US1482575A - Shoe protector - Google Patents

Description

T. B. MURPHEY Feb. 5 1924.

SHOE PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 6, 1922 Patented F eb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES THOMAS BENTON MURIHEY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE PROTECTOR.

Application led February 6, 1922. Serial No. 534,450.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS BENTON MURPHEY, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Shoe Protector; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to shoe protectors adapted to 'be used for the temporary protection of the forward portions of ladies shoes, and in its general aspects aims to provide an inexpensive protector which can easily be adjusted for effectively protecting shoes of varying sizes and shapes, which will have added strength at desirable points, which can readily be folded into an exceedingly compact form, and which will be cheap enough so that it can be discarded after comparatively few uses of the same.

Viewed in some of its more particular aspects, my invention aims to provide a shoe protector having a main sandal-like portion which can readily be made out of wax paper or the like and desirably out of a single-piece blank of such paper, aims to provide a blank for thisk purpose which will' afford a double thickness for the sole of the protector, aims to provide a method of folding certain parts of the rolled up blank so as to afford added thicknesses at the sides and tip of the sole, and aims to provide for expanding or contracting the protector portion adjacent to the arch of the s'hoe so as to fit` it effectively to the shoe over which it is used. It also aims to provide suitable and effectively disposed Ameans for fastening such a protector to a shoe, and aims to provide vamp-protecting tabs arranged for underlying portions of the fastening members. Still further and more detailed objects will appear from the following speci fication and from the accompanying drawings, in whichf Fig. l is a perspective View of the shoe protector embodying my invention, showing the same as it appears when in use on a ladysshoe.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom view of the4 same protector whenA detached from the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the lnain portion of the protector of Figs. 1 and 2 was formed, with the approximate fold lines indicated by dotted lines and with tapes attached to the blank to serve as fastening elements.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View, drawn on a smaller scale and showing this blank as rolled into a tube prior to closing the forward end of the tube.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a similar section taken before the lateral folds were made.

In making the embodiment of the drawings, I start with a. blank of sheerl material, such as a thin but tough waxed paper, which blank has a main portion comprising a central part l bordered on its opposite edges by wings 2 and 3, each of the wings desirabl)r being approximately of the width of the sole of the shoe with which the protector is to be used while the intermediate portion is of approximately double this width. The blank is incised at its forward end between the said intermediate portion and the said wings thereof and also is narrowed forwardly along its original lateral edges so that each of the said three sections is forwardly pointed. Then I also provide the blank with a pair of rearwardly projecting tabs extending longitudinally of the blank and desirably having their oppositely disposed edges disposed approximately in alinementwith opposite edges of the medial portion l.

The blank as thus formed is first rolled into a tube by overlapping the wings 2 and 3 with each other, as shown in perspective in Fig. 4 and in section in Fig. 5, thereby affording a tube presenting at its forward end a pair of incisions at opposite sides of the proposed sole. The overlapped wings when in this position are secured to each other by any suitable means (as for example by` pressing lthem with an iron of suflicient heat to cause the wax on their' adjacent surfaces to unit) but. this uniting is desirably done only for a portion of the length of the overlapped sole wings from the forward ends thereof, or to an extent such as that indicated by the line A in Fig', 2. l

I then contract the forward end of the resulting tube by making folds in the same, each of which folds is desirably symmetrical with respect to the division line between the medial blank section and one wing, as for example by folding along the lines B and C so as to double the interposed portions upon each other, In doing so, I turn the resulting folds under the overlapping wings which form the sole of the shoe, and I lthen snake a further fold by turning` the projecting tip D from its original position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 'to a position in which it underlaps both the aforesaid folds and the tips of the wings 2 and 8. In making these operations, the providing of the substantially longitudinal folds along the edges of the proposed sole of the shoe effectively contract the original tube so as to afford the desired taper for the shoe, while the turning under of the tip D effectively closes the forward end ofthe resulting tapering tube. Consequently, by then securing the said underfolded portions to the lowermost of the overlapped wings 2 and I obtain a. casing resembling a sandal and one in which the flexibility of the material permits a ready adjustment toshoes of somewhat varying sizes and shapes. Furthermore, by leaving the overlapped wings unsecured to each other for a considerable portion of their length from their rear ends, I permit these rear portions oi the wings to be slid upon'each other so as to increase or decrease the opening at the rear end of the tube thereby allowing the protector'tfo be adjusted fairly closely to the shoeto which it is applied. For example, these overlapped wings may be slid over each other as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby adapting the same to a shoe which is considerably narrower at the rear end of the sole than the one fitted by the `protector just as shown in Fig. 2, rand also raising the rear end of the flaps under the arch of the shoe (or from the dotted to the full lines of Fig. 1) to prevent slush from entering the rear end of the sandal. While such an adjustment may involve some crinkling of the material, this is not objectionable for such purposes as the one for which my protector is designed.

`In securing the protector to the shoe, the fasteningl elements, which are desirably in the form of paper tapes 5 and 6 may be em ployed in any suitable manner4 bothfor preventing the protector from sliding forwardly off the shoe and for drawing the rear end of the protector into close gripping relation to the shoe. For example. Fig, 1 shows each of the fastening tapes as being run alongside the vamp 7 of the shoe to the back; of the shoe, where the two tapes 5 and 6 are looped into each other so that each returns on the same side of the shoe as that at which it is secured to the protector.` The forwardly re-` directed tapes are then crossed over each other at the instep and carried around the shoeunder the arch of the sole and thereafter are brought up over the instep where they can be conveniently knotted together. Thus arranged, the portions of the tapes which pass under the arch of the sole will clamp the rear part of the sole-forming portions Of the protector against the arch of the shoe, thereby lifting these considerably off the ground so that no mud, snow or slush will enter at this point, and also firmly clamping the entire forward portion of the protector in position. j

In applying the shoe protector of the drawings in this manner, the tabs 4t eXtend along the sides of the foot to the rear of the shoe, these tabs being desirably of ample length so that they can be lapped around the bach of the vamp of the shoe to afford at least a partial covering for this portion of the shoe also. Then by using fastening elements in the form of tapes respectively secured to the protector at opposite sides thereof and each adjacent to the middle of the juncture of the tab with the main protector portion, I interpose these tabs between the vamp of theshoe and the tapes, so that the tapes will hold the tabs tightly against the shoe. Moreover, the portions of the tabs which pass around the inside and under the arch bear against the fastened end portions of the tapes, thereby clamping` these in position to aid in ,preventing the protector from being torn by any undue tautness of the tapes.

VBy thus employing `a protector which is slipped upon thefshoe from the toe thereof and which has freely gapping portions at its rear end, I can use protectors of a `given size for shoes varying considerably both in length. and in width, thereby permitting the dealers to supply the demand with a quite `small range of sizes. Moreover. by doubling the material along the tip and the forward edges of the sole or at the points subjected to the greatest wear, I can readily manufacture a protector of ample durability at a very low cost, particularly if I also employ strong paper tapes for the fastening members. Furthermore, the complete protectors can readily be folded into a quite compact space so that one or more pairs of the same can be. carried in a ladys hand bag for instant use, while the cheapness of the protectors will warrant her in throwing them away when soiledn However. while I have illustrated and described the protector of my invention as made of waxed paper' and as employing tapes for the fastening elements, Iv do not wish to be limited to these particular materials. Neither doI I wish to be limitedto the various, details of the construction arrangement above disclosed, it being obvious that the same might be modified inA many ways without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A shoe protector comprising a sandal having freely overlapping rear sole portions adapted to be slid upon each other to permit the sandal to be contracted about the arched portion of a shoe and having flexible fastening members secured to the sandal and of ample length for extending around the back of the shoe and around the arched shoe portion to prevent the sandal from sliding off and to effect .the said contraction of the sandal.

2. A shoe protector comprising a sandal formed from a blank doubly incised at its forward end to afford three forwardly projecting tips, the outer two tips being lapped under one another to afford a doubled sole portion and the blank being transversely plaited at each side of the portion to contract the toe covering portion to a taper.

3. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having the original lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford a doubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itself and turned back under the said doubled sole portion, and also having substantially longitudinal folds formed from the forward portion of the tube at opposite sides thereof to afford a tapering shape for the protector.

t. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having the original lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford a doubled sole portionand having the forward tube end doubled upon itself and turned back under the said doubled sole portion, and also having substantially longitudinal folds formed from the forward portion of the tube at opposite sides thereof to afford a tapering shape for the protector, the said folds also being turned under and secured to the doubled sole portion.

5. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having the original lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford a doubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itself and turned back under the said doubled sole portion, the overlapped portions being secured to each other only for a portion of their length so as to leave their rear portions free to permit an adjustment in the size of the rear end of the protector to the shoe on which it is used.

6. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a. tube having the original lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford a doubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itself and turned back under the said doubled sole p0rtion, the tube having tabs projecting rearwardly from its vamp-forming portions at opposite sides of the protector.

7. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having the original lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford a doubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itself and turned back under the said doubled sole portion, the tube having tabs projecting rear wardly from its vamp-forming portions at opposite sides of the protector, and fastening elements secured to the tube and respectively overlying the said tabs.

8. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having the original lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford a doubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itself and turned back under the said doubled sole portion, and also havin substantially longitudinal folds formed 2(from the forward portion of the' tube at opposite sides thereof to afford a tapering shape for the protector, both the said folds and the forward end of the doubled sole portion being turned under and secured lto the said doubled sole portion. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, February 3rd, 1922.

THOMAS BENTON MURPHEY.

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