US1673327A - Lacing for apparel - Google Patents

Description

lame 712, @2%. v l,673,327

P. HAHN LAGING FOR APPAREL Filed March 18. 1927 'gli J6 Patented June 12, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

I PAUL HAHN, F BERLIN', GERMANY.

LACING ron. armani..

Application filed Iarch 18, 1927, Serial No. 178,527, and in Germany March 17, 1926.

My invention relates to improvements in lacings for apparel, and more particularly for shoes, and the object of the improvements is to provide a. lacing which is comfortable 6 in use, and which is capable of many uses and is not subject to wear for a considerable length of time. An important featureof my'improved lacing is that when using the same in connection with shoes it has exactly l0 the tension comfortable for the wearer, and it is not made so tight as to press the foot, nor is it so loose that it does not securely hold the shoe in position. With the said object in view m invention consists in manul facturing the acing in the form of a solid rubber band or string preferably of circular cross-section and provided at both ends with suitable fastening means such as buttons, loops, hooks, and the like, the said fastening means being fixed to the string so that they can-.be readil adjusted thereon for varying the length o tlie lacing. As distinguished from lacings composed of individual spun rubber bands, my improved string is preferable because it is subject in a less degree 'to wear, the life of Athe composed rubber bands being comparatively short, because the individual threads are easily torn. Further, the appearance of my improved lacing is better for the reason that there are no projecting thread portions which in lacings nowvin use are produced by the tearing of one or the other of the individual threads. Further, the lacing made from a solid rubber string or'band can readily be fixed to the fastening members provided at the ends thereof, and the knot or4 the like for fixing the string to the fastening member'requires little space, so that small and 40 tin fastening members may be used and the lacing can be readily adapted to all the parts ofthe apparel such as linen,` outer apparel, Suspenders and the like. A very important field of the use of my improved lacing relates to shoes, and as a matter of fact the novel form of the lacing permits novel designs of shoes to be used.

For the purpose of explaining the invention several examples embodying the same I0 have been shown in the accompanying inwardly, so that the cap h and the disk t Fig. l, is a section on an enlarged scale taken yon the line 1*--1a of Fig. 1,

' Fig 2, is a detail sectional elevation showing one of the vbuttons of thelacing and the end of the string attached thereto,

F ig. 3, is an elevation similar to -the one shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating a modiiication, the lacing having a comparatively short string thus'providing a button,

Fig. 4, is an elevation showing .another modification f the lacing, and

Figs. 5v to 8 are elevations showing shoes and illustrating dierent uses of my improved lacing.

As appears from Figs. 1 and 1, my improved lacing consists of a solid string a preferably circular in cross-section and made from a suitable elastic material such as rubber. In the example illustrated in the figures, a non-spun string .e is used,' and ordinarily I prefer to use such strings, thoughI do not wish to limit myself to this feature. The use of non-spun strings is preferable for the reason that the joint with the fastening means is comparatively small. In the example shown in the figures buttons k1 and k2 are fixed to the end of the string, and inthe example illustrated in Fig. 2, the said buttons consist of'a concave disk t and a cap la, united so as to provide a hollow chamber adapted to enclose a knot provided at the end of the string. Referring more in detail to Fig. 2, the button comprises an outer hollow cap'zl formed with a at annular portion a: and a flange c, and the inner hollow portion t formed with a flange 1' corresponding to and embraced by the ange c. A As shown. both flanges are slightly bent are securely held together. The disk t is formed with a central bore of a diameter equal to the outer diameter of the string z, which therefore can be passed through the said bore. Further, the disk is formed with .100

a radial slit y imparting a certain elasticity to the disk and permitting a suitable tool such as a nail to be inserted for removing the disk t from the cap, as may be necessary for rearranging the connection between the string z and the button h, t. As shown the said connection is made by means of a knot el made at the end of the string 2. Thus, for fixing the button to the string, the string is first passed with its end through the bore of the disk t, the' knot e1 is made at a part of the string corresponding to the desired length of the lacing, and finally, the cap 71. is pressed on the disk t, the inwardly bent flange c thereof securely engaging the flange r of the said disk. The string e being made from solid rubber, the knot is very small, so that also the button h, t can be very neat. The knot is entirely confined within the button, the projecting end of the string having first been cut short before placing the cap la, on the disk t. If in the use of the lacing it is found that the string .e is too long a suitable tool such as a nail is inserted through the slit y, whereupon the disk t can be readily removed from the cap c. Now the knot el is unmade, the string z is pulled farther through the bore of the said disk. and the knot el is remade at the desired place, whereupon the cap lz, is again placed on the disk t.

It will be understood that lacings of any desired length may be made. In F 1g. 3 I have shown a modification in which the length of the string z3 is substantially equal to the length of the shank of a button, and as a matter of fact the lacing shown 1n the said fi re is intended to be used as a. button.

In ig. 4 I have shown a modificatlon, 1n which one of the buttons c has substantially the form of the button shown in Figs. 2 and .3, while the other button a: is exceedingly small and fiat, the small dimensions of the said button being possible because the space required for the knot of the string a* is very small. The lacing shown in Fig. 4 is designed for use in connection with shoes, the fiat button :n being placed on the inner face of the said shoe.\

In shoe-lacings such as are now in use, it is inconvenient to dispose of the ends of the lace, and further, the tension of the lace depends on the quality of the lacing, and the ability of the person wearing the shoe. When usin my improved lacing in connection with lioes the said objections are obviated, and it is not necessary, when putting on or off the shoe to make the lacing.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a. shoe provided with a strap 26 and having at each side a slit s, the margins of the said slits being provided with eyelets o1 and o2. For closing the said slits lacings such as have been described with reference to Fig. 1 are provided, the said lacings comprising a solid rubber string z provided at one end with a flat button such as shown in Fi 4 and at its opposite end with a larger utton c, the flat button being disposed within the shoe at the rear of the eyelet 25. From the said flat button the string is passed first to the opposite eyelet o1 and thereafter, within the shoe, to the next eyelet o2, and back again on the outside of the shoe to the opposite eyelet o1, etc., until finally the large button k1 is located at the outside of the shoe. The said large button is engaged ly a. slit p made in the strap 26. A shoe ma e in the manner described and shown in Fig. 5 is comfortable in use, because, by being connected to the elastic string z, the strap 26 yields to a certain extent. Further, the shoe itself is yielding to some extent, and it follows the movements of the foot of the wearer, because the slits s are jointed b the elastic string z. It will be understoo that a similar slit and lacing are provided at the opposite side of the shoe. Of course, the use of the lacing is not limited to the manner of applying the same to the shoe, and in some cases the lacin is passed from one eyelet o1. perpendicular y to the slit to the opposite eyelet 02, passed from o2 on the inner side of the shoe to the next eyelet o,

through the latter to the outside of the shoe U and perpendicularly to the slit and to the corresponding eyelet o1, from the latter on the inner side of the shoe and on the same side of the slit to the next eyelet o2, etc.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the 1 lacing z is provided with two flat buttons such 'as w shown in Fi 4, which buttons are located within the s oe, and the string a is located at the outside of the shoe to rovide a loop adapted to be engaged by a ut- 1 ton 28 fixed to the strap 26. As shown two pairs of e elets o3, o3, and o, o* are provided, so t at the lacing z may also be fixed to the eyelets o, o.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a shoe having a l slit .91 located near the front part of the outer side of the upper, the margins of the said slit being likewise provided with eyelets o1 and o2. As shown, a single lacing z is passed through the said eyelets in the 1 manner shown in the fi re, one of the flat buttons of the strin being located at 25 and within the shoe. rom the int 25 the string is passed across the s t a1 and to the o poslte eyelet o, from whence it is passe below the shoe and upwardly to the next eyelet o1. From the eyelet o1 it crosses again the slit 81, whereupon it is passed inwardly through the corresponding eyelet o etc. Finally 1t ends into a fiat button which is located within the shoe. In some cases I make use of three short lacin each provided with two flat buttons connecting corr riding e elets a1 and o.

In ig. 8 ave shown the lacing s as 1 gether by frictional contact of cooperating inclined rims, one of the partsbeing formed 10 with a radial slot permitting an opening tool to be passed therethrough.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signa-ture.

` PAUL HAHN.

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