US3079708A

US3079708A - Resilient shoe soles

Info

Publication number: US3079708A
Application number: US197116A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hack Morton; Hack Leonard; Benjamin W Colman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-23
Filing date: 1962-05-23
Publication date: 1963-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1980-03-05

Description

March 5, 1963 M. HACK ETAL 3,079,708

RESILIENT SHOE soLEs Filed May 23, 1962 FIG. 3

zNvENToRs NORTON HACK, LEONARD HACK a I8 :WW/77777;

22 6 FIG. 5 Mm ATTORNEY BY BENJAMIN w. COLMAN United States Patent iilice v 3,079,708 Patented Mar. 5, 1963 Woods, Mich.

Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,116 Claims. (Cl. lid- 28) This invention relates to shoe soles made of a resilient material, and more particularly to a shoe sole having a iiexing, cushioning action as the wearer walks, runs or jumps upon the sole.

This application is a continuation-impart of our copending patent application, Serial No. 859,175, led December 14, 1959, for Resilient Shoe Soles.

The subject matter of this application is a continuationin-part of U.S. Patent No. 2,930,149 for Resilient Shoe Sole and Wedge Construction.

The invention involves a shoe sole of resilient material which is of full shoe length, i.e. from toe to heel. The sole is provided with a ground plane contacting body having a relatively smooth under side. The body has on its upper side a series of integrally formed upwardly and angularly inclined transverse rib members that are in Contact with the bottom of the shoe base or with a wedge layer, as the case may be. Circumscribing and enclosing the side edges of the shoe sole of this invention is a thin peripheral band of resilient material, identified hereafter as a foXing strip, which is secured to the sole edge and to the shoe base or wedge. The top edge of each of the transverse rib members may be secured to the shoe base or wedge in order to provide some securement directly to the shoe base structure. However, such securement is optional and not strictly essential. The resilient shoe sole of this invention may be modified as will be shown and described below.

The shoe embodying the novel sole arrangement here disclosed has a soft, cushioning feel when walked on, accompanied by a forward gliding motion as the rib members eX forwardly in the direction of their inclination under load. ln addition, the encircling band of resilient material closes off the open spaces between the rib members from an accumulation of water, mud, snow or other such elements. The ground plane contacting body of the sole functions as a closed wear surface.

1t is an object of the invention to provide a resilient sole for a shoe in which a series of angularly inclined upwardly directed transverse rib members are integrally formed with a sole body which has a relatively smooth ground plane contacting surface. Another object is to provide such a shoe sole with rib members that flex in the direction of their inclination. A further object is to provide such a sole with a peripheral encircling, enclosing band of resilient material secured to the sole edge and to the shoe structure, to provide a closed sole for a shoe.

These and additional objects of the invention and features of construction will be more fully presented in the description of the invention which follows, and in which the terms employed are used for purposes of description and not of limitation.

Reference is here made to the drawings annexed hereto and in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the shoe arrangement embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken longitudinally and substantially medially of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken sub stantially on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a heel structure embodying the invention, substantially similar to the heel portion of the sole illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

PIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the forward toe portion of the shoe of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a modified arrangement for securement of the sole of the shoe base at the toe end of the shoe.

As shown in the several views of the drawing, and particularly in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the shoe 10 comprises an upper 12, a shoe base 14, a resilient shoe sole 16 and a foxing strip 1S circumscribing and enclosing the sole. One form of securement of the sole 16 to the shoe base 14 comprises applying a thin layer of adhesive 20 upon the upper surface of the forepart of the sole and a coating layer of adhesive 22 around and upon the edges of the sole to secure the faxing strip 18 thereto. Thereafter, the foxing strip at its inturned peripheral edge 24 can be secured to the shoe base 14 by stitching 26, as clearly shown in FIG. 2, or by the adhesive 20 as shown in FIG. 5.

The sole 16 of the shoe comprises a ground plane con tacting body 2S having a relatively smooth under side 30, a solid forepart or tap portion 32 whose upper side 34 is coated with the adhesive 20 for securement tothe shoe base 14, a rear heel or wedge portion 36 having on its upper side a longitudinally extending series of spaced y parallel transverse rib members 3S. These rib members are inclined upwardly and forwardly and have their forward faces 4d converging with rear faces 42 in a shoe base supporting juncture or edge 44. The rib members may be of uniform height or may be of varying heights designed to accommodate the configuration and the angularity or curvature of the under side of the shoe base supported by the rib members.

The modification illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 5 provides for securement of the foxing strip 18 not only to the peripheral edge of the sole 16 by adhesive layer 22,

but also full securement of the inturned edge 24 of the foxing strip by the adhesive layer 20, whereby no stitching is required.-

A modification of the heel portion of the sole 16 illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 is that shown in FIG. 4, wherein a heel 5t) comprises a body portion 52 having a relatively smooth ground plane contacting under side 54 secured to the heel base 56 by a foxing strip 58 which is peripherally attached to the heel 50 and to the heel base` 56 by 1a layer of adhesive 60. The heel Si) is provided at its upper side with spaced parallel transversely extending rib members 62 whose front faces 64 converge with rear faces 66 to form a heel base supporting juncture or edge 68.

The sole 16 and the heel 50 by their transversely extending rib members 'provide a cushioning sole and heel having a yielding action resulting from theI flexing of the rib members in the direction of their inclination as A'the heel or heel portion of the sole cornes down into engagement with a ground plane surface under load of the-shoe wearer. The ribs, being inclined forwardly, flex forwardly under load and thus yield resiliently to cushion the heel and foot in walking.

By providing the sole 16 and the heel 50 with a rela- -tively smooth ground plane contacting surface or under side, the pick-up of dirt, mud, stones, grass and other surface materials is substantially avoided. The

foxing strip

18 or 58 encloses the open spaces formed by the longitudinally extending series of spaced rib members, to prevent ingress of Water, mud or other materials which may be picked up in walking.

In operation, the sole 16 or heel 50, when secured by the above specified foxing strips to the shoe base or heel base as the case may be, perform the desirable and signicant function of cushioning the shock of walking upon a hard ground plane surface which oftentimes causes the wearer of relatively non-resilient soles or heels considerable heel shock and fatigue. This function is performed by the forward and downward flexing of the

rib member

38 or 62 against the shoe base 14 or the heel base 56, as the case may be. This forward flexing or flexing in the direction of inclination of the rib members under load of the shoe wearer in walking provides a softer cushioning or gliding feeling to the wearer of shoes having a sole 16 or a heel 50 secured thereto.

The sole is preferably made -of a resilient material such as rubber, a rubber composition, or a flexible resilient plastic material whereby flexibility to the rib members is imparted so that they flex under load in walking. The adhesive for securement of the sole or heel to the foxing strips and to the shoe base is selected from among many commercially available to the trade. The shoe upper portion 12 is preferably made of leather, or it may be made of other materials such as plastic, fabric, textiles and other similar materials. In addition, the foxing strips may be molded to or with the shoe upper or shoe base and the sole or heel secured to such foxing strip.

Having described the invention in its simplest terms, it is to be understood that the features of construction may be changed or varied in greater or lesser degree without departing from the essence of the invention defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In combination with la shoe having a shoe base,

a resilient sole secured to said shoe under said shoe base, said sole having a ground plane surface contacting body, and a longitudinally extending series of transverse parallel rib members inclined forwardly at its upper surface in the heel portion of said body,

said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardly from said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supporting relationship at and under said shoe base, and a peripheral resilient foxing strip about said sole and secured to said shoe sole and shoe base, whereby when said body is engaged upon said ground plane surface in Walking said rib members will ex in the direction of their inclination under weight.

2. In combination with a shoe having a shoe base,

a resilient sole secured to said shoe under said shoe base, lsaid sole having a ground plane surface contacting body, and a longitudinally extending series of transverse par.

allel rib members inclined forwardly at its upper surface in the heel portion of said body,

said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardly from said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supporting relationship at and under said shoe base,

whereby when said body is engaged upon said ground plane surface in walking said rib members will ex in the direction of their inclination under weight.

3. In combination with a shoe having a heel base,

a resilient heel secured to said shoe under said heel base,

and a peripheral resilient foxing strip about'said heel and secured to said heel and heel base, whereby when said body is engaged upon said ground plane surface in walking said rib members will llex in the direction of their inclination under weight. 4. in combination with a shoe having a wedge layer portion,

A a resilient` sole secured to said shoe under said wedge Y layer portion, said sole having a ground plane surface contacting body, and a longitudinally extending series of transverse parallel rib members inclined forwardly at its upper surface in the heel portion of said body,

said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardly from said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supporting relationship at and under said wedge layer portion, and a peripheral resilient foxing strip about said sole and secured to said shoe sole and wedge layer portion, whereby when said body is engagedupon said ground plane surface in walking said rib members will flex in the direction of their inclination under weight. 5. In combination with a shoe having a wedge layer portion,

a resilient sole secured to said shoe under said wedge layer portion, said sole having aY ground plane surface contacting body, Vand a longitudinally extending series of transverse parallel rib members inclined forwardly atits upper surface in the heel portion of said body, said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardly from said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supporting relationship at and under said wedge layer portion, whereby when said body is engaged upon said ground plane surface in walking said rib members will flex in the direction of their inclination under weight.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,527,414 Hallgren Oct. 24, 1950 2,710,461 Hack June 14, 1955 2,815,589 Sears Dec. 10, 1957

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SHOE HAVING A SHOE BASE, A RESILIENT SOLE SECURED TO SAID SHOE UNDER SAID SHOE BASE, SAID SOLE HAVING A GROUND PLANE SURFACE CONTACTING BODY, AND A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SERIES OF TRANSVERSE PARALLEL RIB MEMBERS INCLINED FORWARDLY AT ITS UPPER SURFACE IN THE HEEL PORTION OF SAID BODY, SAID RIB MEMBERS HAVING THEIR FRONT AND REAR FACES CONVERGING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BODY TO CONJUNCTIVE EDGES ARRANGED IN LOAD SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP AT AND UNDER SAID SHOE BASE, AND A PERIPHERAL RESILIENT FOXING STRIP ABOUT SAID SOLE AND SECURED TO SAID SHOE SOLE AND SHOE BASE, WHEREBY WHEN SAID BODY IS ENGAGED UPON SAID GROUND PLANE SURFACE IN WALKING SAID RIB MEMBERS WILL FLEX IN THE DIRECTION OF THEIR INCLINATION UNDER WEIGHT.