US3175307A

US3175307A - Shoe attachment

Info

Publication number: US3175307A
Application number: US279416A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anthony J Evans
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-05-10
Filing date: 1963-05-10
Publication date: 1965-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-30

Description

March 30, 1965 A. .1. EVANS 3,175,307

SHOE ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "5* Filed May 10, 1963 INVENTOR ANTHONY J- EVANS March 30, 1965 A. J. EVANS 3,175,307

SHOE ATTACHMENT Filed ma 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-4.

INVENTOR.

ANTHONY J. EVANS United States Patent 3,175,307 SHOE ATTACHMENT Anthony J. Evans, Box 14, Wendell Depot, Mass. Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. No. 279,416 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-4) This invention relates to an accessory for a shoe, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a shoe attachment in the nature of a shoehorn which is particularly beneficial to the loafer type of shoe in which there is no solid counter. The present attachment is adapted to be placed in the shoe on the sock liner or inner sole and secured thereto in the region of the shank, to facilitate the placement of the heel of the foot in the shoe, particularly in loafers which have a soft counter portion and are apt to become crushed and wrinkled when a shoehorn i not used, the attachment being provided with an enlarged operative portion which extends laterally to the sides of the heel, in the nature of side wings, thus embracing not only the rear part of the heel but also the side portions of the heel, as the foot is pressed down into the shoe this avoids crushing of the side walls of loafers, slippers, and other shoes.

The invention also contemplates the above in several different forms in one of which the enlargement and side wings are made of a single piece of very thin smooth tough material such as Mylar, being unnoticeable when the foot is in the shoe but still having the strength to stand up under repeated flexing; and the provision of other types where the side wings are separate from the rear portion at the heel but cooperate therewith in shielding or guarding the side walls of the shoe adjacent the heel as well as the rear portion of the heel where the counter is usually located.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one form of the invention, part being disrupted in order to show the invention clearly;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing a modification;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing a still further modification, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are similar views showing still further modifications.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a flat main body portion 1i) which assumes the shape of the shoe from the counter portion thereof to the shank and in the shank area 12 there is provided adhesive or other means for securing the main body portion to the insole of the shoe more or less in the manner shown in my Patent No. 3,014,288 dated December 26, 1961.

This main body portion is preferably made of two thin leather or simulated leather parts joined together, these parts being indicated at 14 and at 16, each having corresponding edges at 18 and which coincide in the finished form of the article.

Extending from the heel portion of the device there is a very thin, flexible and strong member preferably made of a material such as Mylar and having a mushroom shaped enlarged portion generally indicated at 22. This extends from the center at the rear of the heel into side wings at 24, 24 and has on it a tab 26 by which it is adhesively secured between the layers of the two parts making up the main body portion, i.e., at 14 and 16.

It will be seen that the line at 18 corresponds to the curvature of the shoe adjacent the counter and when the device is applied to the shoe as at 12 at the shank, the wings 24 overlie the sides of the heel of the shoe, with the central portion between the wings overlying the portion of the heel where the counter usually is found.

When the foot is inserted in the shoe and the heel is "ice pressed downwardly, the wings 24 will curve or bend upwardly as will also the portion of the device at the center, and a cup-shaped formation will be made simply by the act of inserting the foot in the shoe. The

wings

24, 24 will bend inwardly approximately along the lines 28, thus preserving the entire rear part of the shoe even through there may be no counter provided to avoid crushing, and such crushing ordinarily present in the absence of the use of this device will be obviated.

The device shown in FIG. 2 is somewhat similar, the main body portion being indicated by the reference numeral 3t) and having a shank portion at 32 to be secured to the insole of the shoe as before. In this case also the shoehorn device except for the main body portion and the side wings are made of a single piece of material such as Mylar and these form an extending tab-like portion at 34 connected to a pair of

side wings

36, 36 which extend laterally therefrom. These are made integrally however, with the main body portion 38 which is cemented between the two layers of the shoe attachment and these are indicated at 40 and 42, member 42 being shown rolled back in order to reveal the entire device. When the part 42 is secured over the central portion 38 of the device, it will extend along the dotted lines 44.

In the use of this device, the wings 36 will bend upwardly about the dotted lines at 44, 44 and the tab at 34 will bend upwardly about the line 46 representing the shape of the counter portion of the shoe at the rear of the heel, and it will thus be seen that not only the rear of the heel but the side portions of the upper in advance of the heel will be protected against crushing when the foot is put in the shoe.

A variation of this device is shown in FIG. 3 wherein the main body portion of the device at 50 is to be applied to the shoe as before, being free of the shoe other than at the shank portion thereof, and on it there is a kind of lunar or horn-shaped device 52 secured in the area 54 to the main body portion 50 but having curved reentrant members 56 extending therefrom.

There is a separate tab member 58 which is double as shown by the fold-over line at 60 and secured in the area 62 to the main body portion 59 at the rear portion of the heel, with the tips at 64 located between the two leaves formed by the folded-over member 58. In this case the action is the same as before except for the fact that the doubled member 58 forms guides for the tips 64 of the arms 56 so that these arms are always engaged with member 58, and this forms slidable, interengaging means. As the foot is placed in the shoe the arms 56 bend upwardly about the side edges of the main body portion 60 as indicated by reference numerals 66, and the doubled tab 58 will fold upwardly about the line 68 which represents the rear edge portion of the heel in the area where the counter is usually found in the shoe. In this case also the main body portion 50 will be composed of two thin pieces of leather or synthetic leather, plastic, or even paper, but each of the

members

22, 34 and 52 all are adhesively secured inbetween the two members going to make up the main body portion of the device.

The modification shown in FIG. 4 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but the conformation of the wings as at 74 7% is somewhat different and the form of the tab at 72 for attachment to the main body portion 74 i also a little diiferent. However the fold lines at 76 are substantially the same.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that in FIG. 4 except for the fact that the attachment portion at 78 is larger and covers a greater extent of the main body portion 80 of the device. Also it is provided with fin-like wings 82 the function of which is the same as for instance those at 36 in FIG. 2.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages 3 thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what-I claim is:

1. An attachment for a shoe comprising a generally flat main body portion having a heel and side edges of a shape to conform in generalto the shape of the insole of the shoe from the shank to theend of the heel portion of theshoe, a separate tab adhesively secured with relation to the main body portion for location adjacent the heel portion of the shoe, a pair of side wings on said main body portion extending laterally well beyond the side edges ofthe main body portion, said side wings being of a length toext'end substantially from the shank to the heel portion of the shoe, said tab and wings being separated by gaps therebetween and being very thin, tough and flexible and sewingto encompass both the rear portion of the heel and theside portions of the foot adjacent the heel of the foot as it is pushed down into the shoe, said attachment adapted to be secured to the shoe at the shank portion only thereof and otherwise being free of the shoe.

2. An attachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 where in the tab and side wings are separate members both of which are individually securedto the main body portion forindependent motion relative to each other.

3.' Anattachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 Where- 2 in the tab and side wings are separate members both of whichare individually secured to the main body portion for independent motion relative to each other and include slidable interengaging means between them to cause the same to move together in one direction but relative to each other in another direction.

4. An attachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 wherein the tab and the side wings are separate members both of which are individually secured to the main body portion for independent motion relative to each other, the tab being a folded-over doubled member, the folds thereof forming a guideway and said side wings being elongated and terminating in inwardly directed. nose portions extending toward each other and-located between the foldsv of said tab, whereby the tab and side wings fold together down into the shoe as the foot is inserted therein, and

the wings move relatively toward each other, into the folded-over doubled member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,851 9/03 Scism 36-25 764,635 7/04 Scism 36-25 2,366,097 12/44 Gesell 223-118 3,117,385 1/64 Evans 36-25 FOREIGN PATENTS 670,849 1/39 Germany.

JORDAN FMNKLIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A SHOE COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT MAIN BODY PORTION HAVING A HEEL AND SIDE EDGES OF A SHAPE TO CONFORM IN GENERAL TO THE SHAPE OF THE INSOLE OF THE SHOE FROM THE SHANK TO THE END OF THE HEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE, A SEPARATE TAB ADHESIVELY SECURED WITH RELATION TO THE MAIN BODY PORTION FOR LOCATION ADJACENT THE HEEL PORTION OFTHE SHOE, A PAIR OF SIDE WINGS ON SAID MAIN BODY PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY WELL BEYOND THE SIDE EDGES OF THE MAIN BODY PORTION, SAID SIDE WINGS BEING OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE SHANK TO THE HEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE, SAID TAB AND WINGD BEING SEPARATED BY GAPS THEREBETWEEN AND BEING VERY THIN, TOUGH AND FLEXIBLE AND SERVING TO ENCOMPASS BOTH THE REAR PORTION OF THE HEEL AND THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE FOOT ADJACENT THE HEEL OF THE FOOT AS IT IS PUSHED DOWN INTO THE SHOE, SAID ATTACHMENT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE SHOE AT THE SHANK PORTION ONLY THEREOF AND OTHERWISE BEING FREE OF THE SHOE.