US3000067A

US3000067A - Shoe clip

Info

Publication number: US3000067A
Application number: US798079A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hanflig Alan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-03-09
Filing date: 1959-03-09
Publication date: 1961-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 1978-09-19

Description

P 19, 1961 A. HANFLIG 3,000,067

SHOE CLIP Filed March 9, 1959 INVENTOR. ALAN HANFLIG United States Patent 3,000,067 SHOE CLIP Alan Hanflig, 36 Patricia Lane, Syosset, N.Y. Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 798,079 4 Claims. (Cl. 24-87) This invention relates to shoe clipping devices. In particular it relates to a novel device for coupling a pair of shoes together for sale on display tables and the like.

Inasmuch as the self-service shoe department has become an important part of retail shoe distribution there has been need for a satisfactory device to couple a pair of shoes together so that the customer can try on the shoes himself without separating the pair.

The method used as present for tying a pair of shoes together for this purpose involves using a metal hook to cut a hole through the side of each shoe, threading through a piece of string and then tying an exterior knot on each shoe. In addition to the unsightly sizable holes made by this method, it is time-consuming and difiicult. The highest rate of speed by a skilled person in tying 1pairs of shoes is usually about thirty pairs of shoes an our.

One object of the present invention is to provide a quick and inexpensive method for coupling together a pair of shoes which will not damage the shoe in any noticeable manner.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the specification and claims which follow and from the appended drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a top view of the blank used to form one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 shows the blank of FIGURE 1 in attached position to a string;

FIGURE 3 shows a side view of the device just prior to attachment to a shoe;

FIGURE 4 illustrates a complete device just before the final step of the attachment to the shoe; and

FIGURE 5 shows the device attached to and coupling a pair of shoes.

The invention comprises a flexible line terminating at each end in a metal clip. Each clip is made of a unitary strip of thin metal having at one end a bendable pointed tongue and at the opposite end a receiving portion containing a perforation which is engageable with said tongue. Intermediate to the tongue and receiving portions is a bendable neck portion and a means for attaching the flexible line to the clip.

A preferred means of clamping the line to the clip comprises lateral projections for the intermediate portion of the metal strip which can be folded over toward one another against the strip to hold the end of the string. In addition, a second perforation is preferably provided in the intermediate portion to receive and conceal the tongue point which has extended through the orifice in the receiving section.

One preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the drawings. A strip of thin flexible metal is stamped in the form of a blank as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The blank has a pointed tongue section abutting the string clamping section 11. Clamping section 11 abuts the neck portion 14 which in turn abuts the receiving portion 12. Clamping section 11 has a pair of lateral projections 13 of about one half the width of the neck portion and these projections 13 are foldable along longitudinal folds 13A towards one another so as to clinch and hold the end of the string 15. An orifice 12A is provided in the receiving portion 12, the size of the orifice Patented Sept. 19, 1961 "ice being intermediate to the tapering widths of the tongue 10. A second orifice 14A is provided in the neck 14.

The strip is then folded transversely on neck fold 13B and tongue fold 13C. Each clip is then hung by the neck fold 13B on the side wall of a shoe 16 and the tongue 10 is caused by a slight pressure on the clamping section 11 to pierce the shoe wall, engage the orifice 12A, and bend flat. The tongue 10 is then locked into orifice 14A primarily to prevent an exposed sharp point, although it holds sufficiently by bending through orifice 12A.

Shoes can be tied together in this manner by an unskilled person at over pairs an hour or more than four times as fast as possible with previously described methods. Further, the thin puncture made by the tongue is barely discernible at all and is self-sealing when the clip is removed.

While the preferred embodiments of my invention have been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, proportions and arrangement of parts, and in the detail of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same, heretofore described and defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A detachable clipping device for tying together a pair of shoes, comprising a flexible line terminating at each end in a bendable metal clip; each said clip comprising a unitary thin flat strip of metal having on one end a receiving end containing a perforation, on its other end a bendable pointed tongue, and an elongated bendable section and a line clamping section intermediate said tongue and receiving ends; each end of said line terminating in a said clamping section, said tongue being adapted to be bent adjacent one end of said line clamping section, said bendable section being adapted to be bent adjacent the other end of said line clamping section, said bent tongue being in operative engagement with said perforation.

"2. The device of claim 1 wherein the line clamping section comprises lateral projections foldable towards one another onto the intermediate section.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein there is provided a second orifice between said clamping section and said perforation for engagement with the point of said tongue.

4. A detachable clipping device for tying together a pair of shoes comprising a flexible line terminating at each end in a metal clip, each said clip comprising a unitary flat thin bendable strip of metal having a pointed tongue on one end, a perforated tongue receiving portion on the other end, and an intermediate neck portion positioned between said tongue and said orifice, said neck portion having opposing bendable lateral longitudinal projections adjacent said tongue and a perforated tongue point receiving section adjacent said tongue receiving portion, said projections being adapted to be bent towards each other to firmly clamp one end of said line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,480 Webb Mar. 28, 1882 1,639,226 Haines Aug. 16, 1927 2,091,529 Seiifert Aug. 31, 1937 2,097,877 Getmansky Nov. 2, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,614 Great Britain Apr. 25, 1877