US2776500A

US2776500A - Protective partial foot-covering or sock

Info

Publication number: US2776500A
Application number: US382512A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mary U Gonsalves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-09-28
Filing date: 1953-09-28
Publication date: 1957-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1974-01-08

Description

M. u. GONSALVES PROTECTIVE PARTIAL FOOT-COVERING OR socx Filed Sept 28, 1953 INVENTOR. MARY U. GOA/SALl/ES United States PatentO "ice PROTECTIVE PARTIS%I(.:IIZOOT-COVERING OR Mary U. Gonsalves, Sherman Oaks, Calif. Application September 28, 1953, Serial No. 382,512

2 Claims. (Cl. 36-10) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to the foot-wear art and, more particularly, to a protective partial foot covering or partial sock adapted to be worn effectively positioned between portions of a persons foot and portions of a shoe worn by said person. In other words, the device of the present invention is adapted to be forn in lieu of an ordinary stocking or sock when one wishes to wear shoes in a bare-legged and virtually bare-footed condition. Women frequently wish to do this when wearing shoes of the type commonly known in the art, as play shoes, summer shoes, sport shoes, wedgies, platform shoes, and various other similar types of snoes. However, their attempts to wear such shoes bare-footed, produce certain disadvantages. Most of these disadvantages arise from the fact that direct contact of the excretory organs of the skin, the sweat glands and pores, allows the excretory matter produced thereby to deleteriously affect the interior portions of the shoe being worn. This is so because of the acidic nature of said excretory matter. Furthermore, the micro-organisms present in such excretory matter, comparatively rapidly produce offensive olfactory effects.

In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages, various prior art attempts to overcome same have been made. The most satisfactory prior art device of this character developed hereinbefore, consists of a partial foot sock of a thin porous material such as lisle, rayon and/or nylon (or various other materials), which is adapted to be worn over the bare foot in a manner virtually coextensive with and immediately inside of corresponding surfaces of a shoe worn by the person. In other words,

this prior art arrangement is such that the partial foot sock is obscured from view by the shoe surrounding it so that the external appearance presented to a casual onlooker would be the same as that presented by wearing the same shoe on a completely bare foot. Thus this prior art arrangement does not have any undesirable aesthetic efiect and yet serves its intended purpose of providing an absorptive interposing medium between the foot of the wearer and the shoe, thus substantially minimizing the above-mentioned undesirable results of direct contact of the foot and the shoe.

However, the prior art partial foot sock mentioned above includes a heel portion having upstanding encompassing side portions adapted to form a heel socket or re cess, and can, therefore, only be worn inside of shoes having regular encompassing heels if the rear portion of the partial foot sock is to remain unobstiusive. In other words, if the illusion of wearing shoes on the bare feet is to be preserved when the shoes have open heels, such as many wedgies and play shoes have, or when the shoes have partially open heels such as is true of slingpumps or the-like, the above-mentioned. prior art partial foot sock is unsuitable since the side heel portions thereof will be in plain sight in' a highly undesirable manner from the standpoint of aesthetics.

Generally speaking, the present invention comprises a thin-sheet pliable (usually, though not necessarily, por- Patented Jan. 8, 1957 ous knitted fabric) sole member of a configuration similar to that of a human foot and having a front portion thereof provided with a thin-sheet partial vamp or toe-cap portion forming, with the sole member, a toe-receiving pocket (or socket) at the front end thereof. Also ineluded is downwardly directed pressure-sensitive adhesive fastening means carried by the underside of said sole member adjacent the rear end thereof and cooperable for selectively removable fastening engagement with the upper surface of the inside of a shoe sole (usually, though not necessarily, in the heel region of the shoe inner sole) of a shoe worn by the person whereby to effectively immobilize said rear portion of said sole member with respect to said shoe.

In one preferred general form of the present invention, said sole member may include an underlying resilient pad member (usually, though not necessarily, foam rubber) co-extensive with and aflixed to the underside of the rear portion of said sole member. In this form of the invention, the downwardly directed pressure-sensitive adhesive fastening means may be carried by the underside of said pad member adjacent the rear end thereof and cooperable for fastening engagement with the upper surface of the inside of shoe sole of a shoe worn by the person whereby to efiiectively immobilize said rearportion of said sole member with respect to said shoe.

From the above description of the basic and one preferred version of the generic form of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the hereinabove-mentioned disadvantages of prior art constructions are virtually entirely eliminated and overcome in and through the use of the present invention.

For example, since the adhesive fastening means underlying the sole member (or underlying the resilient pad member) effectively immobilizes the rear portion of sole member with respect to the inner sole or heel of a shoe being worn without requiring any enclosure of the sides or rear of the persons heel, it is obvious that a shoe with a completely, laterally open heel can be worn without exposing to exterior observation the partial foot sock of the present invention.

Other and allied advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a careful perusal, examination and study of the accompanying illustrations, the present specification, and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinabove described drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the present invention in the position that it would normally assume when being worn. However, for reasons of clarity, it is shown alone, with the foot of the wearer and also the shoe being worn, both removed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 but taken from a different angle so as to bring out the bottom portions of the device.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the form of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in inserted and aflixed relationship with respect to an open heeled ladys shoe. For reasons of clarity, the Wearers foot is not shown.

Generally speaking, the device of the present invention includes a thin-sheet pliable sole member of a configuration similar to that of a human foot and provided at the front thereof with a thin'sheet partial vamp or toe-cap portion forming, with the sole member a toereceiving pocket (or socket).

In the specific example illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the thin-sheet pliable sole member is of porous knitted fabric and is indicated. generally at 1. In the example illustrated, said sole member 1 includes a front or toe portion 1F, a middle or arch or shank portion 1M, and a rear or heel portion 1R. In the example illustrated, the

thin-sheet partial vamp or toe-cap portion is indicated generally at 2 and comprises a porous knitted fabric extension of the front portion 1F of the sole member curved back so as to form the toe-receiving socket 3.

Also generally speaking, the sole member may include an underlying resilient pad member co-extensive with and atfixed to the underside of at least a portion of said sole member.

In the specific example illustrated, this resilient pad member takes the form of a compressible pad 4- of a suitable material (such as foam rubber or the like) suitably atfixed (such as by cementing or otherwise) to the underside of a rear portion of the sole member 1. In this use of the word rear, I do not specifically mean only the heel portion 1R but intend to include both the arch or shank portion 1M and the heel portion 1R of the sole member 1.

Also generally speaking, the present invention includes downwardly directed pressure-sensitive adhesive fastening means carried by the underside of said sole member (or said pad member) adjacent the rear end thereof and cooperable for selectively removable fastening engagement with the upper surface of the inside of a shoe sole (or shoe heel) of a shoe worn by a person whereby to effectively immobilize said rear portion of said sole member with respect to said shoe.

In the specific example illustrated, said pressure-sensitive adhesive means is of thin spatulate form and is suitably afiixed (adhesively or otherwise) to the underside of the portion of the pad member 4 underlying the heel portion 1R of the sole member. Said pressure-sensitive adhesive means is indicated at 5 and may comprise any of the many types of pressure-sensitive adhesives well known in the art.

The operation of the device of the present invention can be briefly described as follows:

The person (usually a Woman) inserts her toes into the toe-receiving socket 3 and positions the same within the corresponding vamp portion 6 of a shoe, while positioning the middle or arch or shank portion 1M and the rear or heel portion IR (and the corresponding portions of the underlying pad member 4) on top of corresponding surfaces of the shoe inner sole '1'. It will be noted that the pressure-sensitive adhesive means 5 will be brought into forcible engaging contact with the upper surface of the heel portion of the shoe inner sole 7, thus locking the rear portion 1R of the sole member in the proper position with respect to the shoe. The initial engagement of pressure-sensitive adhesive means 5 and the upper surface of the heel portion of the shoe inner sole 7 may be accomplished by manual pressure or, by pedal pressure, since the heel of the wearer will be exerting pressure during the wearing and using of the device. It is obvious that the heel portion 1R will not be saliently visible to an external observer.

When the shoe is removed, the pressure-sensitive adhesive means 5 can be removed from engagement with respect to the shoe by merely grasping the heel portion 1R of the sole member (and the corresponding portion of the pad member 4) and lifting them upwardly with respect to the shoe. Then the entire device can be removed from the shoe.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art. All such properly within the basic spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated and claimed herein.

For example, in certain forms of the present invention, the resilient pad means may be modified substantially or, under some circumstances, eliminated entirely. Said pad means may be made of other materials, may be thicker or thinner, may be co-extensive with greater or lesser areas of the sole member, or may be modified in other ways within the basic teachings hereof. The

means for fastening the pad member to the sole member may be modified and may be of an adhesive nature, of a mechanical nature (such as sewing or the like) or otherwise.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive means may assume a variety of configurations and/or positions and may comprise various different types (compositions) of pressuresensitive adhesive means. The means for fastening said pressure-sensitive adhesive means to the sole member or to the pad member may be modified and may be of an adhesive nature, of a mechanical nature (such as sewing or the like) or otherwise.

The partial vamp or toe-cap portion of the device may be modified substantially, as may the sole member itself, and both of them may be made of a variety and different types of materials.

The exact compositions, configurations, relative positionings, and cooperative relationships between the various component parts of the present invention are not critical and can be modified substantially within the spirit hereof.

The embodiments of the present invention specifically described, illustrated and claimed herein are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. A protective partial foot-covering adapted to be worn positioned effectively between portions of a persons foot and portions of a shoe worn by said person, comprising: a thin-sheet pliable porous fabric sole member of a configuration similar to that of a human foot and having a pliable porous front toe portion, a pliable porous middle arch portion and a pliable porous rear heel portion; said pliable porous middle arch portion and said pliable porous rear heel portion being flat and without upstanding edge portions; said pliable porous front toe portion being provided with a connected thin-sheet pliable porous elastic fabric partial vamp portion forming with said too portion a pliable porous elastic toe-receiving pocket at the front end only of said sole member and without rearward extensions above said middle arch portion and said rear heel portion of said sole member and rearward of said toe-receiving pocket; said sole member including an underlying resilient partial pad member coextensive with and affixed to the underside of the middle arch portion and rear heel portion of said sole member only and forwardly terminating adjacent the junction of said middle arch portion and said front toe portion of said sole member, thus not extending completely under said front to portion; downwardly directed pressuresensitive adhesive fastening means carried by the underside of said portion of said partial pad member underlying the heel portion of said sole member and co-operable for selectively removable fastening engagement with the upper surface of the inside of the heel portion of a shoe worn by the person whereby to effectively immobilize said heel portion of said sole member with respect to said shoe during the wearing thereof by a person and yet to allow selective removal of said sole member, said partial vamp portion, and said partial pad member from said shoe during periods of non-use.

2. A protective partial foot-covering adapted to be worn positioned effectively between portions of a person's foot and portions of a shoe worn by said person, comprising: a thin-sheet pliable porous knitted fabric sole member of a configuration similar to that of a human foot and having a pliable porous front toe portion, a pliable porous middle arch portion and a pliable porous rear heel portion; said pliable porous middle arch portion and said pliable porous rear heel portion being fiat and without upstanding edge portions; said pliable porous front toe portion being provided with a connected thinsheet pliable porous elastic knitted fabric partial vamp portion forming with said toe portion a pliable porous elastic toe-receiving pocket at the front end only of said sole member and without rearward extensions above said middle arch portion and said rear heel portion of said sole member and rearward of said toe-receiving pocket, thus defining a thin-sheet pliable porous fabric sole member having a toe-receiving pocket at said front toe portion and being completely unobstructed above said middle arch portion and said rear heel portion of said sole member; said sole member including an underlying resilient foam rubber partial pad member co-extensive with and afiixed to the underside of the middle arch portion and rear heel portion of said sole member only and forwardly terminating adjacent the junction of said middle arch portion and said front toe portion of said sole member, thus not extending completely under said front toe portion; downwardly directed pressure-sensitive adhesive fastening means carried by the underside of that portion of said partial pad member underlying the heel portion of said sole member and co-operable for selectively removable fastening engagement with the upper surface of the inside of the heel portion of a shoe worn by the person whereby to effectively immobilize said heel portion of said sole member with respect to said shoe during the wearing thereof by a person and yet to allow selective removal of said sole member, said partial vamp portion, and said partial pad member from said shoe during periods of non-use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 619,837 Petchaft Feb. 21, 1899 1,141,814 Mitchell June 1, 1915 1,436,463 Silver Nov. 21, 1922 1,630,135 Roberts May 24, 1927 1,877,393 Friedman et a1 Sept. 13, 1932 2,288,199 Levy June 30, 1942 2,435,337 Billingsley Feb. 3, 1948