SHOE FOR TOILET COMPARTMENT STILE

SABOT DE MONTANT DE TOILETTTE

English Abstract

A shoe for a toilet compartment stile comprising a
single piece of metal having two sides and three ends folded
into a rectangular shape with two of the ends overlapping each
other and defining a stile space, with the shoe being flexible
for moving the overlapping ends apart sufficiently to pass a
stile therethrough and position the shoe around the stile, the
sides having first and second inwardly turned pairs of flanges
with the inner edges of the first pair of flanges spaced apart
a first distance and with the inner edges of the second pair
of flanges spaced apart a second different distance, and with
the overlapping ends having aligned openings for receiving a
fastener for joining the overlapping ends together. A clip
for joining the overlapping ends of the shoe and comprising a
single piece of metal having a U-bend with inner and outer
arms with a tab carried on and projecting at an angle to the
inner arm, with the clip arms having flanges for engaging the
overlapping end aligned openings for retaining the clip on the
ends without the fastener.

French Abstract

Sabot de montant de compartiment de toilette comprenant une seule pièce de métal ayant deux cotés et trois extrémités pliées en forme de rectangle dont deux des extrémités sont superposées et délimitent un espace pour le montant; le sabot est souple pour permettre d'écarter suffisamment les extrémités superposées pour y passer un montant et placer le sabot autour dudit montant; les côtés ont les première et deuxième paires de brides tournées vers l'intérieur; les bords intérieurs de la première paire de brides sont espacés d'une distance donnée et les bords intérieurs de la deuxième paire de brides sont espacés d'une distance différente, et les extrémités superposées sont pourvues d'ouvertures alignées pour recevoir une attache destinée à joindre ensemble les deux extrémités. Une agrafe sert à joindre les extrémités superposées du sabot et est constituée d'une seule pièce de métal coudée en U dont les bras intérieur et extérieur ont une languette faisant saillie selon un angle par rapport au bras intérieur, les bras de l'agrafe ont des brides pour engager les ouvertures alignées des extrémités superposées pour retenir l'agrafe sur les extrémités sans l'aide de l'attache.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A shoe for a toilet compartment stile comprising
a single piece of metal having two sides and three ends folded
into a rectangular shape with two of said ends overlapping each
other and defining an enclosed stile space,
said shoe being flexible for moving said overlapping
ends apart to increase the size of said stile space for
sufficiently passing a stile between said ends thereby
permitting positioning of said shoe around the stile,
said sides having first and second inwardly turned
pairs of flanges at 90 degrees, with inner edges of said first
pair of flanges spaced apart a first distance and with inner
edges of said second pair of flanges spaced apart a second
different distance, and
fastener means for joining said overlapping ends
together.
2 . A shoe as defined in claim 1 with said ends having
inwardly turned flanges.
3. A shoe as defined in claim 1 wherein said
overlapping ends have aligned openings for receiving said
fastener means for joining said overlapping ends together.
4. A shoe as defined in claim 3 wherein said
overlapping ends comprise an inner end and an outer end, with
said outer end having a depressed portion for receiving a
fastener head and said inner end having a recessed portion for
receiving said depressed portion. ~5. A shoe for a toilet compartment
stile comprising
a single piece of metal having two sides and three ends folded
into a rectangular shape with two of said ends overlapping each
other and defining an enclosed stile space,
said shoe being flexible for moving said overlapping
ends apart to increase the size of said stile space for

sufficiently passing a stile between said ends thereby
permitting positioning of said shoe around the stile,
said sides having first and second inwardly turned
pairs of flanges with inner edges of said first pair of flanges
spaced apart a first distance and with inner edges of said
second pair of flanges spaced apart a second different
distance,
a clip for joining said overlapping ends of said shoe,
with said overlapping ends having aligned openings,
said clip comprising a single piece of metal having a
U-bend with inner and outer arms with a tab carried on and
projecting at an angle to said inner arm,
said clip arms having means for engaging said
overlapping end aligned openings for retaining said clip on
said ends for locking said overlapping ends together.
6. A shoe as defined in claim 5 wherein said clip
arms means for engaging includes a first shoulder on said inner
arm projecting toward said outer arm and a second shoulder on
said outer arm projecting away from said inner arm, with said
clip sliding onto the inner of said overlapping ends, and with
said shoulders in alignment for engaging said aligned openings
of said inner and outer ends, respectively.
7 . A shoe as defined in claim 6 wherein the outer
overlapping end of said shoe has a depressed fastener head
portion and said outer arm of said clip has opposed outward
turned guide wings for positioning said clip about said
depressed fastener head portion of said shoe outer overlapping
end.
8. A clip for a shoe for a toilet compartment stile,
the shoe having sides and ends with two ends overlapping each
other and with the shoe being flexible for moving the
overlapping ends apart sufficiently to pass a stile
therethrough and position the shoe around the stile, with the
overlapping ends having aligned openings for receiving fastener
means for joining the overlapping ends together,

said clip comprising a single piece of metal having a
U-bend with inner and outer arms with a tab carried on and
projecting at an angle to said inner arm,
said clip arms having means for engaging the shoe
overlapping end aligned openings for retaining said clip on the
shoe ends without the fastener means.
9. A clip as defined in claim 8 wherein said clip
arms means for engaging includes a first shoulder on said inner
arm projecting toward said outer arm and a second shoulder on
said outer arm projecting, away from said inner arm, with said
clip sliding onto the inner of the shoe overlapping ends, and
with said shoulders in alignment for engaging the shoe aligned
openings of the inner and outer ends, respectively.
10. A clip as defined in claim 9 wherein said outer
arm of said clip has opposed outward turned guide wings for
positioning said clip about a depressed fastener head portion
in the shoe outer overlapping end.
11. A shoe for a toilet compartment stile comprising
a single piece of metal having two sides and three ends folded
into a rectangular shape with two of said ends overlapping each
other and defining an enclosed stile space,
said shoe being flexible for moving said overlapping
ends apart to increase the size of said stile space for
sufficiently passing a stile between said ends thereby
permitting positioning of said shoe around the stile, with said
overlapping ends having aligned openings, and
a clip comprising a single piece of metal having a
U-bend with inner and outer arms with a tab carried on and
projecting at an angle to said inner arm,
said clip arms having means for engaging said
overlapping end aligned openings for retaining said clip on
said ends for locking said overlapping ends together.
12. A shoe as defined in claim 11 wherein said clip
arms means for engaging includes a first shoulder on said inner

arm projecting toward said outer arm and a second shoulder on
said outer arm projecting away from said inner arm, with said
clip sliding onto the inner of said overlapping ends, and with
said shoulders in alignment for engaging said aligned openings
of said inner and outer ends, respectively.
13. A shoe as defined in claim 12 wherein said outer
arm of said slip has opposed outward turned guide wings for
positioning said clip about a depressed fastener head portion
of said shoe outer overlapping end.

Description

21 961~CJ
SHOE FOR TOILET COMPARTMENT STILE
BACK&ROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to toilet compartments and in
particular to a new and improved shoe for a toilet compartment
stile.
A conventional toilet compartment 11 with stiles 12,
13, door 14 and side panel 15 is shown in Fig. 1. The stiles
12, 13 are fastened to the floor in a conventional manner as
shown in Fig. 2. The side panel 15 is connected between the
stile 12 and the back wall 17 with conventional mounting
brackets. The stile 13 is similarly fastened to the side wall
18. The door 14 is hinged to the stile 13 in the conventional
manner.
Fig. 2 illustrates the conventional mounting of a
stile on the floor of the toilet compartment. A bracket 20 is
attached to the bottom of the stile 13 by bolts 21 and nuts 22
positioned in openings 23 at the lower end of the stile.
Bolts 24 are set in the floor 16 and are positioned in slots
in the bracket 20. Conventional nuts with washers are
positioned on the bolts 24 above and below the bracket 20 for
clamping the bracket and the stile in place on the floor, as
shown in Fig. 3. After the stile is clamped to the floor, a
shoe 25 is slid downward over the stile to rest on the floor
and enclose the lower end of the stile, the mounting bolts 21
and 24, ~nd associated components.
The conventional shoe is made of one piece or of two
pieces welded together, with a specific length and a specific

2~ Y672~
width for a specific size of stile. Typically, stiles come in
a wide range of lengths, typically ranging from two inches to
twenty-four inches. Also stiles usually come in two widths or
thicknesses, typ:lcally three-quarter inch and on inch. This
requires manufacture and stocking of a substantial number of
different sizes of shoes. Also, it is sometimes necessary to
place the shoe in position after the stile has been attached
to the wall or the side panel, at which time the shoe can no
longer be slid downward over the stile.
Several approaches have been considered in
overcoming these disadvantages of the one piece stile
construction. In one design, the shoe has been folded from a
single piece of metal with overlapping ends at one end so that
the shoe can be opened for laterally sliding onto the stile,
with the overlapping ends then joined by a screw which also
runs into the stile to hold the shoe in position. This design
still requires a different shoe for each length and for each
stile thickness.
Another approach has been to produce a shoe in four
pieces, with the end pieces being channels and the side pieces
being flat. Channels can be provided for two thicknesses of
the stile, and sides can be provided in various widths.
However, this construction requires ordering the appropriate
parts for each installation and assembly of the components,
usually on the site.
Another approach is a two piece construction with a
three sided unit having flanges for attaching a fourth side
after the three sided unit has been positioned around the
stile. Here again a different three sided unit must be
provided for each stile thickness and stile width.
It is an object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved shoe for a stile, which shoe can be
installed by positioning around the stile with a lateral
movement, and which shoe can be utilized with stiles of two
different thicknesses. A further object of the invention is

2~ 967~9
to provide such a shoe which can be utilized with free
standing stiles and also with stiles mounted against a wall.
With the new and novel shoe construction of the invention, the
number of shoe widths which must he stocked is reduced by
half.
Other objects, advantages, features and results will
more fully appear in the course of the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention includes a shoe for a toilet
compartment stile comprising a single piece of metal having
two sides and three ends folded into a rectangular shape with
two of the ends overlapping each other and defining a stile
space, with the shoe being flexible for moving the overlapping
ends apart sufficiently to pass a stile therethrough and
position the shoe around the stile, with the sides having
first and second inwardly turned pairs of flanges with the
inner edges of the first pair of flanges spaced apart a first
distance and with the inner edges of the second pair of
flanges spaced apart a second different distance. The
overlapping ends have aligned openings for receiving fastener
means for joining the overlapping ends together.
The invention further includes a clip for joining
the overlapping ends of the shoe, with the overlapping ends
having aligned openings for receiving fastener means for
joining the overlapping ends together, with the clip
comprising a single piece of metal having a U-bend with inner
and outer arms with a tab carried on and projecting at an
angle to the inner arm, with the clip arms having means for
engaging the overlapping and aligned openings for retaining
the clip on the ends without the fastener means.

21 ~672~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating a typical
toilet compartment with stiles and shoes;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged exploded view illustrating
conventional mounting of a stile on a floor with a prior art
shoe;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2
illustrating mounting with a shoe incorporating the features
of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional top view
taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the
line 5-5 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial view taken at the
circle 6 of Fig. 4;
- Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the clip
50 of Figs. 4 and 6;
Fig. 8 is a side view taken along the arrow 8 of
Fig. 7, and
Fig. 9 is a side view taken along the arrow 9 of
Fig. 7.
DESCRIPTION O~ THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The shoe 31 of the invention is folded from a single
piece of metal with sides 32, 33, end 34, and overlapping ends
35, 36. The shoe also has a first pair of inwardly turned
flanges 37, 38 and a second pair of inwardly turned flanges
39, 40 on the respective sides 32, 33. The inner edges of the
flanges 37, 38 are spaced apart a first distance, to provide
for one thickness of stile, and the inner edges of the flanges
39, 40 are spaced apart a lesser thickness to provide for a
thinner stile. Typically, the stile thickness dimensions are
one inch and three-quarters of an inch.

21 9672q
The shoe is installed about the stile by spreading
the shoe apart as shown in phantom lines in Fig. 4 and then
bringing the ends 35, 36 into overlapping relation as shown in
solid lines in Fig. 4. When installed in this manner, the
lower flanges rest on the floor below the lower end of the
bracket and the upper flange define the space for the stile.
With this construction, the shoe can be installed either with
the flanges 37, 38 at the upper side for a thicker stile or
with the flanges 39, 40 at the upper side for a thinner stile.
Preferably, flanges 43 may be provided at the ends also,
normally with these flanges of the same size for both top and
bottom.
In the preferred construction illustrated, a
depressed portion 45 is provided in the flange 35, and a
recessed portion 46 is provided in the flange 36, with aligned
openings in the two portions for a fastener for joining the
ends 35, 36 together. Typically, the fastener is a sheet
metal screw 47 which engages both ends. However, this screw
does not have to go into the stile, but rather the components
are dimensioned so that the inner end of the screw fits below
the notch 48 at the lower end of the stile. The head of the
screw is positioned in the depressed portion 45 to provide a
smooth external surface.
This installation is satisfactory for a stile which
does not abut a wall, such as the stile 12, where there is
access for overlapping the ends and inserting the screw.
However, a different construction is desired for a stile which
abuts a wall, such as the stile 13. For this type of
installation, the overlapping ends are positioned at the wall,
as shown in Fig. 4 and there is no access for utilizing a
screw type fastener. For this type of installation, a clip 50
is utilized, with the clip initially positioned on the end 36.
The shoe is positioned about the stile in the open cor.dition
as shown in phantom lines in Fig. 4. Then the side 32 is
moved to the solid line position of Fig. 4, bringing the clip

21 96729
50 into the position of Fig. 6. The clip is provided with
means for attaching the clip to the end 36 and also for
attaching the clip to the end 35, thereby maintaining the two
sides of the shoe in the latched position about the stile.
The clip 50, as better seen in Figs. 7-9, is formed
from a single piece of metal, with a U-bend having an inner
arm 51 and an outer arm 52, with a tab 53 carried on and
projecting at an angle from the inner arm 51. A shoulder 54
is provided in the inner arm, with the shoulder projecting
toward the outer arm. Another shoulder 56 is provided in the
outer arm, typically by bending up a portion of the arm at a
slot 55, with the shoulder projecting away from the inner arm.
Preferably, guide wings 57, 58 are provided at opposite edges
of the outer arm.
In use, the clip is positioned on the inner
overlapping end 36 of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 4, with the
tab 53 providing for manual positioning of the clip. With the
clip in this position, the shoulder 54 fits into the fastener
opening in the recessed portion 46 of the inner end,
maintaining the clip in position on the inner end. Then as
the shoe inner end 36 is slid into position against the shoe
outer end 35 to the position of Fig. 6, the shoulder 54 of the
outer arm of the clip engages the fastener opening in the
depressed portion 45 of the outer end, locking the overlapping
ends together. The wings 57, 58 of the clip serve to guide
the clip in position around the depressed portion 45.
This construction enables the shoe to be installed
and maintained in position when the stile is against a wall or
other structure which does not provide access for inserting a
screw. Thus, it is seen that the aims of the invention are
achieved with this unique shoe and clip.

Representative Drawing