Apparel apparatus – Putting on or removing garments – Boot and shoe
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-06
2004-10-26
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Apparel apparatus
Putting on or removing garments
Boot and shoe
C223S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06808094
ABSTRACT:
This patent application is a newly filed application, which includes the subject of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/884,777, filed Aug. 26, 1986, now abandoned, to which application applicant makes no priority claim.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein disclosed and claimed relates to an apparatus to assist a person to be able to place boots having side pull straps onto their feet, without the necessity of bending at the waist and using the hands, arms and back muscles to “pull” said boots onto their feet. In general the concept of the invention is to firmly suspend the boot in an upright position, with the leg portion thereof held open, permitting the user to “step into” the boot, and after the foot is fully into the boot, be able to facilely remove the now booted foot from the apparatus. While not so limited, the apparatus disclosed and claimed may have particular utility to persons who, because of physical limitations, may be unable to dress themselves with boots of pull-on design.
2. Description of Related Art
Boots are of course well known. In fact in previous years they may have even been more popular than they are today. There are, of course, boots of many designs. For purpose of discussion of the invention herein disclosed, boots may be categorized into two general categories, those that have openable and closable portions (such as boots of laced, buttoned, zipper or snap design) and boots of “slip-on” design.
Boots of slip-on design are frequently equipped with pull straps (sometimes called simply “pulls”) attached at or near the top of the upper of the boot. Sometimes the pulls are at the front and back of the boot, sometimes only at the back, or sometimes at the sides of the boot. Particularly when the uppers or foot portion of boots of slip-on design are relatively snug, putting them on the feet can constitute a chore. Typically the wearer will assume a seated position, bend over, grasp the top of the uppers or pulls with his or her fingers, and, while pushing with the leg, use a combination of finger, hand, arm, shoulder and back muscles to pull the boot onto the foot. Such maneuver can require substantial flexibility and strength of the torso, arms, hands, fingers and legs of the wearer. The invention disclosed and claimed herein is directed to putting the boots onto the foot without pulling them on as described above. In general concept it provides an apparatus where boots having side pulls may be firmly suspended with vertically disposed and opened uppers. So disposed the boot may be stepped into, without having to bend at the waist or grasp and pull with the muscles of the fingers, hands, arms and back. Following installation of a boot on the foot using the invention, the design of the invention permits facile disconnection of the boot from the invention.
Other patents disclose apparatus to aid a user to place boots onto his or her feet. For instance, Wheeler, U.S. Pat. No. 28,927, dated Jun. 26, 1860, discloses a bootjack. Wheeler discloses a forked base piece, containing a removable pair of inclined uprights (“standards”), each of which uprights contain a plurality of fixed pins projecting horizontally and forward therefrom (towards the toe of the boot). The straps of a boot having side pulls may be hung by its pulls from said pins and stepped into. Wheeler accommodates boots of differing length uppers by providing a plurality of forward projecting pins disposed at different vertical heights along each upright. Donauer, U.S. Pat. No. 459,680, dated Sep. 15, 1891 discloses a shoe holder and detacher for use with boots having front and rear pull straps. The boots may be hung from said front and back pulls by vertically disposed pins attached to a rectangular frame. No means is provided for accommodating boots having side pull straps, or boots having differing length uppers. Jaekel, German Pat. No. 58,629, dated Sep. 7, 1891 discloses an apparatus that may be used to facilitate installation of boots having either front and rear pull straps, or side pull straps. Jaekel discloses a pair of cylindrical uprights. At the top of each upright is a single, fixed, arcuate shaped pin which curves inwardly and forward. Boots having side pulls may be suspended from the arcuate shaped pins and stepped into. For boots having front and rear pull straps a pair of pins is provided on a base which may be folded to a vertical position. Bisanz, U.S. Pat. No. 530,080, dated Dec. 4, 1894 discloses a bootjack having a plate which may be disposed horizontally or vertically. When the plate is disposed horizontally, a pair of pins projecting perpendicularly therefrom form legs supporting on end of the plate. When the plate is disposed vertically, the pins project horizontally and a boot having front and back pull straps may be hung therefrom and stepped into. No means is provided for accommodating boots having side pull straps, or boots having differing length uppers. Hansl, Austrian Pat. No. 587,629, dated Oct. 1, 1900 discloses an apparatus which appears to have a pair of ladder-like uprights and two sets of pins projecting, both forward and rearward, perpendicularly therefrom. The lower set of pins appears to be disposed upon a carriage mechanism, which may be slidably disposed along each upright. If slidably disposed then Hansl may accommodate boots of different length uppers.
Each of the aforesaid patents is either not directed towards accomplishing the functions of the invention herein disclosed, or represents a different, more complex or less desirable apparatus with which to accomplish said functions.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The general object of the invention disclosed and claimed herein are to provide an apparatus to aid a person to place boots having side pull straps onto their feet. It is to provide an apparatus whereby the user will be able to “step into” boots having side pulls and thereby be able to install (one at a time) boots onto the user's feet, without the necessity of bending over, grasping the pulling straps and manually pulling the boots onto their feet. It is to provide an apparatus which may be facilely adjusted to accommodate boots of various length uppers. It is to provide an apparatus which is strong, stable, has few parts, is easy to use, has few projections upon which pants, socks or boots may inadvertently “hang.” It is to provide an apparatus from which boots do not easily slip off inadvertently yet from which the booted foot may be facilely removed after the boot is in place on the foot. It is to provide an apparatus which does not have excessive space requirements and is not unattractive in appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The wide horizontal base provides the invention a secure and stable means for attachment of uprights. Rigidly attached to the base is a pair of vertically disposed uprights. Each upright has a plurality of openings disposed at differing heights. Each opening extends longitudinally in a direction which is generally horizontal and perpendicular to a line between the uprights. A pin is removably disposed in each upright in an opening which is a height commensurate with the upper of the boots to be installed on the user's foot. A portion of the length of each pin extends a distance from each opening towards the heel of the user. The outward end of each pin has an upwardly sloping portion. Means are provided so that a pin will not rotate about its longitudinal axis when installed in an opening. A bolt, cross-pin pin, clip or other device may be used to prevent the pin from being unintentionally pulled longitudinally from the opening during use.
The side straps of a pull-on boot may be hung, by said straps, from said pins, and then “stepped” into. The upwardly sloping portion of each pin will prevent the boot from slipping off of the pins in response to downward pressure on the boot. Yet the booted foot may be easily disconnected from the invention by flexing the leg at the knee (lifting the foot upward and backwards, in the natural direction of flexion of the knee).
REFERENCES:
Calvert John J.
Lemoine, Jr. Joseph L.
Smith James G
LandOfFree
Apparatus to aid placement of boots on user's foot does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus to aid placement of boots on user's foot, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus to aid placement of boots on user's foot will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3299082