Process for producing a shoe-upper

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A SHOE-UPPER WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING AT LEAST A PORTION OF A SURFACE OF A SHEET OF SOLID, HEAT-SET EXTENSIBLE MATERIAL OVER AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE OPENING OF AN ESSENTIALLY CONCAVE CAVITY HAVING THE SHAPE OF A SHOE-UPPER AND BEING DEFINED BY SURFACES OF SOLID, NON-EXTENSIBLE MATERIAL, SAID CAVITY HAVING AN AXIS DETERMINED AS THAT LINE EXTENDING FROM THE CENTER OF THE OPENING TO A POINT ON THE SURFACE OF THE CAVITY, WHICH POINT IS DETERMINED AS THE MAXIMUM TOTAL DISTANCE OBTAINABLE OF ALL LINES EXTENDING FROM THE PERIMETER OF THE OPENING TO A POINT ON THE SURFACE OF THE CAVITY, THE SURFACES OFSAID CONCAVE CAVITY BEING DEFINED BY SAID SOLID, NON-EXTENSIBLE MATERIAL EXTENDING FROM SAID POINT IN A DIRECTION LATERAL OF SAID AXIS AND THEREAFTER RISING TO THE PERIMETER OF SAID OPENING IN A DIRECTION INCAPABLE OF INTERSECTION WITH SAID AXIS SO AS TO FORM THE REVERSE SHAPE OF THE ARCH OF SAID SHOE-UPPER, APPLYING SUFFICIENT FORCE TO SAID SHEET TO CAUSE SAID SHEET TO CONFORM TO THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID CAVITY AND HEATING SAID SHEET IN SAID CONFORMED STATE, SAID HEAT BEING OF SUFFICIENT INTENSITY AND BEING APPLIED FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO HEATSET THE SHEET SO THAT UPON WITHDRAWAL OF SAID SHEET FROM SAID CAVITY, SAID SHEET RETAINS THE SHAPE OF A SHOE-UPPER DEFINED BY SAID CAVITY, AND THEN REVERSING SAID REVERSE ARCH SHAPE TO PROVIDE AN INDENTED ARCH PORTION OF SAID SHOE UPPER.