US2928549A - Overshoe storage rack - Google Patents

Description

March 1960 J. w. NEUWIRTH 2,928,549 Q OVERSHOE STORAGE RACK -Filed Nov. 1, 1954 [WE/V701? JIMEJ W/VEl/MRTH ATToRNE Ks United States Patent OVERSHOE STORAGE RACK James W. Neuwirth, Minneapolis, Minn. Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 465,862

3 Claims. Cl. 211-34 This invention relates to a device for storing overshoes and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a rack for holding overshoes, galoshes and similar foul weather footwear in an orderly manner while preventing soiling of the floor or carpet from rain, melting ice or snow and dirt draining off the footwear.

Foul weather footwear is an ordinary and conventional article of apparel for most people living in the northern sections of the United States during most of the days of the winter season, and many fall and spring days. Almost invariably, when worn, the outer shoes will become wet from rain or slush, or will be encrusted with snow or ice, and most often also grime and soil and mud from:

the streets and sidewalks. Door mats, when used, normally are only partially effective in removing this residue. Upon going indoors and removing the overshoes, people have been faced with the perennial problem of what to do with their dirty overshoes. If left outdoors on a porch or in an entry hall, they are cold and stiff when they must next be put on, or they may be stolen. If brought into the warm indoors, care must be taken to prevent the water and dirt from soiling floors and carpets. The available expedients for preventing this have been generally unsatisfactory or unsightly. Newspapers or rugs spread for this purpose quickly become begrimed. Particularly in a household having children, the problem may sometimes become acute.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a storage rack forovershoes which permits orderly disposition of the footwear and controlled drainage and collection of the water and dirt, keeping it off the floor and carpets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a storage rack for overshoes which is compact for storage and shipment, readily assembled for use and just as readily dismantled when no longer needed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an easily cleaned and sanitary rack for storing overshoes for holding the shoes in an orderly fashion and having a drainage pan for collecting water and dirt from the overshoes.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention is illustrated by the drawings, in which the same numerals are used to designate corresponding parts and in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the overshoe rack of this invention; and

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section through the assembled rack showing a pair of overshoes in place in the rack.

2,928,549 Patented Mar. 15, 1960 Referring now to the drawings, as here illustrated, the storage rack is comprised of three principal elements: a shallow rectangular pan indicated generally at 1 and a a pair of removable side members, indicated generally at 2, adapted to be fit rigidly on the sidewalls of the pan 1. Pan 1 is comprised of a bottom 4, two elongated side walls 5 and two shorter end walls 6, preferably all of equal height and joined to form a shallow water-tight utensil. The pan 1 is desirably constructed from a single sheetof-metal, such as, for example, 26 guagesheet iron, folded at the edges, soldered or welded at the corners and preferably painted with a water-resisting enamel or like coating material.

The side members 2 are adapted to stand upright on the side walls 5 of the pan 1. Side members 2 are provided on their upper edge with a plurality of relatively deep, generally V-shaped grooves or throats 7 into which the instep portions of. overshoes may be inserted. The side members may be formed of sheet metal beaded in the V-grooves to prevent cutting of the overshoes, of

' hard board, such as Masonite or the like, and may be attached by any of a wide variety of clip fasteners, or

by stakes fit into sockets on the pan, by nuts and bolts or the like; In thepreferred form, here illustrated, the side members 2 are formed of Wire as a detachable frame work, as shown. Each frame side member is comprised of an elongated rod 8 to which are attached a plurality of -U-shaped loops 9 in spaced side-by-side relation, the spaces between the closed ends of loops 9 forming the V-shaped throats 7. The overall height of loops 9 is preferably just slightly less than the inside width of pan 1; and the length of rod 8 is preferably just slightly less than the inside length of pan 1, so'that the side members 2 may be held within the pan for storage and shipping. The lower leg portions 10 of loops 9,

. which, extend beyondrod 8, are preferably of a height corresponding to the inside depth of pan 1. All of loops 9 are preferably welded or otherwise attached to one side of rod 8 in a single plane. A plurality of smaller loops 11 are suitably attached to the opposite side of rod 8 in a plane substantially parallel to that formed by loops 9, and depending from rod 8 in the same direction as the open ends of loops 9. Loops 11 are likewise preferably of a length corresponding generally tothe depth of pan 1. Loops 11 andthe depending legs of loops 9'' I engage the opposite sides of the side walls 5 and rods 8 engage the top edges of side walls 5 rigidly supporting the side members 2 uprightly in parallel spaced relationship on opposite sides of the pan 1.

As shown in broken lines in Figure 2, the overshoe 12 is placed in the rack with the sole inwardly and the toe downwardly, and the portion of the upper just above the instep 14 is grasped and held by throat 7 in the top edge of side member 2. The overshoes are thus held neatly and in order, and the water, slush, mud and the like are permitted to drain into pan 1. :The side members are easily removed from the pan to permit cleaning of the pan as it becomes necessary. The overshoes are held neatly and separately. Possibility of accidents from tripping over overshoes is eliminated. Cleanliness and neatness are encouraged in children. Individual pairs of overshoes are easily located from a large number without the necessity of handling other dirty overshoes. The top of all the overshoes remain clean. The floors and carpets are 'kept clean. I

The rack may be used to store overshoes from one season to the next, or it may readily be disassembled and the side members placed in the pan for storage.

Although a rectangular shaped pan and rack is in the preferred form of the invention, it is obvious that it could also be circular, elliptical or the like. However,

i i 3 easy disassembly and ease age would be lost.

The following exemplary dimensions are given by way of illustration only, and do not constitute a limitation on the invention. For a rack' designed tohold-- six pairs of overshoes, the pan 1 may be rectangular; twenty:

four inches long, eight inches wide and means "one-1 half inches or so deep(inside dimensions) out from if p rectangular waiter-tightpan, a pair, of .removable side members 'adapted'to fit on the opposite" long sides of said pan in rigid; spaced apart, parallel side by-side relation,

twenty-six gauge sheet iron,'-folded and solderedat the corners to make a water-tight vessel and thefl enameled.

or painted. Rod 8 is preferably of steel and about twenty-four inches long to fit inside the pan 1; Loops 9 are formed of'ele'v en gauge steel wire a boutnine een-- inches long shaped to form U-shape'dloops about-eight inches high and.three inches wide at the top. These loops are-welded in a plane on one sideof rodS with.

about one and one-half inches of the open end s ext'end i'rlg beyond the rod. The lower leg portions 10 at the opposite sides of the open end of loops 9 are about three and three-sevenths inches apart and successive loops are welded with the ope'n' endsabutting one another.

Seven loops are required for each side' member 2. ,The

.end leg portions 161 preferably are spaced apart just slight:

ly fartherthan the inside length of the pan so asto fit with slight spring tension against the end walls 6 of th'e amen-a9 I of shipping and compact storsaid side wall members being characterized by a plurality of downwardly extending generally rV-shaped' throats, each of said throats being adapted to receive and hold a portion of an overshoe top, said side members being re movably attached to the side walls of said pan and each in the form of a wire frameworkthe lower edge of whichengagesthe opposite sides of one side wall of said pan. 2. An overshoe rack comprising an elongated shallow shoe upper, saidlside members each comprising an elongated rod substantially the length of said pan, arplurality of open generally U-shaped loops attachedin a plane on p 7 one side of said rod iliSPfiCfld' side-by-side relation, said pan and to hold the .side memb'ersl more rigidly-in place. Lower loops l'ljare formed from elevenigauge steel wire about three and one half inches in lengthbent to form loops about one-half inch wide and one and 'one fourth inches long welded in a plane on the opposite side of rod 8from loops 9. Preferably three loops 11' are provided, one central y locatedand the otherspositioned near the opposite ends of rod 8. Obviously, these di mensions may be varied widely to -provide storage for smaller or larger numbers of overshoes. For example, for schools, it may be desired to provide storagefor man more pairs of overshoes than six. For Sam-newness the racle in elementary grades, the width andv heightof may be made correspondingly smaller.

It is apparent that many modifications'and variations of this. invention as hereinbefore set forth-may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only, and the inventionis limited only' by the terms of the appended claims. r

I claim as my invention:

1. An overshoeraek comprising wardly from opposite sides of said pan, the top dg'es'of a shallow watertight rectangular pan and side wall. members *cx'ten'ding'upe v shape'd throats beingfforrne'd betweenthe closed ends of said loops, the lower open ends of said loops extendingbeyond said rod for a distance substantially the inner 'dpthof said pan and a plurality of smaller generally U-sha ped loops attached to the opposite side of said rod in p ans substantially parallel to'iuid spaced'apart from the ptmesr the first loops, the closed ends of said smaller loopsfextendingdownwardly and having a length approaching' thedcpthof thepan, the open ends of the largenoo s, the'sniallei' loopsv and the rod being adapted V to en agetne opposite sides'and top, respectively, of the lon sidewall of the pan to hold t'he' side members rigidly upright.-

"ehsraaenze s. The eyersnoe rackizaceoidiflg to claim .2 further I in: that snap-as is .fornie'd" er r'fital and the nae manners are made at wire;

ii' f renees Cited in file ot this .pate'nt UNITED ,STATES PATENTS

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