US2301702A - Extension shoe - Google Patents

Description

R. E. HITE TAL 2,301,702

EXTENSION SHOE Nov. 10, 1942.

Filed Jan. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :Fi a. l

Nov. 10, 1942. R. E. HlTE E'rAL EXTENS ION S HOE Filed Jan. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s SZ, n m. n w 7 0 R ff m M7 f /cv H r ff WH for EN/ @my @an SM 05M @Mz 7 W Patented Nov. 10, 1942 EXTENSION SHOE` Robert Ernest Hite, James Romond Grinels, and William Griffith Purcell, Richmond, Va.

Application January `16, 1042, Serial No. 427,048

(Cl. Sii-8.5)

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an extension shoe designed for attachment to the regular shoe of a person having one leg shorter than the other.

One object of the invention is to provide an extension shoe which may be strongly made of a light weight material or materials, and which may be readily attached to or detached from the regular shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extension shoe which is adjustable as to height to secure an accurate positioning of its tread or sole for bearing contact with the ground or surface to be trodden, and which may be to a certain degree also adjustable as to width to conform to soles of regular shoes of a standard length but varying to some extent in width or shape from each other.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an extension shoe which may be made of a comparatively small number of parts of metal, plastic or composite materials, which can be stamped out or otherwise constructed to adapt the same to be manufactured by standarized or mass production methods.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an extension shoe which may be used on a succession of regular shoes, to avoid the necessity of discarding an extension shoe each time a worn regular shoe is discarded.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an extension shoe of a standardized type and which may be purchased by a customer in ready made form, suitable for application to his regular shoe, and without the necessity of the customer being required to have an extension shoe especially made for him.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an extension shoe which may be of any desired external appearance to conform to the appearance of a regular shoe, which may be worn with ease and convenience, and which may also be repaired and otherwise readily kept in serviceable and presentable condition at a low cost.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear in the course of the subjoined description, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a regular shoe hav- .ing applied thereto an extension constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through 55 the lower portion of the shoe and the eXtension.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section cn the line 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line l-'i of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section showing an adjustment feature.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I designates a regular shoe proper including an upper foot section 2 adapted to receive the foot of the person for whom the shoe is designed and having a sole 3.

The lower, tread or extension foot section of the shoe comprises three main sections, to wit, a top plate section or attaching section 4, a front ball section 5, a rear heel section 6 and an intermediate bridge or instep section l.

The plate section 4 is of a shape and size conforming generally to that of the sole 3 and is suitably apertured and provided with downwardly extending tubular nuts or cylindrical sleeves 8 fixed thereto and adapted to receive adjusting and fastening screws 9 passing downwardly through the sole 3, the openings in the plate 4 and the nuts or sleeves 8, whereby the plate section and tread extension may be fastened to the shoe I for adjusting the extension tread relative to the shoe sole 3 if desired. Ordinarily this adjustment may not be required, but if required a supplemental sole or lifts in the form of washers It may be disposed about each adjusted screw 9, as shown in Fig. 8, to take up the space between the sole 4and attaching plate. lf one or more complete lifts are used in place of washers, these lifts may cover and conform to the size and shape of the sole of the plate 4. The plate 4 may be made of a light, strong and durable material, such as an aluminum alloy, a strong plastic material, or of a composition material of suitable character.

The front ball section 5 of the extension sole comprises an outer shell portion or member II and an inner shell portion or member I2 telescopically fitted therein, the shell portion i I being open at its base and the shell portion i2 closed by a bottom plate I3 of suitable form. The outer or stationary shell portion or member II issuitably secured stationarily or detachably to the plate 4, as by means of fastening screws I4 engaging openings therein and in attaching lugs or tongues l5 integral with and depending from the plate 4. Y

The inner shell portion or member I2 is adjustable within the outer shell portion or member II to vary the height of the ball portion of the shoe. This may be eifected by pivotally connecting the shell portion I2 at its front with the front of the outer shell portion II, as indicated at I6, so that the shell portion I2 may be tiltably adjusted'upward and downward to dierent degrees and as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. Suitable means may be employed to secure the shell portion I5 in adjusted position. As shown i in the present instance, the shell portion is provided at each side, for this purpose, with a plurality of threaded openings I'i adapted to receive an adjusting and fastening screw I8 on the shell portion II to secure the shell portion I2 at the proper level of adjustment. In place of the front pivotal connection I6 the sides of the shell portion l2 may be provided at the front with openings similar to the openings Il for the reception of screws similar to the screws I8 to `adjustably `secure the forward end of the shell portion I2 to the forward end of the shell portion I I to adjustably connect the forward ends of said shell portions together. In practice, the parts 4, II and I2 are designed to be each made of a single stamping of metal or to be molded or otherwise shaped from plastic material. When the shell portion I2 is made of metal, it is desirably manufactured from a single piece of sheet material divided to form the sides and front or toe portion of the shell portion which are partially separated from the bottom plate I3 and a rear plate portion I9 which may be integral at its lower edge with the rear edge of the plate portion I3. In forming a shell portion I2 so manufactured, the formed parts are bent into their proper relative positions and secured together, as by providing the bottom plate I3 with upturned lugs or screws 2D secured to the sides of the shell by screws 2-I and by forming the rear plate I9 with inwardly extending flanges 22 secured to the sides of the shell portion by screws 23. It will be evident that such construction of the front or ball portion 5 adapts the same to be adjusted as to height to vary the height of the ball portion of the shoe as occasion may require.

The rear or heel section 6 of the extension tread is formed of an outer shell portion or member 24, an inner shell portion or member 25, telescopically fitted together, and a bottom plate 2t. The outer shell portion or member 2d is formed of a U-shaped stamping or molded piece of material having side and back walls but normally open at top, front and bottom. This outer shell portion 24 is stationarily but detachably secured at its sides and rear by screws 2l to lugs 28, similar to the lugs I5, depending from the plate 4, so that when applied its normally open top will be closed by the heel portion of the plate bl. The `inner shell portion 25 is also formed of a U- shaped stamping or molding, but its sides are provided with inwardly extending overlapping anges 29 which are secured together, as by screws or rivets 36; These flanges terminate above the lower edges of the side walls of the shell 25 from extensions of which they are formed and lie in rear of the vfront edges of the side walls lying therebelow. The bottom plate 26 conforms in contour to and closes the open `bottoms of -the shell portions 25. .and Y25 and is provided at Vits sides with upturned lugs or x75 tongues 3l secured to the shell 25 by screws 32 and is provided at its front with an upturned ange 33 carrying the front lugs 3K5 and which lies in advance of the flanges 29 and closes the open portion of the shell 25 therebelow. The shell 25 is adjustable with relation to the shell 24 to vary the height of the heel section S and suitable provision may be made to secure them in adjusted position. In the present instance threaded openings Se are provided for this purpose in the shell 25 to receive securing screws 35 on the shell 24. Provision is thus made to adapt the front ball section 5 and rear heel ysection 6 of the tread to be adjusted to vary the height of the tread as may be required for a proper footmg.

The bridge section l comprises an arched or inverted U-shaped stamping including an intermediate body portion, xedly secured to the plate 4, as by one or more rivets 36, and depending legs 31 and 33. The leg 3l forms a bearing guide against which the part I9 of the ball section 5 abuts and which is provided with tongues or legs 39 to which the sides of the outer shell II of the section 5 are secured by screws d, whereby said shell is rmly fixed at its rear to the plate il. The leg 38 extends downward between the flange 33 of heel plate 2B and the flanges 29 of shell 25 of section 6 and forms with the flange 29 closure members at this point and also a guide for the shell 25 in its adjustments. This leg 38 is provided with tongues or lugs il to which are fastened the sides of the shell 2d by screws 42, whereby said shell 2d is firmly fixed at the front to the plate ll.

In practice sole pieces it and itl of leather, rubber or a composition material may befastened to the bottoms of the shells i2 and 25 to form tread surfaces. Also in practice the outer surfaces of the parts of the shoe extension may be provided with a .leather covering conforming or not in color or appearance to that of the shoe I, or the parts of the shoe extension may be made of a material colored to conform or not to that of the shoe I. Furthermore, the shoe I may b-e provided with a heel to rest on the heel portion of the plate il or it may be heelless and its sole arranged to rest directly on the heel portion of the plate 4.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that our invention provides an extension for attachment to the regular shoe of a person having one leg shorter than the other which is readily attachable to the regular shoe and detachable therefrom, so that the extension may be used in connection successively with regular shoes as those in use are worn out. -also it will be seen that the invention provides an extension shoe which is so constructed as to be light in weight and adapted to be manufactured in quantity by mass production methods, so that thc cost of the extension to users may be made comparatively low. Furthermore, it will be seen that the invention provides an extension shoe which is adjustable as to height, to secure a proper bearing contact of the shoe sole with the surface to be trodden, and which may also be adjusted to certain degrees as Yto width by adjustment of the securing screws of the side walls of the shell portions, to adapt'the shoe extension to conform to.

regular shoes of standard lengths butlwhose soles vary to some extent in conformation or widths. By our` improved construction it is possible to provide a shoe extension which maybe applied to aA regular shoe and' purchased readily in the market by an intended user, thus doing away with the necessity of users of such shoes being compelled to have their extension shoes specially made at a high cost.

While the structure disclosed is preferred, it will of course be understood that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts, other than those speciiied, and falling within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

What we claim isz- 1. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to a regular shoe having an upper and a sole, comprising a top plate section for attachment to the sole of the regular shoe, and a bottom tread section, and means for detachably connecting the top plate section to the shoe sole and adjustably and detachably connecting the bottom tread section to the top plate section;

2. An extension sole adapted for attachment to a regular shoe having an upper and a sole, comprising a top plate section for attachment to the sole of the regular shoe, and a bottom portion consisting of a iront section, a rear or heel section and a bridge section interposed therebetween, and means for detachably connecting the top plate section with the shoe sole and the sections of the tread portion with each other.

3. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to a regular shoe having an upper and a sole, comprising a top plate section for attachment to the sole of the regular shoe, and a bottom tread portion consisting of front and rear or heel sections, each formed of a body member and a sole member, and a bridge section interposed between said front and rear tread sections, said sections of the tread portion being detachably connected with the top plate section and the members thereof being detachably and adjustably connected with each other.

4. An extension shoe for attachment to the sole of a regular shoe comprising a top plate section for attachment to the shoe sole, a front tread section, a rear tread section and a bridge section interposed between said front and rear tread sections, each tread section comprising a pair of relatively adjustable members, and means detachably connecting said sections with each other and the top plate section.

5. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to a regular shoe having a sole comprising a top plate section, a front tread portion formed of relatively adjustable sections, a rear tread portion formed of relatively adjustable sections, means for detachably and adjustably connecting said sections with each other and to the top plate section, and a bridge member disposed between and connecting said front and rear tread portions.

6. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to the sole of a regular shoe comprising a top plate section, a front tread portion formed of relatively adjustable outer and inner shell sections, one provided with a tread plate, a rear tread portion formed of relatively adjustable outer and inner shell sections, one having a tread portion, means detachably and adjustably connecting the shell sections of the tread portions with each other and with said top plate section, and a bridge member extending between and connecting similar shells of the front and rear tread portions.

7. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to the sole of a regular shoe comprising a top plate portion, a front tread portion composed of vertically adjustable sections, a rear tread portion composed of vertically adjustable sections, a bridge member connecting said sections, and connecting means between the front and rear sections and the top plate section.

8. An extension shoe for attachment to the sole of a regular shoe comprising a top plate section, a front tread section consisting of pivotally connected outer and inner shell members, a rear tread section consisting of telescopic outer and inner shells, one of the sections of `each shell having a sole portion, means detachably and adjustably connecting the shells of the tread portions with each other and with the top plate section, and a bridge member connecting the inner shells of the tread sections.

9. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to the sole of a regular shoe comprising a top plate section, a hollow iront tread section formed of an outer shell and an inner shell, the inner shell having a tread portion, a rear tread section formed of an inner shell and an outer shell, the inner shell having a tread portion, means connecting similar shells of the tread sections with the top plate section, a bridge member` extending between and connecting similar shells of the tread sections, and means detachably and adjustably connecting the shells of each section with each other.

10. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to a regular shoe having a sole, comprising a top plate section, a front; tread section, a rear tread section, each of said tread sections consistingr of adjustably connected members, means detachably connecting the tread sections with the top plate section, and a bridge member extending between and connecting the tread sections.

11. An extension shoe adapted for attachment to a regular shoe having a sole, comprising a tcp plate section and a bottom tread section formed of a front portion, rear portion and a bridge portion connecting said front and rear portions, said front and rear portions of the tread section being formed of adjustably connected members detachably connecting said portions with each other and with the top plate and bridge section.

ROBERT ERNEST HITE. JAMES ROMOND GRINELS. WILLIAM GRIFFITH PURCELL.

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