US2932096A

US2932096A - Anti-slip device

Info

Publication number: US2932096A
Application number: US818922A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tavormina Vincenzo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-06-08
Filing date: 1959-06-08
Publication date: 1960-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 1977-04-12

Description

April 12, 1960 v. TAVORMINA 2,932,096

ANTI-SLIP DEVICE Filed June 8, 1959 [17 V51: far 7 Utmmzo Eavormlna The present invention relates to anti-slip devices, and more particularly to improved anti-slip devices which are adapted to be worn on shoes or boots to prevent a person from slipping on ice.

Previously available anti-slip devices, commonly known as ice creepers, have ordinarily been worn centrally on shoes beneath the general vicinity of the balls of the feet. Such ice creepers have proven to be uncomfortable since they tended to give a person a rocking or unstable movement as he walked. Moreover, since the shoes toes were not provided with anti-slip protection, the wearer was not adequately protected from slipping as he walked on ice. A further disadvantage in previously available ice creepers has been that it was neces sary to frequently clean the ice creepers to remove accumulated snow and ice. It the accumulated snow or ice was not removed, the ice creepers would lose their ice gripping capability.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved anti-slip devices to be worn on shoes, boots, or such. Another object of the invention is the provision of ice creepers which provide continuous gripping of ice as the wearer walks. Still another object is the provision of ice creepers which are selfcleaning. Still a further object is the provision of ice creepers which are inexpensive to manufacture and are durable in use.

Various other. objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an anti-slip device embodying certain features of the present invention, the device being attached to a shoe shown in dot-dash outline;

Figure 2 is a reduced, fragmentary bottom plan view of the anti-slip device shown in Figure 1-;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an anti-slip device embodying certain features of the present invention, the shoe to which the device is attached being shown in dot-dash outline.

Anti-slip devices or ice creepers, in accordance with the present invention, are adapted to be worn on the lower surfaces of shoes, boots, or such. Each ice creeper comprises a member curved so as to extend along at least a portion of the margin of the lower surface of the shoe. The member has a downwardly extending flange at its outer edge, the lower edge of which is serrated. The ice creeper is provided with means for bolding the member against the lower surface of the shoe as the wearer walks.-

More specifically, the anti-slip device shown in Figure 1 is adapted to be worn on a leitshoe. The ice creeper for a right shoe is of opposite hand construction. For purposes of explanation, the ice creeper for a left shoe is described hereinafter.

s Patent 2,932,096 Patented Apr. 12, 1950 a sole member 10 and a heel member 12. The sole member 10 is composed of a material which can withstand the use that a device of this type is subjected to.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sole member is made out of sheet steel and comprises a generally flat upper portion 14 which bears against the sole of a shoe 15, and a downwardly extending flange portion 16 at the outer edge of the flat portion 14. The upper portion 14 includes a narrowstrip 18 which is formed in the outline of the sole of the shoe, boot, etc., and which is made sufficiently wide to afford a comfortable surface for the wearer to Walk upon. As shown particularly in Figure 2, the rearward ends of the strip 18 are interconnected by a bar 20.

The lower edge of the flange 16 is serrated so as to provide downwardly extending teeth 22 which grip the ice or snow as the wearer walks. The plurality of teeth 22 provide the wearer with increased traction over conventional ice creepers, and to further increase the traction, the teeth 22 are extended outwardly at a slight outward inclination, as shown in Figure 3. In this Way, the teeth 22 will have an increased tendency to dig into ice to prevent sideward movement of the shoe along the surface of ice.

Preferably, the teeth 22 are cut into the flange portion 16 a sufficient distance so that the sole member 10 can flex with the flexing of the sole as the wearer walks. As the sole member lil flexes, the apexes of the teeth 22 spread further apart, thus tending to dislodge from the teeth 22 any accumulated ice or snow.

As shown in Figure 1, the heel member 12 is generally horseshoe-shaped and is of such a size as to rtit along the outer marginal portion of the heel of the shoe 15. The heel member 12 is provided with a generally flat upper portion 24 which is of suflicient width to provide a sufiicient bearing surface for the heel. As illustr'ated particularly in Figure 2, downwardly and outwardly extending

flange portions

26, 28 and 30 are provided respectively at the side edges and the rear edge of the heel member 12. The lower edges of the

flange portions

26, 28 and 3d are serrated to provide a plurality of teeth 31 which grip ice. The outward inclination of the

flange portions

26, 28 and 30 permits the teeth 31 to flex slightly when subjected to the weight of the wearer. This tends to aid in the cleaning of the teeth 31 of any accumulated snow or ice. Of course a continuous serrated flange portion may be provided along the entire outer edge of the heel member 12 without departing from the invention. However, since the heel of a shoe is not flexible, the three

serrated flanges

26, 28 and 30 afford sufficient traction.

Means are provided to hold the heel member 12 and the sole member 10 respectively against the heel and toe of the shoe. In the illustrated embodiment, the hoiding means includes an adjustable pair of

toe straps

32 and 34, the lower end of each of the

toe straps

32 and 34 being suitably connected to the forward portion of the sole member 10 by rivets 36, or such. The upper end of one of the toe straps 32 is provided with a buckle 38 which receives the upper end of the other toe strap 34.

The rear portion of the sole member 10 and the forward portion of the heel member 12 are connected together by a pair of generally A-shaped straps 46, the lower ends of each being suitably connected to the sole member 10 and the heel member 12. The rear portion of the heel member 12 is held against the heel of the shoe 15 by a heel strap 42 which is suitably connected to the rear portion of the heel member 12. The upper ends of the A-shaped straps 40, the heel strap 42 and a rearward extension 44 of the toe strap 32 are interconnected by an upper strap 46 which is buckled at the instep of the shoe 15.

The ice creeper is easily attached to a shoe or boot by placing the ice creeper on a solid surface and inserting the toe of the shoe into the

toe straps

32 and 34 which have previously been adjusted to conform to the size of the toe. The upper strap 46 is then buckled at the instep of the shoe. The other ice creeper is attached to the other shoe in a similar manner. The wearer is thus capable of walking safely on ice or snow.

Since the ice creeper extends along the complete marginal edge of the shoe, the ice creeper provides a relatively uniform, walking surface. Moreover, as the wearer walks with the ice creeper, the heel member prevents the wearers shoe from slipping when only the heel is in contact with ice, and the forward portion of the sole member grips the ice when the shoes toe is in contact with ice. As previously indicated, the flexing of the sole members tends to keep the teeth clear of snow and ice.

While in the above described anti-slip device a heel and sole member 12 and it) are provided, in certain applicaticns only a sole member may be required. As shown in Figure 4, a sole member 48, which is of the same construction as the sole member 10 described above, is attached to a shoe 59 by an adjustable pair of toe straps 52 and a strap 54 of flexible material. The toe straps 52 are suitably connected to the toe Portion of the sole member 43, and the flexible strap 54 is suitably connected by each end to the rearward side portions of the sole member 48. -The flexible strap 54 is made of sufficient length to fit about the heel of the shoe 50.

As can be seen from the above, the present invention provides a self-cleaning ice creeper which is comfortable to walk upon. Moreover, the wearer is afforded increased traction over previously available ice creepers-v The ice creeper is inexpensive and relatively simple to manufacture since the sole member and heel member can be made in one punching operation.

Various other changes and modifications may be made in the above described ice creeper without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the accompanying claim.

I claim:

An anti-slip device adapted to be worn on the sole of a shoe comprising a thin, flexible member curved so as to extend along the outer margin of the sole of the shoe, said member having a thin downwardly and outwardly extending flange at its outer edge, the lower edge of said flange being deeply serrated so that the portion of the member adjacent the sole flexes with the flexing of the sole as the wearer Walks, and means for holding said member against the sole of the shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 756,560 Austin Apr. 5, 1904 987,054 Eves Mar. 14, 1911 1,592,571 Shull et al. July 13, 1926 2,399,638 Kalnitz May 7, 1946