Title: Methods of stiffening a shoe component

Abstract: The method of stiffening a selected area of a shoe component of flexible sheet material in which a layer of molten synthetic polymeric material is coated on the area to be stiffened, rigid, preferably heat-softenable, granules are applied to the coating layer while the coating material is soft to cause the granules to adhere, and the shoe component is pressed against a second flexible shoe component with the coating and granules between the parts and with the coating in heat softened condition to force the coating material through openings between the granules and into wetting engagement with the second shoe component. The assembled shoe components may then be shaped and the polymeric material cooled to form a layer of hardened polymeric material with the granules locked in it as reinforcing stiffening bodies.

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Inventors: Newton, Albert E. (Beverly, MA, US)
Farnum, Roger L. (Peabody, MA, US)
Gelsomini, Nicholas J. (Ipswich, MA, US)

Application Number: 559584
Filing Date: 1975-03-18
Publication_date: 1976-08-10
Assignee: USM Corporation (Boston, MA)
Primary Class(es): 12/146D
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2709312	May, 1955	Crowell	36/68.
3238089	Mar, 1966	Griswold	12/146.
3259536	Jul, 1966	Gaeth et al.	264/244.
3605152	Sep, 1971	Becker	12/146.
3734814	May, 1973	Davis et al.	161/112.
3749626	Jul, 1973	Andrews et al.	156/276.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Lawson, Patrick D.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Pollard; Benjamin C., White; Vincent A., Megley; Richard B.