US1203700A - Foldable shoe-tree. - Google Patents

Description

W. R. BUXTON.

FOLDABLE SHOE TREE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5. 1916.

I 1 03,700. Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

WITNESS IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE YS.

wnnivna a. BUXTQN, or SPRINGFIELD, M ssAcH snrrs.

FOLDABLE SHOE-TREE.

rename.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 7, 1916.

Application filed February 5, 1916. Serial No. 76,317.

- which are foldable into small compass.

This invention is particularly intended to satisfy a large and growing demand'for a device which will not only eiiiciently preserve the shape of shoes but which will also fold into convenient form so that, for example, it may be carried conveniently with other traveling accessories. Such a foldable shoe tree finds favor especially with travelers and. everyone who is accustomed to using shoe trees at home desires also to use them while traveling. No shoe tree has, however, been provided, heretofore, which can. be so conveniently carried about, and be available for, use at all times. For the most part, the foldable shoe trees heretofore designed are bulky, odd-shaped articles which are not. even conveniently packed "in a suit case. Furthermore, the shoe trees in com mon use generally employ specially formed toeand heel pieces which are shaped to fit the interior of the shoe. Such members are without doubt useful in shoe trees adapted for. home use but are not as conveniently adapted for use as those with which this invention is concerned.

An object of the invention is to provide a shoe tree, comprising skeleton heel and toe pieces interconnected by toggle links, which is foldable into flat, thin,vcompact and substantially rectangular form whereby it may conveniently be carried in the pocket.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide in a device of the class described, a heel member revolubly connected with one of the togglelink's which member is movable into the plane of the folded links and toe piece to preserve the flat, thin, and compact form of the folded-shoe tree butwhich is also movable through substantially ninety degrees to occupy an upright position within the. shoe and engage a relatively large por-. tion of the vertical curvature of the heel.

Qther j an ad ant ge will appe r in the description to follow and in the annexed claims.

For the purpose of illustrating one way in which the invention may be practised, a single preferred formthereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the shoe tree Withthe parts in folded relation; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a cross-sew tional view taken on; the line3,3 of Fig, 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

and Figs. and 5. are diagrammatical views illustrating the manner of using the shoe tree. 1 Referring to these drawingsin detail, the several members of. the shoe tree are preferably constructed of flat thin metal and: formed into the desired shape by bending. The use of such material is particularly ad-. vantageous as it permits an inexpensive, yet rigid, construction which is. readily folda e.

1 represents the toe piece of the shoe tree which is bent into. U-formas shown in Fig. 1 andis adapted to engage the toefof a shoe with its forward rounded end, as shown in Fig. 1. The spaced legs 2 of the u shaped toe piece 1' are substantially parallel and each; thereofis formed with a plurality of holes or eyes 3 2). Arranged cen-a trally with respect to the legs Q is a link 4: which forms one member of a toggle as willlater appear. Pivotally connected to one end of the link 4 at 5v are a pair of links 6, which are arranged one on either side of link t and are suitably offset by bending so that their other extremities lie'adjacent and parallel to legs 2. Pins 7 riveted to the ends of links 6 are'adapted to engage with any of the holes .3 in legs 2 and. are readily removable from "a given pair of holes by springing thev links inwardly toward the, link a. By this construction, the length of the shoe tree may be varied within wide limits to fit any ordinary size of shoe. Pivoted to the end of link; 4 is a heel piece l1 no ma y i p sed n. he ommon plane of the folded members-2, 4t, and 6 but which is movable through substantially ninety degrees to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.- The outer edge of the heel piece 9 is slightly rounded as shown in Fig. 1 and has projections 10 traek p. theretr m to n ag t x m th counter of the heel and prevent slipping as will later be described. The member 9 I has inturned ends 11 spaced from the round ed heel engaging portion and formed centrally in the lower ends thereof are notches 12. On each member 10, one of the projections formed on either side of notch 12, viz., the projection 13, is cut down so that, as the member 9 is turned in the direction of the arrow to the dotted line position folded from the U-shaped toe piece 1 and brought upwardly at an acute angle to one another until the toe piece 1 can be slid into the shoe. The end piece 10 is turned Thereafter by pressure on the knuckle of the toggle links 4 and 6, the heel and toe pieces are forced into engagement with the extremities of the shoe as shown in Fig. 4. Continued pressure on the knuckle of the toggle forces the center 5 across the imaginary line connecting the pin 7 and the center of member 9 so that the parts are held in the relative positions shown in Fig. 5. The projections 10 prevent the member 9 from sliding upwardly on the smooth heel counter under pressure. It is particularly desirable to secure a relatively extensive engagement with the heel in a vertical direction and such an engagement has been obtained'in this device by the rotatable heel piece 9. The latter,however, is, when not in use, movable into the plane of the folded links and toe piece to conform to the flat thin form of the folded article. When so moved, it also protects the joined end of links 4 and legs 2 and forms a nicely rounded end for the substantially rectangular shaped folded article.

It will be noted that the shoe tree is foldable into perfectly flat, relatively thin, and compact form and that each member of the article has been carefully designed for cooperative relation with the other members so that the finished shoe tree is foldable into compact form. As shown in Fig. 1, the links 6 and U-shaped toe piece are substantially co-extensive in length and the former readily fold within the other and into the same plane. The link 4 folds within the links 6 and also into the same plane and the heel piece 9 may be turned into the common plane of the folded members to produce a compactly folded article of uniform thickness and of substantially rectangular form.

It is recognized that modifications may be made in the structure herein described for illustrative purposes without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description of one preferred form.

lVhat I claim is 1. A shoe tree, adapted to be folded into small compass, comprising, a U-shaped toe piece, a rounded heel member, and toggle 1 member having a pivotal connection with i:

one of said links and adapted to be moved from a position at right angles to the plane of the toe piece to a position in the latter plane, all constructed andarranged so that the shoe tree may be folded into flat, thin, and compact form. r

2. A foldable shoe tree, comprising, in combination, a U-shaped toe piece, a pair of links having adjustable pivotal connection at one end with the inner sides of said toe piece and offsetso that the other ends are brought, inwardly toward one another, an other link pivoted at one end to and between said offset ends, and a heel piece pivoted to the opposite end of the last-namedlink, said pair of links and last-named link adapted to force and hold the toe and heel pieces apart with a toggle action, all constructed and arranged so that the last-named link folds within said pair of links and the'folded links fold within and into the plane of the U-shaped toe piece, said heel piece being movable into the common plane of the links and U-shaped member, whereby the shoe tree may be folded in flat, compact, r

and substantially rectangular form.

3. A shoe tree adapted to be folded into small compass, comprising, a U-shaped part adapted to engage the toe of a shoe, a

rounded member adapted to engage the heel Ii 1 of a shoe, a link connected to said member and disposed centrally with respect to said part and links on opposite sides of said firstnamed link and pivotally connected thereto, each of said last-named links having a detachable pivotal connection with a leg of said U-shaped part, said links adapted to force said part and member into engagement with the extremities of a shoe and to hold them in their moved position with a toggle action, all constructed and arranged so that the first-named link folds within said last-named links and the folded links fold within the U-shaped part whereby the shoe tree may be folded into fiat, thin, comi pact form.

4. A foldable shoe tree, comprising, a Ushaped toe piece having a rounded end adapted to engage the toe of a shoe and two spaced parallel legs, a plurality of eyes formed in each of the latter, a link arranged centrally with respect to said toe piece, a pair of links pivoted at one end to the firstnamed link on opposite sides thereof, each link of said pair having means at the other end engageable in any of the eyes in said U-shaped member and arranged to bear laterally thereagainst with a. spring action, and a rounded heel piece mounted 011 the end of said first-named link, all constructed and arranged so that the toe and heel pieces may be adjusted for length to fit any desired shoe and so that the said toe and heel pieces may be forced and held apart Within the shoe by a toggle action of said links.

5. A shoe tree, adapted to be folded into small compass, comprising, a U-shaped toe piece, a pair of links pivotally connected at one end to theinner sides of said toe V able one within another and Within and into the same plane as said toe piece, said heel piece adapted to be moved into the common plane of the folded links and toe piece and to be moved to a position at right angles to said plane, said arms adapted to engage the edges of said last-named link to yieldably hold the heel piece in normal relation thereto. 1

WARNER R. BUXTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

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