US2673381A - Quick lace shoelace tightener - Google Patents

Description

March 30, 1954 EK 2,673,381

QUICK LACE SHOELACE TIGHTENER Filed D90. 13, 1951 INVENTOR. WED 52 005K158 Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,673,381 QUICK LACE SHOELACE TIGHTENER Fred E. Dueker, Fort Bliss, Tex. Application December 13, 1951, Serial No. 261.4% Claims. (01. 24-440) This invention relates to improvements in shoe closures.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a shoe closure whereby the shoe can be quickly and easily tightened and untightened and which eliminates the conventional tying and untying of knots.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe' closure that can be operatedwith one hand and of such simplicity and ease in operation that the shoe may be tightened or untightened by children without assistance of adults;

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe closure that eliminates the tying of knots in the conventional manner and thereby eliminates accident due to untied shoe lace'knots.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe closure that can be adjusted to the wearers comfort and which will retain such adjustment until the shoe is removed.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe closure which is fixedly se cured to the shoe uppers at all times and which includes novel means for tightening andum tightening said shoeuppers:

Other objects of the present invention are toprovide a shoe closure which is of simple construction, easy to operate, inexpensive to manufacture, pleasing in appearance and efficient in" operation.

For a better understanding of the invention; reference may be had to the following detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view'of the shoe closure in position on the shoe uppers;

Fig. 2 is' a top plan view of the shoe closure with the cover plate removed to illustrate the: position of the moving parts when the shoe-is untightened;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of'the shoe closurewith the cover plate-removed-to show the position of the moving parts when-the shoe uppers are tightened on the-foot-ofthe wearer;

periphery thereof is adapted to be placed over the shoe uppers, the upwardly extending flange 9 being bordered by the shoe lace eyelets In in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The longitudinal sides of the base plate '5 taper slightly downwardly and the lower surface thereof is slightly curved to fit the contourof the foot. The rectangular shaft consisting of a smooth portion l2 and a saw-toothed portion I3 is disposed along the longitudinal axis of said base plate 1, the ends I4 and i5 of the shaft being adapted to rest in holes l6 and I1 located at the top of the upwardly extending flange 9 at the longitudinal axis thereof. Shoulders l3 and I9 prevent longitudinal displacement of the shaft relative to the base plate I. Rectangular members 20, 2| and 22 are located along the toothed portion I3 of the shaft II and are adapted to ride freely along said toothed portion I3. The lower portions of the rectangular members 20, 2| and 22 have integrally formed loops 23 adapted to receive the shoe lace 24. b

An operating knob 25 consisting of a central portion 26' and an' upper portion 21 is located along the upper portion of' the shaft above the rectangular members; 2| and 22. The central portion 26' of the operating knob is adapted to ride along the shaft H in a manner similar to rectangular members 20, 2| and 22.

The upper portion 2'! of the operating knob 25 Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4-4-of Fig. 1; I I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of'a-portion of the shoe closure;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along the line- 6-6 of Fig. 5.-

Referring now tothe figures, a'-baseplate l' consisting of a rectangular base 8 and ari-upwardlyextending flange 9"eiitending arourfd the consists of a shell28, said shell 28 being roughly semi-circular cross-section, a ratchet 30 and a- U-spring 32. The'center of the ratchet 30 is pivotally connected to the side walls of the shell 28 in conventional manner by means of a pin 3|.

The lower portion of the ratchet 30 extends downwardly of the central portion 26 through the opening 29, the lower portion of the ratchet 30 being adapted to engage the saw-toothed portion. l3; Ther'atchet' 30 iskept .in engagement with the saw-toothed portion 3 by means of the use of the U-spring 32. Ashoulder 33 located at the lower end of the ratchet 30 prevents dis;- placement of the u spring 32. The ratchet 30 extends upwardly and outwardly from said shell 28 by means of the opening. The lower surface of the operating knob 25 has integrally formed thereto a loop 23 adapted to engage the shoe lace24'. I V

A' cover pla'te3 5 consisting of a cover 315 and a downwardlyextendingflange 31 located around the periphery of said cover 36 and integrally connected thereto is adapted to snap over the sef late" Lin t eir ia'nn o ni igr The" cover 36' is p'rovidd with" an elongated" opening 38 located along the longitudinal axis of said cover 36 and adapted to permit longitudinal movement of the operating knob 25 along the shaft I i. Shoulders 39 of the shell 28 engage the upper surface of said cover 36 and prevent upward displacement of said cover plate 35 relative to said base plate '1.

Openings do are located along the longitudinal sides of the upwardly extending fiange 9 adjacent the shoe lace eyelets It, as shown in Fig. 3. Corresponding openings ii are located in the downwardly extending flange 31 of the cover plate 35 and coincide with the openings 48.

lhe shoe closure is permanently attached to the shoe by lacing it on with the conventional shoe lace employing the horizontal front lacing method. The shoe lace 26, as is shown in Fig. 3, passes upwardly from the shoe lace eyelet it through the openings to and ti in the base plate 1 and cover plate 35 respectively, then passing through the loop 23 of the rectangular member 22 and out the other side of the base plate I and cover plate 35 through the openings to and 4!. In order to provide access to the openings All and ll and the loop 23 when lacing, the various parts of the shoe closure are not assembled until the lacing is complete. When the shoe lace 25 has passed through the openings it and ll and the loops 23 in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the shoe lace is tied in a firm knot near the operating knob and the loose ends of the lace remaining are severed. This lacing is effected with the base plate 7 in the position shown in Fig. 2, while the rectangular shaft H and the operating knob 25 and cover plate 35 rest slightly above the base plate 1. During the lacing, the operating knob 25 rests in the elongated opening 38 of the cover plate 35 and moves free of the longitudinal shaft H, which in turn moves free of the base plate 8. When the lacing is complete, the central portion of the operating knob 25 with the cover plate 35 attached thereto is slid onto the rectangular shaft I i from the end I l. The rectangula mem bers 26, El and 22 are, of course, in their proper place on the rectangular shaft I l during the operation. After sliding the cover plate 35 and operating knob 25 onto the rectangular shaft ii, the latter is then snapped into place in the base plate '6, the ends it and [5 of the rectangular shaft H engaging the openings [6 and ii in said base plate 7.

In operation the shoe is placed on the wearers foot with the operating knob and rectangular members in the position shown in Fig. 2. The outer end of the ratchet 3% is then pressed down- Wardly and the operating knob moved downwardly. The movement of the operating knob carries the rectangular members 28, 21 and 22 to the lower end of the rectangular shaft H, as shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the ratchet is then released, the U-spring 32 serving to hold the inner end of the ratchet in position on the saw-toothed portion of the rectangular shaft H; The position of the operating knob 25 may, of course, be adjusted to the comfort of the wearer. To remove the shoe, the foregoing procedure is merely reversed. I

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a novel shoe closure which permits the tightening and untightening of shoes with a minimum of effort.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it should be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the tippended claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A shoe closure comprising a rectangular shaft, a portion of the upper surface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction, a plurality of rectangular members adapted to slide freely along said saw tooth portion, the lower surface of each of said rectangular sliding members having integrally formed thereto a loop adapted to receive a. shoelace, another rectangular sliding member adapted to slide along said rectangular shaft, above said first mentioned rectangular sliding members, said other rectangular sliding member having integrally formed on the lower surface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, the upper portion of said other rectangular sliding member being provided with releasable means for locking said another rectangular member along the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, and a flat rectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said shaft at each end being fixedly mounted in the ends of said housing, said flat rectangular housing being adapted to rest on the shoe uppers between the shoe lace eyelets and being provided on each side thereof with a series of openings located adjacent said eyelets, said flat rectangular housing being provided with an elongated opening whereby to permit access to said releasable means of said other rectangular sliding member.

2. A shoe closure comprising an elongated rectangular shaft, a portion of the upper surface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction, three rectangular sliding members adapted to slide freely along said saw tooth portion, each of said three rectangular sliding members having integrally formed to the lower surface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, a fourth rectangular sliding member adapted to slide along said saw tooth portion above said three rectangular sliding members and having integrally formed to the lowe surface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, the upper surface of said fourth rectangular member having integrally formed thereto an enlarged hollow knob, said enlarged hollow knob in the upper wall thereof being provided with a first opening, said enlarged hollow knob in the bottom wall thereof being further provided with a second opening communicating with the interior portion of said fourth rectangular sliding member whereby to provide access to said saw tooth portion, a ratchet located within said knob and pivotally connected to the side walls thereof by means of a pin, the lower portion of said ratchet extending through said second mentioned opening and being adapted to engage the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, the upper portion of said ratchet extending upwardly and outwardly of said enlarged hollow knob by means of said first mentioned opening, spring means located within said enlarged hollow knob adapted to maintain the lower portion of said ratchet in engagement with said saw tooth portion, and a fiat rectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said shaft at each end being fixedly mounted in the ends of said housing, said flat rectangular housing being adapted to rest on shoe uppers between shoe lace eyelets and being provided on each side thereof with a series of openings adjacent said eyelets, said flat rectangular housing being provided with an elongated opening adapted to receive the central portion of said fourth sliding member while re ntin th d wnw d, is a e he.

enlarged hollow head integrally formed thereto, said elongated opening lying above the said rectangular shaft and extending substantially the length thereof.

3. A shoe closure comprising an elongated rectangular shaft, the upper surface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction along a portion thereof, three hollow rectangular members adapted to slide along the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, each of said hollow rectangular members having integrally formed to the lower surface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, a fourth hollow rectangular sliding member adapted to slide along the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft above said three rectangular sliding members, the lower surface of said fourth rectangular sliding member having integrally formed thereto a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, the upper surface of said fourth rectangular member having integrally formed thereto an enlarged hollow knob, said enlarged hollow knob being provided in the upper wall thereof with a first opening, said enlarged hollow knob being further provided in the bottom wall thereof with a second opening communicating with the interior portion of said fourth rectangular sliding member whereby to provide access to said saw tooth portion, a ratchet located within said knob and pivotally connected to the side walls thereof by means of a pin, the lower portion of said ratchet extending through said second mentioned opening and being adapted to engage the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, the upper portion of said ratchet extending upwardly and outwardly of said enlarged hollow knob by means of said first mentioned opening, a U-shaped spring located within said enlarged hollow knob between the upper interior surface thereof and the lower portion of said ratchet whereby to maintain said lower portion of said ratchet in normal engagement with said saw tooth portion, the lower portion of said ratchet being provided with a shoulder whereby to maintain said U-shaped spring against displacement relative to said ratchet, and a flat rectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said shaft at each end being fixedly mounted in the ends of said housing, said flat rectangular housing being adapted to rest on shoe uppers between shoe lace eyelets and being provided on each side thereof with a series of openings adjacent said eyelets, said flat rectangular housing being provided on the upper surface thereof along the rectangular axis thereof with an elongated opening adapted to receive the central portion of said fourth sliding member while preventing the downward displacement of the enlarged hollow head integrally formed thereto, said elongated opening lying above the said rectangular shaft and extending substantially the length thereof.

4. A shoe closure comprising a rectangular shaft, a portion of the upper surface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction, said shaft being provided at each end with a shoulder, three hollow rectangular members adapted to slide along the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, each of said hollow rectangular members having integrally formed to the lower surface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, a fourth hollow rectangular sliding member adapted to slide along the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft above said three rectangular sliding members, the lower surface of said fourth rectangular sliding member having integrally f o'mled thereto a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, the upper surface of said fourth rectangular member having integrally formed thereto an enlarged hollow knob, said enlarged hollowknob being provided in the upper wall. thereof with a first opening, said enlarged hollowknob being further provided in the bottom wall thereof with a second opening communicating with the interior portion of said fourth rectangular sliding member whereby to provide access to said saw tooth portion, a ratchet located within said knob and pivotally connected to the side walls thereof by means of a pin, the lower portion of said ratchet extending through said second mentioned opening and being adapted to engage the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, the upper portion of said ratchet extending upwardly and outwardly of said enlarged hollow knob by means of said first mentioned opening, a U-shaped spring located within said enlarged hollow knob between the upper surface thereof and the lower portion of said ratchet, the lower portion of said ratchet being provided with a shoulder whereby to maintain said U-shaped spring against displacement and a flat rectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said fiat rectangular housing consisting of a base plate, said base plate being adapted to rest on shoe uppers between shoe lace eyelets, an upwardly extending flange integrally connected around the periphery of said base plate, the longitudinal sides of said upwardly extending flange being provided with a series of openings located adjacent said eyelets, the lower surface of said base plate being curved concavely, the longitudinal sides of said upwardly extending flange tapering slightly towards each other, a cover plate, said cover plate being provided around the periphery thereof with a downwardly extending flange integrally formed thereto, said downwardly extending flange being adapted to fit snugly around said upwardly extending flange and being provided along the longitudinal sides of said downwardly extending flange with a series of openings coinciding with the said openings in said upwardly extending flange, said cover plate being provided with an elongated opening adapted to receive the central portion of said fourth sliding member while preventing the downward displacement of the enlarged hollow head integrally formed thereto, said elongated opening lying above the said rectangular shaft and extending substantially the length thereof, the upwardly extending flange of said base plate being provided with openings at each end thereof, said openings being located along the longitudinal axis of said base plate, said openings being located near the top of said upwardly extending flange, and receiving therein the ends of the said rectangular shaft, said shoulders located at the ends of said rectangular shaft preventing longitudinal displacement of said shaft relative to said base plate.

5. A shoe closure comprising a shaft having a saw tooth portion, a freely slidable member adjustable along the shaft and having a shoe lace receiving portion, another sliding member on said shaft also having a shoe lace receiving portion, releasable means on said other sliding member engageable with the saw tooth portion of the shaft to retain the sliding member in its adjusted position thereon, a supporting housing for retaining said shaft therewithin and inclosing said sliding members so as to permit movement thereof, said housing being adapted to rest upon the FRED E. DUEKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 317,528 Forbes May 12, 1885 914,897 Thomas Mar. 9, 1909 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 124,450 Germany Oct. 26, 1901

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