FR2959914A1 - Installation for cleaning and dressing sole of shoe e.g. lace-up shoes, has flange located at periphery of housing, sole whose face is supported against flange and maintaining device maintaining sole in support position against flange - Google Patents

Abstract

The installation has a support (2) i.e. plate, in which a housing (3) receives a rising portion of a shoe or thin straps (21) of a sole so as to protect the thin straps from a cutting unit (10) e.g. cutter. A flange (4) is located at periphery of the housing. A face of the sole is supported against the flange and comprises the rising portion of the shoe or the thin straps so as to maintain the sole outside the housing and make its contour accessible by the cutting unit. A maintaining device i.e. plate (5), maintains the sole in support position against the flange. An independent claim is also included for a method for cleaning and dressing a sole fixed on a rising portion of a shoe or equipped with thin straps on one of its two faces.

Description

INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR FINISHING A SHOE SOLE.

Description Technical Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an installation and a method for finishing a shoe sole.

The invention relates to the techniques of finishing a shoe sole and more particularly facilities for finishing the contour of a sole already mounted on the rising part or already equipped with straps.

State of the art

Patent documents GB 1,008,081 (RALPHS), GB 1,028,312 (GRALPHS), GB 379,686 (BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY), GB 659,782 (BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY) and GB 951,854 (ALBEKO SCHUHMASCHINEN) are known from patent documents. ), GB 966 471 (ALBEKO SCHUHMASCHINEN), GB 975 055 (ALBEKO SCHUHMASCHINEN), FR 1 386 102 (ALBEKO SCHUHMASCHINEN), US 4 010 502 (CUSCHING), WO 2006/109339 (MA-MECC), WO 98/53718 ( KANG), facilities for finishing a shoe sole. These installations generally comprise a support on which the sole is supported and means for cutting the contour of said sole positioned on said support. 2959914 -2

In practice, this support is in the form of two plates between which is compressed a sole or a stack of soles.

However, these installations are only suitable for finishing 5 soles before it is assembled on the top of the shoe (that is to say the rising part) or before it is equipped with straps in the case of a sandal. Indeed, assuming that a sole mounted on the rising part of a shoe or equipped with straps, is placed on the support of an installation of this type, the compression plates would crush 10 said rising portion or said straps and would degrade them. In addition, in the case of a sandal, the portions of the strips protruding from the compression plates could be cut by the cutting means during finishing. This type of installation being exclusively suitable for finishing a sole before the final assembly of the rising part or the strips, it will be referred to as an installation dedicated to a pre-finishing operation.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, for sandals of good quality, the straps are first assembled to the sole (20) before finishing the contour of said sole is executed. Indeed, the strips (21) 20 comprise zones of fasteners (23) fixed between two layers of the sole (20). In fact, after assembly, the outline of the sole (20) has a recess (24) at the joint between the two layers. This recess (24) is due to the imperfect positioning of one layer relative to the other. For shoes other than sandals, a similar problem appears. So as to obtain a contour of the sole (20) without recess, a finishing operation is performed on said sole after assembly thereof with the rising portion of the shoe or the straps. We will speak in this case of post-finishing operation. This operation can only be done manually today by a highly qualified worker. 30 2959914 -3

GB 1,047,282 (DARDIG) discloses a solution for performing a post-finishing operation. This solution consists in using male quick coupling means fixed under the heel of the sole, and which engage in female quick fastening means fixed on the support. This solution has the disadvantage of having to make holes in the heel of the soleplate so as to set up the male quick coupling means. These must also be removed from the heel after cutting. On the other hand, this installation is only suitable for finishing the heel contour and is not suitable for finishing the complete contour of the sole. Indeed, during a hypothetical phase of finishing the front contour of the sole, the cutting means may damage the shoe.

In view of this state of affairs, the main object of the invention is to provide an installation allowing the automatic completion of the complete contour of a sole already attached to the upstream part of a boot or already equipped with thongs, without human intervention and without risk of damaging said rising part or said strips.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple, easy-to-use, inexpensive installation with no risk of injury to the operator.

Disclosure of the invention. The solution proposed by the invention is an installation for finishing a shoe sole, comprising: a support on which the sole is based, a means for cutting the contour of the soleplate positioned on the support. - 4 This installation is remarkable in that the support consists of a hollow housing whose contours are similar to those of the sole, said support comprising: - a housing for receiving the upward portion of the shoe or the straps of the sole of so as to protect them from the cutting means, - a rim located at the periphery of the housing and against which bears the face of the sole comprising the upward portion of the shoe or the straps, so as to maintain said sole out of said housing and return its accessible contour by means of cutting, - a device for maintaining the sole resting against the rim. Thus, during the cutting of the outline of the sole, the rising portion of the shoe or the straps are located inside the housing and are thus kept out of reach of the cutting means, so that these elements are not likely to be damaged.

The holding device is preferably a plate whose contours are similar to those of the soleplate, said plate being configured to exert a uniform pressure force on the face of said soleplate not comprising the upward portion of the shoe or the straps . Advantageously, the rim of the support comprises a deformable seal avoiding the deterioration of the face of the sole bearing against said flange.

According to yet another advantageous characteristic of the invention making it possible to produce a uniformly distributed cut on the contour of the sole, the support is equipped with means for guiding the cutting means along said contour of said sole. guiding means may be in the form of a strip or groove arranged on the outer periphery of the support, the cutting means being equipped with a roller configured to roll on said strip or in said groove.

One or more mirrors can be arranged in such a way as to: - allow the visual control of the centering of the soleplate against the rim, - and / or allow the visual control of the positioning of the upward portion of the shoe or thongs inside the housing, - And / or allow the visual control of the start and end of contact area of the cutting means against the sole.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of finishing a sole attached to the upright portion of a shoe or equipped with straps on one of its two faces, said method consisting in: - resting the sole on a support consisting of a hollow housing whose contours are similar to those of said sole, - positioning the upright portion of the shoe or the straps in a housing provided in said support, the face of the sole comprising said upright portion or said straps bearing against a rim located at the periphery of said housing so as to maintain said sole out of said housing, - keep the soleplate resting against the flange, - cut the contour of the soleplate in position on the support. Description of the figures. Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear better on reading the description of a preferred embodiment which will follow, with reference to the appended drawings, made as indicative and non-limiting examples and on which : - Figure 1 above shows schematically the various components of a strappy sandal, - Figure 2 above schematically shows the sandal of Figure 1, after the assembly of the various elements, - Figure 3 schematically an installation according to the invention, before cutting the outline of the sole, - Figure 4 shows the installation of Figure 3, during the cutting of the contour of the sole, - Figure 5 is a top view of the installation shown schematically in Figures 3 and 4.

Embodiments of the invention

The installation (1) object of the invention allows to automatically perform a post-finishing operation of a sole (20) attached to the rising portion of a shoe or equipped with straps (21) on one of its two faces. It provides the final contour of the sole (20) without visible recess.

The following description refers to the completion of a sandal sole cutout equipped with thongs. However, the invention should be understood as applying to other types of shoes in which the soles are already attached to the uplink of said shoes: lace shoes, boots, moccasins, boots, etc. In particular, the 2959914 -7 dimensions of the support (2) and housing (3) are adapted to the shoe models, to finish, the size of the latter and the height of the rising portion.

Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the installation (1) comprises means (10) for cutting the contour of the sole (20). This cutting means (10) consists of a tool such as knife, milling cutter, abrasive disc, or other. It can be made of metal, stone, concrete, plastic, or any other material suitable for the skilled person depending on the type and quality of the finish 10 to perform. It is also possible to use a dedicated tool for finishing the contour of the heel (22) of the sole (20) and another tool dedicated to finishing the rest of the contour of said sole. The cutting means (10) is isolated and / or protected so as to make it inaccessible to the operator and avoid any risk of injury. The sole (20) is placed in position on a support (2) consisting of a hollow housing whose contours are similar to those of the sole (20). This support (2) is of cylindrical shape, with a curved section similar to that of the sole (20). It is preferably made of aluminum or metal and is obtained by molding or machining. Other materials such as plastic or wood and other manufacturing techniques may be contemplated by those skilled in the art. The support (2) thus has a housing (3), opening or not, in which the strips (21) can be positioned to be protected from the cutting means (10). The dimensions of the support (2) and the housing (3) are adapted to the models of sandals to finish and the size of the latter. Preferably, the dimensions of the support (2) are such that the contour of the sole (20) obtained after finishing exceeds the edges of said support by at least 5 mm.

The face of the sole (20) comprising the straps (21) bears against a flange (4) located at the periphery of the housing (3). In this way, the entire sole (20) remains out of the housing (3), its contour being accessible to the cutting means (10). In practice, the flange (4) is formed by the upper part of the walls of the support (2) surrounding the housing (3). It can be flat, rounded, chamfered, etc. In order to avoid mark formation on the sole (20), the flange (4) advantageously comprises a deformable seal (40). The latter can be made of rubber, flexible synthetic polymer, or any other flexible material suitable for the skilled person. The seal (40) may have a circular, rectangular, cruciform, or other cross-section, and be secured to the flange (4) by interlocking in a groove on said flange, or by gluing, welding, etc.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a device maintains the sole (20) bearing against the flange (4). In practice, a plate (5) 20 whose contours are similar to those of the sole (20) is used, said plate being configured so as to exert a uniform pressure force on the face of said soleplate not including a strap ( 21). The plate (5) is preferably made of aluminum or metal and is obtained by molding or machining. Other materials such as plastic or wood as well as other manufacturing techniques may be contemplated by those skilled in the art. The plate (5) has a bearing surface (50) which can be flat, or have a complementary shape with the shape of the face of the sole (20) with which it is in contact. In particular, when the sole (20) has a heel (22), the bearing surface (50) may include a recess (51) 5 of a depth adapted to the height of said heel. The dimensions of the plate (5) are adapted to the models of sandals to finish and the size of the latter. Preferably, the dimensions of the plate (5) are such that the contour of the sole (20) obtained after finishing exceeds the edges of said plate by at least 5 mm. The plate (5) is advantageously associated with one or more pressure means (9) of the jack or rack type, making it possible to firmly hold the sole (20) against the flange (4) (FIG. 5). This or these pressure means (9) can be fixed on the plate (5) by welding, gluing, screwing, riveting, through one or more joints, etc. They can also take support on the plate (5) without being attached thereto. The pressure means (9) are activated once the sole (20) is centered on the support (2).

The support (2) is equipped with means (11) for guiding the cutting means (10) along the contour of the sole (20). In practice, this guide means (11) is in the form of a strip or groove arranged on the outer periphery of the support (2) and whose contour determines the contour of the sole (20) which is obtained after finishing. In order to allow frictionless guidance, the cutting means (10) is preferably equipped with a roller (12) configured to roll on the belt or in the groove. The cooperation of the cutting means (10) with the guide means (11) is comparable to the operation of a pantograph. The cutting means (10) 2959914 - 10- is thus capable of automatically machining the entire contour of the sole (20) protruding from the plate (5), according to the desired dimensions. The trajectory of the cutting means (10) around the support (2) also appears clearly in FIG.

In practice, the cutting means (10) is mounted on an articulated arm (100) allowing relative movement of said cutting means relative to the support (2). This arm (100) is preferably actuated automatically by means of motors. The support (2) can also be mounted movably relative to the cutting means (10), the latter remaining fixed.

One or more mirrors (13, 14, 15) are preferably arranged outside the support (2), around the latter. These mirrors make it possible to carry out visual checks in inaccessible places, typically under the plate (5). This or these mirrors (13, 14, 15) may have a rectangular, circular, oval, or other shape, and be flat, concave or convex. In particular, when the sole (20) is placed on the support (2), it is important that it is perfectly centered on said support. The mirrors (13) arranged on either side of the support (2) allow the visual control of the centering of the sole (20) against the flange (4). In practice, these mirrors (13) are arranged vertically above the flange (4) and are oriented so as to be able to observe the length of the protrusion of the sole contour (20) with respect to said flange. The sole (20) is deemed to be centered on the support (2) when the length of the projection is substantially homogeneous over its entire contour. In the opposite case, the operator moves the sole (20) on the support (2) until the centering is acceptable. Similarly, before setting up the plate (5), it is necessary to determine whether the strips (21) are correctly placed in the housing (3) to prevent them from being crushed against the flange (4). ) and / or that they are cut by the cutting means (10). Thus, one or more mirrors (14) 5 are arranged outside the support (2), so as to allow visual control of the positioning of the straps (21) inside the housing (3). In practice, these mirrors (14) are arranged in a vertical plane, facing the contour of the sole (20), and allow to observe that only said sole rests against the flange (4).

Also, to ensure that the finish is perfectly achieved, it is important to be able to control that the cutting means (10) has cut the entire contour of the sole (20). For this, one or more mirrors (15) can then be arranged to allow visual control of the start and end of contact area of the cutting means (10) against the sole (20). In practice, this or these mirrors (15) are arranged facing the area in which the cutting means (10) comes into contact against the sole (20) to start cutting. Other equivalent display devices may be used, for example video cameras. 20

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Installation for finishing a shoe sole (20), comprising: - a support (2) on which the sole (20) rests, - means (10) for cutting the contour of the sole (20) positioned on the support (2), characterized in that the support (2) consists of a hollow housing whose contours are similar to those of the sole (20), said support comprising: - a housing (3) intended to receive the rising portion of the shoe or the straps (21) of the sole (21) so as to protect them from the cutting means (10), - a flange (4) situated at the periphery of the housing (3) and against which the the sole (20) comprising the rising portion of the boot or the straps (21), so as to maintain said sole out of said housing and make its contour accessible to the cutting means (10), - a device (5) for maintaining the sole (20) bearing against the flange (4). 2. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the holding device is a plate (5) whose contours are similar to those of the sole (20), said plate being configured to exert a uniform pressure force on the face of said soleplate not comprising the upward portion of the boot or the straps (21). 3. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rim (4) of the support (2) comprises a deformable seal (40) preventing the deterioration of the face of the sole (20) bearing against said rim. 4. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (2) is equipped with means (11) for guiding the cutting means (10) along the contour of the sole (20). 5. Installation according to claim 4, wherein the guide means (11) is in the form of a strip or a groove 10 arranged on the outer periphery of the support (2), the cutting means (10). being equipped with a roller (12) configured to roll on said belt or in said groove. 6. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more mirrors (13) are arranged outside the support (2), around the latter, so as to visually control the centering of the sole ( 20) against the flange (4). 7. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more mirrors (14) are arranged outside the support (2), facing the contour of the sole (20), so as to visually verify positioning the upright portion of the shoe or straps (21) within the housing (3). 25 8. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more mirrors (15) are arranged outside the support (2), facing the area in which the means of cutting (10). ) comes into contact against the sole (20) to start cutting, so as to visually control the start area and the end contact area of said cutting means against said sole. 5 9. A method of finishing a sole (20) attached to the upright portion of a shoe or equipped with straps (21) on one of its two faces, said method consisting in: - resting the sole (20) on a support (2) consisting of a hollow case whose contours are similar to those of said sole, Positioning the upright portion of the boot or the straps (21) in a housing (3) provided in said support, the face of the soleplate (20) comprising said upright portion or said straps bearing against a flange (4) located at the periphery of said housing (3) so as to maintain said soleplate out of said housing, - to maintain the sole (20) bearing against the flange (4), - to cut the contour of the sole (20) in position on the support (2).