US973224A - Swimming appliance. - Google Patents

Description

D. SMITH SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 5, 1009.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

- WITNESSES ATTORNEYS THE NKRRIS P515125 cm, WASHINGTON, nc.

DANIEL SMITH, 0F GRIFFIN CORNERS, NEW YORK.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

Wrasse.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Grifiin Corners, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Swimming Appliance, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new and improved device to be attached to the human foot, in swimming, in order to enable the swimmer to obtain a greater leverage 011 the water and thus have a more powerful stroke, so that he may travel more rapidly through the water.

An object of this invention is to provide a web foot with a membrane capable of being collapsed and extended at will by the flexing of the foot at the ankle joint.

A further object of this invention is to provide a web foot with means for protecting the sole of the human foot, and at the same time having attached thereto means for increasing the leverage of the human foot at will, on the water.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, easily manipulated and controlled, and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of,parts, will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing a pair of my devices attached to a swimmer in the act of using the same. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, showing one of my devices attached to the human foot, with the membrane in its extended position; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. showing the foot flexed downwardly, with the membrane in its collapsed position.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of my device, 1 indicates a shoe or sandal, which is adapted to he slipped Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 5, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 526,392.

011 to a human foot 2, so as to furnish a protection for the sole of the foot, and also furnish a support for the web portion, to be described.

The sandal 1 consists of a sole 3, to which is secured at the front end thereof, in any well known manner, as by means of stitching 4, a toe clip 5, which may be of any suitable flexible material, such as soft leather. Secured to the rear of the sole 3 by any suitable means, such as stitching 6, there is provided a heel piece 7. In order to secure the sandal to the foot, there is provided a flexible connection or strap 8, which is permanently secured to the heel piece 7 by any suitable means, such as a rivet 9, at one end, and is detachably attached to the heel piece 7 at the other end by means of a buckle 10, which is secured to an auxiliary strap 11, which in turn is permanently secured to the heel piece 7. There is also provided another flexible strap 12, which is adapted to entirely encircle the ankle, above the joint thereof, and which has its ends secured together by means of a suitable buckle There is provided on this strap 12, and so located that it will extend across the front of the shin bone of the human leg, a curved metal member 1a, which is secured to the strap 12 in any well known manner, as by means of rivets 15. This member 1 1 is provided with a pair of lugs 16, between which is pivoted a main rib or rod 17 of the web foot proper 18.

Adjacent the pivotal connection of the rib 1'7 with the lugs 16, there are provided on the rib 17 a pair of lugs 19, extending from each side of the rib 17, and between which are pivotally connected a pair of auxiliary ribs or rods 20 and 21. Secured to the auxiliary ribs 20, 21 by any suitable means, such as stitching 21*, there is provided a flexible membrane 22, which may be of any suitable form and material, such as cotton, Japanese silk or rubber. In order to further secure the membrane 22, there are provided edge cords 23, which are threaded through openings in the outer ends of the ribs 17, 20 and 21.

In order to adjustably connect the auxiliary ribs 20 and 21 with the main rib 17,

there are provided a pair of links 2'1 and 25, which are pivotally secured at one end to the ribs 20 and 21, and are also pivotally secured at their opposite ends to a sleeve 26, which is slidingly mounted on the main rib 17 In order to open and close the membrane 22 and the ribs 20 and 21, there is provided on the sleeve 26, a standard 27, which is pivotally connected with a standard 28 on a bracket 29 which is secured to the toe 5 in any well known manner, as by means of rivets 30. Thus, by bending the foot up and down, the sleeve 26 will be slid in and out, thus extending and collapsing the membrane 22. In order to further support the membrane 22 and take up the excessive strain thereon when it is forced against the water in its extended position, there are provided a pair of guy cords 31 and 32, which are secured in the openings in the outer ends of the ribs 20 and 21 at one end, and are also secured at their opposite ends to a pair of brackets 33, which are secured in any well known manner to the toe 5.

The operation of the device will be readily understood when taken in connection with the above description. 1

A pair of the web feet are attached to the feet of the swimmer by means of the straps or flexible connections 8 and 12. The sandal portions 1 form efficient protectors for the soles of the feet, so that the swimmer may travel on clam shells, cobble stones or the like, without danger of injuring his feet. The web foot proper 18 is located out of the way above the instep, so that it will not interfere with the swimmers propulsion on land. When the swimmer desires to utilize the increased leverage while swimming in the water, he flexes the foot upwardly from the ankle joint. This action opens out the auxiliary ribs 20 and 21, thereby spreading the membrane 22, so as to form an increased surface, which will enable the swimmer to exert a. more efficient kick on the water through which he is traveling. When the swimmer desires to decrease the resistance, as in drawing up his foot for another stroke, all that it is necessary to do is to bend the foot downward. This action automatically closes or collapses the auxiliary ribs 20 and 21, and thus folds up the membrane 22. lVith a little practice, this action will become automatic, so that the swimmer on his kicking stroke will automatically extend the web foot, and on his recovery stroke will automatically collapse the web foot by flexing his own foot at the ankle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device of the class described, the

ed to manipulate said auxiliary ribs relative to said main rib.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a plurality of pivotally connected members, of a membrane interconnected with said members, and means operated at will for manipulating said members to extend and collapse said membrane.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a sandal, of an ankle support, a plurality of ribs pivotally connected to said ankle support, a membrane connected to said ribs, means connecting said ribs with said sandal, and additional means for taking up the strain on said ribs.

In a device of the class described, the combination with a sandal, of an ankle support, a main rib pivot-ally connected to said ankle support, an auxiliary rib pivotally connected to said main rib, a membrane connected to said ribs, a sleeve slidingly 'supported 011 said main rib, links connecting said auxiliary rib with said sleeve, and means for connecting said sleeve with said sandal.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a foot support, of an an kle support, a main rib pivotally connected to said ankle support, auxiliary ribs pivotally connected to said main rib, a membrane connected to said ribs, links pivotally connected to said auxiliary ribs, a sleeve slidingly supported on said main rib and pivotally connected to said links, and means for pivotally connecting said sleeve with said foot support.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a foot support, of an ankle support, a main rib pivotally connected to said ankle support, auxiliary ribs piv0tally connected to said main rib, a. membrane connected to said ribs, a sleeve slidingly mounted on said main rib, means for connecting said sleeve with said auxiliary ribs, means for connecting said sleeve with said foot support, and guy cords for connecting said auxiliaryribs with said foot support.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a sandal, of means for detachably connecting said sandal to the foot, l cords connecting said auxiliary ribs with an ankle support, a main rib pivotally consaid sandal.

nected to said ankle support a plurality of In testimony whereof I have signed my auxiliary ribs pivotally connected to said name to this specification in the presence of 5 main rib, a membrane connected to said two subscribing Witnesses.

ribs, a sleeve slidin 'ly mounted on said main rib, links pivo lally connecting said DANIEL SMITH sleeve With said auxiliary ribs, a lug on said W it-nesses: sleeve, a lug on sald sandal pivota-lly coni Lnorom) ADRIAN DE Rosa, l0 nected with sald lug 011 sa d sleeve, and guy 1 PHILIP F. SOHAEFER.

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