US3345707A - Decorative shoe lace keeper - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10, 1967 A, M, Rm 3,345,707

DECORATIVE SHOE LACE KEEPER Filed Nov. 16, 1964 INVTOR.

United States Patent 3,345,707 DECORATIVE SHOE LACE KEEPER Albert M. Rita, 120 2nd Ave., Altoona, Pa. 16601 Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,239 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-120) This invention relates to a connector for shoe laces and one of its objects is to provide a device with which shoe laces may be neatly secured when tightened through the lacing eyelets of the shoe, so that the laces will not become loose or untied after walking or running, and the tied ends of the laces will always appear neat and attractive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disc lace keeper having holes to receive the lace ends and slots extending to the edge of the keeper to permit of quick and easy insertion of the lace tips in these receiving holes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lace end keeper having a hard center of plastic material or porcelain, and a spring lever which extends across the keeper and maintains tension against the lace ends so that they will retain their initial position in the lace keeper, the latter being provided with receiving holes to separate and hold the lace ends in place.

With the above and other objects in view the invention relates to certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification of the accompanying drawings, which shows the construction of m-y'invention; and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe, showing my invention applied to control the laces.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lace keeper showing the lace control holes and the entrance slots thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the keeper.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof, partly in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the lace keeper.

FIG. 6 is a detail perspective view of the keeper.

FIG. 7 is a detail edge view of the keeper, showing the lace ends extended through the keeper.

FIG. 8 is another similar view of the keeper.

FIG. 9 is a third similar view of the keeper, showing a bow knot tied over the keeper.

FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective view of a spring clutch for the lace ends.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the keeper, showing the use of a pivoted spring clamping lever and its latch.

FIG. 12 is a detail side view thereof, showing the end of the spring lever engaged with the latch in a restrained relation to the keeper and the lace ends disposed on the keeper.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which show the practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates a shoe of conventional construction, having an upper provided with a right wing 10a and a left wing 10b, each wing being equipped with lacing eyelets 11, suitably secured thereto in spaced relation to each other. As is well known, the flexible fabric or other laces 12 are threaded through the eyelets and secured by a bow or other type of knot, and frequently become loose after the user walks or runs, and the laces will then often depend from the uppers and result in accidents to the shoe wearer, besides giving an unattractive appearance to the wearer.

3,345,707 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 To control the lace ends I provide a circular keeper 14, with two lace receiving through holes 14a and 14b, which are spaced apart from each other in the central portion of the keeper. This keeper may be made of porcelain, hard plastic or other wear resisting material which is commonly used for buttons and the like, and is formed with entrance slots 15 and 16, leading from the edge of the circular keeper to the holes 14:: and 14b, so that quick insertion of the lace ends is made possible.

A metal rim 17 may be fitted 011 the keeper disc 14, and secured thereto in any manner found best for the purpose, and for this purpose this metal rim may be formed with an L-shaped edge portion 17, which may be folded over the edges of the disc 14.

A lever arm 18, preferably of spring metal, is pivoted by the pin or rivet 19 to the lace keeper 14, and extends across the keeper and the protecting metal ring or rim 17, and is formed with a downwardly bent forward end portion 18a, which is disposed against the edge of the metal rim or ring and is adapted to be moved under the latch finger 20, formed on the metal rim or ring.

This spring lever is moved to latching position over the how knot 21, which is formed with the lace ends over the keeper, as shown in FIG. 9.

The spring lever holds the lace ends against the keeper and the keeper provides a base for clamping the lace ends in place, so that walking or running or other movements of the feet and legs will not have a loosening action on the lace knot, and the shoe will retain its dress appearance throughout the time it is worn. To untie the laces, the spring lever is shifted from latched position and the lace knot is slipped in the usual manner, and the keeper is withdrawn from its connection with the lace ends.

It is understood that various changes may be made in the construction of the invention as shown, without departing from the defined scope of the invention, set forth by the claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe lace keeper adapted to retain laces in a desired tied condition, said keeper comprising a hollow member having a pair of lace receiving apertures extending through the bottom surface thereof and joined to a pair of opposed lace receiving slots extending through edge surfaces thereof, said hollow member having resilient lace engaging means disposed therein and formed from a substantially integral length of wire associated with said slots and dimensioned so as to frictionally retain end portions of the laces within the said slots to prevent inadvertent untying of the lace ends, said keeper having means secured to the top surface thereof and adapted to engage the knot of the said tied laces to prevent inadvertent movement of the knot relative to the keeper.

2. A keeper for shoe laces comprising a bottom member which is provided with a bottom wall and a bounding edge disposed at an angle thereto which is adapted to fit on and into the said bottom member, said bottom member being provided with lace receiving openings in its bottom wall and a top member having lace receiving slots in the top wall thereof which extend into the bounding edge thereof so as to permit the laces to be extended through said bottom member and tied in a holding knot above the top member, said top member having a spring latching arm pivoted thereto, the said arm being adapted to extend over and against the said laces when tied with said holding knot, and said top member being further provided with a keeper element to hold said pivoted latch in pressure relation to the tied laces when said latching arm is swung thereagainst.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,701 3/1908 Lo-ller 24-119 4 FOREIGN PATENTS DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 2. A KEEPER FOR SHOE LACES COMPRISING A BOTTOM MEMBER WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A BOTTOM WALL AND A BOUNDING EDGE DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE THERETO WHICH IS ADAPTED TO FIT ON AND INTO THE SAID BOTTOM MEMBER, SAID BOTTOM MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH LACE RECEIVING OPENINGS IN ITS BOTTOM WALL AND A TOP MEMBER HAVING LACE RECEIVING SLOTS IN THE TOP WALL THEREOF WHICH EXTEND INTO THE BOUNDING EDGE THEREOF SO AS TO PERMIT THE LACES TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH SAID BOTTOM MEMBER AND TIED IN A HOLDING KNOT ABOVE THE TOP MEMBER, SAID TOP MEMBER HAVING A SPRING LATCHING ARM PIVOTED THERETO, THE SAID ARM BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER AND AGAINST THE SAID LACES WHEN TIED WITH SAID HOLDING KNOT, AND SAID TOP MEMBER BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH A KEEPER ELEMENT TO HOLD SAID PIVOTED LATCH IN PRESSURE RELATION TO THE TIED LACES WHEN SAID LATCHING ARM IS SWUNG THEREAGAINST.

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