US2205099A

US2205099A - Shoe rack

Info

Publication number: US2205099A
Application number: US197982A
Authority: US
Inventors: John R Lentz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-03-25
Filing date: 1938-03-25
Publication date: 1940-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1957-06-18

Description

me 1%@ .3. R. LENTZ .SHOE RACK Filed March 25, 1938 INVENTOR. or: 67a BY ATTORNEY.

I Patented 1940:v v

' ances.

UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE RACK l John R. Lentz, Philadelphia, Pa.-

Application March 25, 1938, Serial No. 197,982

1 Claim.

' The present invention relates to shoe racks and has'for one of vits main objects the provision of a shoe supporting ldevice having a simplified construction and capable of being easily and readily manufactured, thus materially reducing the cost thereof and enhancing its saleable and commercial possibilities.

Another important object of the invention re sides in the provision of a shoe rack which, because of its particular construction, will. require but little space when mounted in position, and which may be arranged in almost any available location, thus rendering its uses practically unlimited.

It is also a desirable feature of the invention to providea shoe rack capable of being conveniently mounted in confined spaces as, for instance, upon the inner side of closet doors, Wardrobe cabinet doors, and the like.

In addition to the foregoing meritorius features of my improved shoe rack, the invention is characterized still further by the fact that its formation renders the same adaptable for supporting one or more shoes in vertical, horizontal, or angular position and so, not only may it be mounted upon closet or similar doors, but also may be hung from the underside of shelves or similar contriv-f Other important objectsand advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I have, in theaccompanying drawing and in the detailed description based thereupon, set out a possible embodiment of the invention. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail in face elevation of the supporting end portion of the shoe rack.

Having more particular reference to the draw-V ing, wherein like charactersof reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, I have represented in Figure 1 one form of the invention, according to which the improved shoe rack is made of a single length of wirel l, preferably of circular cross-sectional configuration and given the` general formation shown.

As illustrated, the device comprises opposite end portions 2 and 3 respectively, and an intermediate portion 4. 'Irhe extremities of the opposite `end portions 2 and 3 are bent upon them- (ci. 211-35) `selves at angles of approximately 45 to provide paralleling generally I.. shaped extensions 5 and 6, said extensions terminating with means for securing the rack to a supporting surface in the manner to be hereinafter specified.

The Wire section of the intermediate portion 4 5 is bent at sharp angles at different points along the length thereof to form a plurality of relatively spaced inverted V shaped projections 1, separated from one another by straight wire portions 8. The projections 'l are so disposed as to extend on a rearwardly inclined plane, that is, in a direction towards the securing extremities of the L shaped extensions 5 and 6.

In Figure 2 of the drawing, there is represented w a modified form of the invention. According to this modified form, the device is also constructed from a single length of wire la, the intermediate portion 4a of which is bent and curved to pro-- vide a series of adjacent aligned semi-circular or U shaped elements la forming side and front shoe engaging sections. The opposite end portions 2a and 3 a of the wire are bent at right angles to extend in a, direction right angularly opposed to that in which the sections 1a. project. Moreover, as will clearly appear from Figure 2,

' the end portions 2a and 4a are bent so that the free extremities thereof extend to a point out of lalignment with respect to the shoe retaining elements la..

The free extremity of each of the L shaped extensions 5 and 6 (Figure 1) and of each of the end portions 2a` and 3a (Figure 2) are preferably flattened as at 9 and punctured as at i0 in the manner more clearly shown in Figure 3, whereby to provide means 'adapted to receive suitable fastening elements, such as screws, nails, or the like,

rfor the purpose of securing the rack to a supporting surface.

In practice, when manufacturing the forms of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, I prefer to utilize strong steel wire and Work the wire into the respective shapes shown and described in suitable well known wire bending machines provided With appropriate dies.

In using the type of shoe rack illustrated in Figure 1, said rack is affixed, as hereinbefore stated, to a convenient supporting surface so that the inverted V shaped projections 1 extend upwardly and rearwardly, that is, towards the sup- 50 porting surface. Shoes may then be engaged upon said projections 'l by so positioning the shoe, as shown at S or at Sa, that the corresponding projection 1 will enter into the shoe which then rests upon the adjacent straight portions 8 of the 55 rack. By slightly pulling the shoe downward, the projection, because of its inclined position. will snugly engage the inner face of the shoe instep, thus positively assuring the retention of the shoe on the rack.

In using the type of shoe rack shown in Figure 2, the rack is afiixed to the supporting surface in the manner already described so that the U shaped portions thereof extend outwardly or away from said surface. A shoe S' may then be slipped into engagement with one of said U shaped elements 1a by introducing therein the toe of the shoe, the heel and sole thereof being positioned to face the supporting surface. In that manner, it will be appreciated that the shoe will become wedged between the encircling portion of the wire and the supporting surface, thereby positively retaining the shoe on the rack. Because the end portions 2a and 3a are bent so that the free extremities thereof extend out of alignment with respect to said U-shaped shoe retaining elements la, and are attached to the supporting surface at said extended extremities, it will be understood that the sections a engaging the sides and fronts of the shoes resiliently urge the heels and soles thereof into engagement with said surface rfor positive retention of the shoes by the rack against said surface. In other words, since the rack is attached to the supporting surface at the free extremities of the end portions 2a and 3a, and said extremities are out of alignment with respect to the intermediate portion a of the rack, said intermediate portion is capable of a certain amount of spring action, with the result that the shoe retaining elements la of said intermediate portion function to resiliently force the engaged shoes against the supporting surface and. accordingly, assure the propei retention of the shoes.

In concluding, it is pointed out that, although I have shown and described certain possible embodiments of the invention, additional modifications may be made without departing from the gist thereof. Accordingly, any modifications coming within the scope of the subjoined claim are to be considered within the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

A shoe rack consisting of a single length of wire forming an intermediate portion and two end portions: said intermediate portion being bent and shaped to provide a series of aligned shoe retaining elements, each having a pair of diametrically opposed lateral shoe side engaging sections, and a forward shoe front engaging section contiguous with said lateral sections; and each of said end portions being bent so that the free extremity thereof extends to a point out of alignment with respect to the shoe retaining elements, said extended free extremity of each end portion having means for attaching the rack onto a supporting surface to support the shoe retaining elements outwardly and away from said surface at substantially right angles thereto whereby said pair of lateral sections and forward section of a shoe retaining element may relatively engage the sides and front of a shoe and thereby resiliently urge the bottom of the shoe into engagement with said surface for the positive retention of the shoe by the rack against said surface.

JOHN R. LENTZ.