US2824351A

US2824351A - Fastener structure

Info

Publication number: US2824351A
Application number: US378069A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul St E Webb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-09-02
Filing date: 1953-09-02
Publication date: 1958-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1975-02-25

Description

Feb. 25, 1958 P. ST. E. WEBB 2,824,351

INVENTOR. BY PAUL STEWEBB 6344, a.

Feb. 25, 1958 s w 2,824,35l

A FASTENER STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 2. 1953 2 Sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. PAULSrE. WEBB BY 6 49. W

United States Patent O FASTENER STRUCTURE Paul St. E. Webb, Wickliife, Ohio Application September 2, 1953, Serial No. 378,069

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-203) The present invention relates to a fastener structure and, more particularly, to a fastening device for securing relatve to each other adjacent edge portions of sheet material drawn into approximately coplanar disposition.

The invention is directed to a fastening structure adapted to hold n adjacent edgewise disposition sheet-like material elements as, for example, the side panels of a shoe and is described hereinafter as used for shoes as a specific application. Thus there is depicted in the drawings and herein described fastening element, in form preferably a simulated shoe lace, which obviates the interlacing and knotting required with a lace. To attain the function of the usual laces, this invention provides a fastener body, preferably somewhat resilient, with two linear series of lace hole engaging buttons, hooks or like projecting means linearly spaced to correspond with aperture spacing, the series being spaced from each other at a distance slightly less than the spacing of the rows of lace holes, so that the buttons or projections of one series may be engaged in one row of lace apertures and the fastener body somewhat stretched to engage the projections of the opposite series with the second row of lace holes. The elastic or resilient action of the connecting material of the fastener body thereby provides the holding stress attained by taut laces and serves to secure the fastener itself in the shoe.

As most shoes have the two rows of lace apertures disposed in somewhat angular relation, the invention contemplates the provision where necessary, of a fastening device having the series of lace hole engaging projections disposed at an angle. corresponding to the average disposition of the lace holes in most shoes, and further, by the manufacture of such device in oversize length, a means is provided for securing shoes of varying sizes, and for adaptation to variation in foot bulk with a given shoe size, by merely cutting from the length of such device a section of the fastener adapted to the shoe and foot size of a particular individual.

With this invention as adapted for shoe application, there is provided a fastener having the functions, and if desired, a simulated appearance of a shoe lace, not subject to the usual rapid lace wear and brealcage, yet providing a tough elastic, durable and washable securing means. The device itself is simple in structure, readily appliedand removable from a shoe, and yet capable of "adequately securing the two sides of a shoe to each other.

An object then of the present invention is the provision of a structure for edgewise binding to each other of two elements of sheet-like material having in the environment of use either edges substantially fixed as to the maximum approachability towards each other, or an applied force tending to draw the edges apart. A more particular object is the provision of a fastener attaining the usual functions of a shoe lace, which is readily applied to and removed from shoes. Another object is the provision of a shoe fastening device readily adaptable for application to any one of a large variety of shoe sizes and styles, and of foot sizes in a given wearer. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and the drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the fastening device of this invention as adapted for application to a shoe; I

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows the fastener structure of this invention applied in a typical shoe;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a separate simulated bow for use with the device as shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom view corresponding to Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, n Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown the fastener of this invention as adapted for use with shoes in the manner depicted in Figs. 4 and 5. The device comprises a planar body portion, here of cunciform outline shape, formed preferably of a resilient material such as rubber, or the synthetic plastic substitutes therefor. This body portion 10 is here shown iin a form smulating the normal disposition of the usual shoe lacng when in place on a shoe, and though an integral structure, includes criss-crossed reaches 11, 12 each disposed n the manner of shoe lacng reaches each extending from a lace hole on one side of the shoe to another on the other side. At the apices of lateral junction of these cross reaches, there are secured lace hole engaging lugs or projections 13 extending downwardly from the bottom side of the body and arranged in

lateral series

14, 15 corresponding to the series of lace perforations at the adjacent edges of the side panels of the shoe top. These projections, as here shown, comprise metal crown buttons each having a base 16 or 17 ilange secured to or in the body 10, a globular or bulbular crown o-r head portion 18 separated from the securing flange by a constricted body neck 19 of length adapted to permit the element 13 to pass through the lace aperture and engage the leather edgewise in the constriction, or neck with the bulbular head projecting laterally therefrom pro- Viding purchase against withdrawal.

The body maybe simply die-cut, or stamped from sheet material so that both bottom zand top sides would have the appearance of the body portion i n Fig. 3, and then the projections 13 may be secured in place, either by mechanical gripping, cementing, or some other suitable manner. However, it is preferable for esthetic and consumer preference reasons that the usual lace structure be more closely simulated, and hence a top appearance, such as that of Fig. l, is preferable. To this end, the body 10 may be die-cut to approxirnate shape and then press and heat molded to provide on the body side exposed during use the contour of Fig; 1, or the body itself may be molded to such structure. Preferably, the body structure 10 is molded to shape with the projections 13 molded in place with the base flange enveloped by the body material. Thus, as shown for the member 1341 in Fig. 2, a round ilange 16 may be molded into the end of the cross reach 12, or as shown at 13 for a member other than a terminal member, a V-shaped flange or base projection may be provided as the base of 13 with the arms of the V disposed roughly in the direction of the corresponding intersecting reaches 11, 12.

The bow structure of Figs. 6 and 7 is essentially similar, the bow being molded to shape with the holding lugs or projections 13b incorporated at proper position. Where size, the broad end terminal portion of the body may include such bow as an integral formation. However, where the wider adaptability for shoe and foot sizes and shapes is desired as provided by the tapered relation of the two series of holding projections, such bow structure is preferably separate for the reasons hereinafter stated.

By the provision of arfastening device oversize n length, as shown in Fig. 3, due to the range of divergency of position of the series of fastening lugs 14 and 1'5, a section of the length may be chosen wherein the fasteuing lugs are spaced in a manner adapted to fitting a particular shoe and wearer, and as indicated by the dashed lines A--A and B--B, the selected length section may be cut for application to a shoe. Thus, in Figs. 4 and 5, showing the overall structure of the invention including the apertured edges of the material secured and the fastener, there is represented such selected portion of a device as that shown in Figs. 1 to 3, positioned over most of its length on shoe S. At each side, the series of

lugs

14, 15 are inserted in the corresponding side panel 21 of the shoe top through the row of lace apertures 22 therein. The lugs may be applied from the bottom upward in the manner in which a shoe is laced by alternate insertion of corresponding lug pairs up the length of the device with the body portion 10 being stretched to attain insertion of each lug. When the top terminal end is reached, a bow, such as that of Figs. 6 and 7, may then be inserted within a top pair of holes left vacant therefor, or by suitable sizing of the lugs 13b of the bow, by superimposing the bow across the terminal portions of the selected section of the device of Fig. 1, the lugs 13b being .pressed inward through the same apertures as those of the main portion of the fastening device.

Where the material being secured is itself resilient, or the edges being secured to each other are somewhat movable relatve to each other with a separating force applied parallel to the direction of binding by the fastener, the fastener body may be non-resilient, since the resiliency or, with the mentioned applied force, the relatve movability of the elements being fastened permits the application of the fastener thereto, as may often be advantageous where this invention is used in environments other than shoes. ln the embodiment of the invention appearing in the drawings, both series of holding lugs project from the same faces of the plane of the body of the fastener as required by the specific use shown, but for some cases the two series may be disposed to project from opposite faces.

Where it'is desired to form the body of the fastener of tough elastic material requiring substantial force for effecting any stretching for successive insertion of the holding lugs in the lace apertures, the open body form of the drawings is, of course, preferable to a continuous form. Other means than the crown buttons of the drawings adapted to the body material or sheet material may 'be used, such, for example, as 'hooks with a base'portion of form suited to attachment to or imbedding in the body.

I claim: 1. A device adapted to provide, for a shoe of'a given size within a selected size range of shoes having a common hole spacing in the series of lace holes of the shoe, a shoe fastener for application to the usual lace holes in the side panels of the shoe top, comprising: a tough elastic body including integrally formed reaches of elastic material intersecting on the median line of the body and in two series of apices at the lateral margins of the body to simulate a shoe lace in place on a shoe, the apices of each series being spaced to correspond with the lace hole spacing; and a series of projecting lace hole engaging lugs aixed along lateral portions of said body at the apical interscctions of said reaches and adapted for removable insertion and engagement in said holes, said lugs being crown buttons with base Hange portions embedded in the body material and with bulbular free portions for engaging side panel material adjacent the lacc holes wherein inserted to retain the lugs therein; said body having the two series of apices disposed n tapernig disposition and having a length exceeding the maximum length of the two lace hole series of shoes in said shoe range size, thereby permitting selection and cutting of a length portion from said device forming a shoe fastener with the two lug series spaced from each other to provide spacing somewhat less than the spacing of the said series of lacc holes of the shoe, when the said side panels of the shoe are in normal wearing disposition, whereby stretching of the body necessitated in inserting said lugs in the lace holes develops a holding force applied to the panels and drawing the panels together.

2. A device adapted to provide, for a shoe of a given size within a selected size range of shoes having a common hole spacing n the series of lacc holes of the shoe. a shoe fastener for application tc the usual lace holes in the side panels of the shoe top, comprising: a tough elastic body including integrally formed reaches of elastic material intersecting on the median line of the body and in two series of apices at the lateral margins of the body to simulate a shoe lace n place on a shoe, the apices of each series being spaced to correspond with the lace hole spacing; and a series of projecting lace hole engaging lugs afiixed along lateral portions of said body at the apical interscctions of said reaches and adapted for removable insertion and engagement in said holes, said lugs having free end portions adapted in form for engaging side panel material adjacent the lacc holes wherein inserted to retain the lugs therein; said body having the two series of apices disposed in tapering disposition and having a length exceeding the maximum length of the two lace hole series of shoes n said shoe range size, thereby permitting selection and cutting of a length portion from said device forming a shoe fastener with the two lug series spaced from each other to provide spacing somewhat less than the spacing of the said series of lace holes of the shoes, when the said side panels of the shoe are in normal wearing disposition, whereby stretching of the body necessitated in inserting said lugs in the lace holes develops a 'holding force applied to the panels and drawing the panels together.

References Citeti n the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l56,2l8 Haight Oct. 27, 1874 627,441 Peck June 20, 1899 677,539 Donovan July 2, 1901 705,356 Jordan July 22, 1902 753,776 Wise Mar. 4, 1904 789,474 Wood May 9, 1905 l,083,573 Wehrwein Jan. 6, 1914 1,600,85l Sego Sept. 21, 1926