Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to a novel construction for a
skate boot, and to a skate including such a s~ate boot. More
specifically, this invention relates to a skate boot made of a
relatively rigid material, and to a construction for the skate
boot which gives it the characteristics of a skate boot made of
a flexible material~
It is well known in the art to make skate boots of
synthetic material such as, for example, polyurethane, thermo~
plastic rubber, and the material identified by the trademark
ADEPRI~E, instead of leather. Although there are advantages to
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making the boots of the synthetic materials, there are also
difficulties. Thus, the synthetic materials are relatively rigid
in that there is very little stretch to them. However, in use,
it is necessary that the boot have a degree of flexibility in the
ankle area thereof. `
To provide this degree of flexibility, boots of synth-
etic material are made in two portions, a lower shell, including
the toe, heel and sole of the boots, and an upper shell, which
is movably attached to the lower shell adjacent the top rear part
thereof and positioned to surround the ankles when the boot is
worn. The degree of flexibility is provided by pivotably anchor-
ing, by means of rivets, the upper shell to the lower shell on
the bottom end of the upper shell and on the right and left hand
sides of the skate. While this arrangement allows movement in -
the frontward and rearward directions (the longitudinal directions)
it does not provide sufficient flexibility in the lateral direc- ~ ;~
tions of the skate.
Additionally, the lower shell is molded as a single
unit in the production of the boot. However, there are two con-
flicting requirements in each boot as follows" ~he top part of
the lower shell, encasing the upper part of the foot, should be ~ -
flexible to permit the boot to be easily opened to receive the
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foot of a wearer and to conform to the shape of the foot, on the
other hand, the bottom, or sole, part of the boot, as well as the
toe part, should be rigid to carry the weight of the wearer, to
provide adequate strength for attaching the skate blade to the
boot and to provide protection to the toe of a wearer.
It is therefore an object o~ the invention to provide
a structure for a skate boot made of a relatively rigid material
which structure will permit movement in the lateral, as well as
longitudinal, directions.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a
structure for a skate boot made of a relatively rigid material
which includes a reinforced bottom, or sole, portion, and a rein-
forced toe portion.
It is a still further object of the invention to pro-
vide a method for producing the reinforced portions.
The first object is met bynmovably attaching the upper
shell to the lower shell at a single point at the rear of the
skata boot. -`
The second ob~ect is met by making the bottom, or sole,
portion and the toe portion, in two layers: an outer layer and
a more rigid inner layer.
The reinforced portion is produced by first molding i ~ ;
the inner layeroof a rigid material, and then placing the layer
in the mold for the outer layer and molding the outer layer ~
around the inner layer. `
In accordance with a specific embodiment a skate boot
formed of a synthetic material comprises: a lower shell having
a heel portion, a toe portion and a sole portion, and an upper
shell disposed on the lower shell to surround the ankle of a
wearer; wherein said upper shell is attached to said lower shell
by attachment means which permits lateral and longitudinal move-
ment of said upper shell relative to said lower shell.
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Said a-ttachment means i9 disposed at the rear end of
said boot and may comprise a single point attachment means
thereat.
Said attachment means may comprise: a button member
disposed at the rear end of said lower shell; and a mating button-
hole disposed at the corresponding rear ~nd of said lower shell.
Said button member may, in plan view thereof, be in
the shape of a somewhat truncated triangle, said but~on being
fixed to said lower shell by a stem of a first length; and
10 wherein said buttonhole may be T-shaped with a relatively wide ~ `
trunk, the length of said trunk being greater than said first
length: whereby said upper shell is longitudinally movable ;
relative to said lower shell.
In accordance with a further specific embodiment a
skate boot formed of a synthetic material comprises: a lower
shell having a heel portion, a toe portion and a sole portion~
and an upper shell disposed on the lower shell to surround the ~ -
ankle of a wearer; wherein said sole portion and said toe portion
comprise a reinforcement layer of a second synthetic material.
Said second synthetic material is more rigid than said
synthetic material.
Said reinforcement layer comprises an inner layer inte~
grally bonded to the outer layers of said toe and sole portions
of said boot.
The invention will be better understood by a review of
the following description, together with the accompanying draw- ;~
ings, in which:- ~
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a skate boot in ` ~-
accordance with the invention,
Figure 2 illustrates a preferred arrangement for movably
attaching the upper shell to the lower shell;
Figure 3 is a cross-section through III-III in Figure 2;
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and
Figure 4 is a cross-section o~ the lower shell to
illustrate the reinforced bottom, or sole, and toe portions.
Referring to Figure l, a boot in accordance with the
invention, illustrated generally at: l, comprises a lower shell 3
and an upper shell 5. The lower shell includes the heel, toe
and sole 9 of the boot, and the upper shell is located to sur-
round the ankle of a wearer. The boot also contains a removable
sock-like member 7 and has a blade ll attached to the underside
of the sole 9. The boot can also be used for rollar skates, in
which case rollers rather than a blade would be attached.
In accordance with the invention, the upper shell is
attached to the lower shell by attachment means 13 at the rear
end of the boot. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment
means comprises a button 15 and buttonhole 17 arrangement,
whereby the upper shell is movable relative to the Lower shell,
which is better seen in Figures 2 and 3. As seen in these
Figures, the shape of the button in plan view is a somewhat
truncated triangle, and the buttonhole is T-shaped with horizon-
tal arms l9 and a relatively wide trunk 21.
As seen in Figure 3, butt~n 15 is connected to lower
shell 3 by stem 16, and the length of stem 16, in the vertical
direction, is less than the length of the button in the same
direction. Because the upper shell is not constraihed at the ~ -
sides of the boot, as in the prior art arrangements, the upper `
shell is movable in the lateral directions relative to the lower '5'
shell. In addition, because upper shell 5 is movable in a verti- ~-
cal, and therefore forward and rearward (longitudinal) directions,
relative to the lower shell.
It will be appreciated that the attachment means illus-
trated is only one of many possible arrangements. Thus, the
shape of the button need not be as shown herein but could be, for ;~
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example, round, and the ~uttonhole would th0n be of a corres-
pondingly different shape, for example, a rectangular shaped
opening.
In addition, the button could be disposed on the upper
shell and the buttonhole on the lower shell.
It is also feasible to p~actice the invention with an
arrangement wherein the upper shell is non-removably, but
movably, attached to the lower shell. Thus, the lower shell
could comprise, at the rear end thereof, two vertically spaced
horizontal slits. The upper shell would then contain a mating
ribbon means which would pass through the upper slit to the
inside of the boot and out thre~gh the lower slit. The ribbon
means would be attached, at both ends thereof, to the upper
shell, and the spacing between the attachments of the ribbon
means would be greater than the spacing between the slits so
that the upper shell would be movab~e forward and rearward ~ ;
relative to the lower shell.
It is also possible to non-movably attach the upper 1 ~-
shell to the lower shell as by rivets, so long as it is attached
at the rear of the boot. It is the rear attachment which per-
mits lateral movement.
The boot comprises a synthetic material such as, but
not restricted to, polyurethane, thermoplastic rubber, ADEPRINE,
etc. Although such materials are rigid relative to leather,
as above discussed, it is flexible relative to the requirements
in the sole and toe portions of the boot. To reinforce these
parts, a second, more rigid, layer of material is used as shown ~ -
in Figure 4. In this Figure, the boot is shown to comprise, in ;~
the sole and toe portions thereof an outer layer 23, consisting
of the material o~ the boot, and an inner layer 25 of a more rigid ~ ; -
material. The inner, or reinforcement layer 25, will also be a
synthetic material and could comprise, for example A.s~S.
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material.
To produce the boot with the reinforcement, the inner
layer 25 is first formed in a mold. The molded layer is then
inserted into the boot mold, and the mold for the boot is then
formed around the inner layer. With this method, the inner
layer is integrally formed with the outer layer.
Although specific embodiments ha~e been described,
this was for the purpose of illustrating, but not limiting, the
invention. Various modifications, which will come readily to
the mind of one skilled in the art, are within the scope of
the invention as defined in the appended claims. ~ `;
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