US3145402A - Boot tree - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 25, 1964 H. J. KAMINSKI BOOT TREE 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed March 19, 1963 1964 H. J. KAMINSKI 3,145,402

- BOOT TREE Filed March 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A zz United States Patent BOOT TREE Henry J. Kaminshi, Hingham, Mass, assignor to Le Trappeur, Inc, Westwood, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 1Q, 1963, Ser. No. 266,343 4 Claims. (Cl. 12-120.5)

This invention relates to shoe holders and more particularly to boot trees of the type especially adapted to secure a pair of ski boots in a manner to hold the soles straight and flat.

Ski boots and other types of heavy outdoor shoe wear require careful storage after they have become wet, with particular attention to the soles of the boots to insure that they remain in their proper fiat condition. A variety of boot trees for this purpose have been proposed. However, such boot trees, while usually serving their intended function, are often difiicult or time consuming to operate. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved boot tree that is easy and reliable in operation.

Also boot trees should be adjustable, both to accept different sizes of boots, as childrens and adults, and different sole thicknesses, and it is another object of this invention to provide a boot tree that will store in proper clamped condition a variety of boots.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplified and improved boot tree having adjustable and easy to operate sole clamping means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved universal boot tree which is economical to manufacture.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a boot tree which includes a boot sole support having a pair of adjustable heel securing members and a pair of adjustable toe securing clamps that may be adjusted in their spacing relative to each other. Each toe clamp structure in the preferred embodiment is mounted on a support plate which is slidable in boot sole support channel structure relative to the heel clamp to provide adjustment for accommodating various types and sizes of boots.

The slidable plate defines a first pivotal axis that extends laterally of the support channel structure and a clamping element is secured to the plate at a point intermediate itsends for pivoting about that axis. One end of the clamping element includes a boot sole engaging portion andthe other end includes a camming portion. Associated with the cammingportion is a second pivot axis such that camming means rotated about the second pivot axis rotates the clamping element about the first axis to move the sole engaging portion toward the support channel structure. The clamp structure also includes means to vary the relative positions of the two pivot axes so that the position of the sole engaging portion relative to thesupport channel structure may be adjusted to enable the boot tree to accept different thicknesses of soles with the same pressure exerted by the toe clamp structure. The boot tree is a simple, adjustable and rugged structure capable of economical manufacture which will accept boots of varying sizes and soles of varying thickness, and that is easy to operate.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be seen as the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof progresses, in conjunction with the drawings,'in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a boot tree constructed in accordance with the invention showing a boot in secured position thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the boot tree in ice FIG. 1 showing the position of the sole clamping elements securing a pair of boots;

FIG. 3 is a sectional-view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing features of the heel clamp structure employed in the boot tree;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3 showing additional details of the heel clamp structure;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing details of the toe clamp structure employed in the boot tree;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 showing additional details of the toe clamp structure;

FIG. 7 is a view of the toe clamp structure showing the clamping element in released position; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views similar to FIG. 7 of a modified toe clamp construction.

The boot tree shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a frame member which comprises two elongated channel members lit, 12 which are secured together at the upper end of the boot tree by a bracket member 14 to which a handle 16 is secured. The channel members receive at their lower ends a base member 18 which has two depending fianges 20, the lower edges of which provide flat aligned surfaces on which the shoe tree may rest in upright position when not'in use.

Attached to the base 18-is"a heel clamping structure I which includes two clamping plates 22 and 24, each of which has a body portion 26 and an upturned lip 28 that engage the heel 34) of the boot to be secured therein. A bolt 32 and locking nut 34 cooperate with the base and the heel clamp platesto hold the securing lips 26 in fixed spaced position equidistant on either side of channels 1h, 12.

Disposed between the channels 10 and 12 are two flat plates 40 and 42 which are slidable along the channels between the top bracket 14 and the base 18. Each plate carries two upstanding laterally spaced bracket ears 44 which define a clamp pivot axis '46 for the toe clamping member 48 that is secured for pivoting movement thereon those bracket ears. The toe clamping member is manufactured of sheet metal with two side walls 50 that overlie the bracket ears .44 and are pinned thereto for pivoting movement. At one end of the clamping member is a ridged sole engaging portion 52 and at the opposite end of the clamping member a camming axis 54 parallel to axis 46 is defined. A bar 56 is rotatably secured to the ciampingmember 48 and disposed coaxially with axis 54. The bar 56 has a threaded bore which extends perpendicularly to axis 54 and receives a camming member 58 which includes an adjusting and actuating handle 60 on one end and a camming surface 62 on the opposite end. Camrning surface 62 engages the surface of the respective sliding-plate 40 or 42 so that when camming member 58 isrotated about axis 54, the sole engaging portion 52 of the clamping member 48 is forced downwardly towards the support plate and carries the toe 64 of the boot secured in the boot tree into supporting and straightening engagement with the channel members 10 or 12 to secure the boot sole firmly in straight and fiattened condition for proper storage. A stop 66'formed on the clamping plate 48 locates the camming element in clamping position.

The threaded interconnection of the bar 56 and the camming member '58 provides an adjustment of the location of axes 46 and 54 so that theheight of the clamping surface St) is easily varied 'to accommodate differing sole thicknesses of boots. After the adjustmentof the camming member has been made, the vboot may be quickly and easily secured on or released from the boot tree. Where it is desired to lock the adjustment, an

Patented Aug. 25, 1964 auxiliary nut may be employed to secure the camming member 58 in adjusted position relative to bar 56 for a particular boot sole thickness. Varying lengths of boots are easily accommodated as the plates 40, 42 slide freely toward and away from base 18 in channels 14 12.

The construction of the heel clamp structure at base 18 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. The base member 18 has a slot 70 that extends laterally between the channel members 10 and 12 through which the bolt 32 is passed. The body portion 26 of each of the clamping plates 22, 24 has a diagonal slot 72 which is also positioned to be aligned with the clamping bolt 32. As the clamping lips 28 are moved toward one another, the bolt 32 slides up (as viewed in FIG. 3) towards the channel 10 and as the heel clamping surfaces slide away from each other the bolt slides down towards channel 12, movement in either direction producing equal movement of the two clamping lips 28. When the correct adjustment has been determined, the clamping members are locked in place by means of the nut 34. In that position the heels of the boots to be held in the boot tree are merely seated on the base with the lips 28 extending over the soles as shown in FIG. 2.

Additional details of the toe clamping structure are shown in FIGS. -7. As best shown in FIG. 6 the support plates 40 and 42 are secured between the walls 76, 78 of the channels and 12 and are maintained spaced from one another by means of inserts 80 so that two guide grooves between the channel walls 76, 78 and the insert 80 are defined in each channel. The plates 40, 42 slide freely within the guide grooves in the channel toward and away from the base 18 to provide an adjustable distance between the toe clamp structure and the heel clamp structure. Bracket ears 44 are bent upward out of the plates 40 and 42 and receive pins 82 which pass through the side walls 50 of the clamping member 48 to define the clamp pivot axis 46 about which the clamping member is rotated from the clamped position shown in FIG. 5 to the unclamped position shown in FIG. 7. The camming pivot axis 54 is at one end of the clamping plate and is defined by the pins 84 which secure the bar 56 to the side walls 59 of the clamping member 48. As indicated above, camming member 58 is threadedly received in bar 56. Its camming surface 62 is in engagement with the support plate 40 or 42 when the bar 56 is rotated by the camming handle portion 60 and slides along the support plate to rotate the entire clamping plate 48 about the clamp pivot axis 46 to the position shown in FIG. 5. The camming member is rotated about axis 54 to a point just past the perpendicular to the support plate into contact with the stop 66 in which toggle position the sole engaging portion 52 of clamping member 48 exerts pressure on the toe portion of the boot soles to straighten the boot sole and securely hold the boot on the boot tree.

The clamping pressure exerted by the portion 52 may be easily adjusted by releasing the clamp to the position shown in FIG. 7 and rotating the camming member 58 to change its position relative to bar 56. For clamping a pair of boots on the boot tree all that is required is the setting of the boot heels in the base 13, sliding the toe clamps into position over the boot trees, and moving the handles 60 in to straighten and clamp the boot soles. The camniing action is rapidly accomplished and requires comparatively little strength compared to the screwing down of a wing nut as is the case in other types of adjustable clamp structures.

A modified structure is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 in which the toe clamp structure includes as separate components an adjustable camming element 100 and a clamping handle 102 which extends at right angles to the camming element 100 so that the handle when the clamp is in locked position lies flat over the clamping plate 48'. In addition, an auxiliary clamp bar 104 rotatably mounted at the clamp pivot 46 may be employed Where a particular toe clamp configuration requires a modified clamping surface. This clamp bar may be secured by pins 82' and has a curved forward end portion 106 which engages the sole toe and conforms to the particular toe configurations.

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides a versatile and easy to operate boot tree that is rugged and will accommodate a wide range of types and sizes of boots. The design is particularly directed to manufacturing economies so that the tree may be inexpensively fabricated by mass production methods. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, various modifications thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art and therefore it is not intended that the invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment thereof or to details thereof and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A boot tree comprising a pair of spaced U-shaped channels providing two opposed boot sole support surfaces,

adjustable boot heel securing means mounted at one end of said spaced channels,

and adjustable boot toe clamping means mounted on said spaced channels in spaced relation to said heel securing means,

said toe clamping means including two support plates disposed between and slidable along said spaced channels,

a pair of bracket ears extending outward from each said support plate,

each pair of cars defining a first pivot axis,

a clamping element mounted for rotation about each said first pivot axis,

said clamping element having a sole engaging portion on the side of said first pivot axis nearer said heel securing means and a rotatable bar element mounted on the other side of said first pivot axis for rotation about a second pivot axis parallel to said first pivot axis,

said rotatable bar carrying a threaded cam element extending in a direction perpendicular to said second pivot axis,

said cam element being adapted to engage said support plate so that said cam element moves along said support plate as said bar is rotated,

and means to stop rotation of said bar in said clamp position.

2. A boot tree comprising a boot sole support,

first means mounted at one end of said boot sole support for securing a first portion of a boot sole to said support,

second means mounted on said boot sole support in spaced relation to said first securing means for clamping a second portion of the boot sole,

said second means including means defining a first pivot axis and boot sole clamping means mounted for rotation about said first pivot axis,

said clamping means having a boot sole engaging portion on the side of said first pivot axis nearer said first securing means,

camming means including a first cam surface secured to said boot sole support and a second cam surface cooperating with said first surface and secured to said clamping means, one of said cam surfaces being mounted for rotational movement between first and second positions about a second pivot axis spaced from said first pivot axis, the cooperation of said cam surfaces, as said one cam surface is moved from said first position to said second position acting to pivot said clamping means about said first pivot axis to move said sole engaging portion toward said sole support for engagement with the sole of a boot disposed on said sole support, and

means to adjust the position of said one cam surface relative to said second pivot axis for enabling the distance between said sole engaging portion of said clamping means and said support when said camming means is in said second position to be varied for the accommodation of boot soles of differing thicknesses.

3. The boot tree as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second pivot axis is defined by a cam support element extending parallel to said first pivot axis, said one cam surface is secured to said cam support element, and said adjusting means moves said one cam surface in a direction perpendicular to said second pivot axis towards and away from said cam support element.

6 4. The boot tree as claimed in claim 3 wherein said cam support elementiincludes a threaded hole and said one cam surface is formed on an element threadedly secured in said hole and further including stop means to positively locate said one cam surface in said second position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. A BOOT TREE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED U-SHAPED CHANNELS PROVIDING TWO OPPOSED BOOT SOLE SUPPORT SURFACES, ADJUSTABLE BOOT HEEL SECURING MEANS MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID SPACED CHANNELS, AND ADJUSTABLE BOOT TOE CLAMPING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SPACED CHANNELS IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID HEEL SECURING MEANS, SAID TOE CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING TWO SUPPORT PLATES DISPOSED BETWEEN AND SLIDABLE ALONG SAID SPACED CHANNELS, A PAIR OF BRACKET EARS EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM EACH SAID SUPPORT PLATE, EACH PAIR OF EARS DEFINING A FIRST PIVOT AXIS, A CLAMPING ELEMENT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT EACH SAID FIRST PIVOT AXIS,

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