CONVERTIBLE OVERSHOE WITH TEAR RESISTANT BEAD

COUVRE-CHAUSSURE AJUSTABLE AVEC PASSEPOIL RESISTANT AU DECHIREMENT

English Abstract

An convertible overshoe for disposition on one primary shoe and being convertible for disposition on a larger primary shoe. Each of said primary shoes has an outer surface. The overshoe is formed as an integral unit of an elastic material, e.g., rubber, and comprises a sole and an upper. The sole includes anti-slip grit on its outer surface. The upper is in the.form of a peripheral sidewall having an opening at the top edge thereof. The opening is of a sufficient size to enable a primary shoe to be extended therethrough so that it is received closely within the overshoe to prevent the overshoe from falling off. The sidewall of the upper includes a reinforcing strip in the form of a continuous thickened bead extending along a portion of the peripheral edge of the opening and spaced below that edge and an associated contiguous portion defining a trim line. The material of the sidewall at the trim line is readily severable so that it can be severed to remove the sidewall portion of the upper from it to the opening. This action forms an enlarged opening in the upper for a larger primary shoe to be extended through it into to overshoe. The reinforcing bead prevents the overshoe from tearing at the enlarged opening should that opening be stretched when the larger primary shoe is inserted therethrough.

French Abstract

Couvre-chaussure convertible destiné à être disposé sur une chaussure primaire et étant convertible pour pouvoir être disposé sur une chaussure primaire plus grande. Chacune desdites chaussures primaires présente une surface extérieure. Le couvre-chaussure est constitué sous la forme d'une unité monobloc en matière élastique, par exemple en caoutchouc, et comprend une semelle et une tige. La semelle comporte des grains antidérapants sur sa surface extérieure. La tige se trouve sous la forme d'une paroi latérale périphérique présentant une ouverture sur son bord supérieur. L'ouverture est de taille suffisante pour permettre à une chaussure primaire d'y passer de manière à être reçue étroitement à l'intérieur du couvre-chaussure en empêchant le couvre-chaussure de s'en défaire. La paroi latérale de la tige comporte une bande de renfort sous la forme d'un passepoil épaissi continu qui s'étend le long d'une partie du bord périphérique de l'ouverture et est espacé sous ce bord et une partie contiguë associée définissant une ligne de bordure. La matière de la paroi latérale au niveau de la ligne de bordure est facilement séparable de manière qu'elle peut être séparée pour retirer la partie de paroi latérale de la tige vers l'ouverture. Cette action crée une ouverture élargie dans la tige pour que puisse y passer une chaussure primaire plus grande pour s'insérer dans le couvre-chaussure. Le passepoil de renfort empêche le couvre-chaussure de se déchirer au niveau de l'ouverture agrandie au cas où cette ouverture devrait être étirée au passage de la chaussure primaire plus grande dans celle-ci.

Claims

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THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A convertible overshoe for protection of and for
disposition on one primary shoe and being convertible for the
protection of and for disposition on a larger primary shoe, each
of said primary shoes having an outer surface, said overshoe
comprising a sole and an upper which have an inner surface, said
upper being formed of an elastic material sidewall and comprising
an opening formed by a peripheral edge, and a reinforcing strip
extending along said sidewall below said peripheral edge of said
opening, said opening being of a size to enable said one primary
shoe to be extended therethrough so that said inner surface of
said overshoe engages the outer surface of said one primary shoe,
said upper also having a trim line located immediately adjacent
and parallel to said reinforcing strip and located between said
reinforcing strip and said opening, the material of said sidewall
at said trim line being weakened and therefore severable so that
it can be severed therealong to remove the portion of said upper
from said severed trim line to said opening, thereby forming an
enlarged opening in said upper, said enlarged opening enabling
said larger primary shoe to be extended through it so that the
inner surface of said overshoe engages the outer surface of said
other primary shoe, with said reinforcing strip preventing said
overshoe from tearing at said enlarged opening.
2. The overshoe of Claim 1 wherein said upper and said
sole are formed as an integral unit.
3. The overshoe of Claim 2 wherein said material
forming said sidewall is selected from the group consisting of
polyvinyl chloride and rubber.
4. The overshoe of Claim 1 wherein said sole of said
overshoe includes anti-slip means to prevent the wearer of said
overshoe from slipping.
5. The overshoe of Claim 4 wherein said anti-slip means
comprises grit secured to said sole.
6. The overshoe of Claim 2 wherein said sole of said
overshoe includes anti-slip means to prevent the wearer of said
overshoe from slipping.

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7. The overshoe of Claim 6 wherein said anti-slip means
comprises includes grit secured to said sole.
8. The overshoe of Claim 1 wherein said reinforcing
strip comprises a continuous bead extending about the entire
periphery of said opening, said bead being thicker than the
material forming other portions of said sidewall.
9. The overshoe of Claim 8 wherein said upper and said
sole are formed as an integral unit.
10. The overshoe of Claim 9 wherein said material
forming said sidewall is selected from the group consisting of
polyvinyl chloride and rubber.
11. The overshoe of Claim 8 wherein said sole of said
overshoe includes anti-slip means to prevent the wearer of said
overshoe from slipping.
12. The overshoe of Claim 11 wherein said anti-slip
means comprises grit secured to said sole.

Description

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CONVERTIBLE OVERSHOE WITH TEAR RESTSTANT BEAD
SPECTFICATION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to footwear, and more
particularly to overshoes adapted to be worn over other footwear.
Heretofore rubber overshoes (sometimes referred to as
"rubbers" or "galoshes") which are to be worn over other shoes
to protect the latter and/or to provide resistance to slipping
have been of limited adaptability. In this regard such prior art
overshoes have typically been constructed so that they are
suitable for use on only one size of shoe (or, perhaps, one or
a few slightly larger shoes - if the material forming the
overshoe is quite elastic and can stretch sufficiently to
accommodate the larger shoe without the overshoe tearing). This
limits the usefulness of the overshoe substantially. Thus, a
person having several shoes of different sizes or outer
dimensions will necessarily have to purchase overshoes for each
of those shoes.
In United States Letters Patent No. 2,465,911 (Morgan)
there is disclosed a waterproof protector designed to be worn
directly on a woman's foot, or over a woman's shoe, or between
the shoe and an outer protective overshoe and whose height is
adjustable to protect the wearer's hosiery. The protector
comprises a closed foot portion forward of the heel, with the
heel being open from rearwardly of the ball of the foot to a
point above the bulge of the rear portion of a shoe or slipper
worn under the protector. The protector terminates in a
cylindrical top having plural horizontal tear lines or
perforations. The user of the protector can sever the top of the
protector along one of the tear lines to establish the height of
the top of the protector and thus protect a portion of the
wearer's hosiery from the ankle up.
While the shoe protector of the aforementioned patent
appears generally suitable for its intended purpose of protecting
hosiery, it never the less fails to make up for the
aforementioned deficiency of the prior art, i.e.,the inability
of one size overshoe to accommodate shoes of differing sizes.

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OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention
to provide an overshoe which overcomes the disadvantages of the
prior art.
It is another object of this invention to provide an
overshoe for footwear which can be readily converted to for use
on larger sized footwear, without impairing its structural
integrity.
It is still another ob j ect of this invention to provide
an overshoe which is simple in construction, low in cost, and
which is adapted to be converted for use on larger sized
footwear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of this invention are achieved
by providing a convertible overshoe for disposition on one
primary shoe and being convertible for disposition on another,
but larger, primary shoe. Each of the primary shoes has an outer
surface.
The overshoe comprises a sole and an upper which have
an inner surface. The upper portion of the overshoe includes a
sidewall formed of an elastic material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) or rubber. An opening is provided in the top of the upper
sidewall and is formed by a peripheral edge thereof. The opening
is of a sufficient size to enable the one primary shoe to be
extended therethrough so that the inner surface of the overshoe
closely engages the outer surface of the one primary shoe. The
sidewall of the upper additionally includes a portion forming a
severing or "trim'° line and an associated reinforcing strip. The .
reinforcing strip, e.g., a thickened continuous bead, extends
about the peripheral edge of the opening in the upper and is
spaced therefrom. The trim line is located between the
reinforcing strip and the opening and is immediately adjacent the
reinforcing strip.
The material making up the sidewall of the upper at the
trim line is readily severable so that it can be cut to remove
the portion of the upper from the severing line to the opening,
thereby forming an enlarged opening in the upper. The enlarged

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opening enables the other primary shoe to be extended through it
so that the inner surface of the overshoe engages the outer
surface of the other primary shoe to hold it in place thereon.
The reinforcing strip prevents the overshoe from
tearing at the enlarged opening when the other primary shoe is
inserted therethrough.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and many attendant features of this
invention will become readily appreciated as the same becomes
better understood by reference to the following detailed
description when considered in connection with the accompanying
drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the overshoe of
this invention bearing a primary shoe disposed therein;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line
2-2 of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view like that of Fig. 1,
but showing the overshoe trimmed or converted to accommodate a
larger primary shoe therein; and
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line
4-4 of Fig. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to various figures of the drawing where
like reference numerals refer to like parts there is shown at 20
in Fig. 1, a convertible overshoe constructed in accordance with
this invention. The convertible overshoe 20 is arranged to be
used, i.e., worn, on a primary shoe to protect it from water or
to provide some other function not provided by the primary shoe,
e.g., resistance to slippage. The overshoe 20 is arranged to be
readily converted so that it can be worn on another larger
primary shoe (e. g., a shoe of a larger size or a shoe of the same
size but having a larger exterior) without sacrificing any of the
properties it had prior to its conversion, and while maintaining
its structural integrity. It must be pointed out at this
juncture that the "primary shoe" on which the overshoe of this
invention may be worn can be any type of footwear, e.g., a boot,
sneaker, athletic shoe, etc. Thus, the term primary shoe as used

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herein is not to be limited to any particular type of footwear
or "shoe."
The overshoe is a hollow member for accommodating the
primary shoe therein, and basically comprises an upper 24 and a
sole 26. The upper is in the form of a peripheral sidewall 28
extending about the entire periphery of the sole. The top edge
30 of the sidewall forms an opening 32 (Fig. 2) through which the
primary shoe 22A is inserted when it is desired to wear the
overshoe on that primary shoe.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this
invention the overshoe 20 is molded as an integral unit of any
suitable material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, although such an
integral construction is not required. Thus, the sole and the
upper may be formed of separate components, of the same or
different materials, which are secured together to form the
hollow overshoe. In any case the sidewall 28 of the upper should
be formed of an elastic material to enable it to stretch slightly
for reasons to be understood later.
As can be seen in Fig. 2 the sidewall includes a lower
or "welt" portion 28A contiguous with the sole 26. The material
making up the welt portion is of increased thickness as compared
to the portion 288 of the sidewall 28 above the welt portion.
In particular, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this
invention the sole and the welt portion of the upper sidewall are
each of approximately 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) thick, while the upper
portion 28B is 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) thick. The increased thickness
of the material forming the welt portion and the sole is in the
interests of ruggedness and wear resistance.
The upper 24 may include raised surface decoration or
appearance features 34 so that the overshoe provides the same
appearance as overshoes of the prior art. The bottom surface of
the sole can also be of any shape and/or pattern. In a preferred
embodiment of this invention, and as can be seen clearly in Figs.
2 and 4 the bottom surface 36 of the sole includes hard material,
e.g., carbide, grit 38 bonded or otherwise secured to the sole
to provide a non-skid walking surface.

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In order to enable the overshoe 20 to accommodate a
larger primary shoe 22B (Figs. 3 and 4), the thinner sidewall
portion 28B includes a portion forming a severing or trim line
40 (Fig. 1). The trim line 40 extends along the sidewall portion
28B below the peripheral top edge 30 from approximately the
location of the ankle bane forward. The upper 28 is arranged to
be severed or cut along the trim line 40 to remove the portion
of the upper from the trim line to the peripheral edge 30,
thereby forming an enlarged opening 42 as shown in Fig. 3. The
primary shoe 22B, which is somewhat larger than the primary shoe
22A, can then be inserted into the overshoe 20 through the
enlarged opening 42, with the elastic upper material stretching,
if necessary, to accommodate the passage of that shoe
therethrough.
In order to prevent the sidewall of the upper
contiguous with the enlarged opening 42 from tearing when the
larger primary shoe 22B is introduced into the overshoe, a
reinforcing strip 44 is provided in the sidewall portion 28B
adjacent the enlarged opening 42. In particular, the strip 44
is in the form of a continuous bead extending about the upper
contiguous with the trim line 40. The bead is formed by
increasing the thickness of the sidewall portion 28B at the bead
so that it will be approximately the same thickness as the welt
portion of the sidewall.
It should be pointed out at this juncture that other
reinforcing means can be used in lieu of a thickened bead. Thus,
a strip of a strong, somewhat stretchable, yet tear-resistant
material (not shown) may be molded in the material making up the
sidewall portion 28B alcng the trim line.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art
when the sidewall of the upper is severed along the trim line and
the portion of that sidewall from the trim line up is removed,
the reinforcing strip, e.g. , bead, 44 will form the marginal edge
of the enlarged opening 42. Since the bead is thicker, e.g.,
twice as thick, as the material making up the sidewall 28B, the
bead will provide substantial resistance to tearing or splitting
when the larger primary shoe is introduced into the overshoe if

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the sidewall of the overshoe has to stretch somewhat to receive
that shoe.
In the interests of facilitating the trimming of the
upper portion 28B along the trim line 40, the sidewall of the
upper at the trim line may be weakened or perforated.
Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully
illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or
future knowledge, adapt the same for use under various conditions
of service.

Representative Drawing