US3477147A

US3477147A - Shoe covering and gaiter

Info

Publication number: US3477147A
Application number: US569691A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Bauer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-08-02
Filing date: 1966-08-02
Publication date: 1969-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-11

Description

w. BAUER Nov. 11, 1969 SHOE COVERING AND GAITER Filed Aug. 2, 1966v W/LL/AM fi z gg United States Patent 3,477,147 SHOE COVERING AND GAITER William Bauer, 212 Forrester St.. El Campo, TeX. 77437 Filed Aug. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 569,691 Int. Cl. A41d 17/00 US. Cl. 36-2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention comprises the combination of a shoe covering and gaiter, both being of a pliant, protective sheet material, with the upper section overlapping at the rear and the overlap being preserved by the means which connects the upper and lower sections. A means is also provided to hold the lower section upon the shoe and at a predetermined elevation above the bottom surfaces-of the shoe.

The invention relates to a shoe covering and gaiter for the purpose of protecting the shoes and lower leg parts of workers, such as workers on drilling rig floors and the like, where oil or production slush, and water in rainy weather, can penetrate the shoes and through to the legs thereabove, with disagreeable results and health hazard.

As a primary object the invention sets out to provide a combination shoe covering and gaiter of this class, which includes a lower section of rain and weather repellant, pliant material, to extend downwardly over the side of the sole and heel of the Workers shoes, and upwardly thereabove, and which includes an upper section of corresponding material to be readily and securely connected to the lower section, and to cover the shoes and legs below the knee.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a shoe covering and gaiter of this class, in which the upper and lower section may be zipper connected, and the rear edges of the gaiter portion also zipper connected by the same zipper whereby the whole covering and gaiter may be installed or taken off by a single zipper operation.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a shoe covering and gaiter of this class, in which the upper portion of the lower section together with the shoe, provide cooperative means whereby the lower section may be tightly, lace applied to the junction between the upper surface of the sole and the shoe.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

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

FIG. 2 is a transverse, fragmentary, enlarged cross-sectional elevational view, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view, part in section, showing the lower part of another embodiment of the invention, details of the upper section lower portion and of the lower section being shown, with the lower section sheet material being shown cut away in part, thus to show relative positions of the lower section reenforcing cord and lace cord, and a manner of lacing the lace cord through staples in the sole of the shoe;

FIG. 4 is a transverse, fragmentary, enlarged cross-sectional view, taken along line 44 of FIG. 3, but with the sheet material, shown cut away in FIG. 3, being shown in this view, and in relative relationship to sole, lace cord, reenforcing cord, staple, and zipper connecting upper and lower section;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention;

3,477,147 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 "Ice FIG. 6 is a transverse, fragmentary, enlarged cross-sectional view, as taken in the embodiment of FIG. 5 at the same relative position as the view of FIG. 4 is taken in FIG. 3, except that such section is taken through a staple in this view; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the upper section of any of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-2, in FIGS; 3-4, and in FIGS. 5-6, the upper section being indicated as lined for cold weather wear.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals are applied to like elements in the various views, a shoe covering and gaiter 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as comprised of a lower section 12 and an upper section 11. The lower section 11 includes a lower part or apron 13, which extends downwardly over the upper, outer edge of the sole 15 of the shoe 19, and also downwardly over the upper part of the heel 14. The lower section 12 also includes an upper part 16 which extends upwardly from the lower part 13 to a line of junction with the upper section 11 as formed by a conventional plastic zipper 18, the lower half of the zipper being aflixed to the upper edge of the lower section 12, and the upper half of the zipper being affixed to the lower edge or bottom of the upper section 11.

In detail, the aforesaid upper zipper half 22, as best indicated in FIG. 2, is affixed, as by epoxy, to the under side of the aforesaid lower edge 23 of the shoe covering portion 17 of the upper section 11, and thus this lower edge 23 covers, occludes, or shrouds the whole zipper 18, and for this reason such shroud is omitted for purposes of clarity in FIG. 1. The mating lower half 21 of zipper 18 is affixed, as by epoxy, to the outer surface of the upper edge of the upper part 16 of the lower section 12, while the under surface of the central part 24 of the lower section 12 may be afiixed to the upper surface outer edge of the sole 15, as by glue. Both the upper section 11 and the lower section 12 being of a pliant material, as sheet plastic, and the upper and lower sections being cut in development to a substantially high degree of accuracy, when the zipper 18 is zipped up, as will be hereinbelow described, a substantially firm line of connection can be made around the shoe 19, just outwardly of its junction with the sole 15, as best indicated in FIG. 2.

Above the shoe covering portion 17, the upper section 11 provides a gaiter portion 25, which extends to a reenforced top ring 26 which is split centrally behind at the start of the zipper 18, the rear edges 27 of the gaiter 25 overlapping to provide an area extending vertically from the top ring 26 downwardly to the lower section 12 at the rear of the heel. The gaiter 25 is thus zipped up as the zipper key or lacer 28 is moved downwardly to connect the zipper half 22, on the proximate rear edge of the gaiter 25, to the zipper half 22a, along the rear of the gaiter part which goes around the off side of the leg, as viewd in FIG. 1, and underlaps the gaiter part viewed frontally in FIG. 1, which has its vertically extending rear edge terminated by the zipper half 22. Thus the underlap is shown extending from the rear forwardly to the dotted line 27, whereby the line of the zipper half 22a is spaced say a distance of one inch from the gaiter edge 27.

The lower end of the zipper half 22a terminates in a lowermost connection link 29a disposed so that the zipper lacer 28 may pass therefrom to the zipper lower half 21, so that as the lacer or key 28 is moved from the vertically extending zipper half 22a, it continues engaged with the zipper half 22, now extending horizontally, and in passing around the shoe, in counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1, it zips up the upper and

lower zipper halves

22, 21, and comes to stop with the whole gaiter and shoe covering zipped together, in the position it is shown occupying in FIG. 1, at the rear oif side of the heel 14.

Then, conversely, the zipper lacer 28 may be moved in clockwise direction, around the off side of the shoe to the front, and then rearwardly around the near side of the shoe, over the rear connecting link 2% of the zipper half 21, and on to the zipper connecting link 29a of the zipper half 22a, to continue upwardly to complete the unlacing 22, 22a, of the gaiter 25.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which the lower section 12a is changed to provide a snugger means of attaching it to the shoe in manner that it more closely fits into the space or crevice just outwardly of the junction between the upper surface of the sole and the shoe 19. With this embodiment of the invention the lower section 12a is shown in detailed crosssection in FIG. 4 as comprising a lowermost part or apron 13a which extends downwardly over the outer side of the sole 15, but terminating above the ground level. Thereabove the central part 24a comprises a looped or recurved part 30 which enfolds a reenforcement cord 31, with the inner surface of the loop 30 being provided with a reenforcement strip 33 extending therealong, with the underside thereof to rest on the upper surface of the sole 15 in close proximity to the junction of the sole 15 and the shoe 19.

Above the reenforcement cord 31 the re-curved, central part 24a is sealed together, as by epoxy, along a sealed strip 33, thus to enclose the reenforcing cord 31. Then, upwardly of the sealing strip 33 the upper part 16a of the lower section 12a terminates with the lower half 21a of the zipper 18a being shown afiixed, as by epoxy, to the uppermost outer surface strip of the aforesaid upper part 16a. The shoe covering 17 of the upper section 11a has the mating upper half 22b of the zipper 18a atfixed to, and extending horizontally along its bottom or lower edge 34, and with this construction no zipper shroud corresponding with the zipper shroud 23, shown in FIG. 2, is shown. However, such a shroud can be provided in this case, similarly as shown in FIG. 2, as such may be desired to protectively cover the zipper 18a.

Staples 35 are driven into the upper surface of the sole 15 closely adjacent to the junction between sole and shoe, such staples 35, as up to nine in number, being substantially equally spaced apart to delineate the contour of the shoe 19 just outwardly of its junction at the shoe bottom with the sole 15. Thus the staples, indicated in FIG. 3, may be saliently distributed, with a single staple forwardmost, and with four opposed pairs of staples thereafter.

A lace cord 36 normally extends most inwardly in contact with the shoe 19 and sole 15, immediately outwardly of the junction thereof, but is brought outwardly to pass through each staple 35, and through two thicknesses of the lower section central part or loop 30, above the reenforcement cord 31, as shown in FIG. 4 in cross-sectional detail; also, the relative relationship of lace cord 36, staples 35, and reenforcement cord 31 is shown in the part of FIG. 3 in which the sheet plastic of the lower section 12a is omitted. After passing outwardly through a staple, and through the two thicknesses of plastic of the loop 30, the lace cord 36 is continued along outwardly, under the apron part of the lower section 12a, as indicated in FIG. 4, and then still above the reenforcement cord 31, is brought back inwardly through the two thicknesses of plastic material of the loop 30, to continue along the aforesaid junction of shoe and sole, to a point adjacent the next staple 35, and then the lacing is repeated, as aforesaid.

The rearmost pair of staples 36 are closely adjacent each other, on opposite sides of the rearmost point of the heel 14, and are driven downwardly into the accessible outermost top surface of the heel 14, in the same manner that the staples of the pair of staples immediately forward thereof are likewise driven into the heel, while the rearmost edges of the reenforcing strip 32 and of the loop 30 are in abutment, the ends of the reenforcement cord 31 being sealed within the closed ends of the loop 30. Thus, the ends of the lace cord 36 may be brought out through the two thicknesses of the loop 30, adjacent the loop ends, and tied together in a knot 37, indicated in FIG. 3, as being inwardly of the apron 13a. As to the rear edges of the apron 13a, these may abut along the central, fore and aft vertical plane through the shoe, as in the case of the rear edges of the loop 30, but preferably one edge may have a short, laterally extending tongue to underlap the other edge, better to protect the knot 37 from water heating in.

The zipper arrangement for the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is in correspondence with that hereinabove described with relation to the zipper arrangement indicated for the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, the zipper upper half 2212 starts at the rear off side of the shoe 19 shown in FIG. 3, and extends around the off side to the front of the shoe, and then rearwardly on the facing side to the terminal or transfer linkage 29d, there to turn upwardly, departing from the lower section 12a, and crossing over the lowermost, or connection linkage 290, of the part of the zipper 22c, which is exclusively on the upper section 11a, the zipper half 22b cooperates with the zipper part 22c to the top of the combination shoe covering and gaiter 10a shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper part of the upper section 11a not being shown in FIG. 3, but being constructed in correspondence with the upper part of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the rear edges of the vertically extending upper section portion overlap, as indicated by the overlapped under edge 27a in FIG. 3.

In the form of invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, no zipper is provided, and the upper section 11b and lower section 12b are developed from a single or unitary sheet of plastic 10b. Beginning with the lowermost part or apron 13b, the lower section 12b follows the construction hereinabove described for the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, as to the central part 24b, the loop 30a, the enfolded reenforcement cord 31a, the reenforcement strip 32a, and the sealing strip 33a above the loop 30. Then, above the sealing strip 33a the lower section and upper section merge together in that these two sections 12b, 11b are part of a unitary plastic sheet.

Thus the lower section 12b is tied together by the two ends of the lace cord 26, shown in section in FIG. 6, being brought together at the rear and tied together to form a knot 37a, under the apron 13b, thus to draw tightly the inner parts of the lower section 12b into the space just outwardly of the junction of the upper surface of the sole and the shoe, as shown in detail in FIG. 6. In this regard, the shoe 15 in this modification, has the same arrangement of staples 35 and bearing the same relationship to the lace cord 36, as hereinabove described with relation to the staples and lace cord shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Above the ankle the lower part of the gaiter portion 25a may be tied together, as by providing a plastic, tubular member 38 encasing a tie-cord 39, the ends of the tiecord 39 being brought out the abutting ends of the ring or tubular member 38, and tied into a knot. Also, at the top of the gaiter portion 25a, above the calf of the leg, a hollow top ring or plastic tube 40 is provided, having a tie-cord 41 therein with ends to be brought out the abutting ends of the top ring 40 at the rear, and tied together. In FIG. 5, the dotted line 42 indicates that there is an area of overlap, with the left, vertically extending rear edge of the gaiter portion 25a, overextending the right edge.

In each of the three forms of embodiments of the invention, the gaiter portion may be wide enough at the top and so shaped to permit the lower part of the trousers legs to be enclosed by the gaiter portion. Optionally, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 5, the gaiter portion may be of diametral dimension and shaped to fit the leg 43 of the wearer.

As to details of construction, for instance the cord encasing ring 38 may preferably be glued to the gaiter portion above the ankle, or sealed thereto, as by epoxy. Also, the upper or top ring 40 may be aflixed to the top of the gaiter portion 25a in a similar manner, or optionally the upper ring 40 may be formed by re-curving the top edge of the plastic back upon itself.

As shown in FIG. 7, the upper sections 11, 11a and 11b are indicated as each being optionally lined with a cold weather liner as of felt 44.

The embodiments hereinabove described and disclosed in the drawings are illustrative, and other embodiments, modifications, and variations of structure are included, as long as such may fall within the broad spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe covering and gaiter comprising a lower section and an upper section, thin, pliable plastic means connecting said sections, both sections being of thin pliable plastic, protective, sheet material, the lower section extending downwardly over the side of the shoe sole and heel and thereabove over the upper surface of the sole and about the junction between the sole and the heel, the upper section, at its bottom, being a covering for the shoe and the lower section extending downwardly from the upper section, the upper section extending upwardly from the shoe covering as a gaiter to the top thereof above the calf of the leg and overlapping at the rear to provide an area of overlap from lower section to top, said means connecting said sections preserving said overlap.

2. A shoe covering and gaiter comprising a lower section and an upper section, means connecting said sections, both sections being of pliant, protective, sheet material, the lower section extending downwardly over the side of the shoe sole and heel and thereabove over the upper surface of the sole and about the junction between the sole and the heel, the upper section, at its bottom, being a covering for the shoe and the lower section extending downwardly from the upper section, the upper section extending upwardly from the shoe covering as a gaiter to the top thereof above the calf of the leg and overlapping at the rear to provide an area of overlap from lower section to top, said means connecting said sections preserving said overlap and comprising a conventional zipper with one end terminating at said top and the other end terminating at the rear of the heel, one half of the zipper being thus provided part in the lower section and part in the gaiter portion, the other half of the zipper extending continuously in the upper section including the gaiter portion.

3. A shoe covering and gaiter comprising a lower section and an upper section, means connecting said sections, both sections being of pliant, protective, sheet material, the lower section extending downwardly over the side of the shoe sole and heel and thereabove over the upper surface of the sole and about the junction between the sole and the heel, the upper section, at its bottom, being a covering for the shoe and the lower section extending downwardly from the upper section, the upper section extending upwardly from the shoe covering as a gaiter to the top thereof above the calf of the leg and overlapping at the rear to provide an area of overlap from the lower section to top, said means connecting said sections preserving said overlap and including a reenforcing cord enfolded in the upper portion of said lower section, a reenforcing strip being attached to the inner surface of the enfolding portion inwardly of said cord, staples being provided in said sole and selectively spaced apart therearound to delineate the sole proximate the shoe, the combination including a lace cord to extend inwardly of said staples abutting the junction of said shoe and said sole and alternately outwardly through said staples and through said enfolding portion, and thus around said reenforcing cord, and back, the ends of said lace cord passing outwardly at the rear of the heel to be tied together to lace up said lower section tightly around the shoe and against the upper surface of the sole, with the connection knot being covered over by the downwardly extending portion of said lower section.

4. A shoe covering and gaiter comprising a lower section and an upper section, means connecting said sections, both sections being of pliant, protective, sheet material, the lower section extending downwardly over the side of the shoe sole and heel and thereabove over the upper surface of the sole and about the junction between the sole and the heel, the upper section, at its bottom, being a covering for the shoe and the lower section extending downwardly from the upper section, the upper section extending upwardly from the shoe covering as a gaiter to the top thereof above the calf of the leg and overlapping at the rear to provide an area of overlap from the lower section to top, said means connecting upper section to lower section preserving said overlap and being comprised of conventional zipper construction with one end adjacent said top and with the other end at the rear of the heel, the zipper construction including conventional means to lace together the two parts of the zipper construction as affixed, respectively, to the two sections.

5. A shoe covering and gaiter comprising a lower section and an upper section, means connecting said sections, both sections being of pliant, protective, sheet material, the lower section extending downwardly over the side of the shoe sole and heel and thereabove over the upper surface of the sole and about the junction between the sole and the heel, the upper section, at its bottom, being a covering for the shoe and the lower section extending downwardly from the upper section, the upper section extending upwardly from the shoe covering as a gaiter to the top thereof above the calf of the leg and overlapping at the rear to provide an area of overlap from lower section to top, said means connecting said upper section and said lower section including a zipper, the zipper continuing around the shoe and upwardly in an unbroken half to the top, the other half of the zipper including a part extending around the shoe and a separate part extending upwardly therefrom to the top.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,014,208 9/1935 Parvin 362 2,151,351 3/1939 Glowka 362 2,229,563 1/ 1941 Greenstein 362 X 2,230,380 2/1941 Johst 362 2,344,415 3/ 1944 Ryan 362 3,087,260 4/ 1963 Hudon 362 X PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.