Vinyl Boots, Gloves Or The Like

Abstract

The disclosure described an improvement in the making of vinyl moulded boots, gloves or the like: an elastic material, such as cotton fiber, synthetic fiber or goring, is affixed to the vinyl article by electronic welding thereby eliminating the need of fasteners.

Description

This invention relates to an improvement in vinyl boots, gloves or the like and, more particularly, to a method for making the same.

In the case of vinyl boots made prior to the present invention, some fastening device, such as a slide fastener, must be provided on the side of the boot for almost the entire height thereof so that the leg portion of the boot may be expanded to enable the wearer's foot to reach the foot portion of the boot and then restricted in order that the boot may take the shape of the leg. However, attempts to manufacture a boot which would completely follow the shape of the user's leg in a wrinkle-free fashion have been largely unsuccessful.

Similar problems have been encountered in the glove art where it has been difficult to manufacture a glove which would completely fit the contour of the hand and arm of the user and would stay without wrinkles while being worn.

The present invention overcomes the above-noted disadvantages by providing to the boot (or to the glove) an elasticity which will enable the insertion of the boot on the wearer's leg without the aid of fastening devices to provide the desired wrinkle-free effect. In order to achieve this, applicant has devised a method whereby an elastic material is incorporated in a vinyl moulded boot. The material preferably used is an extensible material known in the art as "goring" or "finger goring;" any other extensible material made of cotton or synthetic fiber may also be used. The method consists in electronically welding in the elastic material to the vinyl boot; no other methods, such as gluing or stitching, has successfully secure the elastic material to the boot. Such a boot made in accordance with the above method tightly fits the leg of the user and will show the shape of the leg without leaving wrinkles on the boot when it is worn. The elimination of slide fasteners, or other types of fastening devices, enables the boot, even before being worn, to ressemble more closely the shape of the leg. For instance, that portion of the boot covering the ankle portion is now made more restricted; this feature was practically impossible to obtain on boots made up until now since a sufficiently large area is needed at the ankle portion of the boot to permit the passage of the wearer's foot therethrough. With the present invention, a wrinkle-free thigh-boot, well proportioned to the entire length of the wearer's leg, is now made possible.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the incorporation of an elastic material in a vinyl moulded boot (or glove) provides a great variety of decorative patterns which adds to the design of the article, whether boot or glove.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the present method improves and simplifies the mass production of boots and gloves.

The present invention consists, in its broadest aspect, in a method of making an article of covering such as a boot, glove or the like, made of vinyl, comprising the step of electronically welding edges of an elastic material, selected from the group comprising cotton and synthetic fiber, to the vinyl material of the boot, glove or the like.

In order that the invention may readily be understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boot made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a side portion of the boot between two welding electrodes;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are side elevational views of different decorative boots embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a top view illustrating a glove made in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout, a boot is shown generally by reference character 10 in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, having a foot portion 12, an ankle portion 14 and a leg portion 16; the latter portion is considered to include any portion above the ankle portion such as the knee portion and the thigh portion as illustrated in FIG. 5. The boot 10 is made entirely of vinyl except for a V-shaped section 18 which extends from the upper peripheral edge 20 of the leg portion to substantially above the ankle portion 14. Section 18 consists of any extensible elastic material made of cotton or synthetic fiber, including one elastic material known in the trade as "goring" or "finger goring." The material 18 is tightly joined to the leg portion 16 of the boot by the fusion of edge 22 of the leg portion with edge 24 of the elastic material. Furthermore, the elastic material 18 may be mounted on one side of the boot or on both sides thereof.

Referring to FIG. 3, the joining of edge 22 with edge 24 is effected through electronic welding which consists in bringing the edges between a downwardly movable upper electrode 26 and a stationary backing plate or electrode 28. The upper electrode 26 is provided with a downwardly extending die 30, the configuration of which corresponds to that of the edges to be joined. The inner peripheral surface 32 of die 30 has a cutting edge 34 at its lower end extending substantially lower than the adjacent lower ends 36.

A more detailed description of the method of making a boot in accordance with the present invention will now be given. First, a boot is entirely vinyl moulded where it is given a desired shape and height. Let us assume that only one side, for example side 38, with inner and outer faces 40 and 42, is selected to receive the elastic material. The open end of the leg portion is introduced over the electrode plate 28 in such a way that the inner face 40 will rest on plate 28. Then, the elastic material, having a predetermined pattern selected by the designer, is inserted between plate 28 and the inner face 40 of the boot. The elastic material is positioned on plate 28 so as to have its entire peripheral edge in vertical alignment with the peripheral edges 36 of die 30, which have been given a configuration identical to that of the selected design. The upper plate 26 is then lowered and brought into contact with upper surface 42 of the boot. As the die presses onto the vinyl, a heavy current is discharged to cause the fusion of the vinyl and the elastic material in a temperature range from about 250.degree. F. to 350.degree. F. (but without reaching 400.degree. F. at which temperature vinyl will be carbonized). The pressure applied by the electrodes forms the weld. At the same time, the cutting edge 34 will pierce the vinyl, leaving between the welded edges a piece of vinyl 44 which is later manually removed once the upper electrode has retracted to its original position.

It has been found that if cotton fiber is used as the elastic material, it is preferable to first apply on the cotton edge to be joined a coating having a latex base or vinyl base. Once the coating is dry, the above-described electronic welding operation is subsequently started.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the welded edges may form various decorative designs. The selection of die 30 will also effect the design at the welded edges.

Referring to FIG. 4 in particular, the dotted lines illustrate a boot 46 using the same vinyl material, but without the presence of a welded section 18; the ankle portion 14 and the leg portion 16 of the boot made in accordance with the present invention are smaller and shapelyer than that of boot 46.

Referring to FIG. 6, a glove is shown generally by reference character 50, having a finger portion 52, a wrist portion 54 and an arm portion 56; the latter portion may extend to the shoulder portion. The glove is made of vinyl, except for the V-shaped portion 58 which is made of the same elastic material described above in relation with the boot 10. The elastic material is electronically welded to the vinyl glove in the same manner as for the boot 10 with the same reservation if cotton fiber is used instead of synthetic fiber.

Although the invention has been described above only in relation to two specific forms, it is evident that they can be varied and modified in various ways. It is therefore wished to have it understood that the invention is not limited in any way except by the terms of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a method of making an article of covering such as a boot, glove or the like, made of vinyl, the steps which comprises first applying a coating on edges of an elastic material made of cotton fiber, and electronically welding said edges of the elastic material to the vinyl material of the article once the coating is dry.

2. In a method as defined in claim 1 wherein said coating has a latex base.

3. In a method as defined in claim 1 wherein said coating has a vinyl base.

4. A method of making an article of covering such as a boot, glove or the like which comprises the steps of forming a vinyl moulded article, electronically welding edges of an elastomeric fibrous material to the vinyl moulded article, cutting the vinyl material adjacent the welded edges, and removing the vinyl material so cut within the edges.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein said elastomeric fibrous material is made of cotton, further comprising the step of applying a coating, having a base selected from the group comprising latex and vinyl, and letting said coating dry before welding.

6. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the temperature range of the welding step is between about 250.degree. F. and 350.degree. F.

7. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein said elastomeric fibrous material is made of synthetic fiber.