moreover, the adherent coating reinforces the blank along its line of greatest weakness thus not only preventing wrinkling but imparting tothe soft toe a slight degree of stillness` which enables the shoe better to hold its shape.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated embodiments of my invention which I have found satisfactory in practical use.

Fig. 1 is a partial section through a lasted upper showing a soft box toe blank assembled thereink in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a face View of the blank removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, of Fig. 2, and t Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are vertical sections showlng modifications.. i

I have indicated` at 1 a soft box toe blank. This blank may be of any usual material, and 1f desired, may be lightly impregnated with a thermoplastic penetrant, usually of bltuminous origin, and which penetrant acts asa stiflener for the blank.

According to my invention I coat one or both faces of the blank,-preferably the outer face and preferably adjacent the tip line edge of the blank, with a suitable adhesive coating 2. The coating 2 may bea relatively narrow band of adhesive adjacent the ti line edge, as shown in Figs. 2.and 3, or 1t may extend over the entire outer face of the 75 blank, as shown-in Fig. 4, or overthe entire inner face, as shown in Fig. 5, or'over both faces as shown in Fig. 6.

. This coatin is normally hard and dry, but may be so tened inany manner to render it adhesive, as by heat treatment, by wetting, by dipping in a solvent or by exposure to the solvent vapor. When suiiiciently softened or otherwise rendered adhesive, the coating adherently connects the blank to the toe tip 3, lining and doubler 4 and vamp 5 of the shoe, thus avoiding the necessity for stitching said parts through and through the blank. The coating may be of any desired material which is substantially different in character and result from the thermoplastic impregnant with which the blank is sometimes stitfened It may be hard glue, dextrine, gutta-percha, rubber or any b1tuminous or resinous material whichis capable of being rendered sticky on treatment.

When the coating is rendered adhesive -and the blank lasted in the shoe, the coating positively fixes the blank against Inovement relative to the 'toe tip. The lining cannot, therefore, pull out with the last when the last is withdrawn from the formed toe, as frequently happens with a loosely laid blank, and the blank itself will not slide or creep on the tip and thus wrinkle under the lexations of the shoe in walking.

Moreover, the stitches 6 which fasten the overlapping vamp and toe tip to each other do not have 'to be carried through the blank. The coating acts as a stiener, particularly at the tip line edge where the blank is weakest, and hence results in a blank of increased stiffness.

What I thereforeclaim and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a soft flexible one piece box toe blank carrying an external coating of latently adhesive material capable when rendered adhesive of forming the sole connecting medium between the blank and the tip and vamp of a shoe and when hardened acting to stifen the blank adjacent to its tip line edge.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a soft flexible one piece box toe blank carrying on both faces an external coating of latently adhesive material capable when rendered adhesive of forming-the sole connecting medium between the blank and the tip and vamp of a shoe and between the blank and the shoe linin and when hardened acting to stien the lank.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a soft flexible one piece box toe blank containing a thermoplastic stifening agent, and carrying a coating of Water softenable stiifening and adhesive agent capable when rendered adhesive of forming the sole bonding medium of said blank with adjacent parts of the shoe in which it is assembled and when hardened acting to stiffen the toe portion of the shoe.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES LEO DALY.

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