US3283422A

US3283422A - Disposable overshoe

Info

Publication number: US3283422A
Application number: US369245A
Authority: US
Inventors: Meri K Nygard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-05-21
Filing date: 1964-05-21
Publication date: 1966-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-08

Description

Nov. 8, 1966 M. K. NYGARD 3,283,422

DISPOSABLE OVERSHOE Filed May 21, 1964 ATTO/F/I/EKS' United States Patent 3,283,422 DISPOSABLE OVERSHOE Meri K. Nygard, 2455 California Ave., Muskegon, Mich.

Filed May 21, 1964, Ser. No. 369,245 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-1) This invention relates to wearing apparel, and especially to overshoes. More particularly, the invention relates to a new and unique construction for disposable overshoes.

In the past, many different forms of overshoes have been devised for protecting the shoes of the wearer from becoming soiled and wet during inclement weather, especially during the winter season. Owing to the delicacy of womens dress shoes, and also to the lack of protection that these afford to the feet of their wearers, womens overshoes are an absolute necessity in such weather.

As it happens, however, most of the functions to which the ladies wear their flimsiest shoes, such as to fine restaurants, the theater, and other like social gatherings, make little or no provision for storing wet and dirty overshoes during the time that they are not needed. Moreover, even when such storage facilities are provided, the overshoes are likely to be so dirty and wet that the wearer must necessarily dirty her hands or gloves by removing and handling them so that they can be stored. Also, this undesirable procedure must be repeated upon once against returning to the out-of-doors. Y Consequently, many persons prefer to not wear any overshoes at all, but this of course is injurious to the health, and also ruins many pairs of fine shoes.

This invention seeks as one of its major objects to solve the above problem, by providing a convenient form of overshoe construction which is suitable to temporarily protect the feet of the wearer, and yet is so inexpensive that they may simply be thrown away upon arrival at the desired destination, thereby dispensing with all need for storing the wet and dirty objects.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a disposable overshoe construction of the type indicated which is light in weight and very compact, and which consequently may easily be carried in the pocket or purse, so that one may constantly be prepared for encountering bad weather, whether this be unexpectedly or Whether it be upon leaving a place where one had previously disposed of a prior pair of the overshoes.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide a form of construction for disposable overshoes of the type indicated, which construction lends itself ideally to an economical and convenient packaging and dis ensing scheme.

The above major objects, together with other additional objects and numerous other advantages will become increasingly apparent upon consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, showing a pair of the overshoes as they are packaged and dispensed;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a partially folded single overshoe, showing details of its construction;

7 and ice vals along its tubular length, thereby dividing the tube into a series of discrete generally rectangular portions. Second, an obliquely excursive seam is formed across each such rectangular portion, thus dividing each of these into a matching pair of hollow envelopes of generally triangular configuration. An opening in or near the excursive seam of each of the triangular envelopes provides access thereinto, and receives the foot of the wearer when the overshoe is to be worn. Thus, each of the discrete rectangular portions noted comprise a pair of separably attached overshoes, which are laid out so that the toe portion of each lies adjacent the instep part of the other.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 an illustrative pair of overshoe envelopes 10 and 12 is seen as the same is laid out upon a fragmentary section of a continuous length of the preferred material. The material preferably is in the form of a seamless, generally oblate or flat tube 14, which when collapsed comprises two superposed layers or sheets, with connected longitudinal edges.

' A plurality of transverse seams 16 are formed across the seamless tube 14 so as to join its top and bottom layers. Consequently, the tube 14 is divided into a series of separate, discrete, generally rectangular portions such as 18.

Across each of the discrete portions 18 I form an obliquely excursive seam 20, which serves to further divide each of the portions 18 into a pair of matching,

.hollow, generally triangular envelopes 10 and 12. The

excursive seams 20 preferably are generally straight, and connect two opposite corners of the portions 18. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the seams 20 may be curved if desired, and may connect any two nonadjacent extremities of the portions 18, whether these extremities be corners or sides. What is required is that the oblique seams 20 divide each portion 18 into a pair of overshoe envelopes such as 10 and 12, each of which has its toe portion lying adjacent the instep part of the other. In the case of the preferred straight seam 20, the toe portion and instep part of each overshoe are of course caused to merge into each other, and it is this combined surface which lies adjacent the like surface of the other overshoe.

If the seamless tube 14 be made of a filmy plastic substance such as I find most preferable, the

seams

16 and 20 may conveniently be formed by heat-sealing the two layers of plastic together. I wish to make clear, however, that many other materials may also be well-suited for my purpose, and these should be joined together into similar seams in whichever manner is deemed to be best suitable.

The transverse seams 16 and the obliquely excursive seams 20 both include a series of perforations or other suitable means for separating adjacent portions, which extend substantially the entire length of the seam. The

. perforations or other means allow successive portions 18 to be separated from the series thereof which have been formed from the tube 14, and they further allow each such portion 18 to be separated into the two triangular envelopes 10 and 12.

As indicated by the designations A and B of FIG. 1, an opening is formed in each of the triangular envelopes '10 and 12, preferably along their longest side, i.e., the side formed by the seam 20. The openings A and B, whose function is subsequently discussed in detail, may be of any desired length and configuration, and may also be placed in any side of the envelope other than its longest, if this is deemed desirable.

If a single given triangularly-shaped envelope such as 10 or 12 be separated from the rectangular portion 18 from which it is formed, and if the transverse and

oblique seams

16 and 20, respectively, along its two sides be to the preferred embodiment described, but only further, so that it was laid out fiat, it would be in-the 51} form of an isosceles triangle, whose two equal sides have 1 been formed by the seam 20, and whose other side has been formed by the fully opened transverse seam 16. In forming an overshoe, this isosceles triangle has a fold "along its longest median (that is, the perpendicular bisector of its said other side). FIG. '2. The said isosceles triangle thus forms a matching This fold is illustrated in pair of triangularly-shaped lateral portions such as 22 l and 24, which have substantially identical corresponding sides, the shorter two of which approach perpendicularity. The three corresponding sides of each such triangle are joined together by the transverse seams 16, the oblique seams 20, and the fold which has been noted, to form the hollow envelopes and 12 from each rectangular por- 3 tion 18.

The manner of wearing the overshoes taught herein is illustrated in FIG. 3, where it will be seen that each of l the triangular portions 10 and 12 formed from a single rectangular portion 18 comprise a single overshoe. 3 opening A (or B) formed in the longest side thereof provides access into the hollow interior, and it is through this openingthat the foot of the wearer is inserted. The re- 3 mainder of thegarment'completely encompasses the foot i can easily be torn or otherwise separated from the remainder of the package, and these may be folded into a very small and compact bundle for carrying in handbags or pockets, in the event that they will be needed at some time in the future.

- Thus, one may always be prepared for wet and sloppy weather. to a particular place, simply discarded upon arrival (thereby dispensing with the need for storing or otherwise caring for them), and upon leaving may simply put on a clean and dry new pair, which have been conveniently carried upon the person.

While I have described the embodiment of this invention which I find to be most preferable, other variations and modifications thereof may be produced without departing from the spirit of the invention and its underlying concept. Accordingly, I do not wish to be limited merely as 1s expressly set forth in the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. A package of separably attached disposable overshoes, comprising: a generally oblate tubular length of sheet material; transverse seams extending across said length of material substantially perpendicular to the sides thereof and dividing the same into a plurality of discrete The Also, a pair of these overshoes may be worn rectangularly shaped portions; an obliquely excrusive seam ing a pair of substantially perpendicular edges formed by a side of said tubular length and one of said transverse seams and providing the bottom and rear of an overshoe and each triangular envelope also having a hypotenuse edge formed by said excrusive seam and providing the instep of said" overshoe; and an opening formed in the said instep portion of each of said envelopes,'for receiving the foot of a wearer.

2. A package of separably attached disposable overshoes, comprising: a plurality of generally fiat superposed sheets of material; seams joining corresponding longitudinal edges of each pair of said sheets; transverse seams extending across each of said joined pairs of sheets substantially perpendicular to the said longitudinal edges thereof and dividing each pair into a plurality of discrete generally rectangular portions; an obliquely excursive seam extending generally diagonally across each of said portions dividing the same into a pair of generally right triangular hollow envelopes; each of said envelopes having a pair of substantially perpendicular edges formed by a side of said tubular length and one of said transverse seams and providing the bottom and rear of an overshoe and each triangular envelope also having a hypotenuse edge formed by said excursive seam and providing the instep'of said overshoe; and an opening formedin the said instep portion of each of said envelopes, for receiving the foot of a wearer.

3. A package of separably attached pairs of disposable overshoes, comprising: a length of two layers of superposed thin plastic sheet material joined together at the longitudinal edges of said layers; a plurality of transverse seams across said length joining said layers and forming a plurality of discrete portions therefrom; an obliquely excursive seam across each of said portions forming therefrom a pair of matching hollow triangular envelopes; perforations formed at each of said seams whereby each of said portions may be separated from the remainder of said package and dividedinto a pair of said envelopes;

and an opening formed in the longest side of each of said envelopes for receiving the foot of a wearer.

4. A package of mutually separable attached pairs of overshoes, comprising: two layers of sheet material joined together at a plurality of places to form a plurality of 1 generally rectangular portions, at least one obliquely excursive seamacross eachsuch portion, whereby the same is divided into a pair of adjacent overshoe envelopes; each of said envelopes having an instep part lying along said seam, and each said instep ,part lying symmetrically adjacent the other said instep part; and an opening in each such envelope for receiving the foot of a wearer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 1,145,093 7/1915 Swift. 2,866,488 12/1958 Thompson. 2,924,029 2/1960 Rosen 36-7.1 2,935,241 5/1960 Brady 229 53 2,952,926 9/1960 Laven 3610 X 3,000,118 9/1961 OShea 3( 10 3,172,796 3/1965 Gulker 229 22 X FOREIGN PATENTS 584,727 9/1923 Germany.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner.

Claims

1. A PACKAGE OF SEPARABLY ATTACHED DISPOSABLE OVERSHOES, COMPRISING: A GENERALLY OBLATE TUBULAR LENGTH OF SHEET MATERIAL; TRANSVERSE SEAMS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID LENGTH OF MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE SIDES THEREOF AND DIVIDING THE SAME INTO A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE RECTANGULARLY SHAPED PORTIONS; AN OBLIQUELY EXCRUSIVE SEAM EXTENDING GENERALLY DIAGONALLY ACROSS EACH OF SAID PORTIONS DIVIDING THE SAME INTO A PAIR OF GENERALLY RIGHT TRIANGULAR HOLLOW ENVELOPES; EACH OF SAID ENVELOPES HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR EDGES FORMED BY A SIDE OF SAID TUBULAR LENGTH AND ONE OF SAID TRANSVERSE SEAMS AND PROVIDING THE BOTTOM AND REAR OF AN OVERSHOE AND EACH TRIANGULAR ENVELOPE ALSO HAVING A HYPOTENUSE EDGE FORMED BY SAID EXCRUSIVE SEAM AND PROVIDING THE INSTEP OF SAID OVERSHOE; AND AN OPENING FORMED IN THE SAID INSTEP PORTION OF EACH OF SAID ENVELOPES, FOR RECEIVING THE FOOT OF A WEARER.