[0001] This Application for Industrial Patent has for its object to provide a woman's sandal
of good quality but which mav be economically manufactured as it is made up of simple,
pre-moulded parts which are quickly and easilv put together without the need for specialized
machinery or skilled labour.
[0002] In order to better illustrate the advantages and the originality of this sandal some
mention should be made of the various stages involved in the assembly of an ordinarv
sandal.
[0003] We shall presume we have an insole of pressed board, or of any other similar svnthetic
material, which has been suitablv bound, i.e. covered on the upper side bv a peripheral
band which is tucked under the edge of the insole.
[0004] According to the most usual method, the upper which, in practice,consists of cross
bands or strips generally arranged at the forepart of the foot, is applied to this
insole.
[0005] The upper is folded under the insole and usually cemented into position, then the
actual sole is applied to the insole and the heel fitted and centred with the use
of the appropriate machinery.
[0006] The work is completed with the application of a thin finishing inner sole to the
insole to cover and hide the heads of the nails which hold the heel in place.
[0007] The most delicate stages are undoubtedly the centring and fixing of the heel which
require highly skilled labour and specialized machinery. These operations are, however,
greatly simplified when working with the herein described sandal as will become apparent
in the following statement.
[0008] The rapidity and ease with which the herein described sandal is put together is due
to the fact that a rigid plastic insert is applied under the insole and this serves
both to support and centre the heelxhich is held in place bv a pin which, under pressure,
is threaded through the top piece and heel until it fits into an appropriately holed
heel--shaped protrusion found on the underside of the aforesaid rigid insert.
[0009] Thus, on the one hand the delicate stage of centring the heel has been eliminated
as it centres itself and, on the other hand, the thin fini shing inner sole is no
longer necessary as the insole it covers is now not nailed to the heel underneath.
[0010] The accompanying drawings are for a clearer illustration and exemplifv onlv one preferred
embodiment of the instant invention wherein:
- fig. 1 is a top view, in plan, of the aforesaid rigid insert;
- fig. 2 is a bottom view, in plan, of the aforesaid rigid insert;
- fig. 3 is a cross-section of the rigid insert with the longitudinal plane A-A of.
fig. 2;
- fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the sandal according to the herein described
invention.
[0011] With reference to figures 1, 2, 3, the rigid insert (1) i.e. the metal core usually
found in the insole, is moulded in plastic and has exactly the same shape as the insole
above it, to which it is fixed either by a normal cementing process or by injecting
the plastic directly under the insole, appropriatelv arranged inside the mould.
[0012] At the front this insert (1) gradually tapers away from the edge of the insole, getting
thinner and narrower, and finishes in a central tongue (la), where the arch of the
foot stops.
[0013] This narrowing is essential in order to leave space under the insole where the upper
will be folded-and fixed, so that no bulk is formed between the rigid insert and the
sole itself which is applied under the insert (1) and insole.
[0014] The rigid insert (1) is characterized bv a thinner than usual peripheral band (1b),
under which the edges of the material or leather used in the aforesaid binding operation
are folded and fixed.
[0015] It should be noted that this peripheral band (lb) on its under side is flat and not
curved so as to create an almost straight step on the sole of the insert (1).
[0016] A series of closed holes are provided along the underside of this band (ld), which
catch and hold the filiform adhesive which is generally used with automatic binding
machines.
[0017] Finally, at the back of the rigid insert (1) is a protrusion (le), tapering towards
the bottom and looking like a small heel, on to which the actual heel is fitted.
[0018] This heel has a cavitv (2a) exactly the same shape as the heel-shaped protrusion
(1e).
[0019] This heel-shaped protrusion is crossed axiallv bv an absolutely vertical hole (1f),
characterized bv the fact that the diameter of its lower section is larger than that
of its upper section.
[0020] With reference to figure 4 we shall now describe the various stages in the assembly
of the herein described sandal.
[0021] Once the insert (1) has beed fixed under the insole (3), either by cementing or bv
the direct injection of the insert under the insole as already mentioned, the binding
operation may be carried out using the normal automatic machines.
[0022] However, the end results are definitely better as regards the evenness and durability
of the cementing process, thanks to the thinner than usual peripheral band (1b) and
the series of closed holes (1d).
[0023] After having attached the upper to the sandal following the usual operations, the
sole (4), which exactly matches the insole (3), is applied.
[0024] The continuitv of this sole (4) is interrupted at the point where it is fitted against
the heel-shaped protrusion (Ie).
[0025] On fitting the heel (2) on to the heel-shaped protrusion (le) the transversal edge
of the sole (4) is tightly enclosed between the heel (2) and insert (1), whilst the
upper edge (2b) of the heel (2) is right against the bound edge of the insole (3).
[0026] As the heel-shaped protrusion (le) is exactly the same shape as the cavity (2a) found
in the actual heel (2) the centring of this heel is automatically and rapidly achieved
without the need for any particular attention or skilled labour.
[0027] It should be noted that the edge (2b) of the heel slopes internally towards the centre
so that on completion of the assembly space is left between the aforesaid step (lc)
and the inside edge of the heel.
[0028] This space has been provided in order to accomodate the folds of the binding which
otherwise would prevent a uniform and even adhesion of the parts, in fact, during
the usual work process it is necessary to remove these excess folds of material or
leather of the binding.
[0029] The final fixing of the heel (2) is obtained by using a knurled or serrated pin (5)
which is threaded from the bottom into the heel,through the hole (2c) and into the
aforementioned cavity (2a).
[0030] This pin easily penetrates the hole (2c) and the first section (If) and only really
starts gripping in the last section and that is in order to make the assembly of the
sandal as quick as possible.
[0031] The top piece (6) may be driven in and under the head of the pin (5), as illustrated
in the attached drawings or made in one piece with the pin itself.
[0032] According to a second preferred embodiment of the instant invention the heel-shaped
protrusion (Ie) instead of being tapered similar to a truncated cone, mav be graduated
concentrically, and so obviously must be the cavitv (2a) of the heel (2).
[0033] This second arrangement in fact, guarantees a steadier and more secure centring as
even if the heel, for some reason, should not be-properly and firmlv fitted to the
heel-shaped protrusion (1e) the contact between the matching surfaces is not lost.
[0034] It should be clear that this specification refers to one preferred embodiment of
the sandal according to this invention, thus numerous variations and modifications,
above all concerning the structural details, may be carried out by experts without
changing the aim of the invention.
[0035] It should also be clear that this rigid insert (1) may be used when manufacturing
other types of footwear, not necessarily sandals, and still have a quicker and more
simplified assembly of the parts since the centring and fixing operations of the heel
are eliminated in exactly the same way and therefore there is no longer need for the
finishing inner sole to hide the nails which fix the heel to the sole.
1) Woman's sandal of quick and easv assembly, characterized by a plastic rigid insert
fitted under the insole, at the back of which is a small heel-shaped protrusion which
serves both to support and centre the actual heel. The heel has a cavity exactlv the
same shape as the aforesaid heel-shaped protrusion thus the centring of the heel is
automatically achieved bv fixing it to the heel-shaped protrusion, it is then held
in place by a pin which, under pressure, is threaded from the bottom through the heel
until it fits into a hole provided inside the heel--shaped protrusion.
2) Woman's sandal of quick and easv assembly, according to claim 1) and characterized
by a rigid insert which is of exactly the same shape as the insole above it, from
which it gradually tapers, getting thinner and narrower, and finishes where the arch
of the foot stops.
3) Woman's sandal of quick and easy assembly, according to claim 1), using a rigid
insert, and characterized by a thinner than usual peripheral band with a flat, uncurved
underside, so as to create an almost straight step on the sole of the aforementioned
rigid insert.
4) Woman's sandal of quick and easy assembly, according to claim 1), using a rigid
insert, and characterized by a series of closed holes provided along the under side
of the aforesaid peripheral band.
5) Woman's sandal of quick and easv assemblv, according to claim 1), using a rigid
insert, and characterized by a heel-shaped protrusion as in claim 1), which is axially
crossed by an absolutely vertical hole with the diameter of its lower section larger
than that of its upper section.
6) Woman's sandal of quick and easv assembly, according to claim 1), 'and characterized bv the fact that the upper edge of the heel slopes internallv towards
the centre, sloping towards the aforesaid central cavitv and ending inside a hole
which axiallv crosses the heel and where the aforesaid fixing pin is threaded.
7)Woman's sandal of quick and easv assembly, according to claim 1), and characterized
bv the heel―shaped protrusion as in claim 1) which instead of being tapered similar
to a truncated cone may be, according to a second preferred arrangement, graduated
concentrically, and so obviously must be the cavitv provided in the heel.
8) Woman's sandal of quick and easy assembly, according to claim 1), and characterized
by the aforementioned knurled or serrated pin which is threaded into the heel and
into the first section of the axial hole of the aforesaid heel-shaped protrusion.
It only starts gripping in the last section of this axial hole as the possibility
has been allowed for the top piece to be incorporated into the pin head or for the
top piece to be made in one piece with the pin.