US2636237A

US2636237A - Flexible shoelace fastener

Info

Publication number: US2636237A
Application number: US218790A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nathaniel W Price
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-04-02
Filing date: 1951-04-02
Publication date: 1953-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 1970-04-28

Description

April 28, 1953 w. PRICE 2,636,237

FLEXIBLE SHOELACE FASTENER Filed April 2, 1951 INVENTOR. MT/rA/V/fl 14 PwaE /s AND/ENE! Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,636,237 FLEXIBLE SHOELACE FASTENER Nathaniel W. Price, White Plains, N. Y. Application April 2, 1951, Serial No. 218,790

This invention relates generally to devices for fastening shoe laces and for preventing such laces from becoming unfastened and more particularly to devices for preventing shoe laces of, for example, children, athletes and military combat troops from becoming unfastened and/or damaged and for reducing the possibility of injury as the result of a lace of one shoe being stepped upon or becoming entangled with the other shoe or adjacent objects.

It is well known that the bows, knots and free ends of tied shoe laces of childrens shoes have a certain fascination or allurement for the wearers who find fun in tugging at and loosening the laces; and often, the bows and free ends of the laces of childrens shoes become loose, frayed and unsightly in appearance.

A prime object of the present invention is to provide a device whereby the lace of a shoe may be securely fastened with or without a knot and the knot and free ends of the lace may be covered and held against accidental loosening under all conditions and against intentional loosenin by a small child.

Another object is to provide a shoe lace fastener that shall require only a minimum of skill and care for successful operation and results.

A specific object is to provide a shoe lace fastener of the kind described with a relatively rigid base and shank about which the shoe lace may be knotted at the wearers option and then wound, and a cap member normally positioned out of the way of the shank, for example projecting from one end of the shank, but which is adapted to be reversed and folded down over and around the shank and base for covering and concealing the tied knot and free ends of the shoe lace.

Another object is to provide a one-piece shoe lace fastener that is highly efficient in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description thereof to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe lace fastener embodying the invention in operative position on a childs shoe.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the shoe lace fastener in operative position.

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the shoe lace fastener in open or inoperative position preparatory to fastening the shoe lace.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane 1'. :2 Claims. (Cl. 24-121) of the line 4-4 of Figure 3 but showing the fas-' tener moved to operative position and the shoe lace tied in a knot and wound around the shank of the fastener.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the fastener.

In carrying out the invention there is provided an improved shoe lace fastener formed of rubber, plastic or other suitable material, including a relatively rigid or solid fiat base I, preferably circular in form, an integrally formed inwardly tapering shank 2 and a flexible cup-shaped cap 3. The cap normally opens outwardly away from the shank but is adapted to be folded down over or turned inside out upon the shank so as to enclose the shank and base.

The edge of the base is formed with opposed narrow and curved locking slots 4 communicating with elongated enlarged openings 5 in the base and in a portion of the shank. The openings are disposed parallel to the axis of the shank and open at their top ends at points below and remote from the bottom wall 6 of the cap.

The side wall I of the cup-shaped cap is preferably formed with a beaded rim 8, and is preferably of a length so that in the folded position it reaches the bottom of the base. Both the shank and cap are shaped to serve as handles for manipulating the fastener, and the beaded rim forms a finger piece for rolling or folding the cap up and down.

In the use of the device, the edges of the untied ends of the shoe lace 9 are threaded sidewise through the locking slots 4 in the base of the fastener and into the openings 5 in the shank. The fastener is slid inwardly along the ends of the lace until the base seats on the eyeletted sections ll] of the shoe H. The free ends of the lace that protrude outwardly of the eyelets l2 of the shoe are then stretched across the shank 2 in opposed directions and if desired, may be tied together as indicated at Figure 4. The free ends of the lace remaining outside of the knot are wound or looped around the shank 2 in an orderly fashion above the knotted portion as shown in Figures 4 and 5. When the free ends are completely wound on the shank, said ends are held in position, as by means of the thumb and forefinger, while the cap 3 is folded down or turned inside out over the looped lace by which the lace is held and concealed as shown in Figure 5. The inherent resiliency of the material of the cap permits this rolling or folding of the cap until it is completely reversed in roll the cap 3 upwardly to its extended open poisition of Figure 3 thereby exposing. the loops of the free ends of the lace and the knot for un-'- fastening purposes.

When in reversed or folded position as ,shown.

in Figures 1 and 5, the cap of the fastener-'completely covers the knot and free ends of =:th-e.lace concealing them from view, protecting them from am ge; ndmakingitdiflicult fora child to gain accesstov thelacer Theufasteneris neat in .ap pearance andexerts ,nolpressure on the childs foot.

han s vin detailsof construction mi ht-be made, withoutdeparting from the principleof the invention.

What, I claim is 2.

1. A ,devicenof, the kind described. comprising a, fiat rubber, base adaptedto. be positionedflat against theuppezgeyeletted.sections of. a childs shoe andhaving opposed slots in its edge, a solid noncollapsiblei Shank formed. integrally with the.

base and extending upwardly therefrom a sufi'icient distance to permit knotting and winding of the free ends of a shoe lace thereon, said base havin openings communicating with the slots in said base for guiding the ends of the shoe lace onto the shank, and an invertible hollow cylindrical cap integrally formed on the upper end of the shank and adapted to be turned inside out over the knot and the wound lace.

211A shoe lace-.rfastener' comprising-1 a shank adapted to havethe endsof a lace wound thereon, said shank having a base at one end and a normally cup-shaped flexible cap projecting from the other. shank and adapted to be folded or turned inside out over a lace wound on the shank, said hasewlso having openings therethrough approximately parallel to the shank through which the ends/of "ash'oe lace can be inserted for windingthe lace ends around the shank.

NATHANIEL W. PRICE.

References. Citediri the file of'this' patent UNITED'S'IATES 'PA'I'E-NTS.

Number Name i Date 264,302" Joyce. Sept; 12, 1832 874,161 Burke Dec: 17,1907

1,001,079 Rose; Aug;22, 1911 1,048,051 B6 Lan Dec; 24, 1912 1,059;'7I6 Bell; Jini 14, 1913 1,756,356 Hill Apr. 29, 1930 1,778,954 Misl'in; Ocl7121, 1930 $117,322 I-Iillmarr Mayl'lj 1938