Abstract:
An automatically girth-adjustable shoe construction for a foot with a normal or a higher than normal instep wherein the effective girth of the shoe is controlled by a means at the ball of the foot connected to a second means at the instep of the foot by a slidably movable girth-adjusting plate located below the midportion of the shoe.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention comprises a shoe construction providing improved means for the automatic adjustment of the effective girth of a shoe to properly fit the girth of a foot therein throughout a day&#39;s wearing use. 
         [0002]    It is well known that for proper fit, a shoe should not only be of suitable length but also of the particular effective girthwise dimensions to provide a comfortably close fit of the shoe to the foot of the wearer. In the past, the best means of approaching such fit have been by custom-made shoes, or alternatively at usually appreciably lower cost by factory-made shoes, preferably offered in a suitable range of successive widths (such as A, B, C, D, E, etc.) for each length size, for a better fitting girth range of the shoe to a foot therein. Neither of these approaches however has provided the preferred automatic girth adjustment needed to fit each foot properly, including the adjustment needed for the normal temporary increases in foot girth due to the gradual accumulation of body fluids in one&#39;s extremities over each day of wearing use. 
         [0003]    During the 20 th  century, girthwise fitting problems increased appreciably with the adoption of the now general retail practice of offering most shoes only in a single medium width for each length size, mainly to minimize inventories for the seemingly ever-increasing range of shoe styles being offered by suppliers. This single width, i.e. girth, restriction has adversely affected the fit of such shoes the so-called “casual styles” such as loafers and similar slip-on styles that typically lack means of manual girth adjustment and therefore cannot provide continuous proper girthwise fit to the wearers. 
         [0004]    The present invention overcomes these problems by providing shoes that will properly fit the girth of each length size foot automatically throughout each full day&#39;s wearing use. Additionally, the construction will tend to keep the foot relatively centered transversely in the shoe at all girth adjustments, thereby benefitting athletic applications as well as those of general wearing use. 
         [0005]    While this disclosure presents a hand-sewn saddle loafer styled casual shoe, the invention is applicable to multiple bottom approaches including direct-molded and conventionally cemented soles over a wide range of shoe styles both with and without lacing or equivalent manual girth adjustment means. This invention also applies to shoes of a wide range of longitudinal flexibility while allowing a wearer to experience a minimum of heel-slip during a stride while avoiding continuous undesirable girthwise tension on the foot therein. 
         [0006]    As for relevant prior art, none has apparently been able to satisfy the foregoing criteria sufficiently to merit its volume production to date. Such prior art includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,692,271; 3,404,438; 3,442,031; 3,541,078; 3,615,235; 3,686,777; 4,278,083; 4,858,341; 4,967,277; 5,060,402; 5,123,181; 5,153,367; 5,203,096; 5,241,762; 5,325,512; 5,384,970; 6,725,575 and 6,883,254. 
         [0007]    Moreover, the present invention provides an automatically girth-adjustable shoe construction without needing continuous waist and instep girthwise tension as required in most prior art shoe constructions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    This invention is directed to an automatically girth-adjustable shoe construction wherein the shoe has no more girthwise tension on the foot of the wearer during a stride than conventional shoes of a similar design. The automatically girth-adjustable shoes have a construction which includes: (1) a first girth-adjustment control means at about the ball of a shoe and a foot therein; (2) a second girth-adjustment control means at about the longitudinal mid-portion of the shoe rearward of the first girth-adjustment means and acting at about the instep of the shoe and foot therein; (3) a slidably movable girth-adjusting plate located below the longitudinal midportion of the foot of a wearer, said plate including a pair of eyelet slots angled to opposite sides of the shoe at less than 45° from the centerline of the shoe; (4) a loose insole located below the foot of the wearer and having (a) a centerline eyelet slot and (b) two angled eyelet slots each angled at about 90° to the slots in the slidable girth-adjusting plate; (5) a girth-adjusting control means to move the slidable girth-adjusting plate means in response to changes in the first girth-adjustment control means; and ( 6 ) a longitudinally elastic means to move the girth-adjusting plate in response to the control means, whereby the first girth-adjustment control means measures the girth of the ball of a foot to automatically set the girth adjustment of the shoe to fit the instep and waist of the shoe to fit a foot with either a normal or a higher than normal instep. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational cross-sectional view of a handsewn saddle loafer styled casual shoe having a direct-molded cupped sole. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show plan views of bottom elements of the shoe of  FIG. 1  taken along the lines  2 - 2  and  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  shows these elements as they would appear with the shoe adjusted to a lesser girth while  FIG. 3  shows their adjustment to a greater girth. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6  show additional plan views of elements of the shoe shown in the previous figures.  FIG. 4  shows an elastic fabric tape means;  FIG. 5  shows a loose insole; and  FIG. 6  shows an automatic girth adjustment plate means located in the longitudinal midportion of the shoe, all described in greater detail to follow. 
       
    
    
     DEFINITIONS 
       [0012]    The following definitions will be used in reference to terms and phrases used in this disclosure: 
         [0013]    “Automatic girth adjustment”—The automatic adjustment of the effective girth of a shoe. 
         [0014]    “Bottom assembly”—The assembly of shoe elements under a foot therein. 
         [0015]    “Centerline”—The longitudinally central line of a shoe, or elements thereof. 
         [0016]    “Direct-molded sole”—A sole element of moldable plastic or equivalent rubber material, in which the sole is both molded and attached to the upper in the same molding operation. 
         [0017]    “Effective girth”—The transverse circumferential dimensions of the inner most elements of a shoe. 
         [0018]    “Elastic fabric tape”—Fabric tape having a lengthwise elasticity similar to that present in an elastic waistband in so-called “Jockey” short underwear, typically exerting a girthwise tension of about ½ lb. or more on a foot in a shoe therewith. 
         [0019]    “Fixed insole”—Bottom insole element of a shoe, fixedly attached to its upper elements and preferably of flexibly inelastic woven fabric material. 
         [0020]    “Heel-slip”—The vertical movement of the backpart of a shoe relative to the heel of a foot therein as may occur during a wearer&#39;s stride. 
         [0021]    “Interlining”—Shoe lining element located between outermost upper elements of a shoe and its innermost lining elements. 
         [0022]    “Last”—Shoemaking form over which elements of a shoe may be assembled in its manufacture. 
         [0023]    “Last bottom”—Perimeter of the bottom portion of a last. 
         [0024]    “Lining”—Inner sheet-like element of a shoe located between the outermost upper elements of a shoe and a foot therein. 
         [0025]    “Loose”—The less than continuous attachment of adjacent elements of a shoe to each other. 
         [0026]    “Midportional”—The relatively central longitudinal location in a foot or shoe, typically including its ball, waist and instep portions. 
         [0027]    “Plastic”—Relatively strong and flexible extruded polymeric material. 
         [0028]    “Proper fit”—Comfortably close contracting girthwise fit of a shoe of suitable length to a foot therein. 
         [0029]    “Spandex”—A synthetic polyurethane-polyurea copolymer fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. The name “Spandex” is the preferred name in North America; in many European countries it is referred to as “Elastane”, and it is known in Britain mainly as “Lycra.” 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0030]    Referring to the drawings, there is shown a so-called handsewn saddle loafer in a construction embodying principles of this invention. 
         [0031]    The shoe construction of this invention is an automatically girthwise adjustable shoe having an upper assembly attached to a bottom and sole assembly. The attachment may be by any conventional means, including such as direct sole-molding, vulcanization, and conventional cementing means. The upper assembly includes a loose Spandex lining attached to the shoe&#39;s vamp topline as by stitching means (not shown) and extending downwards therefrom to and across preferably the top surface of a preferably extruded synthetic polymeric material such as polypropylene, Hytrel® polyester, or equivalents thereto, and having a width substantially equivalent to the bottom of a shoe-last of the least girth of the intended girth adjustment range of the shoe. 
         [0032]    The shoe construction preferably includes a pair of about ½″ to 1″ wide flexible inelastic fabric tapes at the ball of the shoe. The tapes are attached as by vamp topline stitching (not shown) at about the ball portion of the shoe and extend downwards therefrom between the lining and outer vamp elements to preferably below the loose insole, each tape being eyeletted at its lower end to allow a braided Dacron® or similar line to be attached thereto and extending therefrom to and through a hooked eyelet (known as a “speed-hook”) at the ball of the centerline of the loose insole (or through centerline eyelet equivalents thereof) to, and through the forward centerline eyeletted portion of an extruded plastic girth-adjusting plate of about 1/32″ thickness, transversely attached as by butt-stitching (not shown) to a longitudinally elastic fabric tape means stitched to the heel of the loose insole under a longitudinal tension of about ½ lb. or more, and said girth-adjusting plate also having two relatively longitudinally-angled midportional slots, loosely eyeletted to two relatively transversely-angled slots in the loose insole preferably thereover, and to the end portions of the elasticized girth-adjusting tapes attached to the instep of the vamp topline by topline stitching (not shown). The slots in the girth-adjusting plate are each angled outward at about 30 to 45° to the centerline of the shoe. The slots are loosely eyeletted to relatively transverse angled slots in the loose insole, preferably angled at about 120° to the insole centerline. The sliding girth-adjusting plate is also attached, preferably bu butt-stitching (not shown) to a longitudinally elasticized fabric tape attached at a lengthwise tension of about ½ pound or more to the heel of the loose insole by edge stitching and to the fixed insole thereunder by adhesive cement-attaching means. 
         [0033]    The foregoing construction will automatically adjust the girth of the shoe to match that of the foot therein with a minimum of heel-slip and/or continuous girthwise tension on the instep portion of the foot during the stride while avoiding continuous girthwise tension on the instep portion of the foot of the wearer during the stride. 
         [0034]      FIG. 1  shows a shoe  20  having an upper assembly  22  which includes a saddle  24  attached as by trim-stitching  26  to a plug  28 , both being attached to a vamp  30  as by hand-sewing  32 . The vamp  30  has a cuff  34  attached to the vamp topline by topline stitching (not shown) and is similarly attached to a flexibly inelastic woven fabric ball tape  36 , about ½ to 1″ wide and about 1/32″ thick, extending downwards to and transversely (partially) the top surface of a preferably flexibly inelastic fixed insole  38 , attached as by butt-stitching (not shown) to the lower periphery of the vamp  30  of shoe  20 .  FIG. 1  also shows an elastic fabric instep tape insert  40  similarly attached to the instep portion of the topline of the vamp  30 . The tape  40  is about 1½″ long, about ½″ to 1″ wide, and about 1/32″ thick. The tape is attached as by butt-stitching (not shown) to an inelastic woven fabric tape  42  of similar width and thickness, and extends downwards and preferably under the about 1/32″ thick polypropylene or similar extruded plastic girth-adjusting plate  44  over the fixed insole  38  of the shoe  20 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  further shows a loose Spandex lining  46  also attached to the topline of the vamp  30  as by vamp topline stitching (not shown) over ball tapes  36  and instep tapes  40 / 42 . A thin, i.e. about 1/32″ or more thick, foam layer (not shown) may be located between the Spandex and the shoe upper assembly (in whole or in part). The Spandex lining extends downward from the vamp topline to the top of an about 0.03″ thick preferably extruded plastic “loose” insole  48  to which the Spandex loose lining  46  is cemented at a minimum girthwise tension of about 2 to 3 ounces per longitudinal inch of the shoe  20 . The “loose” insole  48  is cemented at its forepart (i.e. toe) and its back-parts (i.e. instep and heel) to the fixed insole  38  thereunder. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show bottom plan views of elements of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1  as viewed upwardly from its fixed insole  38  including its girth-adjusting elements previously noted.  FIG. 2  shows the elements adjusted to fit a lesser girth foot while  FIG. 3  shows the elements adjusted to fit a greater girth foot. Both figures show the loose insole  48  as having a width equal to or somewhat less than, the width of the bottom of a last of the least girth of the intended girth-adjustment range of the shoe  20 . Both figures also show a flexibly inelastic braided Dacron® line  50  extending through the eyelets  52  in the lower ends of the ball tapes  36  and through a centerline hooked ball eyelet  54  (or optionally through  2  centerline eyelets) in loose insole  48  to and through a centerline eyelet  56  in the forepart of the girth-adjustable plate  44  loosely eyeletted to a centerline waist slot  58  in the loose insole  48  of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1 .  FIGS. 2 and 3  also show the instep tapes  42  of shoe  20  attached by loosely slidable eyelets  62  through a relatively longitudinally angled slots  64  in the girth-adjusting plate  44  to, and through, the relatively transversely angled slots  66  in the loose insole  48 . The slots  64  in plate  44  are at about 90° angles to the relatively transversely angled slots  66  in loose insole  48 . The heel end of plate  44  is attached to a longitudinally elastic knitted fabric tape  70  as by butt-stitching (not shown) under a lengthwise tensional range of about ½ lb. or more, depending on the degree of girth adjustment desired. The elastic tape  70  is attached to the heel of insole  48  as by insole edge-stitching  72 , said insole  48  being cemented at its forepart and backpart to the fixed insole  38  thereunder. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6  show plan views of elements of  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  FIG. 4  shows a longitudinally elastic tape  70  located in the backpart of the shoe  20  as the tape might appear when non-extended.  FIG. 5  shows a loose insole  48  eyeletted by a centerline hooked eyelet (also known as a “speed-hook”)  54  and having a centerline waist slot  58  and two relatively transversely angled instep slots  66  at about 120° angles to the centerline of insole  48 .  FIG. 6  shows the girth adjusting sliding plate  44  with a centerline eyelet  56  at its forward end, and two longitudinally-angled slots  64 , angled at about 60° to their centerline. 
         [0038]    It will be noted that the shoe construction of this invention provides means whereby the automatic girth adjustment in the mid-portion of the shoe adjusts the fit-critical instep of the shoe to the exact girth of the wearer&#39;s foot and changes as needed to adapt to the normal girth increases of the wearer&#39;s foot due to increases in bodily fluids in an individual&#39;s extremities over the course of a day. This construction causes no more girthwise tension on the foot or heel-slip during a stride than that of a properly fitting conventional shoe of similar styling. 
         [0039]    Equivalents to the means disclosed above for use in the automatically girth-adjustable shoe construction of this invention include other plate or lever shapes and angled girth-adjustment means including extension springs or other springs or similarly elastic means and materials, preferably adjusting the effective girth of a shoe including in about its longitudinal mid-portion, over a relatively wide range of girths and of shoe styles including those both with and without lacing other means of manual girth adjustment. 
         [0040]    As for materials and sources, leather can be from Prime Tanning, Inc., of Berwick, Me. Highly tensionable so-called “strong” elastic knitted fabric tapes may be from Textile Tapes, Inc., of Rochester, N.H.. Eyelets and similar hardware may be from The Barnes Group, Inc., of Maumee, Ohio. Polypropylene and other extruded plastics may be from Spartech, Inc., of Portage, Wis. Hytrel® extruded plastic may be from Rodgard, Inc., of Buffalo, N.Y. Dacron® line may be from Woodstock Line, Inc., of Putnam, Conn. Spandex fabric and both elastic and inelastic fabric tapes may be from the Geo. C. Moore. Co. Inc., of Westerly, R.I.