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US 4,817,222 AGranted
Method and apparatus for making shoe lasts and/or shoe components
OwnerAharon Shafirinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for making shoe lasts, involves digitizing on the fly a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last; grading the model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style; and utilizing each of the graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style. The invention may also be utilized for making graded components of shoes, and for modifying shoe styles or creating new shoe styles by CAD/CAM techniques.
Claims29
A method of making shoe lasts, comprising the operations:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style;
- and utilizing each of said graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style.
A method of making shoe lasts, comprising the operations:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style;
- and utilizing each of said graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style.
- wherein the outer surface of the model last is digitized by a tracer probe which is spring-urged into contact with the outer surface of the model last as the model last is continuously rotated about its longitudinal axis and as the tracer probe is advanced parallel to the longitudinal axis of the model last.
1 more element
A method of making shoe lasts, comprising the operations:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style;
- and utilizing each of said graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style.
- wherein the outer surface of the model last is digitized by an optical device directing an optical beam against the outer surface of the model last as the model last is continuously rotated about its longitudinal axis and as the optical beam is advanced parallel to the longitudinal axis of the model last.
1 more element
A method of making shoe lasts, comprising the operations:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style;
- utilizing each of said graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style;
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the feather line of the model last to produce a feather line digital file representing the feather line of the respective model last;
- and utilizing said feather line digital file, together with said model last digital file, for producing said one or more graded last digital files of the respective shoe style.
2 more elements
A method of making shoe lasts, comprising the operations:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style;
- utilizing each of said graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style;
- digitizing a large number of sample points on preselected style-lines of the model last to produce a style-line digital file for the respective shoe style;
- and utilizing said style-line digital file, together with said model last digital file, for producing one or more graded component digital files each representing a different component size of the respective shoe style.
2 more elements
A method of making shoe components, comprising:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- digitizing a large number of sample points on preselected style-lines of the model last to produce a style-line digital file for the respective shoe style;
- defining, from the data in said style-line digital file, one or more shoe components each bounded by at least three style-lines;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different size of the respective shoe style;
- extracting from each of said graded last digital files the digital data corresponding to each of said shoe components defined by said at least three style-lines to produce graded component digital data representing the three-dimensional configuration of the respective component;
- converting said three-dimensional graded component digital data to the two-dimensional configuration of the respective component;
- and
- utilizing said two-dimensional graded component digital data to cut the respective components.
5 more elements
A method of making shoe components, comprising:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- digitizing a large number of sample points on preselected style-lines of the model last to produce a style-line digital file for the respective shoe style;
- defining, from the data in said style-line digital file, one or more shoe components each bounded by at least three style-lines;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or more graded last digital files each representing a different size of the respective shoe style;
- extracting from each of said graded last digital files the digital data corresponding to each of said shoe components defined by said at least three style-lines to produce graded component digital data representing the three-dimensional configuration of the respective component;
- converting said three-dimensional graded component digital data to the two-dimensional graded component digital data to the two-dimensional configuration of the respective component;
- and
- utilizing said two-dimensional graded component digital data to cut the respective components,
- wherein said preselected style-lines are digitized by an optical device which directs an optical beam against the outer surface of the model last as the model last is continuously rotated about its longitudinal axis and as the optical beam is advanced parallel to the longitudinal axis of the model last.
6 more elements
A method of making shoe lasts, comprising the operations:
- digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of a model last representing a particular shoe style to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- grading said model last digital file to produce one or
- more graded last digital files each representing a different last size of the respective shoe style;
- and utilizing each of said graded last digital files to produce a graded shoe last of the respective shoe style,
- wherein said grading operation includes the steps:
- displaying on a screen one or more of said graded lasts;
- manipulating the displayed graded last and modifying its configuration so as to disproportionately change at least one of its dimensions with respect to other dimensions;
- and utilizing the so modified configuration of the displayed graded last to produce the respective graded last digital file.
5 more elements
Apparatus for use in making shoe lasts, comprising:
- rotary drive means for rotating a model last representing a particular shoe style;
- digitizing means for digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of said model last to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface contour of the respective model last;
- and grading means for producing from said model last digital file a plurality of graded last digital files representing different lengths and widths of lasts of the respective shoe style.
Apparatus for use in making components of shoes, comprising:
- rotary drive means for rotating a model last, representing a particular shoe style, about its longitudinal axis which model last includes a plurality of style-lines;
- digitizing means for digitizing a large number of sample points on the outer surface of the model last to produce a model last digital file representing the three-dimensional surface configuration of the respective model last, and for digitizing a large number of sample points on the style-lines to produce a style-line digital file for the respective style-line;
- and grading means utilizing said model last digital file for producing a plurality of graded last digital files representing different last sizes of the respective shoe style;
- said grading means including means enabling extraction from said model last digital file the digital data defining one or more shoe components each identified by at least three lines from said style-line digital file;
- and means for converting said extracted digital data, representing the three-dimensional configuration of the respective graded component, to correspond to the two-dimensional configuration thereof.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.