Studs for sports footwear and method of manufacture

Abstract

A method of producing studs for sports footwear, in particular for use in football, is described; each stud comprises a body and a tip portion which can be fixed to the body, the tip portion of the stud being produced from a semi-finished tip formed by blanking from sheet metal.

1 . A method of producing studs for sports footwear, in particular for use in football, each stud comprising a body and a tip portion which can be fixed to the body, characterized in that the tip portion of the stud is produced from a semi-finished tip formed by blanking from sheet metal.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to    claim 1   , further comprising the step of drawing of the semi-finished tip to form a hollow element constituting the tip portion of the stud.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to    claim 2    which provides for the further step of producing the body of the stud by injection moulding of plastics material, the body being moulded onto the tip portion so that the latter is at least partially incorporated in the body.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to    claim 3    in which means are provided for holding the tip portion on the body of the stud.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to    claim 4    in which the holding means comprise at least one appendage which extends substantially radially from the semi-finished tip.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to    claim 5    in which at least one hole extends through the at least one appendage.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to    claim 5    or    claim 6    in which the at least one appendage is bent substantially at right angles to the semi-finished tip during the drawing step.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to one or more of    claims 5    to    7    in which three radial appendages are provided, spaced at regular angular intervals.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the tip portion is blanked from steel sheet.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to    claim 9    in which the tip portion is blanked from stainless steel sheet.  
     
     
         11 . A stud for sports footwear, particularly for use in football, comprising a body and a tip portion which can be fixed to the body, characterized in that the tip portion comprises a hollow drawn element produced by blanking from sheet metal.  
     
     
         12 . A stud according to    claim 11   , in which the hollow element comprises a base and at least one appendage extending substantially at right angles from the base.  
     
     
         13 . A stud according to    claim 12    in which the at least one appendage comprises at least one through-hole.  
     
     
         14 . A stud according to    claim 13   , comprising three appendages extending substantially at right angles from the base and spaced at regular angular intervals.  
     
     
         15 . A stud according to one or more of    claims 11    to    14    in which the tip portion is made of steel.  
     
     
         16 . A stud according to    claim 15   , in which the tip portion is made of stainless steel.  
     
     
         17 . A stud according to one or more of    claims 11    to    16   , in which the body of the stud is made of plastics material and the tip portion is at least partially incorporated in the body.  
     
     
         18 . Sports footwear comprising a sole with studs in which the studs are produced in accordance with one or more of    claims 11    to    17   .  
     
     
         19 . Footwear according to    claim 18    in which the studs are removable.