Stockfit assembly fixture for shoe production
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorBret Liebeno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stock fit assembly fixture is provided for aligning and holding into place various portions of a shoe, such as an upper portion, an outsole, and a midsole, while the shoe portions are being assembled. The upper portion of a shoe may be secured to a shoe last, which in turn, may be secured to a top portion of the stock fit assembly fixture. The top portion may be movable such that the upper portion of the shoe can be moved toward the outsole and midsole portions, thus allowing for a securement of the upper portion to the outsole and midsole portions. The movement of the top portion may be by way of a compression mechanism allowing the top portion to be forced to be moved toward a bottom portion of the stock fit assembly fixture.
Claims18
A stock fit assembly fixture for use during a shoe manufacturing process, the stock fit assembly fixture comprising:
- a bottom plate comprising at least two bottom plate holes and having a framing cutout that is configured to frame and -hold a second portion of a shoe, in place;
- a top member comprising a top plate and a guide plate, the guide plate comprising at least a first pin hole, the top member in alignment with a base plate, the base plate comprising at least a second pin hole extending through the base plate and at least two base plate holes in alignment with the at least two bottom plate holes for securing the bottom plate on top of the base plate by a first securing mechanism;
- at least one guide pin surrounded by a spring inserted through the at least first pin hole of the guide plate and the at least second pin hole of the base plate;
- and
- a second securing mechanism for securing a shoe last to the top member, such that the shoe last remains fixed relative to the top member and in alignment with the framing cutout of the bottom plate during assembly of the shoe,
- wherein the second portion of the shoe remains fixed within the cutout of the bottom plate, relative to the base plate, such that a bottom surface of the second portion of the shoe is in contact with a top surface of the base plate during assembly of the shoe.
A stock fit assembly fixture for use during a shoe manufacturing process, the stock fit assembly fixture comprising:
- a bottom plate comprising at least two bottom plate holes, the bottom plate having a cavity within the bottom plate itself, wherein the cavity is configured to hold a second shoe portion, wherein a bottom surface of a second shoe portion is in contact with a top surface of a base plate;
- the base plate comprising at least two base plate holes in alignment with the at least two bottom plate holes for securing the bottom plate to the base plate by a first securing mechanism, and at least a first pin hole extending through the base plate and;
- a top member comprising a top plate and a guide plate, the guide plate comprising at least a second pin hole, and the guide plate having a shoe last secured thereon;
- at least one guide pin surrounded by a spring inserted through the at least first pin hole and the at least second pin hole of the guide plate;
- and
- wherein the guide pin is a part of a compression mechanism that allows the top member to be moved toward the base plate such that a first shoe portion secured to the shoe last of the top member makes contact with the second shoe portion when the top member is substantially moved toward the base plate.
A method for contacting various shoe portions together in a shoe manufacturing environment, the method comprising:
- securing a first shoe portion to a base plate by placing the first shoe portion within a cavity of a bottom plate itself, wherein the bottom plate comprises at least two bottom plate holes and the base plate comprises at least two base plate holes and at least a first pin hole, further wherein the bottom plate holes and the base plate holes are in alignment for securing the bottom plate to the base plate such that a bottom surface of the first shoe portion is in contact with a top surface of the base plate;
- securing a second shoe portion to a shoe last, the shoe last being secured to a top member, wherein the top member comprises a top plate and a guide plate, the guide plate comprising at least a second pin hole, wherein the top member is in alignment with the base plate, and further wherein a guide pin surrounded by a spring is inserted through the at least the first pin hole of the base plate and the at least the second pin hole of the guide plate;
- and
- pressing the top member down toward the base plate to allow for the first and second shoe portions to make contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.