# US 4,884,309 A · Method and apparatus for making shoe lasts and/or shoe components

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- Number: US 4,884,309 A
- Document ID: US4884309A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/256,721
- Filed: 1988-10-12
- Granted: 1989-12-05
- Earliest claimed: 1987-10-15
- Inventors: Aharon Shafir
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4884309A

## CPC

- A43D 119/00: Driving or controlling mechanisms of shoe machines; Frames for shoe machines
- A43D 1/04: Last-measuring devices
- G05B 19/4207: {in which a model is traced or scanned and corresponding data recorded}
- G05B 2219/35038: Combine, superpose model, foot data with style data
- G05B 2219/45243: Shoe, footwear making
- A43D: MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## 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 soe 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Digitizing apparatus, comprising:
a rotary motor for rotating a last about its longitudinal axis, constituting a first axis;
a first encoder producing an electrical output representing the instantaneous angular position of the model last about said first axis;
a tracer probe;
a spring urging said tracer probe along a second axis. Perpendicular to said first axis, in contact with the outer surface of the model last as the model last is rotated by said motor about said first axis;
a second encoder producing an electrical output representing the instantaneous linear position of said tracer probe along said first axis;
linear drive means for driving said tracer probe along a third axis parallel to said first axis;
and a third encoder producing an electrical output representing the instantaneous linear position of the tracer probe along said third axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tracer probe is a wheel rollable along the outer surface of the last while spring-urged into contact therewith.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said last includes an electrically-conductive feather line, and said tracer wheel is of electrically conductive material so as to sense said electrically conductive feather line.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further including an optical sensor for sensing optically-sensible style-lines on said last.