US3008146A

US3008146A - Hose guard for use during shining of shoes

Info

Publication number: US3008146A
Application number: US7313A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francone Nicola
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-02-08
Filing date: 1960-02-08
Publication date: 1961-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-14

Description

Nov. 14, 1961 N. FRANCONE HOSE GUARD FOR USE DURING SHININ G OF SHOES Filed Feb. 8, 1960 United States Patent Ofiicc 3,008,14h Patented Nov. 14, 1961 3,008,146 HOSE GUARD FOR USE DURING SHINING F SHOES Nicola Francone, 14'42 N. Springfield Ave, Chicago, 11]. Filed Feb. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 7,313 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-61) This invention relates to a novel article of manufacture comprising a guard device for protecting hose during shining or polishing of shoes.

It is contemplated that the guard device embodying the invention will be especially used in shoe-shine establishments. The usual procedure in cleaning and shining shoes is initially to apply a wash by means of a brush or cloth to remove dirt and grime. The wash must then be wiped off to provide a dry surface to which the polish or wax is applied. The wax or paste thereafter is applied, usually by means of a small brush. It requires care and caution to avoid contact with the hose exposed above the upper edges of the shoe last.

Notwithstanding, during the periods of rush business, such care and caution may not be exercised with the result that the shoe wash and/or polish applicator being used will slip past the upper edges of the shoe to brush against the wearers hose. Also, during the brushing of the shoes, composition carried on the brush may be transferred to the hose unless great care is exercised. The wearers hose are thus dirtied and even to a slight extent, will present an unsightly and uncomplimentary appearance. Although such undesirable circumstances have been prevalent for many years, applicant is unaware of any general use of a guard device to prevent such undesirable conditions.

Many reasons for this situation are plausible. A suitable guard device must be economical and preferably, for sanitation reasons, be disposable either after a single use or a limited number of uses. The device must be sturdy, easily installed and removed and suitably constructed to provide the optimum protection against inadvertent soiling of the hose. To applicants knowledge, there has never been a hose guard device which embodies all of the advantages hereinabove enumerated, as well as others.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a hose guard device of the character described which is characterized by a construction capable of providing all of the desirable advantages discussed above, as well as others.

An important object of the invention is to provide a guard device of the character described which is highly economical to manufacture so that it will be conducive to dispose of the same even after a single use thereof.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a hose guard of the character described which can be used universally for mens shoes regardless of size and style; which can be readily modified following the principles of the invention for use for womens shoes as well; and which is suitable for providing the desired protection over all of the hose areas likely to be soiled or dirtied during the shoe polishing operation.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description. A preferred embodiment has been described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is contemplated that minor variations may occur to the skilled artisan without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View showing the hose guard embodying the invention installed during a polishing operation in a shoe polishing parlor or establishment, for instance.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of a hose guard member of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hose guard embodying the invention and showing a pair of the guard members secured together by means of releasable clip means.

In the drawing, the reference character 20 designates generally a leg of a wearer in position normally assumed in a shoe shining establishment. The wearer is usually seated in an elevated chair so that shoes 22 can be sup ported on a suitable stand shown partially at 24. The attendant in the establishment ordinarily will use a brush 26 for applying a polishing composition to the shoe 22 and great care must 'be exercised to avoid contact with the hose or stocking 28 adjacent the upper edges 29 of the shoe last. However, with the use of hose guard embodying the invention which has been designated generally by the reference character 30 in FIG. 1, the attendant is provided with positive means to prevent inadvertent contact of the brush 26 with hose 28.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the guard device 30 is comprised of a pair of substantially identical planar members 32, and therefore, the description in detail of one of the members 32 will suffice for the other. The member 32 seen in FIG. 2 preferably is made of sheet material such as paperboard, kraft paper or even plastic which is economical and readily worked. The member 32 is conveniently stamped to shape so that continuous webs of the material from which the device is made can be fed at high speed through suitable die stamping equipment for purposes of economy of manufacture. This has not been shown in detail because die stamping techniques suitable for making of the guard members are well understood by the skilled artisan.

Each member '32 is generally wedge or fan shaped in configuration. Considering the orientation of the member 32 installed as seen in FIG. 1, the upper edge 33 of the member may be reenforced, such as by the beading 34 to provide for convenient handling of the member during installation and removal thereof. It is contemplated that the gripping means for the member, such as typified by beading 34-, may take other forms as well, such as a block or finger piece secured adjacent the upper edge 33 in any well known manner. The

lateral edges

36 and 38 of the member are divergent from the extremities of the upper edge 33 to provide a medial bulge portion 40 so that the bottom end '42 of the member may be considered tapered relative to the medial bulge portion 40. As illustrated, the lateral edge 36 is generally V- shaped and at its juncture with the bottom end 42 there may be provided a protrusion or extension 44 which serves as a guide for assisting in installation of the guard member.

As stated above, a pair of such members 32 are employed and to prevent separation and loss of the members, they may be releasably secured together by means of the clips 46 and flexible connector member 48 seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The clips 46 may each be secured to a medial location along the lateral edge 36 of a member 32 and the connector 48 may comprise a chain or thong or other readily available structure. It will be understood that the clips 46 and connector 48 may remain secured to the guard device during the shoe-shining operation, as seen in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the hose guard 30 is shown installed. There is-a member 32 on each side of the foot. The bottom end 42 of the member is inserted downwardly between the shoe last and the hose 28 past the edge 29 as far as possible. The flexibility of the member 32 will permit the member to curve in the plane thereof and thereby, generally conform to the curvature of the foot and ankle of the wearer. The medial bulge portion 40 of the member will cover the lateral surface of the foot adjacent therefrom from the acllilles tendon at the rear of the foot across the instep of the foot. In fact, the members 32 may overlap across the instep of the foot as indicated at 49. It will thus be seen that the pertinent portions of the hose above the upper edge 29 of the shoe are covered and protected by the installed members 32 so that the brush 26 cannot come into contact therewith, even inadvertently. After the shoe 22 is shined, the members 32 are easily removed and held together by the clips 46 and connector member 48.

' Although not specifically shown, the outer surfaces of the members 32 may be conveniently imprinted with advertising matter and the name of the shoe shine establishment. Thus, it would be conducive for shoe manufacturers and shoe polish manufacturerers to provide the hose guard members 32, suitably imprinted, as premiums with their shoe or polish products as the case may be, or to shoe shine establishments. The economy of manufacture of the guard device 30 would we conducive to such a distribution and use thereof.

The members 32 may 'vary in configuration from that illustrated and described, but generally, for mens shoes, the configuration illustrated would be universally usable. The members 32 may be adapted for use for womens shoes as well, especially of the closed pump variety presently in vogue.

It is believed the invention has been described in sufiicient detail to enable the skilled artisan to understand and practice the same. The invention has been pointed out in the appended claims in language intended to be broadly and liberally construed.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hose guard for use during cleaning and shining of shoes comprising, a flexible sheet member of generally fan-shaped configuration having an upper end, bottom end and a medial bulge portion, said bottom end being generally convergently tapered relative the medial portion, said guard adapted to be inserted between the shoe last and hose bottom-edge first in encompassing, conforming relationship with adjacent lateral surfaces of the ankle and instep of the wearer, said bottom end having a free edge adapted to be inserted adjacent the sole of the wearers shoe to enable the guard to be removed without requiring prior removal of the shoe.

2. A hose guard for use during shining of shoes comprising, a pair of substantially identical, flexible sheet members of generally wedge-shaped configuration, each sheet member having a bottom end tapered relative the medial body portion thereof for ready insertion into a shoe between the last thereof and the hose of the wearer, the body portion adapted to flex in the plane thereof into substantially conforming relation with adjacent lateral surfaces of the ankle and instep of the wearer when the guard is installed, each guard having the bottom end thereof provided with a free edge adapted to be inserted adjacent the sole of the wearers shoe to enable the members to be removed without requiring prior removal of the shoe, said members being releasably connected together. 3 i

3. A hose guard for use during cleaning and shining of shoes comprising, a flexible sheet member of generally fan-shaped configuration having an upper end, bottom end and a medial bulge portion said bottom end being generally convergently tapered relative the medial portion, said guard adapted to be inserted between the shoe last and hose bottom-end first in encompassing, conforming relationship with adjacent lateral surfaces of the ankle and instep of the wearer, said bottom end having a free edge adapted to be inserted adjacent the sole of the wearers shoe to enable the guard to be removed without requiring prior removal of the shoe, said sheet having a guide protrusion along a lateral edge and adjacent the bottom end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS one.