US3067449A

US3067449A - Shoe polishing device

Info

Publication number: US3067449A
Application number: US849615A
Authority: US
Inventors: Weissenbach Alfred
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-10-29
Filing date: 1959-10-29
Publication date: 1962-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1979-12-11

Description

Dec. 11, 1962 A. WEISSENBACH SHOE POLISHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 29, 1959 INVENTOR A Mad l l e/ssenbach United States This invention relates to shoe-polishing devices, and particularly to devices for applying polish to the surface of leather shoes and the like. In a more particular sense, the invention relates to devices for effecting transfer of polish from a container to an applicator suitable for conveying the polish to the shoe surface.

In polishing shoes, the step of applying wax or polish is commonly attended with inconvenience and annoyance. Transferring polish from its container to an applicator, e.g. a brush or cloth, usually involves intimate manual contact with the open polish can and the polish-bearing region of the applicator; it is consequently diflicult to avoid getting polish on the hands. Moreover, the container must 'be opened before the polish is applied and shut thereafter, since it is necessary to keep it covered when not in use to avoid desiccation of the polish by prolonged exposure to air.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a device for transferring polish to an applicator quickly and conveniently without bringing the hands into proximity with the open polish surface. Another object is to provide such a device wherein the applicator itself serves as a cover for the polish container fixably positionable therewith, to prevent excessive exposure of the polish to air while obviating the necessity of separately opening the container before transferring the polish to the applicator. A further object is to provide a device of the aforementioned character which is essentially refillable, i.e. to which a fresh container of polish may be simply and readily introduced when the original supply of polish is exhausted. A still further object is to provide such a device wherein the container and applicator may be carried together as a single unit for convenient storage. Another object is to provide such a unit wherein the containerholding structure is adapted to bear on its exterior surfaces a brush and buffing pad, with the applicator adapted to serve as a handle for the unit when fixed in the structure, so that the unit with brush and bufl'ing pad mounted thereon may be used to shine the shoes to which polish has been applied, the whole comprising a complete, attractive and marketable shoe-shine kit.

To these and other ends, the invention in a presently preferred form contemplates the provision, within a supporting structure such as a solid block, of a passage opening at two localities in the structure, having a region adapted to contain a quantity of paste shoe polish, and including a cup, or other suitable element, disposed within the passage between the polish-containing region and one opening of the passage slidably engaging the passage walls, adapted to engage the body of polish and movable within the polish-containing region to advance the polish toward the other end of the passage when displaced in that direction, as by the pressure of a finger. An applicator is also provided, including a dauber of resilient material for receiving the polish from the supply in the passage and conveying it to the shoe surface to be polished, adapted to be introduced into the passage at the opening remote from the cup, to position the dauber at a locality within the passage to which the polish may be advanced by displacement of the cup, transfer of polish to the dauber being thus effected by advancing the polish into engagement (i.e. as necessary to position it for such engagement) with the dauber, which is thereafter removed to transport the polish to the shoe, without the users hands being at any time proximately exposed to the open polish surface or ice the polish-bearing region of the applicator. Coacting surfaces on the applicator and within the passage adjacent the opening at which the applicator is introduced mutually engage each other to position the dauber fixably within the passage at the desired location; when the device is not in use, the applicator is kept fixed within the passage to form a compact unit for storage and to cover the polish surface, which is thereby protected from excessive exposure to air without the employment of a separate cover. At the end of the passage adjacent the cup, a region of cross-section smaller than the cup may be included to prevent displacement of the cup in that direction through the passage opening.

Very preferably, the passage comprises a cavity extending through the supporting structure and defined by the structure, with the polish-containing region provided by a tubular internal structure, e.g. a hollow open-ended tubular container or like assembly inserted into a portion of the cavity adapted to receive it, its wall slidably engaging the wall of the cavity; cup, polish, and cup-arresting narrow passage region are included within or as part of this latter tubular container. A neck of smaller crosssection than the tubular container, formed Within the cavity at the inner end of the container-receiving cavity portion, and a stop attached to the outer supporting structure adjacent the cavity opening through which the tubular container is inserted and movable to block this opening, prevent displacement of the tubular container in either direction when it is disposed Within the cavity, thus cooperating to position it fixably therein, for assured engagement of the polish surface with the dauber when the polish is advanced within the tubular container to the dauber. By virtue of the inclusion of this tubular container, supply of polish to the passage is greatly facilitated, since the container with included cup may be prefilled with polish and then inserted into the cavity; moreover, the tubular container and associated cup may be formed of disposable material, so that when the polish supply therein is exhausted they may simply be discarded and replaced by a fresh polish-filled tubular container-cup unit, providing the desired readily refillable feature of the device.

The polish-containing region of the passage, cg. within the tubular container, conveniently has a uniform crosssection, to simplify the displacement of the cup therein. A preferred geometrical configuration of the passage consists of disposing the successive portions thereof along a rectilinear axis extending between opposite sides of the outer supporting structure, with each portion having a cylindrical shape of appropriate diameter. The coacting mutual surfaces of applicator and passage may be provided by internally threading a passage portion and externally threading a region of the applicator such that the applicator may be screwed into the passage. in addition, the outer supporting structure may be so shaped as to be adapted to bear on opposite faces thereof a brush and buffing pad, which may be manipulated by the applicator used as a handle when the latter is fixably positioned in the passage, to smooth and buff the polish applied by the dauber to shoe surfaces, the device then constituting a complete shoe-shine kit.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter set forth, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the device of FIG. '1;

FIG. 3 is another front elevational view of the device of FIG. 2', showing the movable stop in open position;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG.

2, taken along the line 4-- l of FIG. 2, with the applicator removed from the cavity, illustrating the cup in two positions in the tubular cor-.ainer and separately including a side elevational view of the applicator head, to indicate the dimensional relation of elements in the device;

PEG. 5 is a side elevational view, somewhat shortened, of the applicator of the device of H68. 24;

PEG. 6 is a top plan view, greatly simplified, of the front end of the device of Fit 2, further illustrating the disposition of elements associated with the movable stop; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of the tubular container included in the device of FIGS. 2-4.

Referring to the drawings, the invention in its illustrated embodiment includes a supporting structure such as a block of wood lit, in the form of a rectangular solid, through which a cavity 11 extends along a rectilinear axis opening on

opposite sides

12, 13 of the block, at apertures :14, 15, as shown in FIG. 4. The cavity includes a region of uniform cylindrical configuration 17, extending inwardly along the axis from the aperture or opening 14, adapted to contain a tubular structure or hollow cylinder 18, of suficiently large internal diameter to permit the insertion of a mans finger therein, which holds the shoe polish to be applied; as shown, the cylinder or container 18 is substantially coextensive in length with this region, and rests coaxially within it in close engagement with the cavity walls. inwardly of the cylindrical region, viz. at the end thereof remote from the opening 14, the cavity is preferably shaped to provide a cylindrical neck 2%, coaxial with the region 317, having a diameter smaller than the external diameter of the cylinder i8 and forming at its juncture with the region 1'7 an annular seat 21 in a plane perpendicular to the cavity axis; the adjacent end 22 of the cylinder abuts this seat, preventing displacement of the cylinder in the direction of the cavity opening 15. A final cylindrical threaded portion 23 of the cavity extends from the neck coaxially therewith to the opening 15, and is adapted to receive the applicator, generally designated 24, to which polish is to be transferred from the container 18.

The cylinder or container 18, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7, comprises a hollow tube of suitable material, open at both ends, approximately equal in length to the cylindrical cavity region 17 and dimensioned to fit slidably in the region 17 with its outer wall engaging the cavity wall to hold the cylinder in coaxial relation therewith; thus, when in position in the region 17, the cylinder forms together with the neck 20 and threaded cavity portion 23 a continuous passage extending along a rectilinear axis between the

sides

12 and 13 of the block. A cup 2?, consisting of a cylindrical guide wall or skirt 28 closed at one end by a plane circular face 29 perpendicular to the guide wall axis, is disposed coaxially within the cylinder 18 with its face toward the cylinder end 32 which is to lie adjacent the cavity opening 14, the external diameter of the cup being such that its skirt 28 slidably engages the inner wall of the cylinder. At the end 32 the cylinder wall is rolled uniformly inward to form an annular head 33 constituting a region of internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the cup in the direction of the end 32; between the bead 33 and the other end 22 of the cylinder the internal diameter of the cylinder is equal at all points, providing a region of uniform cross-section 34 wherein the cup is slidably displaceable along the cylinder axis.

The internal region 34%- of the cylinder is adapted to contain a body of shoe polish 36, the term shoe polish here referring to any appropriate wax or polish substance capable of forming a cohesive mass; specifically, the body of shoe polish is introduced into the region 34 in the space between the cup 27 and the cylinder end 22, which latter space may of course be varied in length by displacement of the cup. Preferably, the cup is initially positioned to abut the bead 33 so as to provide the greatest possible space for receiving the polish; the introduced body of polish 36 then fills the cylinder 18 for substantially its entire len tr seating in the cup and forming a mass which, while i king structural rigidity, is nevertheless sufficiently cohesive to retain its position when the cylinder is horizontally disposed. With the cylinder inserted in the cavity region 3.7, the body of wax may be advanced within it toward cylinder end 22, and in particular toward the location of the applicator 24 in the cavity, by displacement of the cup 27 in that direction as indicated by the arrow 37 in 7, the latter displacement being conveniently effected by pressure of the users finger inserted through the cavity opening 14- and cylinder end 32. As the polish is removed by the applicator at the polish surface 38 adjacent the cylinder end 22, fresh polish is advanced to the locality of the applicator by further displacements of the cup in the direction of the end 22, the successive displacements of the cup bringing it closer to that end, e.g. to the position 1, shown in FIG. 4.

Very conveniently, the cylinder 1?, and cup 27 may be fabricated of cardboard, lined internally with aluminum foil at 42 (or alternatively a coating or film of synthetic resin material such as a polyethylene) to prevent penetration of wax into the cardboard when the cylinder is initially filled with hot molten wax and thereby to avoid adhesion of the wax body to the cylinder wall. This combination of cup and cylinder can be provided by a conventional type of cardboard dispensing container having an upward sliding bottom, such as is used for waxes, greases, and ointments; thus when the supply of polish is exhausted there from the container unit may simply be discarded and a fresh polish-filled container unit inserted in its place.

To prevent accidental displacement of the cylinder through the cavity opening 14 when in position in the cavity region 17, a rotatable stop or cover is provided, comprising a flat disc 44 eccentrically pivoted to the side 12 of the block by a shaft 4-5 adjacent the cavity Opening 14 and above the line of the cavity axis, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. The disc has a notch 46 on its edge opposite the pivot point, and is adapted to swing across the cavity opening 14 to a cavity-closing position, illustrated in FIG. 2, the notch then engaging a projecting lug 47, fixedly attached to the block side 12 at a location on the other side of the opening 14 from the pivot shaft 45, to arrest the disc; rotation of the disc in the opposite direction to open position, as shown in FIG. 3, affords access to the cavity opening 14 for inserting or removing the cylinder 18 or displacing the cup 27 within the cylinder. By virtue of the cooperation of the disc stop in closed position and the annular neck seat 21 at the other end of the cavity region 17, the cylinder 18 when inserted in the cavity is held in fixed location relative to the cavity and associated structures.

The applicator 24, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, consists of an elongated handle 50, conveniently made of wood, terminating in a cylindrical rod member 51 to the end of which is fixedly attached a dauber 52, made of resilient material such as felt, for collecting polish from the cylinder 18 and carrying it to the shoe surface to be polished. On the surface of the rod member is a threaded portion 53, adapted to be screwed into the threaded portion 23 of the cavity adjacent the cavity opening 15 to fixably position the dauber within the cavity; between this threaded rod portion and the dauber is a smooth cylindrical rod extension 55, the rod extension and dauber being dimensioned to fit through the cavity neck The combined length of rod extension and dauber is preferably so chosen that, when the rod is completely screwed into the cavity at the opening 15, the dauber extends slightly beyond the cylinder end 22, viz. a short distance into the cylinder end itself, to enable the polish surface 33 to contact the dauber without being advanced beyond the cylinder, e.g. to the neck region, where polish might tend to collect and undesirably encrust the neck wall over a period of time. Although other means can be used for holding the applicasupporting structure tor in tightened engagement of its threaded portion 53 in the supporting structure 10, such as a flange back of the threads on the applicator, the abutment of such threads with the passage neck 2t) can serve this function effectively. Since the dauber is fixably positioned within the cylinder 18 at the cylinder end .22 by the engagement of the threaded portions of the rod and cavity, and the cyl inder itself fixably positioned within the cavity by the annular seat 21 and stop disc 44, transfer of polish from the cylinder to the dauber is accomplished with great facility: after the polish has been advanced to the dauber by displacement of the cup 27, the polish surface and dauber are held in close engagement so that as the dauber rotates with the first turning motion of the applicator in unscrewing, it rubs against the polish surface to complete the transfer of polish, the polish-laden dauber then being ready to be applied directly to the shoe surface.

As an additional feature of convenience, bristles 56 may be mounted on one face 57 of the block it} to form a brush, and a plastic foam pad 53 may be attached to the opposite block face 59 and covered with soft pile fabric 60 to form a buffing pad. When the applicator is screwed into the cavity, as illustrated in H6. 1, its handle 50, being then rigidly associated with the block 10, serves as a handle for the brush and buffing pad, wherewith the brush and pad may be successively rubbed across the surface of the shoes previously covered with polish by the dauber, to produce a satisfactory shine.

From the foregoing description the use of the device will be largely self-explanatory. After a polish-filled cylinder 18 has been inserted into the cylindrical cavity region 17, with the applicator screwed completely into the cavity so that the dauber extends slightly into the cylinder, the polish surface 38 is brought to bear against the dauber by pushing the cup 27 with a finger to displace the cup toward the cylinder end 22. With the stop disc 44 in cavity-closing position, the applicator is then unscrewed, the first turnings completing the transfer of polish to the dauber by the interaction of polish and dauber surfaces; carried on the dauber, which is held by the applicator handle 50, the polish is applied to the surface of the shoe to be shined. As more polish is required, the applicator is screwed back into the cavity through the opening 15, and the polish again advanced to the dauber. as and if necessary, in the same manner as before. Thus transfer of polish from supply to applicator, and thence to the shoe, is effected without bringing the hands into proximity with the open polish surface or polish-bearing region of the applicator at all.

When the application of polish is completed, the applicator is once more screwed into the cavity of the block it}, and the applicator handle 50 used as a handle for the brush and buffing pad to shine the polished shoes; the applicator is afterwards kept screwed into the cavity, covering the polish, which is thereby protected from desiccation due to excessive exposure to air without requiring the employment of a separate cover, obviating the steps of removing and replacing such a cover in the shoeshining operation. Polish, applicator, brush and buffing pad thus form a compact unit for convenient storage. As the polish supply in the cylinder 18 becomes exhausted, of course, the cylinder is simply discarded and a new, polish-filled cylinder-cup unit inserted in its place, enabling continued use of the device.

it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction herein specifically shown and described, but may be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe polishing device comprising, in combination, having a passage therein which is adapted to receive a body of shoe polish and which has an opening at one region of said structure for access to said polish, applicator means including a dauber, adapted to be introduced in said opening into a position for contact of the dauber with the polish, mutually engageable means on the applicator means and the supporting structure for releasably holding the applicator means in said position, and means in said structure, operably accessible at another region thereof and comprising a member movably disposed in the passage and adapted to engage the body of polish at a locality remote from the aforesaid position, for advancing the body of polish along the passage toward said position, said device including shoeengageable polishing means mounted externally on the supporting structure, said applicator means including a handle portion arranged to project from the structure when the applicator means is held by the aforesaid mutually engageable means, for grasp of the device to manipulate the polishing means, said handle portion being elongated relative to the supporting structure, and said polishing means and handle portion being constructed and arranged, in disposition relative to each other and the supporting structure, for manipulation of the polishing means in polishing operation by manual hold of the handle portion alone.

2. A shoe polishing device as described in claim 1, which includes a tubular container holding said body of polish and releasably disposed in said passage, said container being open at one end toward the aforesaid opening for contact of the dauber with the polish, said passage having a second opening through the supporting structure at said other region thereof, and said movable member comprising a polish-engaging element slidably disposed in the tubular container to move from the opposite end of the container toward the first end, said element being accessible through the said second opening for moving the element to advance the body of polish toward said first end of the container.

3. A snoe polishing device comprising, in combination, supporting structure having a passage therein which is adapted to receive a body of shoe polish and which has an opening at one end region of said structure for access to said polish, applicator means including a dauber, adapted to be introduced in said opening into a position for contact of the dauber with the polish, said applicator means being shaped to close the opening when introduced into said position, and said applicator means incrudmg a handle portion arranged to project outwardly from said end region of the supporting structure when the applicator means is disposed in said position, mutually engageable means on the applicator means and the supporting structure for releasably holding the applicator means in said position with the opening closed, and means in said structure, operably accessible at another region thereof and comprising a member movably disposed in the passage and adapted to engage the body of polish at a locality remote from the aforesaid position, for advancing the body of polish along the passage toward said position, said device including shoe-engageable polishing means mounted externally on the supporting structure along a side of said structure relative to the aforesaid end region, said handle portion of the applicator means being elongated relative to the supporting structure and being disposed to be grasped for manual support of the device to manipulate the polishing means, by manual hold of said handle portion alone, when the applicator means is held by the aforesaid mutually engageable means.

4. A shoe polishing device comprising, in combination, supporting structure having a cavity therein extending along a rectilinear axis through the structure from one end to the other and having openings at said respectively opposite ends of the structure, said cavity having a region of uniform internal cross-section extending inwardly from one opening, removable polish-holding means disposed in the cavity and comprising a tubular inner structure open at both ends and disposed within and substantially coextensive in length with said region of uniform crosssection of said cavity, and engaging the walls thereof, and means movable in sliding engagement within said tubular structure, said tubular structure being adapted to hold a quantity of shoe polish and said movable means being arranged to abut and cover said polish at one end of the tubular structure, said first opening of the supporting structure being arranged to permit the movable means to be manually engaged through said first opening for pushing the movable means along inside the tubular structure to advance polish toward the opposite end opening of the cavity, arresting means carried by the tubular structure adjacent its end nearest said first opening, for arresting displacement of said movable means out of said tubular structure toward the first opening, said polishholding means being removable from the cavity through the first opening to permit replacement thereof with like means providing a fresh supply of polish, applicator means comprising a dauber of resilient material, adapted to be introduced into said passage means at its opposite, second opening to a position locating said dauber at a region to which said quantity of polish may be advanced by displacement of said movable means, said dauber enclosing said cavity when it is disposed therein at said second opening, engageable means associated with said applicator means, and means associated with said passage means for engaging said engageable means to fixably locate said applicator means at its aforesaid position in the second opening, for closing said opening and disposing the dauber in polish-receiving location.

5. The device of claim 4, including means associated with said cavity at the end of said region of uniform cross-section remote from the first opening of said cavity for engaging the adjacent end of said inner structure to prevent displacement of said inner structure toward the second opening of said cavity, and stop means associated with said supporting structure adjacent said first opening of said cavity, movable across said first opening of the cavity to arrest said inner structure and prevent displacement thereof in the direction of said first opening of said cavity.

6. A shoe polishing device, comprising, in combination, a supporting structure, passage means extending along a rectilinear axis through said structure opening on opposite sides thereof, said passage means including a cylindrical region extending inwardly from one opening thereof and a second region extending from said cylindrical region to the second opening of said passage means and having a cylindrical threaded portion adjacent said second passage opening, cylindrical cup means disposed within said cylindrical region engaging the side walls thereof, displaceable within said cylindrical region toward said second region and having a circular face in a plane perpendicular to said passage axis, said cylindrical region being adapted to contain a quantity of shoe polish at a locality between said "cup means and said second region of the passage means and said cup means being adapted to engage said quantity of shoe polish and advance it toward said second region when displaced in the direction of said second passage region, arresting means comprising a region at said first passage opening of diameter smaller than the diameter of the cup means, for arresting the displacement of said cup means in the direction of said first passage opening, applicator means comprising rod means having a threaded portion on the surface thereof, a dauber of resilient material fixedly mounted on one end thereof, and a handle integrally connected with the other end thereof, said rod means and dauber being adapted to be screwed into said passage means with the threaded portion on said rod means in engagement with the threaded portion of said second passage region, to advance said dauber to said cylindrical region and fixably locate it at a position to which the quantity of shoe polish may be advanced by displacement 3 of said cup means, said rod means and dauber being shaped to close the opening when introduced into said position, and said handle being arranged to project from the supporting structure when the rod means and dauber ar disposed in said position.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said passage means comprises a cavity provided within said supporting structure, extending along .a rectilinear axis, open at both ends and including a cylindrical region extending inwardly from one opening thereof and a second region extending from said cylindrical region to the second opening of the cavity, and a cylindrical tubular inner structure open at both ends disposed within and substantially coextensive in length with said cylindrical region of the cavity, engaging the side Walls thereof and removable therefrom at said first cavity opening, having an internal cylindrical region extending inwardly from the end of said inner structure adjacent said first cavity opening to provide said cylindrical region of the passage means and a region of diameter smaller than the diameter of said cup means at said last-mentioned end to constitute said arresting means for the cup means, said second region of the cavity including a cylindrical neck of diameter smaller than the diameter of said inner structure extending from said cylindrical region of the cavity toward the second opening thereof and forming at its juncture with said cylindrical region an annular seat in a plane perpendicular to said cavity axis engageable with the adjacent end of said inner structure to prevent displacement of the latter toward said second cavity opening, and a further region extending from said neck to said second opening including a cylindrical threaded portion adapted to engage the threaded portion on said rod means, said second region of the cavity thus constituting the second region of said passage means, and wherein also is included stop means pivotally connected to said supporting structure adjacent said first cavity opening, adapted to be rotated in a plane perpendicular to said passage axis across said first opening to prevent displacement of said inner structure in the direction of said first opening.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said inner structure comprises a cardboard cylinder open at both ends, lined internally with metal foil, having its walls turned inwardly at one end thereof to form an annular inward projection to constitute said region of diameter smaller than the diameter of the cup means, and wherein said cup means is formed of cardboard, said inner structure and cup means together constituting a disposable, replaceable unit.

9. A shoe polishing device as described in claim 7, which includes shoe-engageable polishing means mounted externally on the supporting structure, said handle of said applicator means being disposed to be grasped for manual support of the device to manipuate the polishing means, when the applicator means is held by mutual engagement of the aforesaid threaded portion of said rod means and said passage means, for grasp of the device to manipulate the polishing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 718,969 Altshul Jan. 27, 1903 789,318 Emory May 9, 1905 1,310,670 Peterson July 22, 1919 1,534,827 Aste Apr. 21, 1925 2,083,448 Hummel June 8, 1937 2,689,966 Reuss Sept. 28, 1954 2,789,301 Harvey Apr. 23, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,836 Great Britain of 1905