US1442028A - Shoe-heel protector - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9 1923. 1,442 U28.

III PHILLIPS.

SHOE HEEL PROTECTOR FILED AUG. I6, Ism.

Patented afan. l

SHOE-HEEL JPROTJECTUR.

application med. august 16, 1919. Seriallto. 317,874.

To. all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, NNETTE rllowNsEivn lflrrrnnirs, a citizenV of the. United States, re-

i siding at Goshen, in the county of Urange,

`State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Shoe-Heel Protectors, of which the following is a spec",- fication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrative of one particular embodiment of my invention.

This invention relates to devices intended to prot/ect the heel of a shoe from wear under special circumstances. lln particular, in the case of operating an automobile a ladys shoe is so formed that the heel engages the footboard or objects when the foot is on a pedal, and the bowl of the heel, namely, the rear partvof the upper, is subjected to abrasion by wear, and even wit-h the best of care in the case. of light colored shoes they are soiled, if not ruined by such use. Rather than the inconvenience of changing shoes, the protection of the heel by a supplementary device affords a'much needed saving, and the protecting device may be made of material and in form so durable as to out wear any number of shoes.` rl`he use of Such an article requires, ho ever, the production of something reasonab e in cost, durable and particularly readily attachable and removable. While devices for this purpose have been suggested, my i vention comprises an improvement meeting all the special conditions involved essential to the production of' a commercially practical article.

lin the accompanying drawings ll have shown one form in which:

ll? ig. 1 illustrates the device attached to a shoe with the foot in normal position.

lffig. 2 is a `side View of a foot with the device attached in the position of use when guiding the pedal of a motor car.

lin the drawings, A is the shoe proper, B is the protector with reinforced portion C in the position where it is subjected to the greatest wear. The entire protector 1s made to fit the bowl of the heel snugly, while the reinforcing may be a thin sole leather or a.

thick padded portion of any material de-y sirecL-the whole being held firmly in position by the instep strap D.

'll`he strap portion is preferably made with an adjusting buckle al to adjust it to a proper size to fit the particular user, and the ordinary snap catches with complementary parts on the protector and the end of the strap D are located as shown at d, so that they may be readily removed. 'll`o prevent the protector from slipping upwards, lf prefer to add a transverse strap lE passing under the small of the, foot. in front of the heel, but leaving an opening between the strap and the lower corner bof the protector amply large to permit the passage of the heel a.

The upper edge b of the protector is preferably strengthened or stitched, and likewise the other edges,l where necessary to transmit the holding strain of the instep strap, but in particular the upper edge b l prefer to be so arranged and made that it will be below the edge a of the shoe upper proper, so as Ato avoid any contact and abrasion with the stocking or heel of the user.

llt will be seen that the protector may be equally well applied to a shoe, oxford or pump. lin particular, the bowl of the heel being the rear portion of the upper 'as-it merges into the heel proper, affords a. convex surface to which my protector may be so fitted as to insure security against its displacement or movement, when tightlyy held by the ankle strap. ln some cases, however, the configuration of the shoe is such that a protector can be made with a suitable spring or other construction embodied so that it can be securely clamped by pressing on from the rear,.and held tight against ordinary operation without the necessity of the strap.

rllhe buckle at 0l' may be in any form desired and may embody the quick-release feature instead of having the snaps d-LZ at the end of the strap, likewise a tongue or other protection strip may be placed under the buckle for comfort, or definite sizes of strap may be used without vthe necessary adjustment, or a series of snaps may form the readily detachable connection in a manner to give different lengths, thereby eliminating the buckle and simplify the construction.

The entire article may be made of kid, or any other desired leather or fabric, while the reinforcing material` preferably I sole leather, may be varied as to materialand thickness, and the outer surface of the reinforcement may be flattened transversely to prevent the rocking of the foot.

ln various ways my invention may be modied for simplicity, cheapness of construction, d'urability and ready application and removal.

It will'be noted that in detaching the device the snaps are released and the entire protector removed without the necessity of handling any of the lower edge, or such portionas may have become soiled, which insures its use with the added advantage of avoiding any soiling of thev hands or gloves. This and the protection to the shoe have become of importance in view of the great increase of operation of cars byladies and theirI desire to operate cars without any special preparation and frequently when shod with expensive shoes most liable to damage..

While variations in design and material may be 'made'from the particular embodiment herein shown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A protecting device for a shoe having a projecting counter overhanging a relatively small heel, comprising a body portion surrounding the counter of the shoe at its main protuberant area and extending part way down the rear-side of the heel, two forwardlylextending sides adapted to lie against the sides of the shoe and a uniting member at their forward lower"l extremity forming a relatively large opening through which the heel will freely pass said member having its broad surface parallel with the sole, and a detachable instep strap adapted to hold the side portions of the protector against displacement by upper strain on the member uniting the sides underneath the arch.

2. A protector for a shoe having an overhanging counter and forwardly inclined heel, comprising a body portion having a wearing surface extending over the protuberance of the counter and part way over the heel, sides extending forwardly with the lower margin extending upwardl f to the junction of the arch and the heel and united by an integral member attached to the sides at the edge of the arch said member having its broad side parallel with the sole oi theI shoe, forward sections of the sides extending upwardly from the arch member and having readily detachable devices adapted to permit vertical strain from the arch member to an instep strap and means for adjustment and release of said instep strap.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of' ,two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of August, 1919.

ANNETTE TOVVNSEND PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

H. MUCHMORE .HERMANN F. UNTZ.

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