US2015090A - Manufacture of shoe uppers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 24, 1935. H. L. sAwYER MANUFACTURE 0F SHOE UPPERS Filed June 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M@ @www Sept. 24, 1935. H; SAWYER MANUFACTURE oF SHOE UPPERS Filed June 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVE/VTR Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATits@ PATI-:KN'I`A oFF-lori Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J.,

a corporation of' New Jersey i Application June 12! 1933, Serial No. 675,375 1s claims. "(ol. 12.-146) This invention relates to shoe uppers and to methods of preparing shoe uppers for the operation of assembling them upon their lasts.

Objects of this invention are to prevent the formation of wrinkles in the lining of a shoe upper prior to and during the lasting operation and so to prepare the upper that, after it is lasted and the last is removed, the upper and lining will adhere together, will have the plump feel characteristic of a shoe upper containing a doubler and will have desirable shape-retaining characterisjecting the lined upper while so shaped to heat and pressure to activate thermoplastic adhesive located between the upper and lining.

Preferably the lining material employed will be a woven napped fabric having upon the outer portions of the nap fibers minute, discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive, such lining being employedat least in the vamp portion of the shoe. Treatment by the present method of a shoe upper having a vamp lining of the character just described results in a shoe upper prepared for assembling upon its last which is shaped, at least transversely, approximately to the form which it is to have in the completed shoe and which has the outer portions of the fibers of the nap anchored to the inner surface of the outer (or leather)` layer of the upper. In another aspect invention is to be recognized in a shoe upper so preparedl As herein disclosed, the treatment of the shoe upper is applied to that portion of the vamp and quarter which lies between the tip line and the ball line or forward end of the shank, though this, it should be understood, is merely for purposes of illustration and is not to be taken as limiting the scope of the invention to the treatment of that part of the shoe. A heated form or mold isA provided over which a closed shoe upperk may be placed, the form supporting the irmer surface of the lining in the region indicated and being approximately of the shape which this part of the upper will have to assume in the completed shoe. Cooperating with the heated form is a presser member which engages the outer surface of the upper in the region supported by the inner form and is operated to press the upper against the heated inner form to cause adhesion between the nap of the lining and the inner surface of the upper. v

In the drawings, o

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe upper and lining before it is treated in accordance with the method of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective, somewhat diagrammatic view of apparatus adapted for use in practising 1o the method of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shoe upper after it has been treated by the method of the present invention and its vamp portion has been shaped approximately to its nal form and its upper and 15 lining have been caused to adhere to each other; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing an electrically heated form over which the upper is shaped and a cooperating yielding presser member utilized 2C for shaping the upper to the form.

In practising the method of the present invention, as illustrated herein, an upper is first prepared as shown In Fig. l, the upper comprising a vamp I0, a quarter I2, a vamp lining I4 2; and a quarter lining I6. The vamp lining I4 at least of the shoe upper consists of a woven, napped fabric, the napped surface I8 of which is disposed adjacent to the inner face of the vamp I0 and has on the outer portions of the fibers 3U of the nap minute, discrete particles 20 of thermoplastic adhesive. The lining material may be that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,931,612, granted October 24, 1933, in the name of Henry Kahlmeyer.

As illustrated, the upper is closed by a back seam 22 and at the throat may be held by the usual lacing 24.

An upper thus prepared is placed over an inner mold 26 (Fig. 2) which is preferably heated, 40 for example by an electric heating unit 28 (Fig. 4). The form 26 preferably extends from approximately the tip line of the vamp to the beginning of the shank or waist portion of the upper and has a contoured external upper and outer 45 surface approximating the shape of the portion of a shoe last from the tip line to the shank to which the shoe upper will ultimately be lasted. The form 26 mayconveniently have the shapeV of one -half of a truncated cone, preferably with 50 a hump at 30 Where it engages the throat portion of the vamp.

The presser member which cooperates with the heated form 26 is indicated at 32 in Fig. 2 and comprises an outer metallic shell having an inner 55 face complemental to the shape of the form 20 and padded, as illustrated at ll, to .provide yielding means for pressing the shoe upper against the form 28. The pad Il may consist of a thick layer of felt secured to the presser member l2 so that, when the presser member 32 is moved toward the form 2l with the upper and lining between them, the padding 34 will cause a yielding pressure to be applied to the upper and lining to shape them to the heated form It and to press them together while heat from the form 26 will penetrate the lining and cause the minute,

discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive adhering to the nap thereof to soften or melt, thereby causing the nap to stick to the inner surface of the upper leather. Preferably the presser member 3l is cut away or notched as at Ii to avoid pressure upon the throat portion of the upper in the region where the lacing of a laced upper would be located. Thus, the pressure is concentrated at the sides of the vamp and across the ball portion of the vamp at the rear of the tip line.

'I'he form 32 may be supported and operated in any convenient manner to press it against the form 2l and release it therefrom and, as illustrated, the form 32 is provided with a pair of lugs 3i which are pivoted'by pins 38 to a pair of arms III which, in turn, are pivoted to supports 42 rising from a bed plate 44 on which the forms 2U are mounted. Any convenient means, for example a treadle, may be provided to swing the arms Il downwardlyto cause the presser member 32 to press the upper upon the form, and springs 46 may be provided to maintain the presser member 32 normally in raised position.k The pivots Il enable uniform pressure to be applied by the presser member longitudinally of the form. Preferably, and as shown in Fig. 2, two of the heated forms 26, with the corresponding pressure-applying forms 32, are arranged for alternate operation, one of them remaining in operative relation to a shoe upper while a work-piece is being removed from and another work-piece applied to the other.

The shoe upper prepared in accordance with the present invention is ready for the assembling operation. 'I'he placing of the last therein is facilitated by reason of the preshaping of the upper approximately to the shape of the last, and the operations of pulling-over and lasting the upper are also facilitated because the upper and y lining can be treated as a unit and no time or effort need be expended in preliminary adjustment of the lining relatively to the upper. Such relative movement between the upper and lining as is necessary to complete the shaping of the preshaped upper to its last is permitted since the lining is not rigidly secured to the upper but is anchored or tethered thereto by the nap fibers, the outer ends only of which are secured to the outer or leather layer. Consequently, when the 'shoe is completed and the last withdrawn, it is found that the lining is entirely free of wrinkles, is prevented from dropping away from the upper, and imparts to the upper the plumpfeel desired by shoemakers, and also imparts thereto a considerable amount of resiliency so that as the upper is pushed in or dented it tends promptly to resume the shape given to it by the lasting operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1.A That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in imparting to the forepart of a lined shoe upper having inactive cement between the layers of the upper a shape approximating that which it is to have 5 in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat and pressure thereby activating the cement and securing the lining and upper together.

2. That improvement in methods of'preparing 10 that portion of a closed and lined shoe upper\ which is to be lasted for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in imparting to the forepart of the lining and upper having cement between the outer layer of the upper and the 15 lining a shape approximating that which it is to have in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to yielding pressure and the lining to heat thereby activating the cement between the layers. 20

3. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in placing the forepart of a lined shoe upper having inactive thermoplastic cement between its outer layer and its 25 lining over a heated convex form, and yieldingly pressing the upper against the heated form thereby activating the cement by heat transmitted through the lining and securing the layers of the upper together. 30

4. That improvement in methods of preparv ing a. closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in embodying in a shoe upper a napped lining having minute, discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive on the 85 end portions of the nap adjacent to another layer of the upper, shaping the forepart of the upper approximately to the curvature it is to assume in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat and pressure thereby ac- 40 tivating the adhesive and causing adhesion of the nap to the contacting layer of the upper.

5. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in impart- 45 lng to the forepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between its layers a preliminary transverse curvature approximating but less than that which the upper will have in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so 50 shaped to heat and pressure thereby activating the cement between the upper and lining.

6. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in applying 55 to the forepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between its lining and an adjacent layer a transverse curvature less than that which it is to have in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to yielding 60 pressure and the lining to heat thereby activating the cement between the layers.

7. 'Ihat improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in embodying in 65 a shoe upper a napped lining having minute, discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive on the end portions only of the nap ilbers, shaping the upper to a transverse curvature less than that which it will have to assume in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat and pressure to eect activation of the adhesive and cause adhesion of the nap bers to the adjacent layer of the upper.

8. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in applying the i'orepart oi a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between its lining and the adjacent layer to a heated form having a transverse curvature less than that which the upper is to assume in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to pressure to causey adhesion between the lining and upper.

9. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in embodying in a shoe upper a woven, napped lining having minute, discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive on the end portions only of the nap, shaping the forepart of the upper to a transverse curvature less than that which it is to assume in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat and pressure thereby activating the adhesive and causing adhesion 0f the nap to the adjacent layer of the upper.

10. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists ln disposing the forepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between the upper and lining over a form having a circular transverse curvature, shaping the upper to the form, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat and pressure to activate the cement between the lining and upper.

l1. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for the operation of assembly upon its last which consists in disposing the forepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between the upper and lining over a form with the lining next to the form, said form having a circular transverse curvature approximate to but less than that which the upper will have in the completed shoe, pressing the upper against the form to shape it to the form, and subjecting the upper while s0 shaped to heat to activate the cement between the upper and lining.

12. As a step product, a closed unlasted shoe upper comprising an inner layer of fabric and an outer layer, the inner layer being adhesively se cured to the inner face of the outer layer and the forepart at least of the upper being molded transversely to approximately the shape it will have in the completed shoe.

13. As a step product, a closed shoe upper comprising an inner layer of woven. mapped fabric and an outer layer, the end portions of the fibers of the nap being secured to the inner face of the outer layer at the forepart and the upper being 25 molded transversely to approximately the shape it will have in the completed shoe.

HAROLD L. SAWYER.

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