Activator

Abstract

An activator for shaping the heel portion of a footwear upper to provide an upper whose heel is shaped approximately to the shape it will ultimately take in the fabricated shoe or other footwear. The activator includes a mold to receive the upper; the mold has a back portion contoured to the required shape of the heel portion of the upper. The activator further includes a pad having a bight region and legs extending from the bight region, which pad has an inner contour that approximately matches the outer contour of the back and adjacent portions of the mold and both can be replaced to fit requirements. The pad has an open position to receive the mold with the upper thereon and a closed position to squeeze the upper between the pad and the mold. A mold drive mechanism is provided to move the mold from a location spaced from the pad to receive the upper to a nested location within the bight region and the legs of the pad. Then the pad is moved around and about the upper and heat is introduced to the upper. Typically, prior to moving the upper into the nested location it is stretched by a longitudinal drawing force. According to the present teaching the angle of draw can be modified to introduce a lateral or transverse component to the direction of draw.