US2503227A - Shoe tree - Google Patents

Description

H. C. VINING .April 4, 1950 'SHOE TREE Fileq Aug. 5, 147

Patented Apr. 4, 1950 SHOE TREE Howard C. Vining, Brockton, Mass., assignor tol Jones & Vining, Inc., Brockton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 5, 1947, Serial No. 766,281

1 Claim. (Cl. 12-128.6)

My present invention is a novel and improved shoe tree or display form.

Important objects of the invention are to improve and perfect this type of device and to enable the same to be made quickly, economically, and with the desired degree of adjustment to fit varying sizes of shoes.

Heretofore, it has been customary to make shoe trees usually of a skeleton type to save expense, such trees being ordinarily made with small toe portions and skeleton heel Sections with a toggle or hinge connecting the same. While this type of skeleton shoe tree could be made cheap-` lyv and economically, it was not satisfactory as failing vto give a full, smooth, and firm support to the shoe upper to which the ltree or display form was fitted, leaving the upper wrinkled and unsupported, particularly around the top and sides.

Other types of shoe formswhich were specially made as a full-sized last involved undue expense and weight, with more or less complex connecting toggles, hinges, or other joint constructions, particularly where a lengthwise adjustability was involved.

My present invention is directed to provide a full supporting shoe tree to keep the entire area of the upper supported, smooth from wrinkles,

and particularly to have the cone portion of the i display form extending to or above and entirely around the topmost edge of the forepart, as well also as filling the ankle portion of the shoe, thus giving a better and more attractive display feature, together with an extremely economical,

quick, and easy len'gthwise adjustment, with a single connecting link or member.

A further feature consists in the special curvature of the heel portion of my improved shoe tree or display form which will facilitate the fitting of the shoe tree into a shoe, as well as the removal therefrom, without unduly stretching the shoe upper or distorting the same from. its design, style, size, and length.

A specialfeature is the line of cut between the forepart and heel part which flacilitates the pivotal action between the fore and heel parts of my shoe tree and cooperates with the heel portion to permit quick application to or removal from a shoe.

A further and special feature is the relative position of the pivot for the heel cooperating with the curvature of the rear part of the heel which insures an immediate shortenin'g of the last at the initiation of the bending or collapsing movement from lengthened position to collapsed position.

1 2 Thus the heel part is of the shoe and prevents straining the upper.

Referring to the drawings illustrating apre-l ferred' embodiment of my present invention:`

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly in cross section showing the shoe tree in extended posii tion, and f Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevational view showing the shoe tree in collapsed position. i

`As shown in the drawings, my improved shoe tree or form comprses the forepart I andheel portion 2 to which may he fitted a handle 3. The line of cut dividing the forepart and heel partis of special importance: On the forepart it com- -prises two lines, one as indicated at 4 extending downwardly below the level of the connecting link; and a second line of cut 5 which is ati'a slightly different angle to facilitate seating and looking of the two'parts when in extended 'position. On the heel portion 2 the line of cut isv indicated at 6, which is practically straight and is at a suflicient angle with the lines of cut t and '5 on the forepart so as to permit rocking or fiex'ing of the heel part relatively with the forepart on a single pivot point, with the conneoting link relatively rigid with the forepart and the heel partin effect, rocking on the link-connecting pivot. The heel part also is provided with a saw cut or kerf `I, which can be made from the line of cut 6 inwardly substantially in the middle portion of the heel part, the saw cut terminating as indicated at I'I, giving a relatively deep kerf so that the connecting pivot will be located well within the solid Wood of the heel part.

The |conneoting link comprses a middle member II! having one portion I I fiattened to a thickness substantially equal to the width of the kerf 'I so as to give a lateral bearing therein but with sufilcient clearance to permit a rocking action of the heel part on said ilattened link portion I I.

This link portion Il is provided with an opening thru which a pivot pin I2 will pass, extending from the outside of the heel part as indicated in Fig. 2, and giving a firm pivotal bearing of the heel part on the link I 0. The link IO has the opposite or forward portion formed round and treated to be threaded into a bored opening I5 in the forepart, the diameter of the threaded portion I4 of the link IO and that of the bore I5 being such as to permit the threads on the link IB to cut into and form a correspondingly threaded or tapped contour in the bored opening I 5. Thus, with the link In threaded into the forepart, and the pivot I2 'uniting the opposite end of the link to the rear part, a quick adiustment lengthdrawn away from the heel wise is effected byV rotating the heel part relatively with the forepart, and the threaded portion of the linJ` being thus shortened or lengthened, thereby giving a lengthwise adjustment of both parts.

The cone portion of the heel part 20 is of sufiicient length to act as a support for the tongue and lacing part of the shoe, or of the vamp if a slipperypump, or the like is to be fitted on this shoe tree or form, while the particular curved portion 2| at the bottom of the heel, as indicated, is on a radius with the pivot |2 to permit and facilitate the fitting in or removal from the shoe 6 on the heel part to prevent pinching the lining.

It Will thus be appreciated that my novel and improvedshoe tree or display form gives a full andcomplete support to the shoe upper throughoutits entire extentv and fills theangle portion of the shoe so that it canv be fitted to 01' removed therefrom without -difficulty or straining by reason of the position of the pivot i and the heel curve 2|, while the forepart and heel part can'bequickly adjustedlengthwise, and all with an extremely simpleV construction and asingle link, independently of toggles, catohes, looks, or the like. The bore 15 in the forepart is also at a precise and Vpredetermined angle .with relation to the pivot |2 in the heel' part and thecurved portion 2 If. `Theassembling` of both parts is accomplished byl'simply positioning them together and driving.in the pivot pin` IZ, which can be accomplished without skilled laborand with great speed andl at a minimum of .expense My invention of alast form with a single connecting'element which keepsthe forepart and heell part in correct alignment by the fiattened portion. l in the kerf 1, while permitting ad- 4 justment by rotating the link on the threads in the forepart, insures accurate alignment of both parts and greatly facilitates the assembling operation.

I claim:

A shoe tree, display form, or the like of the kind described, having a, substantial forepart With a longitudinally central bored opening angularly positioned with regard to the bottom of the forepart, together vvith a heel portion having a complete ankle-supporting portion formed with a straight line of cut adjacent the forepart, and a circular relatively narrow saw kerf opening from said line of cut into the heel part, said two parts being pivotally and lengthwise adjustably united by a single connecting link, said link having a threaded part adapted to be threacled directly into the Wood of said angular recess in the forepart; and a fiattened portion adapted to fit within said saw kerf and being held to the heel part by a `single pivotal pin, saidlink holding said forepart and heel part adjustably spaced sufiiciently to permit relative fiexing of. said parts to allow insertion in and removal from a shoe without straining the upper,` and while supporting the ankle portion of the upper.

HOWARD C. VINING.

REFERENCES CITED The following rcferences are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 933,029 Fitz Aug; 31, 1909 1,842,265 Hamelin Jan. 19, 1932 2,053241 Harriman Sept. 1, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,885 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1900 24,236 Great Britain Nov. 6, 1902 229,463 France Apr..18, 1893

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