US3034235A - Protective toe structure for shoes - Google Patents

Description

May 15, 1962 D. 1.. HUNTING ET AL 3,034,235

PROTECTIVE TOE STRUCTURE FOR SHOES Filed Dec. 31, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I6 E;E J

, DONALD L. HUNTING E. JOHN MOYLE INV EN TORS May 15, 1 2 D. HUNTING ETAL PROTECTIVE TOE STRUCTURE FOR SHOES 2 Sheets sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1959 DONALD L. HUNTING E- JOHN MOYLE INV EN TORS I 4 BY 44 m 3,e34,23s PROTECTIVE TOE STRUCT FOR SHGES Donald L. Hunting, Belmont, and Edward John Moyle,

Rockford, Mich, assignors to Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation, Rockford, Mich.

Filed Dec. 31, 1959, Ser. No. 863,229 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-77) This invention relates to the construction of safety shoes, this term being used to designate a shoe which includes a shell-like dome extending in an arch over the toe area to give protection against crushing. This type of shoe is widely used in industry where there is some likelihood of heavy objects falling on the foot.

The usual protective member is a formed piece of sheet steel extending over the top and sides of the toe area, and terminating in short horizontal flanges resting on the sole structure of the shoe, and perhaps upon superimposed intermediate layers of material. As a heavy load is applied to the top of the protective member, there is a atnt 3,034,235 Patented May 15', 1962 ice . sole, and therefore the relative stiffness of this piece does In the drawings:

not interfere with the movement of the shoe.

The several features of the invention will be analyzed in further detail through a discussion of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

' transverse with respect to the shoe in the area occupied tendency for it to deflect in such a manner as to move the edges laterally outward. The protective capability of the member is greatly increased if some form of lateral restraint is applied to the peripheral edges to prevent this outward collapsing movement. In some forms of shoe construction, the layer of leather which is applied over the top of the protective member extends outward to form a shelf which is sewn directly to the assembly of material forming the sole of the shoe. This arrangement results in the confinement referred to above.

Some forms of shoe construction, however, do not include an outer layer which is sewn to the sole outside of the periphery of the reinforcement member. One such form is the Well-known construction in which the overlying leather is brought inwardly underneath the reinforcement member, and is adhesively secured to the sole. This system does not adequately provide for the lateral restraint of the edge of the reinforcement member as it tends to deflect under load. This invention combines an arrangement for laterally confining the edges of the reinforcement member in an entirely different manner than has heretofore been used. One component of the sole assembly is formed with a groove or depression extending directly underneath the peripheral edge of the reinforcement member, and the engagement of the edge with the groove serves to prevent the tendency of the edge to move outwardly as load is applied. The dimensions of the groove are preferably such as to accommodate the layer of leather which is normally superimposed over the reinforcement member to form the forward portion on the shoe. The edge of this piece is turned under and inward around the base flange of the reinforcement member, and is then adhesively secured to the top of the sole assembly.

The use of safety shoes with the reinforcement member referred to above has heretofore been limited to shoes having a sufficient rigidity of the material forming the sole to provide adequate support for the peripheral edge of the reinforcement member. When a crepe or sponge sole is used, or even fairly dense rubber, heavy pressure on the reinforcement member will result in forcing the edge down into the sole and therefore restricting the space underneath the protective member to the point where the toes may still become crushed. This invention provides a construction which will make the safety toe features available in the shoes having softer sole mate rials, and this is made possible by the incorporation of a relatively rigid member in the sole which serves as a foundation for supporting the reinforcement member. The position of this supporting member is such that it does not extend into the area of substantial flexure of the by the reinforcement member.

FIGURE 5 presents a similarly enlarged section on a central plane in the same area of the shoe as shown in FIGURE 4.

The shoe shown in FIGURE 3 is of the so-called oxford type, and includes the top leather or vamp 10, the toe area 11, the heel 12, lacing 13, and a laminated sole including the layers 14 and 15. The structure in the toe area of the shoe is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. A dome-shaped reinforcement member of formed sheet steel is indicated at 16, and extends over the front and sides of the toe. The outer layer of leather 10 is brought around underneath the peripheral edge 17 of the reinforcement 16, where it joins with the inner layer of material, or vamp lining, identifiedat 18 and also meets the insole sheet 19. The steel member it is received between the layers 10 and 18, and the lower extremity of these three laminations is received within the groove 20 in the supporting member 21. A standard adhesive serves to bond these components in assembled relationship, and it will be obvious that the strength of the adhesive is not the primary factor which serves to laterally position the edges of the reforcement member 16. With this arrangement, the adhesive merely becomes an agent for holding the components in engagement with the groove, the groove itself being responsible for applying the restraint to the edges of the reinforcement member. To simplify the structure of the shoe, the laminated type of sole is selected so that a portion of the upper lamination 15 can be cut short as shown at 22 to provide for the supporting member 21, this member being of the same thickness as the lamination 15.

The supporting member 21 is preferably of a relatively harder material than is normally found in the sole assembly. Particularly in the case where the sole laminations 14 and 15 are particularly resilient, the relative rigidity of the material of the supporting member 21 provides for distributing the load from the reinforcement member over a sufficiently large area so that adequate support is applied. It has been found preferable to extend the rear edge 23 of the supporting member 21 to a point somewhat behind the rear edge 24 of the reinforcement member 16. An extension in the amount of A of an inch has been found to give very satisfactory results, and this dimension still places the rear edge 23 in a position considerably ahead of the point of primary flexure of the sole of the shoe, which is in approximately the area designated at 25'.

The sole laminations 14 and 15 are normally adhesively secured together, and this same form of attachment may be used to bond the supporting member 21 to the lower lamination 14. The remainder of the structure of the shoe can be of any conventional form.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered In these claims, it is our intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as We" are limited by the prior art. 7

We claim: a

1. A shoe having aproteetive'toe structure, including: an outsole comprised of a relatively soft, flexible material; a midsole secured above said outso-le, also comprised of a relatively soft, fiexiblemateria'l, said midsole terminating at approximately the tipline; a rigid supporting member affixed to said outsole, said member covering at least the'periphery of the toe area of said outsole; said supporting member lying generally flush with the top of said midsole; a rigid insert shaped to the configuration of the toe;.of the shoe; the lower portion of said rigid insert positioned to lie above said rigid supporting member; an outer layer of shoe material enveloping said rigid insert; an inner lining engaging and afiixed to the inner amidsole secured above said outsole, also comprised of a relatively soft, flexible material, said midsole terminan' 4 ing at approximately the tipline; a rigid supporting memberaifixed to said outsole, said member covering at least the periphery of the toe area of said outsole; said supporting member lying generally flush with the top of said midsole; a rigid insert shaped to I the configuration of the toe of the shoe; the lower portion of said rigid insert positioned to lie above said rigid supporting member; an outer layer of shoe material enveloping said rigid insert; an inner lining engaging and cemented to the inner surface of said rigid insert; an insert cemented to the top surface of said rigid supporting member; and said outer layer and said inner lining joined together and cemented to and between said rigid supporting member and said insole, thereby securing said rigid insert in said position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,034,235 May 15, 1962 Column 4, line 10, for "insert", second occurrence, read insole Signed and sealed this 11th day of September 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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