US2772489A - Manufacture of footwear - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1956 c. D. PORTER MANUFACTURE OF FOOTWEAR Filed Jan. 3, 1956 UVVENTOR C 4?. firfirr 49/ United States Patent MANUFACTURE OF FOOTWEAR Clinton D. Porter, Granby, Quebec, Canada, assignor to The Miner Rubber Company Limited, Granby, Quebec, Canada Application January 3, 1956, Serial No. 557,195

7 Claims. (Cl. 36-7Z) This invention relates to the manufacture of footwear and particularly to the manufacture of protective footwear for use by lumbermen and others whose work brings them into contact with heavy moving objects.

The invention consists essentially in the provision of protective layers, either built into the footwear or attached thereto in the form of pads, which will shield against penetration of the footwear by either piercing or cutting objects, the protective layers being light in weight and having a maximum of flexibility.

It has been the practice in footwear of this nature to provide built-in ridges of considerable length over various portions of the footwear normally requiring protection, these ridges, in many cases, being reinforced by strips or pads of solid material such as heavy leather or steel strips. Such reinforcements added considerable weight to the footwear and in many cases were so rigid as to render the footwear almost unwearable, particularly where considerable walking over rough country is involved.

In the present invention, very thin pads are formed of lightweight discs or washers laid haphazardly between two layersof rubber vulcanized together, the pads being shaped I through, by a flexible and lightweight pad reinforced with a multitude of flat rigid pieces sandwiched between two thin layers of rubber.

A further object of the invention is to provide preshaped pads of vulcanized rubber and discs or washers for assembly as protective layers in footwear.

A further object of the invention is to provide footwear in which the protective pads or layers are fitted without detracting from the outward appearance of the footwear.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following detailed specification and the drawings forming a part thereof, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of a lumbermans boot showing dotted, the discs or washers embedded in layers of rubber to give protection to the essential areas of the boot.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a small section of the protective layer of rubber and washers with a part of the top layer cut back to expose the washers.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the protective pad before the inner and outer sheets of rubber have been vulcanized together.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the inner and outer sheets of rubber vulcanized together through the centres of the washers and around their periphery.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing the protection as a pad secured to the outer surface of the footwear.

Fig. 6 is a fore and aft section through the toe cap and vamp of boot.

Referring to the drawings the footwear shown and described is the type worn by lumbermen but the invention could equally well be applied to footwear worn by workmen in heavy industry and by certain athletes. The boot 1 is usually made having a rubber sole 2, a rubber vamp 3 and counter 4 with a rubber inner sole 5 and toe cap 6, while the boot upper 7 is usually made of leather with a leather tongue 8 completing the assembly.

in the present invention, the reinforcing pads are made of two relatively thin inner and outer sheets of rubber 1t) and 11 between which are sandwiched the small lightweight discs or washers 12. These washers are preferably made of steel but could be made of other lightweight alloys or of plastic, fibre glass or other such material to suit particular applications, and, while apertured washers are described and illustrated, these could be replaced by punchings or stampings of any shape or size, either solid or apertured. In forming the reinforcing pads of rubber sheet and washers, the washers 12 are laid haphazardly on the sheet 11 in such a manner that they do not form a fixed geometrical pattern, particularly in the form of squares or parallelograms. The haphazard pattern of the washers should be such that a straight line cannot be laid along the tangent to the periphery of more than two adjacent washers without that line striking across the surface of another washer.

Such haphazard laying of the washers 12 will prevent any object from cutting through the footwear without meeting the resistance of a washer even in a very short length of cut. The smaller the diameter of the washer, consistent with sufiicient thickness to give the desired resistance to any striking force, the greater the area of protection will be, while at the same time, increasing the flexibility of the protective layer.

After the washers have been laid on the sheet 11 and are covered by the sheet 10, the whole is vulcanized together, with the sheets 10 and 11 being permanently fused together through the apertures 13 of the washers and in the spaces 14 between washers.

The sheets of rubber 10 and 11 are previously cut to the shape desired, either for the vamp of the boot or for the tongue pad 15 or side pads 16.

Where the protective pad is to be incorporated in the vamp of the boot the pad 17 is fitted on the last over the inner lining 18 and is tucked under the inner sole lining 19 as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The completion of the boot assembly is then carried out in the well established manner. Where the toecap 6 forms a part of the footwear structure, the pad 17 can be laid on the inner side as shown and have the inner sheet of the pad reinforced by the inner lining 18 to protect the foot of the wearer from any hardness occasioned by the toecap and the reinforcements or washers 12.

In the case of the tongue and side protective pads 15 and 16, the protective pads 20 are out to shape and are formed in the same manner as above described with the washers 12 set in the same haphazard manner. However, in the case of the pads 15 and 16, the protective pads 20 are covered by a layer of leather 21 and held in place by stitching 22 around the edge of the leather 2.1 and about the pads. The pads 15 and 16 can be secured to the tongue 8 and uppers 7 either before attachment to the boot or after, whichever is found to be more convenient.

With such a construction of reinforcing pad applied to footwear in the manner described, maximum protec- .tion is provided to the foot and legs of the wearer in vital parts without the addition of heavy and rigid bars or plates, while maximum flexibility is provided without leaving exposed areas open to cutting through or piercing action applied externally of the footwear. This latter effect is due entirely .to the haphazard manner of laying the washers 12 on the sheet 11. Any attempt to lay o the washers 12 to a fixed pattern is sure to produce a multitude of relatively long straight lines of unprotected rubber between washers.

What I claim is:

1. In protective footwear, protective pads inserted in the vain sides and tongue structure of the footwear, said protective pads comprising inner and outer sheets of relatively thin rubber and a multitude of thin fiat rigid reinforcements laid between said sheets of rubber in a single plane and in a haphazard manner, said sheets of rubber being joined together between said reinforcements.

2. In protective footwear, protective pads inserted in the vamp, sides and tongue structure of the footwear, said protective pads comprising inner and outer sheets of relatively thin rubber cut to the desired shape of pad, and a multitude of small washers laid between said sheets of rubber in a single plane and in a haphazard manner to avoid straight lines of unprotected rubber between more than two adjacent washers, said sheets of rubber being joined together through the apertures and around the periphery of the washers and around the edges of the sheets to complete a one-piece pad.

3. In protective footwear, a protective pad shaped to conform to and inserted in the vamp structure of the footwear, said protective pad comprising inner and outer sheets of relatively thin rubber and a multitude of small washers laid between said sheets of rubber in a single plane and in a haphazard manner to avoid straight lines of unprotected rubber between more than two adjacent washers, said sheets of rubber being joined together through the apertures and around the periphery of the washers.

joined together between said reinforcements, and similar pads of reinforced rubber secured to selected positions on the outside of the footwear, and a covering for said iatter pads, said covering being secured to said footwear around said pads,

5. In protective footwear, a protective pad shaped to conform to and inserted in the vamp structure of the footwear, said protective padcomprising inner and outer sheets of relatively thin rubber and a multitude of small washers laid between said sheets of rubber in a single plane and in a haphazard manner to avoid straight lines of unprotected rubber between more than two adjacent washers, said sheets of rubber being joined together through the apertures and around the periphery of the washers, and similar pads of washer reinforced rubber secured to selected positions on the outside of .thefootwear and a covering for said latter pads said covering being secured to said footwear around said pads.

6. In protective footwear having uppers and a tongue, a protective pad secured to the outer side of said upper and a protective pad secured to said tongue, said pads comprising inner and outer sheets of relative thin rubber and a multitude of small washers laid between said sheets of rubber in a single plane and in a haphazard manner to avoid straight lines of unprotected rubber between more than two adjacent washers, said sheets of rubber being joined together through the apertures and around the periphery of the washers, and a covering sheet for said pads, said covering sheets being secured to said upper and tongue of the footwear around said pads to'hold said pads in position.

7. A preformed protective pad for attachment to wearing apparel comprising a layer of flat metal washers sandwiched in place between two layers of rubber, the said washers being arranged in random manner in a single plane to avoid straight lines of unprotected rubber between more than two adjacent washers, and said layers of rubber being joined together through the apertures and around the periphery of the washers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,804 Jewell Apr. 10, 1888 645,844 Adams Mar. 20, 1900 1,566,266 Barrell Dec. 22,1925 1,717,127 Toole June 11, 1929 2,706,350 Kenny Apr. 19, 1955

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