Method for making footwear grinding apparatus

• US 6,115,946 A
• Filed: 03/26/1999
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Heeling Sports Limited (Sequential Brands Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Artemis Innovations Inc.
• Inventors: Inman, David G., Morris, Christopher H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STASHICK, ANTHONY D
• Application Number:
  US09/277,583
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 36/132, 36/115, 36/114, 36/107, 36/72 A, 36/73, 36/108, 36/25 R, 36/148, 36/149, 36/152, 36/103, 36/116, 36/133, 36/136, 36/7.1 R, 36/76 R , 36/76 C, 36/72 R, 36/72 B, 36/75 R, 36/75 A, 36/82
• US Class Current: 36/115
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0027 made at least partially from a material having special colours
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/10 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/12 Soles with several layers of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/24 by use of insertions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/227 fixed on the outside of the shoe
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/005 for grinding, i.e. sliding on the sole or a part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 13/00 Wear-resisting attachments

Abstract

A method of making a grinding shoe involving constructing a sole of high friction material having a downwardly facing high friction surface interrupted medially by an upwardly raised recess having opposite sides curved outwardly to form flares and making a plate to conform to such recess and securing such plate thereto to provide a downwardly facing low friction grind surface.

Claims

1. A method of making a footwear apparatus for sliding on an elongated support surface, comprising the steps of:

making a shoe having an upper supported on a sole;

forming said sole with a downwardly facing, upwardly recessed contoured cavity within said sole formed at its opposite sides with upwardly projecting flares;

forming a slide plate with a top portion configured to be complementally received in said cavity turned upwardly at its opposite sides to form respective rails for nesting against said flares;

forming said slide plate with a downwardly facing trough having a low coefficient of friction for sliding along said support surface;

inserting said top portion of said slide plate in said cavity; and

securing said slide plate to said shoe.

2. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the further step of:

fastening said slide plate to said shoe to allow for relative movement between said sole and one end of said slide plate.

3. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of forming said top portion of said slide plate includes wrapping laterally opposite sides upwardly to form upturned flanges providing lateral support to said shoe when said slide plate is fastened to said shoe.

4. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said shoe includes selecting a base plate and embedding it in the bottom surface of said sole; and

said step of fastening said slide plate to said shoe includes fastening said slide plate to said base plate.

5. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

said step of selecting said base plate includes selecting a base plate formed on opposite sides with anchor barrels;

said step of making said slide plate includes forming said slide plate with fastener barrels on opposite sides to align with said anchor barrels when said slide plate is disposed adjacent said base plate within said cavity; and

said step of fastening said slide plate to said base plate includes disposing bolts through said anchor and fastener barrels.

6. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said hose includes selecting an anchor plate and disposing it over the top surface of said sole; and

said step of fastening said slide plate to said shoe includes fastening said slide plate to said anchor plate and said sole.

7. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said slide plate includes forming said slide plate with reinforcing ribs.

8. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of forming said slide plate with said trough includes forming said trough with protruding ribs.

9. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said shoe includes forming said sole with a forefoot portion and a heel portion, and further includes forming said upper with a heel cup mounted circumferentially to said heel portion and interlocking, laterally opposed flaps mounted to said forefoot portion to receive and secure an article of footwear within said shoe.

10. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said shoe with said sole having said cavity includes forming said cavity with angled anterior and posterior edges planarly intersecting below the bottom surface of said sole; and

said step of making said slide plate includes forming said slide plate with complementally angled front and rear edges to engage said cavity angled edges and retain said slide plate in said cavity.

11. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said shoe with said sole includes forming said sole with one or more laterally outwardly opening cavities; and

comprising the further steps of;

making lateral slide plates;

forming said lateral slide plates with at least one outwardly opening surface having a predetermined coefficient of friction;

inserting one of said lateral slide plate in each said lateral cavity; and

fastening said lateral slide plates in said lateral cavities.

12. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said slide plate includes forming said slide plate with tabs extending upwardly from the medial and lateral sides of said slide plate and having slots therein; and

comprising the further steps of;

making a flexible instep plate;

forming said instep late with upwardly facing protrusions having a predetermined coefficient of friction and with laterally disposed tabs having slots therein;

selecting a harness;

disposing said instep plate over the instep of said upper; and

fastening said instep plate to said shoe by connecting said harness in the respective said slots.

13. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of fastening said slide plate includes fastening a strap to said slide plate and wrapping said strap around said shoe.

14. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of making said shoe includes mounting latch members formed with internal latch mechanism to said shoe;

said step of making said slide plate includes forming said slide plate with laterally disposed, upturned tabs; and

said step of fastening said slide plate to said shoe includes inserting said tabs into said latch members to unlockingly engage said latch mechanisms.

15. A method of making a footwear apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said step of fastening said slide plate to said sole includes anchoring one end of said slide plate to said sole and slidably coupling the opposite end of said slide plate to said sole for relative movement between said slide plate and said sole.

34. A method for making a footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

forming said sole step includes forming said contoured cavity projecting laterally and said method further includes;

forming said sole with a downwardly facing longitudinally projecting cavity intersecting said contoured cavity;

forming a longitudinal plate having a top surface configured for complemental receipt in said longitudinally projecting cavity and further configured with a lower surface defining a track for selective sliding along said elongated support surface;

nesting said longitudinal slide plate in said longitudinally projecting cavity; and

securing said longitudinal plate to said shoe.

35. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 34 that includes:

constructing said sole with said contoured cavity and said longitudinally projecting cavity projecting at substantially right angles; and

making said first mentioned slide plate and said longitudinal slide plate to project at substantially right angles to one another.

36. A method of making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of forming said slide plate includes forming said downwardly facing trough configured to project laterally under the shoe and further forming said plate with respective front and back walls projecting outwardly from a longitudinal center and curving forwardly and rearwardly, respectively.

37. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of forming said plate includes forming said downwardly facing trough with a downwardly facing bearing surface angling upwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal center line of said shoe sole.

38. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of securing said slide plate to said shoe includes connecting said plate to said sole with a threaded fastener.

39. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of forming said plate includes forming said plate with said trough having a downwardly facing bearing surface angling upwardly and outwardly on the lateral side of said shoe.

40. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of forming said plate includes forming said trough to angle upwardly and outwardly on the medial side of said shoe so said shoe may be angled over on the medial side to engage said medial trough section with said rail.

41. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of forming said plate includes constructing said plate with said trough defining respective lateral and medial trough sections which angle upwardly and outwardly away from the longitudinal center of said shoe for selectively engaging said rail.

42. A method for making footwear apparatus set forth in claim 41 wherein:

said step of forming said plate includes forming said plate with said trough configured with respective forward and rearward walls angling laterally outwardly from the longitudinal center line and diverging away from one another.

43. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein:

the step of forming said longitudinal cavity step includes extending said longitudinal cavity from the heel region entirely to the toe region.

44. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein:

the step of forming said longitudinal cavity step includes extending said longitudinal cavity from the mid-heel region to the mid-toe region.

45. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 34 that includes:

forming said longitudinal plate with said track intersecting said trough at an oblique angle.

46. A method for making footwear apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein:

forming said contoured cavity step includes locating said cavity in said sole forwardly of the arch region.

16. A method of making a grinding shoe including:

fabricating a shoe with a sole having a downwardly facing high friction sole surface having forefoot and heel portions;

forming within said sole in the arch area an upwardly recessed, downwardly opening, longitudinally extending cavity of a predetermined configuration;

fabricating an elongated grind plate with a top side configured to complement said predetermined configuration and a bottom side formed with a downwardly opening trough defining a downwardly facing low friction slide surface for engaging a hard support surface to slide therealong and turned upwardly on at least one transverse side;

inserting said top side of said grind plate in said recess in said sole and positioning said grind plate to run longitudinally in said recess; and

securing said plate to said sole whereby a user wearing said grinding shoe can run with said sole surface frictionally engaging the ground and can then jump to engage said low friction slide surface with an elongated support surface to slide therealong.

17. The method of claim 16 that includes:

fabricating said sole to be formed with said forefoot and heel integral with one another.

18. The method of claim 16 that includes:

fabricating said grind plate of hard plastic.

19. The method of claim 16 that includes:

fabricating said grind plate with an overall depth of sufficient thickness to cause the lowermost extent of said plate to be elevated above the horizontal plane including the lowermost extent of said forefoot and heel portions of said sole.

20. The method of claim 16 that includes:

fabricating said plate with said trough extending transversely of said sole.

21. The method of claim 16 that includes:

fabricating said plate with said trough of an arcuate configuration having a radius of curvature of about 12 cm.

22. The method of claim 16 that includes:

fabricating said shoe with said sole constructed of urethane.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein:

said step of securing includes molding said plate in said sole.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the step of securing includes bonding said plate to said sole.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the step of securing includes inserting at least one fastener through said plate and said sole.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the step of securing includes fastening said plate to said sole to allow for lost motion movement between said sole and plate.

27. The method of claim 16 that includes:

forming said recess with a vertical cylindrical shape having a vertical dimension of at least 6 mm.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein:

said recess is formed with a vertical recess of substantially 9 mm.

29. The method of claim 16 that includes:

forming said sole with a thickness of between 27 and 35 mm in the forefoot and heel portions.

30. The method of claim 16 that includes:

forming said plate with a thickness of substantially 8 mm.

31. The method of claim 16 that includes:

forming said plate on one side with an edge extending at an angle of substantially 5°

to the longitudinal axis of said sole.

32. The method of claim 16 that includes:

forming said plate on one side with an edge extending at an angle of substantially 15°

to the longitudinal axis of said sole.

33. The method of claim 16 wherein:

said step of fabricating said shoe sole includes forming said cavity with a top wall which angles on its forward extremity downwardly and forwardly and on its rear extremity angles downwardly and rearwardly; and

said step of fabricating said grind plate includes forming said grind plate with a contour which slopes on its forward extremity downwardly and forwardly on its rear extremity downwardly and rearwardly to complementally fit against said top wall and cooperate therewith to limit forward and rearward shifting of said plate relative to said sole.