Method and apparatus for forming and attaching elastomeric bottoms to footwear

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ATTACHING BOTTOMS TO LASTED UPPERS, THE COMBINATION WITH A MOLD ASSEMBLY COMPRISED OF A LAST ON WHICH IS LASTED AN UPPER, A SIDE RING AND A SOLE PLATE, WHEREIN THE LAST AND SOLE PLATE ARE MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE RING AND TO EACH OTHER TO PERMIT RAISING THE LAST ABOVE THE RING AND LOWERING THE SOLE PLATE WITHIN THE RING TO PROVIDE A MOLD CAVITY ACCESSIBLE AT THE TOP; MEANS MOVABLE FROM A LATERAL POSITION TO A POSITION BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE RAISED LAST AND THE OPEN TOP OF THE MOLD CAVITY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ORIFICES MOUNTED IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER LONGITUDINALLY OF THE MOLD CAVITY SUCH AS TO DISTRIBUTE THE BOTTOM-FORMING COMPOSITION INTO THE MOLD CAVITY AT A PLURALITY OF REGULARLY SPACED INTERVALS IN SUBSTANTIAL EQUAL QUANTITIES TO EFFECT UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OVER THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE CAVITY IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO FORM A BOTTOM OF THE DESIRED THICKNESS.