GB2167592A

GB2167592A - Method and equipment for juxtaposing handed articles

Info

Publication number: GB2167592A
Application number: GB08527889A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Helen Marie Cooling
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-11-13
Filing date: 1985-11-12
Publication date: 1986-05-29
Also published as: GB2167592B; GB8428674D0; GB8527889D0

Abstract

Children can see which way a picture "points" before they are old enough to read or interpret legends like "L" and "R". Children are less able to distinguish, by shape alone, which shoe belongs to which foot, and marking them "left" and "right" will not help. Accordingly, footwear (12) (13), or any other handed articles such as gloves or cutlery, is provided with devices (10) (11) which can be interpreted by the non-literate. By telling the child that the "dogs" (10) (11) like to face one another and do not like to be back-to-back, putting on shoes becomes a game and the child becomes self-sufficient in this respect at an early age. Unless provided during manufacture of the foot-wear (12) (13), the devices (10) (11) may be on labels or badges subsequently affixed, as by adhesive or by sewing. Pairs of self-adhesive labels can be provided on a peel-off backing sheet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATON Method and equipment for juxtaposing handed articles This invention relates to a method and equipment for facilitating the correct juxtaposition of handed articles, and more particularly for identifying the correct relationship to one another and to the user of "left-" and "right-handed" articles without requiring the user to be either literate or numerate.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a method of facilitating the correct juxtaposition of handed articles by non-literate persons, such as minors, which comprises applying to each article of a handed pair a respective, asymmetric device not consisting of one or more literary symbols but having a perceivable direction or orientation on the article such that the relationship of the devices will indicate the correct juxtaposition of the articles.

The direction or orientation of each device will usually be determinable by an asymmetric shape which "points" to the appropriate side of the respective article. For convenience or economy the two devices,may be "mirror images" of one another, but need not be. The shape of each device may be wholly or partly defined by raised (relief) or hollowed (intaglio) areas applied by manufacturing techniques such as moulding, engraving, stamping or "dimension welding", e.g. on slippers. It will be advantageous, e.g. to the blind or poorly sighted, if the shape of each device is detectable by touch as well as or instead of by sight.

Each device may comprise an asymmetric pictorial image, which may be abstract or representational. In the latter case, especially for the benefit of children, it is preferred that the image is a profile view of a human or animal head which clearly "faces" one way only. The image may be applied to each item during manufacture, for example it may be knitted into a glove or moulded into or printed onto a footwear insole, or it may be applied subsequent to manufacture of the items, e.g. by stamping or an engraving process. Alternatively, suitable pairs of labels, badges or the like, bearing the images may be sold separately from the items to be applied by the purchaser.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example of non-limitative example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view from above of a pair of child's shoes with images applied to the heel parts of the insoles according to the invention, and Figure 2 illustrates a backing sheet bearing pairs of labels suitable for use in carrying out the invention.

For a small child it is less easy to tell simply from the shape of the shoe, or other item of footwear, which foot it belongs to. Figure 1 illustrates a pair of child's shoes and their difference in shape is not readily discernable. Within a certain age range children are quite intelligent enough to put on their own footwear, but the similarity of the two items, at least in external appearance, gives rise to mistakes.

Simply marking the shoes, boots or whatever "Left" and "Right" or "L" and "R" does not immediately help a child which cannot yet read or is not yet fully familiar with the alphabet. Long before this, however, children recognise pictures and can tell which "way round" the image is. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, therefore, pictures 10 and 11 comprising the heads, in profile view, of creatures likely to appeal to children are applied to the items of footwear 12 and 13 in an area where they will be in plain sight before the shoe is put on, i.e. in the heel areas 14 and 15 of the insoles.The "head" 10 applied to the left shoe 12 "faces" to the right of the shoe, and the "head" 11 applied to the right shoe 13 "faces" to the left of the shoe, so that when the shoes are correctly placed side-by-side, as shown, the "heads" 10 and 11 face one another, but if they are incorrectly placed the "heads" 10 and 11 will be back-to-back. This gives an immediate indication to the child which way round to place the shoes 12 and 13 before putting them on. By telling the child that the creatures depicted like to look at one another and do not like to have their backs to one another the exercise is converted into the sort of game which appeals to children and will provide an incentive to the child to learn quickly to be self-sufficient in putting on its own footwear.

For use on connection with footwear which does not have the images 10 and 11 as sold, pairs of self-adhesive labels 16A, 17A are provided on a suitable backing sheet 18, which may conveniently have instructions for use (not shown) printed on it.

As is known perse the backing sheet 18 may be waxed so that the self-adhesive labels 1 6A, 1 7A can be peeled off easily without damage or losing adhesive. A given backing sheet 18 may have only two labels 16A, 17A on it, or several pairs of labels 16A, 17A may be provided on a common backing sheet, as shown, so that each pair of labels can be used for a different pair of shoes, boots, slippers, gloves or any other pair of handed articles. As shown, the labels 16A, 17A are generally shieldshaped to be accommodated within the heel areas of the insoles. Of course, itwill be up to the (presumably adult) purchaser to position the labels 16A, 17A correctly in the footwear for the child's use, and it is partly for the benefit of such an adult that the (inessential) words "left" and "right" are included.

Another reason for including them is so that the child learns to read them and to distinguish "left" and "right" with the aid of the pictures.

As alternative to adhesive labels, sew-on or ironon labels or badges may be provided for such "handed" articles as gloves.

Although primarily intended to help children to be self-sufficient, thus helping those in charge of them, incidentally providing the child with pleasure and amusement, the invention is not limited to the marking of such "handed" pairs of articles as shoes, gloves and cutlery intended for children. The blind may be assisted by a tangible, non-alphabetical device and illiterates, the mentally sub-normal or the senile may be assisted by markings (visual or otherwise) more easily distinguished and understood than the conventional written directives.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating the correct juxtaposition of handed articles by non-literate persons, such as minors, which comprises applying to each article of a handed pair a respective, asymmetric device not consisting of one or more literary symbols but having a perceivable direction or orientation on the article such that the relationship of the devices will indicate the correct juxtaposition of the articles.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, which comprises manufacturing the articles to have the devices integrally formed thereon.

3. A method as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the devices comprise images formed in intaglio or relief on externally visible or accessible surfaces of the artices.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the devices comprise pictorial images.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the images comprise profile views of humans or animals.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the images are profile views of human or animal heads.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, or any one of claims 4-6 as appendantto claim 1, and comprising applying the device to the articles subsequent to the manufacture of the latter.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, and comprising affixing to each article a respective one of a pair of labels or badges bearing the devices.

9. Equipment for carrying outthe method claimed in claim 8, comprising a backing sheet to which one or more pairs of labels or badges bearing the devices are removably adherent.

10. Equipment for carrying outthe method claimed in claim 8, wherein each label or badge has a said device on one side and is coated with an adhesive on its other side.

11. A method of facilitating the correct juxtaposition of handed articles by non-literate persons substantially as herein described.

12. A pair of handed articles having applied thereto devices in accordance with the method claimed in any one of claims 1 - 8 and 11.

13. A pair of handed articles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

14. Equipment for carrying out the method claimed in any one of claims 1 - 8 and 11, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: (a) Claim 1 above has been deleted or textually amended.

(b) New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows: CLAIMS

1. A method of facilitating the correct juxtaposition of handed articles by non-literate or numerate persons, such as minors, which comprises applying to each article of a handed pair a respective, asymmmetric device not consisting of one or more literary or numerical symbols but having a perceivable, intended direction or orientation considered on isolation, such that the relationship of the devices on the articles will indicate a correct juxtaposition thereof.

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the devices are applied to the respective insoles of a pair of footwear articles in the heel regions of the latter so as to tbe visible when the footwear is not worn.