US3568340A

US3568340A - Skid-preventing footwear

Info

Publication number: US3568340A
Application number: US819297A
Authority: US
Inventors: Denys Gardner
Original assignee: Acton Rubber Ltd
Current assignee: Acton Rubber Ltd
Priority date: 1969-04-25
Filing date: 1969-04-25
Publication date: 1971-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-09

Abstract

A SKID-PREVENTING FOOTWEAR FORMED OF A THICK OUTSOLE MADE OF SOFT SPONGE OR MICROCELLULAR RUBBER AND HAVING OPENED CAVITIES SO THAT IT WILL EASILY YIELD UNDER THE WEIGHT OF A WEARER. THE CAVITIES HAVE APERTURES OPENING ON THE GROUND-CONTACTING SIDE OF THE OUTSOLE AND EACH HAS A DEPTH EXTENDING OVER THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE THICKNESS OF THE OUTSOLE. THE CAVITIES ARE SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER

A DISTANCE SUCH AS TO CREATE, BETWEEN THEM, SEPARATING WALLS THAT WILL EASILY YIELD WHEN THE OUTSOLE SETS ON A FLAT SURFACE OR ONTO AN OBSTACLE ON THE GROUND. THE OUTSOLE IS FURTHER INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH CLOSELY SPACED, SHORT, PROTUBERANCES DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE CAVITIES ON THE GROUND-CONTACTING SIDE OF THE OUTSOLE.

Description

lvlimh 9, 1971 D GARDNER. l3,568,340

SKID-PREVENTING FOOTWEAR Filed Aprilvzs, 1'969 A.

ATTURNEY' Patented Mar. 9, 1971 3,568,340 SKlD-PREVENTING FOOTWEAR Denys Gardner, Acton Vale, Quebec, Canada, assignor to The Acton Rubber Ltd., Acton Vale, Quebec, Canada Filed Apr. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 819,297 Int. Cl. A43b 13/06 U.S. Cl. 36-32 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skid-preventing footwear formed of a thick outsole made of soft sponge or microcellular rubber and having opened cavities so that it will easily yield under the weight of a wearer. The cavities have apertures opening on the ground-contacting side of the outsole and each has a depth extending over the major portion of the thickness of the outsole. The cavities are spaced from one another a distance such as to create, between them, separating walls that will easily yield when the outsole sets on a at surface or onto an obstacle on the ground. The outsole is further integrally formed with closely spaced, short, protuberances distributed between the cavities on the ground-contacting side of the outsole.

The present invention generally relates to an improvement in footwear and more specifically to an improved shoe or boot sole construction for use in footwear especially intended for walking and running on slippery surfaces such as glazed or wet surfaces as well as on icy surfaces.

One object of the present invention and an important advantage thereof lies in the provision of a shoe or boot having a sole which is less likely to slip on icy or otherwise slippery walking surfaces.

Although the shoes or boots resulting from the present invention were particularly developed for use in the practice of sports that are played on ice surfaces and without skates, such as the broom ball game, it is to be understood that numerous other occasions are contemplated where the wearing of such shoes will provide the advantages as aforesaid, such as walking or running over highly polished and/ or waxed llioors.

Although the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as will hereinafter be made, refers to a broom ball shoe, it should be understood that such reference should not be interpreted as meaning that the invention relates strictly to such shoes.

More specifically, the skid-preventing footwear of the invention comprises a thick outsole made of sponge or microcellular rubber so soft that it will easily yield under the weight of a wearer. To increase yield, the outsole is also formed with cavities having apertures opening on the ground-contacting side of the outsole. Each such cavity has a depth that extends over the major portion of the thickness of the outsole. The cavities are spaced from one another a distance such as to create walls therebetween that will easily yield when the outsole suddenly hits the ground while running or braking or sets onto an obstacle on the ground. Finally, the outsole is integrally formed with closely spaced, short protuberances distributed between the cavities on the ground-contacting side of the outsole whereby said protuberances will create air passages when the foot sets on the ground for the escape of air from the cavities to avoid the creation of a skidpromoting air cushion beneath the outsole as well as allowing easy air inflow when the foot is lifted.

A better understanding of the invention will now be afforded by the following description of a preferred embodiment having reference to the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, from the outsole side, of a boot made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the boot of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view, partly shown in crosssection, of the outsole of the invention; the insole and part of the upper being shown in broken lines.

As can be seen, the boot having the outsole of the invention comprises the usual top 3 that merges into the upper (hidden) formed of the usual vamp that extends into the cap.

Preferably, and as best shown in FIG. 3, the outsole 1 is secured to a middle sole 5 and is made of a flat molded piece of sponge or microcellular rubber suiciently soft that it will easily yield under the weight of the wearer. By sponge or microcellular rubber is meant a cellular rubber obtained from a solid rubber compound as opposed to foam rubber obtained from liquid latex compound.

To increase yielding, outsole 1 is formed with a plurality of cavities or recesses 7 having apertures opening on the ground-contacting side of the outsole. As shown in FIG. 3, each cavity or recess has a depth that extends over the major portion of the thickness of the outsole and, as illustrated in FIG. 2, cavities or recesses 7 are spaced from one another a distance such as to create, between the cavities, separating walls that will easily yield when outsole 1 sets on a flat icy surface or onto an obstacle on the ground such as 4 and 6 of FIG. 4.

Outsole 1 is further provided with closely spaced, short, protuberances 9 distributed between the cavities and throughout the ground-contacting side of outsole 1. It is pointed out that protuberances 9 extend throughout the at outsole although the drawings show them in spotted areas.

As aforesaid, these protuberances serve to create air passages when the foot sets on the ground for the escape of air from the cavities to avoid the creation of a skidpromoting air cushion beneath the outsole as well as allowing easy air inow when the foot is lifted.

The opening of cavities or recesses 7 is circular and the depth thereof slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening. The cavities will preferably be frusto-conical in cross-section as shown in FIG. 3 so as to be more easily unmolded. But said cavities could be of any other geometrical ligure, i.e., pyramidal hexagonal or else, without diverting from the present patent objects, as long as their relative positioning in the outsole design provides wide cavity openings leaving thin yielding walls of even mean thickness between said cavities.

I have found that the outsole of the invention is particularly useful and eicient as an anti-skid device where the thickness of the outsole 1 and the diameter of the opening of cavities or recesses 7 are approximately threequarters of an inch in a ratio of 1:1 with the protuberances being about one-eighth of an inch in height and in diameter as a 1:1 ratio. Also, the shortest spacing between the cavities should preferably be about equal to the radius of the opening of the cavities or recesses 7. It will of course be appreciated that the spacing can vary appreciably, the criteria being that the walls between the cavities being of such a thickness that they will easily yield when the foot sets on the ground or on obstacles such as 4 and 6 illustrated in FIG. 4. This characteristic will provide an easily compressible amorphous yielding mass resulting in an effective impact absorbing effect that will hinder skidding of the shoe on slippery surfaces.

As to the protuberances 9, they will create numerous tiny passages for quickly exhausting air from the recesses 7 or for the air film between the tips of these protuberances and the surface of the outsole at the level of the recess openings. This characteristic will provide fast adhering as well as fast releasing of the outsole surface, at each step of the wearer. More important still, it will prevent the formation of a skid-promoting air cushion between the outsole and the ground.

I claim:

1. A skid-preventing footwear comprising: a thick outsole made of soft sponge or microcellular rubber and formed with cavities so that it will easily yield under the weight of a wearer; said cavities having apertures opening on the ground-contacting side of said outsole and each having a depth extending over the major portion of the thickness of said outsole; said cavities being spaced from one another a distance such as to create, between cavities, separating walls that will easily yield when said outsole sets on a flat surface or onto an obstacle on the ground, whereby to facilitate absorption of the impact force of the step; said outsole being further integrally formed with closely spaced, short, protuberances distributed between said cavities on the ground-contacting side of said outsole, whereby said protuberances will create air passages when the foot sets on the ground for the escape of air from said caivities to avoid the creation of a skid-promoting air cushion beneath said outsole and to allow easy inflow of air when the foot is lifted.

2. A footwear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said soilcontacting side of said outsole is generally flat throughout its length.

3. A footwear as claimed in claim 2 wherein the opening of each cavity is circular and the depth thereof is slightly smaller than the diameter of said opening.

4. A footwear as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thick, ness of said outsole and the diameter of said cavities are in the ratio of approximately 1:1, said protuberances beingy cylindrical and the height and diameter being in the ratio of approximately 1:1.

5. In a skid-preventing footwear having an upper and a middle sole, the improvement in the provision therewith of an outsole directly secured to said middle sole, said .outsole being fixed and made of soft sponge or microcellular rubber and formed with cavities so that it will easily 'yield under the weight'of a wearer; said cavities having apertures opening on theground-contacting side of said outsole; each cavity having a depth extending over the major portion of the thicknessof said outsole; said cavities being, spaced from one another a distance such as to create, between cavities, separating walls that will easily yield when ysaid outsole hits the ground or sets onto an obstacle on the ground whereby to facilitate absorption of the impact of the step; said outsole being further integrally formed with closely spaced, short, protuberances distributed between said cavities on the groundcontacting side of said outsole, whereby said protuberances will create air passages when the foot sets on the ground for the escape of air from said cavities to avoid the creation of a skid-promoting air cushion beneath said outsole and to allow easy inilow of air when the foot is lifted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 117,831 11/1939 Johnson 36-32UX 921,452 5/1909 Pierce 36-59(C) 1,979,391 11/1934 Laybolt 36-32 2,663,097 12/1953 Giese 36-32X FOREIGN PATENTS 962,584 4/1957 Germany 36-59(C) ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner