Boot and shoe making – Tools – Interiorly stretching assembled shoes
Patent
1998-02-18
1999-12-14
Kavanaugh, Ted
Boot and shoe making
Tools
Interiorly stretching assembled shoes
12146L, 12133R, A43D 500, A43D 302
Patent
active
060000813
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a last for an article of footwear and a last for an article of footwear. The term "last" as used herein is intended to embrace both a shoemaker's model for making, shaping and/or repairing an article of footwear and a shaped block or shoe-tree for shaping or maintaining in shape an article of footwear. The present invention has particular application in the field of customised articles of footwear.
BACKGROUND ART
GB-A-765,371, discloses a method of making shoe-trees in which a plater cast is made of the front part of an individual's foot and fixed to an end piece to form a shoe tree. Such a shoe tree suffers the disadvantage that the plaster cast reflects the shape of the external surface of the individual's foot when the foot is not restrained by an article of footwear. Since much of contemporary fashion footwear causes an individual's foot to be deformed to some extend, a shoe-tree formed in accordance with GB-A-765,371 would not necessarily be insertable in such fashion footwear.
GB 476,323 discloses a method for making an orthopaedic last derived from an orthopaedically correct old shoe, from which last an orthopaedically correct arch of a new shoe can be subsequently manufactured. The orthopaedic last is formed by filling the orthopaedically correct old shoe with a plastic material and allowing said material to set. Such a method suffers from the disadvantage that it can only be performed using old shoes whose bodies do not comprise straps or apertures since such footwear could not contain the un-set plastic material. The methods of GB 476, 323 would not therefore be suitable for many styles of contemporary fashion footwear.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a last for a first article of footwear, the last comprising a cast shaped and dimensioned to customise, in use, one end of the first article of footwear for one end of the individual's foot; and an end piece adapted to engage, in use, the opposite end of the first article of footwear, said method comprising the steps of customising the cast for said one end of the individual's foot; and fixing the cast to the end piece.
Preferably, the customising step comprises forming the cast from the internal surface of one end of a second article of footwear.
Alternatively, the customising step comprises forming a mould of the external surface of one end of the individual's foot; and forming the cast from the mould.
Preferably, the cast is formed by lining the internal surface of one end of the second article of footwear; and filling the lining with a material which is suitable for forming the cast.
Further preferably, the lining is formed from latex rubber or the like.
Advantageously, the method additionally comprises the step of customising the end piece for the opposite end of the individual's foot.
More advantageously, the customising step comprises forming the end piece from the internal surface of said opposite end of the second article of footwear.
Even more advantageously, the end piece is formed by lining the internal surface of said opposite end of the second article of footwear; and filling the lining with a castable material.
Alternatively, the customising step comprises forming a mould of the external surface of the opposite end of the individual's foot; and forming the end piece from the mould.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a last for a first article of footwear, the last comprising a cast shaped and dimensioned to customise, in use, one end of the first article of footwear for one end of an individual's foot; an end piece adapted to engage, in use, the opposite end of the first article of footwear; and means for fixing said cast to said end piece.
Preferably, the cast conforms substantially to the shape of the internal surface of one end of a second article of footwear.
More preferably, the end piece conforms substantially to the shape of the internal surfac
REFERENCES:
patent: 2941220 (1960-06-01), Schick
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