Shoe

Jan. 2, 1934.

C. F. ROHN ET AL

SHOE

1,942,001

Filed June 19, 1933

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Patented Jan, 2_r 1934 l,M2_s0W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,942,®®! SHOE Chester F. Rehn, Whitefish Bay, and Franklyn a. Rehn, Milwaukee, Wis. Application June 19, 1933. Serial No. 676 478

Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in the art of manufacturing footwear, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction of cushioned shoes especially of the s Goodyear welt type.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved cushioned shoe structure which is simple in construction, and which is moreover durable and comfortable in use.

It has heretofore been proposed as shown and described in patent No. 1,919,862, granted July 25, 1933, to provide a cushioned shoe structure wherein a pad of cushioning material such as sponge rubber of substantially uniform thirkness, is disposed within the entire area bounded by the inseam ridge of a Goodyear welt type of shoe, and an auxiliary cushion which is separated from the heel portion of the main pad by a flexon ϊ^1ε ,^drum’ ^is interposed between this drum and the heel seat, being disposed within a circular ^{the heel} P°^rtion °f the outer sole. While this prior structure accomplishes all of its intended objects and has proven highly _suc_ cessful in commercial use, its manufacture pre“ sents some undesirable problems, and the perforation of the outer sole for the reception of the auxiliary cushion may in some cases prove objectionable due to possible entry of moisture to the cushion chamber or space through the Ju opening in the outer sole.

It is therefore a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved cushioned shoe, which is similar in action to this pnor structure, but wherein necessity of Jo recessing or of perforating the outer sole for the reception of the auxiliary cushion, is entirely avoided, thereby not only eliminating the difficulties in manufacture but also the structural objections existing in the previous construction 40 referred to as well as in prior shoes of the same general type.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved cushioned heel construction for Goodyear welt shoes or the like 45 wherein the heel bone of the wearer is most effectively cushioned, and in which the use of nails or the like may be entirely avoided if so desired.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a durable cushioned heel structure of 50 such improved construction that the shoes to which it is applied will retain their intended shape without depreciating in cushioning effect Still another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cushioned shoe built W up of a minimum number of relatively simpu (CI. 36—17) parts, thus permitting the manufacture and sale of the improved structure at minimum cost.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description. 60

A clear conception of an embodiment of the several features constituting the present improvement, and of the mode of constructing one type of shoe built in accordance with the invention, may be had by referring to the drawing accom- 65 panying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through one of the improved cushioned shoes, showing 70 the details of the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the shoe partly assembled, the view being taken along the surface ² ™ ^F1?^- I^{looking in} the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 is another bottom view of the shoe in 75 more completely assembled condition, the view being taken along the line 3—3 of Fig. 1 innkino· m the direction of the arrow; and .. *^{s a}.transverse vertical section through the heel portion of the shoe, taken along the line 80 4—4 of Fig. 1.

While the invention has been specifically shown and described herein as being applied to a Goodyear welt type of shoe for men, it is not intended to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope since 85 some of the novel features are obviously more generally applicable to footwear of other classes.

Referring to the drawing, the improved Goodyear welt type of shoe structure comprises in general an upper 8 having the usual lining 9 90 and counter 10 forming a part thereof; an insole 11 having a continuous and integral downwardly projecting inseam ridge 12; a welt 13 extending entirely aroimd the lower part of the upper 8 and around the insole 11; a resilient cushion pad 14 95 substantially filling the recess or cavity in the lower portion of the insole 11 formed by the uninterrupted inseam ridge 12; an outsole 15 extending throughout the entire area beneath the msole 11, welt 13 and pad 14; and a heel struc- 100 ture composed of a heel base 16 and a lower heel 17 attached in superimposed relationship to each otner and to the rear portion of the outsole 15. in · ^{e ppper 8} including the lining 9 and counter 10, is firmly attached to the inseam ridge 12 of 105 he insole 11, and to the welt 13, by means of inseam stitching 18 of well-known form extending entirely around the shoe. The main resilient pad 14 may be formed of any suitable springy or resilient material such as sponge rubber, and this 110

1,942,001 outsole 15 may next be applied to the welt 13 at the forward portion of the shoe and sewed firmly in place by means of short stitching 25, the rear or heel portion of the outsole 15 coacting with the insert 21 and temporarily lying loose- 80 ly thereagainst. The heel base 16 and binder 24 are subsequently applied to the lower surface of the heel portion of the outsole 15 and permanently attached thereto by longer stitching 25 passing through the heel base 16, outsole 15, 85 insert. 21 and welt 13, and extending around the heel portion of the shoe up to the short stitching 25 at the front of the shoe. If so desired, this long stitching 25 may also be carried inwardly at the front of the heel up to the shank stiffener 90 20, if used, or it may be carried entirely across the heel front if no stiffener 20 is employed. To complete the shoe assemblage, the lower heel 17 is finally glued or cemented to the binder 24, thus providing a neat appearing and durable final 95 structure which is entirely devoid of nails or other metallic fasteners.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention, besides providing a strong and durable shoe structure which 100 is devoid of nails, also provides a moisture-proof construction having ample cushioning effect throughout the entire bearing area of the wearer’s foot. The single cushion provided by the pad 14 alone at the forward portion of the shoe is 105 sufficient, and the heel bone is additionally cushioned by the auxiliary pad 23 which may be applied without perforating or otherwise weakening the heel portion of the outer sole 15. The insert 21 not only provides a spacer for accommo- no dating the auxiliary pad 23, but may be formed of relatively stiffer material than ordinary sole leather, such as fibre-board, thus adding to the support of the heel portion of the shoe and assisting in maintaining this portion of the shoe 115 in proper shape. The cementing and stitching of the heel base 16, outsole 15 and insert 21 to each other and to the welt, besides eliminating necessity of utilizing objectionable nails, also effectively confines the cushion pads 14, 23 within 120 the taseam ridge 12 at the heel of the shoe without distorting this ridge by causing cushioning material to extend thereunder. Although the spacing insert 21 projects outwardly to a sufficient extent to prevent direct coaction between 125 the outsole 15 and the welt 13 at the heel, and is also visible in the completed structure, this difference in appearance over that of the usual unyielding Goodyear welt type of shoe is not in fact objectionable but adds a touch of refinement and 130 individuality to the improved shoe structure. The improved structure by virtue of the simplicity of the parts and the elimination of holes in the outsole 15, may be readily manufactured with ordinary shoe factory equipment, and has proven 135 highly satisfactory in actual commercial use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode of assembly herein shown and described, for various modifl- 140 cations within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.