Ventilating Cushions for Shoes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
Ventilating Cushions for Shoes.
I, WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E., of 62, Saint Vincent Street, in the City of
Glasgow, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(as communicated to me by The James-Beam Company, a Corporation organized
under the laws of West Virginia, principal place of business at No. 1181, Broad-
way, New York, in the State of New York, one of the United States of America,
Manufacturers), to be as follows:―
This invention relates to an improved article of manufacture adapted as a
ventilating-cushion for shoes, and said invention also relates to a certain novel
combination of said cushion with other materials and with other features of
construction in a shoe, as will be hereinafter described.
The object of the invention in the adaptation of the improved article to a shoe,
is to form a cushion of india rubber or other elastic material which will extend
across the entire width of the foot between the welts, but form air ducts when
interposed between contiguous surfaces, which will conduct the air both lengthwise
and crosswise of the shoe and distribute it universally and uniformly, avoiding
the necessity of reducing the area of the cushion to form longitudinal channels, as
heretofore, which reduction is liable to present an uneven insole. The object is,
moreover, to obtain a cushion structure which will offer air passages at right
angular directions without interrupting the continuous ridges of
corrugations which are necessary to support the yielding contiguous
surfaces so that they will not fill up the air spaces when the sole is subjected to
the pressure of the foot in walking. Felt insoles may thereby be used in con-
junction with the improved cushion which will insure supply of air to all parts
of the felt. The object is also to produce a ventilating cushion which will bend
with equal elasticity in all directions, and in which the numerous air channels
will not weaken the structure.
the
The cushion is preferably composed of india rubber and the features of the
same consist in the formation of the surfaces whereby corrugated grooves on one
side run at right angles (or at other suitable angles) to corrugated grooves on the
other side, and perforations are provided at the intersections of the grooves,
whereby when the sheet is interposed between contiguous surfaces, each groove
running in one direction will communicate with the grooves running in the other
direction, forming distributing passageways universally connecting all parts of the
surfaces with any given source or point of air supply. This is accomplished without
interrupting the continuity of the ridges of the corrugations which support the
contiguous surfaces as could not be effectually done were the two angular series
of channels formed on one side of the cushion.
One series of ridges running crosswise of the other ridges, connect and brace
each other securely forming a grating which cannot be readily broken, but which
ill sold easily to flexure in all directions.

page_text: The sheet may be reinforced with a canvas layer interposed intermediately if
desired.
The sheet may be moulded to any convenient marketable size, and cut by means
of dies or otherwise to the shapes required.
In its application to a shoe cushion, the elastic material is interposed between
the sole and the insole, and the material is cut to fit and abut against the inner
edge of the welt, so as to extend as nearly as possible the entire width of the shoe,
thus cushioning the full tread of the foot.
The air is supplied and allowed to circulate freely in and out through a tube,
by the movement of the foot in walking, and it is desired to secure proper
communication of the air from said tube or source of supply, to all parts of the
insole which has perforations, generally distributing throughout its surface. The
first feature essential to this distribution is the formation of longitudinal channels
whereby the air is conveyed from the tube at the counter to the toe. For this
purpose, the cushions are inserted so that one set of corrugated channels run
lengthwise of the sole contiguous thereto and form ducts for the passage of the air
along the length of the shoe, and the other set of corrugated channels extend
crosswise of the insole, contiguous thereto and form distributing ducts com-
municating with the first mentioned ducts by means of perforations.
At the shank of the sole the cushion may be of course omitted, channels being
left at each side of the shank strip between the sole and insole.
The longitudinal ducts therefore serve as conduits for pumping the air through
the length of the shoe, and the cross ducts serve to distribute the air crosswise
and equally to all parts of the shoe.
The cushion thus formed for universal distribution of air, is especially adapted
for combination with a felt insole, which is porous and will pass the air fed to it
and keep the feet dry, and the continuity of the ridges will keep the felt from
sinking into the channels so as to obstruct them.
Dated this 4th dox of October 1897
Ventilating Cushions for Shoes.
I, WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E., of 62, Saint Vincent Street, in the City of
Glasgow, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved article of manufacture adapted as a
ventilating-cushion for shoes, and said invention also relates to a certain novel
combination of said cushion with other materials and with other features of
construction in a shoe, as will be hereinafter described and claimed. The object
of the invention in the adaptation of the improved article to a shoe is to form a
cushion of india-rubber or other elastic material which will extend across the
entire width of the foot between the welts, but form air-ducts when interposed
between contiguous surfaces, which will conduct the air both lengthwise and cross-
wise of the shoe and distribute it universally and uniformly, avoiding the necessity
of reducing the area of the cushion to form longitudinal channels, as heretofore,
which reduction is liable to present an uneven insole.
The object is, moreover, to obtain a cushion structure which will offer air-
passages at right-angular directions without interrupting the continuous ridges

page_text: of the corrugations which are necessary to support the yielding contiguous surfaces
so that they will not fill up the air-spaces when the sole is subjected to the
pressure of the foot in walking. Felt insoles may thereby be used in conjunction
with the improved cushion, which will insure supply of air to all parts of the felt.
The object is also to produce a ventilating-cushion which will bend with equal
elasticity in all directions and in which the numerous air-channels will not weaken
the structure.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of
the shoe with the sole removed, showing the welt, the cushion, and the insole.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at ra, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section at yy,
Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a surface view, partly reversed, of the improved article of manu-
facture. Fig. 5 is a cross-section at a, b, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a cross-section
at c, c, Fig. 4.
The cushion A is preferably composed of india-rubber, and the features of the
same (clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6) consist in the formation of the surfaces
whereon corrugations 2 on one side run at right angles (or at other suitable angles)
to corrugations 3 on the other side, and perforations 4 are provided at the intersec-
tions of the grooves, so adapted that when the sheet is interposed between con-
communicate
tiguous surfaces each groove running in one direction will
with the grooves running in the other direction, forming distributing
passage ways universally connecting all parts of the surfaces with any given source
or point of air-supply. This is accomplished without interrupting the continuity
of the ridges of the corrugations at 5 5 and 6 6, which support the contiguous
surfaces, as could not be effectually done were the two angular series of channels
formed on one side of the cushion."
The series of ridges 5 5, running crosswise of the ridges 66, connect and brace
each other securely, forming a grating which cannot be readily broken, but which
will yield easily to flexure in all directions.
The sheet may be reinforced with a canvas layer 7, interposed intermediately, as
indicated at the left-hand portions of Figs. 5 and 6, if desired.
The sheet may be molded to any convenient marketable size and cut by
means of dies or otherwise to the shapes required.
In its application to a shoe-cushion the elastic material A is interposed between
the sole B and the insole C, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and the material A is cut to fit and
abut against the inner edge of the welt D, so as to extend as nearly as possible
the entire width of the shoe, thus cushioning the full tread of the foot.
The air is supplied and allowed to circulate freely in and out through the tube E
by the movement of the foot in walking, and it is desired to secure proper com-
munication of the air from said tube or source of supply to all parts of the
perforated insole C, which has perforations 8 generally distributed throughout
its surface. The first feature essential to this distribution is the formation of
longitudinal channels whereby the air is conveyed from the tube E at the counter
to the toe. For this purpose the cushion A and also the cushion A¹ are inserted
so that the corrugated channels 33 run lengthwise of the sole B contiguous thereto
and form ducts for the passage of the air along the length of the shoe, and the
corrugated channels 22 extend crosswise of the insole C contiguous thereto and
form distributing-ducts communicating with the ducts 3 by means of the perfora-
tions 4.
At the shank of the sole the cushion may of course be omitted, channels F F
being left at each side of the shank-strip G between the sole and insole. The
ducts 33 therefore serve as conduits for pumping the air through the length of
the shoe, and the ducts 22 serve to distribute the air crosswise and equally to all
parts of the shoe.
The cushion thus formed for universal distribution of air is especially adapted
5 for combination with a felt insole C, which is porous and will pass the air fed
to it and keep the feet dry, and the continuity of the ridges 5 5 will keep the felt
from sinking into the channels 22, so as to obstruct them.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As an article of manufacture, a sheet of elastic material having corrugations
on one side running at angles to corrugations on the other side and having
perforations at the intersections of the grooves.
2. As an article of manufacture, an elastic ventilating-sheet of rubber having
a series of corrugations on each surface, the one series extending in a direction
at right angles or substantially so to the other, and having perforations at the
crossings of the grooves between the corrugations, so adapted that when the sheet
is interposed between contiguous surfaces, each groove running in one direction
will communicate with grooves running in the other direction, forming universally-
communicating ducts.
3. In a shoe, the combination with a sole, insole, welt, and upper, of a
ventilating-cushion composed of elastic material interposed between the sole and
insole and having series of corrugations extending in different directions on its
respective surfaces, and provided with perforations whereby the ducts formed by
said corrugations adjacent to the sole and insole communicate with one another.
4. In a shoe, the combination with a sole, insole, welt, and upper, of a
ventilating-cushion interposed between the sole and insole and having series of
corrugations extending in different directions on its respective surfaces, and
perforated as described; said cushion extending from the inner edge of the welt
on one side of the shoe fully across to the inner edge of the opposite welt substan-
tially as shown.
5. In a shoe, the combination with the sole, of a ventilating rubber cushion
having longitudinal corrugations adjacent to the sole, and having closely-arranged
transverse corrugations on its upper surface and perforated as described, and a
felt insole resting on said upper surface of the cushion, adapted as described.
Dated this 26th dar of M 1000