US2328601A - Safety shoe - Google Patents

Description

E. F. BAIRD SAFETY SHOE Sept. 7, 1943.

Filed Aug. l, 1941 Patented ySept. 7, 1943 2,328,601 SAFETY SHOE Earle F. Baird, Waltham, Mass., assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation o! New York Application August 1, 1941, serial No. 405,046

(ci. afs-77) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear, and more especially to safety shoes for protecting the feet against injury.

Heretofore it has beenl proposed to provide boots and shoes with a stiff toe cap of metal built into the article over the toes of the wearer to prevent crushing of the toes by heavy objects falling on the toe of the article.

Due to the rigid nature of the metal toe reinforcement, it has been found difiicult to construct such shoes properly, as the metal parts, even when cast from the same pattern or formed in the same die have varied considerably in dimensions and the lasts upon which the shoes have been built have also varied in dimensions. It has been found that no matter how carefully the toe portion of the shoe has been designed and constructed, normal manufacturing variations have caused such looseness of iit or air space between the last and the metal toe reinforcement as to prevent entirely satisfactory adhesion of the lining to the metal toe reinforce ment. This loose lining condition has been undesirable as the wearers toe has quickly worn through the lining and has been exposed to contact with the metal. The worn lining has bunched and wrinkled, causing injury of the toes of the wearer.

The present invention difficulties and others, and to provide an improved product. 'Ihe principal objects of the invention are to provide improved protection for the toes of the wearer, to provide eilective cushioning 'of the toes from the metal toe reinforcement, to provide for compensating for variation between the metal parts and the lasts, to provide improved adhesion of the generally to provide facility of manufacture and neatness of construction.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toe of an article of footwear embodying the invention, other parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lasted article as partially completed, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cushioning material prior to assembly in the shoe.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view thereof, taken on line 5 5 lOf Fg 4.

In accordance with the invention, a layer of aims to overcome these parts of the shoe, and

unvulcanized sponge rubber or other rubber-like composition is assembled with other parts of the shoe and is positioned between the lining of the shoe and the metal toe cap so that during vul canization of the article, the composition is blown to provide a sponge rubber cushion completely filling the space between the metal toe cap and the lasted lining regardless of the dimensions of the space therebetween, and in the iinished shoe provide for cushioning the toes of the wearer from the rigid metal toe cap.

Referring to the drawing, the shoe comprises an insole I0 which in the construction of the shoe cemented over the insole at its margins I2. A cushion I3 of sponge rubber is secured on one under the margin of the metal toe cap. The upper Il of the shoe is lasted over the metal toe cap. A filler sole I8 is applied over the insole within the space provided by overlapping margins I9 of the upper, and an outsole 20 is secured over the ller sole and the margins I9 of the upper. All of the parts are secured to each other by vulcanization.

In building the shoe, unvulcanized sponge rubber composition and the gum strip I6 are assembled on the rubberized fabric toe cap I 4 and shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The insole and lining are assembled over a last and the assembled fabric toe cap and sponge composition are cemented plied over the metal toe cap turned over the insole. The ller sole and the outsole are then applied in succession and cemented in place. The assembled article is then subjected to heat to vulcanize the rubber material.

and its margins are ber materials, providing a cushioaover the toes of the wearer to protect them` from the metalu The 'gum strip I6 provides a more solid cushion under the rear edge of thefmetal toe cap to prevent cutting of the foot should the metal be crushed.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as itis dened by the following claims.L

I' claim:

1. An article of footwear comprising an outsole, a metal toe cap mounted on said outsole,`

an upper extending about the toe cap with its margins secured to the sole, a 'fabric lining secured to the upper rearwardly of the toe cap and extending under the toe cap to the sole of the article in spaced relation to the inner surface of the toe cap substantially throughout the extent of said surface, and a cushion layer of sponge rubber material substantially illing the space between the lining and the toe cap and extending from the rear margin of the toe cap to the sole of the article, said cushion layer being bonded to the toe cap and the lining throughout aaeaeoifl their cushion contacting surfaces and providing an enclosing cushion for the toes of the wearer..

2. An. article of footwear comprising an outsole, a metal toe cap mounted on said outsole, an upper extending about the toe cap with its margins secured to the sole, a fabric lining secured to the upper rearwardly of Athe toe cap and extending under the toe cap to the sole of the article in spaced relation to the inner surface oi the toe cap substantially throughout the extent of said surface, a protective strip of dense soit rubber material secured along the rear margin of the toe cap between the innerrsurface of the toe cap and the lining, and a cushion layer of sponge rubber material substantially filling the space between the lining and the toe cap and extending from said strip to the sole of the article, said cushion layer being bonded to the toe cap and the lining throughout their cushion-contacting surfaces and providing an enclosing g cushion for the toes of the wearer.

EARLE F. BARD.

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