US1059284A - Ladder-gripping attachment for shoes. - Google Patents

Description

E. DENNIS.

LADDER GBIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1911. 1,059,284: Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

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l B. DENNIS.

LADDER GRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES. APPLIO-ATION rum) mums. 1911. 1,059,284, Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

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UNITED swarms PATIENT OFFICE.

EDMOND DENNIS, OF EFALLI RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LADDER-GRIPPING ATTACHMENT iFOR SHOESJ Specification ofLetters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMONDiDENNIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fall River, in; the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in: Ladder-Grip. ping Attachments for Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention; relates to theatrical appliances, and more particularly; to devices for use in aerial athletic exhibitions.

It has for its objectto provideia shoe and appliances thereon enabling the wearer to stand upon a ladderbr. other support with his body inclined in an imbalanced position and to retain the same. relative position to the ladder as when standing upright, even when the body of the wearer is inverted and extended downward lfrom the support, the

feet of the wearer lat alltimes appearing to rest upon the side of the support adjacent to him.

An important object ofthe invention is to provide a device to. be secured beneath the foot of the wearer, whereby the foot may be secured to a support without the application of any tool or implement, and without necessity for manipulation, and which will operate automatically when the foot is presented to the support in a proper manner.

The present device wasevolved for the side view of the shoe and attachments for the right foot, in engaged position, Fig. Bis a bottom view of the attachment detached from the shoe, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the device inruse, Figifi, is.

a sideview .of the equipment for the left foot, Fig. G is axbottomview thereof, Flg. 7

is a front view. thereofin use, Fig. 8 is a. fragmentary detail of, the securing device on the left shoe, on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

There is shown a ladder 110 carried Iupon a suitable frame 11,,having the transverse shaft 12engaged revolubly with 3 the ladder.

'lhe ladder has a multiplicity of irungs 13,

spaced. as desired, but. preferably at :a distance which will bring two adyacent rungs within the length of a good sized shoe, thoughthis spacing is not essential through out the ladder. At one end of the ladder stands a performer A,.and suspended from the opposite end of the ladderthere is a second performer B both secured in the manner to be described. Upon the right shoe, the anchor; plate having: countersunk apertures registered with the openings :of the bottom of the shoe. This plate should preferably conform to the shape of the sole, for the comfort of the wearer. A flat strip 19 .of heavy sheet metal is engaged beneath.

the sole of the shoe, having threaded Iapertures therethrouglr registered with respective openings through. the bottom of the.

shoe, suitable securing screws 20 being engaged through the anchor plate and lthei bottom of the shoe and screwed home in the threaded apertures in the strip 19. The latter iplate may be termed a hook plate, its.

rear, end beingcurved inwardly to form an elongatedbill. 213extending parallel with the adjacent inner portionof the plate, its bighhportion 22 being curved, as shown,

for, snug engagement with a ladder rung at times. The extremity of the bill 21 may be turned slightly outward to. facilitate the.

entrance of a rung, thereunder, as will be subsequently described. The. forward end of the plate 19 is similarly curved inward to form a bill 231a little less than half the lengthof the bill 21, the respective bight portion! being also curved for the reception one in-front, that is to say, the metal is made thinner intermediately of the bill at the rear end, or the forwardbill thickened,

fora :purpose to be subsequently described.l10

Two ears 25 are carriedflat each side of the plate, spaced a proper distance from the bill 23, and pivoted therebetween is a keeper member 26 extending, forwardly and lIlr'.

wardly of the tip of the bill 23 and having 110 1 Patented Apr; 15, 1913.;

Application filed March 22, 1911. Serial No.-616,205.

of a ladder rung. It should be noted that the rear hook issomewhat lighter than the check lugs 27 formed a spaced distance from wardly into the forward hook.

the bight 24, whereby a ladder rung may be held snugly between the lugs and bight of the hook at times. The lugs are arranged to project-past each side of. the plate when the keeper is 'depressed thereagainst, and

the ears supporting the keeper are of such a length that when depressed the keeper will be inclinedtoward the plate at such an angle that when the. device is. pressed downwardly upon a ladder rung the inclined keeper will force the rung for- A spring [member 28 is engaged between the plate and 0i bemg'extended a sllght distance beyond the the keeper to holdgthe keeper in closed position against the bill 23, yieldably for in.- clination as described. The spring 28 comprisesa. single piece of wire bent into U"- shape, a helix 28 being, formed intermediately'ineach arm, the extremity of the wire disposed outwardly of the performer upon the rotating ladder. As each performer. ascends with rotation of the ladder, he sways I his body inward toward the'axis of rotation I sothat hisbodywill resist less the upward movement of the adjacent arm of the ladder throughthe action of gravity. Upon reaching the zenith of this'movement,'the body. is swayed outward farther from' the axis of rotation of the ladder and an unbalanced force is produced under the action? of gravity, acting in the direction of rotation. When the weight of the performer is added to the strain of'centrifugal force as the re-- jspective end of the ladder moves downward,

' the resultant force applied through this foot is greater than that exerted through the innergfoot at any time.

The safety of. the

performer is thus greatly increased bymak- 1ng, it-possible to support thefouter foot upon two rungsofthe ladder.

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive illustrate the left footequipment, which for the-comfort'of theperformer and for the'reas'on that this device sustains less strain "than they first described one, isg arrangedto extendtrans.

versely of the ladder, and-engage but one rung thereof. The" shoe "and reinforcing means shown in these figures maybethe' same as that first described, andthough the upper portion of thisi'shoein normal use sustains a ggrea'tertensile strain than the other, it is advisable to have the other equally strong to take a similar strain in case this'device fails in its function for any reason, as hashappened'in use on at least one occasion. Thlsleft foot devlce lncludes an anchor plate similar to the ,o'ne described and engaged with the'shoe and an exterior ,hoo-k plate 30, in the. same manner as first described. The hook plate in this deviceis providedwith two'hooks 31, extending-flaterally therefrom toward the outer. side of the shoe, and includingjthe bightfportions 32 and bills 33. These hooks are preferably spaced adjacent the ball and heel receiving portionsof the shoe. They may be formed integrally with the plate 30,-bystamping'or otherwise, if desired, or. maybe formed of separate pieces 'of'metal secured to-"the plate. Formed on the opposite side of the plate from the hooks there are respectivefpairs; of ears 34, betweenwhich-are pivotedkeepers 35 lying within the bills 33 at theirends 1 and having stop lugs36-and'b'eingengaged by springs .37, these elements and'the bight.

32 all having the same functional relation as the parts 23 to 28inclusive above described.v "These two keepers are connected 'in;'rigid relation by the longitudinal bar 88. In"

this form of the device the springs are shown 'with'ttheir end portions engaged in suitable perforations int-he plateBO rather than being supported by the keeper pivots,

and the lugs. 36 are located intermediately of the keepers, suitable openings, being formed at 39 through the 'hook portions 211101 9 7 the shoe sole for their reception.

It will'be seen that in use the entrances to the hooks will be presented to the outerend i of the'ladder, with the left foot in the natural position which it tends to assume whenthe right foot is extended outwardly of the I other and longitudinally of the ladder.

In, use, the right foot is'presented downwardly to engage one rung of the ladder transversely of the plate 19, and forwardly p of the bill 21, the foot-being slippedforvwardly until the rungis engaged against thebight 22,when, bypressing the toe downwardly, anouter rung will be-brought against the keeper 26,}which in yielding allows entrance of the rung to. the forward hook and presents. an inclined lfaceiwhich acts as a fender to force the rung forwardly; @the foot thus being moved rearw'ardly until the, keeper 26 isv freed to move into closed I position, the inner. rung. beingl moved slightly towardthe outer end of the M1121, but not being disengaged therefrom. The

foot is thus securely-held upon-the two rungs and may be released pressing the keeper 26 inward and moving the foot forv ward until the forward rung is disengaged,

then moving} it rearwardly until the rear or inner rungis clear of the'bill 2 1.

The left foot is secured by onediagonah movement of the foot outwardly and'down wardly to bringthe rung againstthekeepers t 35 and into the hooks 531, its release being. effected by pressing'ragainst the"'bar: 38 to. allow'passage of the rung} outwardly over"? the keepers 35 and moving the foot inwardly of the ladder.

The bill 21 of the right foot deviceis made weaker than the forward hook 223, in

order that, in case the left foot becomes detached or disengaged, when the body; of the performer flies outward by reason of the high speed usually attained, the heel of his right foot Wllll not be held by the bill121, so

forcibly as to injure his rightlimb, but will bend, allowing the foot to pivot on the front hook as engaged withthe outer rung,

and give the performeran, opportunity to grasp the ladder as soonas his momentum has decreased sufficiently.

It will of course be understood that these devices need not be attached to theiright and left shoes respectively as described, but

the relation may be reversed if desired. It

will also be understoodlthat the two forms need not essentially be used together, but that one form may be applied to both feet, if desired, to suit different kinds of performances, but the relation described is preferable for the particular act in which its use versely of the shoe and spacedlongitudinally thereof, and support engaging :membeis carried by the other shoe, for engagement with a support member extending longitudinally of the shoe for the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described compris; ing a plate adapted to be secured to the bottom of ashoe and having one end bent inwardly to form a hook bill in spaced relation with an intermediate portion of the plate, said platehaving: its opposite end similarlybent to form a shorter bi1l, and means to closetheispace beneath the short bill movable yieldablygin one direction: to allow entrance of a support and adapted to hold it, against casual disengagement.

3. A, device of the class described adapted for engagement upon the foot of a person, including spring pressed relatively movable elements arranged toyield to a support under inward movement thereof to engaged p0: sition therebetween and adapted to coact to prevent casual disengagement of ,thesup port.

4. In a device of the class described, the a combination with, a shoe, of an elongatedi hook member and a short hook member in spaced opposed relation with the first, where bars ,maybepositioned in. the longer hook by oneof two fixedlyspaced support memduring and after engagement of the other support in the short hook.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shoe of relatively movable support engagingmembers on the sole thereof yieldable to a support for entrance 1 a of the support between said membersyand I arranged and adapted to hold a support against casual disengagement.

6; Thecomb1nat1on of a shoe, a hook on the sole thereof adapted to receive a support therein, a keeper adapted to hold a support 1n the hookland yieldable thereto under pres-,

sure, and resilient means to hold the keeper 1n operative position.

7. Therombination of a shoe, anelon gated Ihook upon the bottom, a short hook in spaced opposed relation to the first,:and means onsthe short hookyieldable in one directlon to allow a support to enter the hook,

and adapted to retain it therein, whereby one of twofixedly spaced supports may be held in the longer hookduring and after engagement of the other support in the short hook, and both hooks be held engaged with the respectlve 1 supports under operation of the means on the short hook.

8.In, adevice of the class described a plate, a hook carried thereby having its bill spaced from the plate, and a spring pressed keeper pivoted on an axis spaced longitudinallyioutward of the bill and from the, plate and adapted to engage the inner side of the bill,being yieldable to a support under pressure, and adapted to engage the,

nesses.

EDMOND DENNIS: Witnesses:

FREDMARTEL, BAnnnr GLUOKMAN,

Copies of this patentmaybe: obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner, of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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