PUNTING ACCESSORY FOR FOOTBALL PLAYER'S SHOE

• US 3,650,051 A
• Filed: 06/08/1970
• Issued: 03/21/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William H. Sass
• Original Assignee: William H. Sass
• Inventors: Sass, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawson, Patrick D.
• Application Number:
  US05/044,213
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 36/2.5R,2.5AG,1
• US Class Current: 36/133
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/025 characterised by an element which improves the contact between the ball and the footwear

Abstract

A football player'"'"''"'"'s accessory for attachment to the mid-length portion of the player'"'"''"'"'s shoe and designed to spin the ball about its longitudinal axis as it is punted thereby dynamically stabilizing the ball and increasing its range and accuracy. The exterior of the accessory is roughened or otherwise contoured for non-skidding contact with the ball as the punter lofts it to initiate a punt.

Claims

1. In combination with a football shoe having a sole and an upper attached thereto, that improvement which comprises:

means having a roughened surface along that lateral side of the shoe upper engaging a football while being punted and so positioned while in engagement with the ball as to impart spin thereto clockwise about the axis of the trajectory as the ball is punted, said means having the roughened surface being formed in two principal parts a first one of which is substantially larger than the second part and formed with a roughened ball-engaging surface, means securing said first and second parts across the exterior arch portion of the shoe upper in side-by-side relation, means securing the remote lateral edges of said first and second parts to the opposite lateral sides of the shoe upper, and means for releasably holding the adjacent edges of said first and second parts together when said shoe is being worn and releasable to facilitate removal of the shoe from the player'"'"''"'"'s foot.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that said means having the roughened surface is attached to the shoe upper along one edge thereof and with the zone of said means normally contacting the ball to punt the same being free of attachment to the upper.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that the first of said parts is formed with a roughened surface comprising sharp-edged ribs extending parallel to one another generally lengthwise of the shoe and generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ball when properly engaged for punting.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 characterized in that said ribs are arranged in rows extending crosswise of the midlength portion of the shoe.

5. The combination defined in claim 3 characterized in that the toe portion of the shoe upper is exposed and free of said ribs.

6. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that said means having a roughened ball engaging surface is resilient and sufficiently flexible to avoid interfering with the normal flexing of the shoe proper.

7. An accessory attachable to the shoe of a football player for use in spinning a punted ball about its longitudinal axis as it leaves the punter'"'"''"'"'s shoe, said accessory comprising a flexible plaque having a roughened exterior surface, said plaque having a mounting edge adapted to be permanently secured to one lateral side of the midlength of a player'"'"''"'"'s shoe and having its other lateral edge portion overlying the lacing securing the shoe to the player'"'"''"'"'s foot, elongated flexible strip means attachable to the exterior of the player'"'"''"'"'s shoe along the inner side thereof with one lateral edge spaced from said lateral edge portion of said flexible plaque, means for releaseably securing the adjacent lateral edges of said plaque and said strip means together to hold the same flush against the underlying surface of the player'"'"''"'"'s shoe and providing access to the shoe lacing when released, and said roughened surface being effective to engage the face of a football as it is being punted and to impart spin to the ball about the longitudinal axis thereof.

8. An accessory as defined in claim 7 characterized in that means for releasabLy securing said flexible plaque to a player'"'"''"'"'s shoe comprises a strip of flexible material permanently securable to the upper of a player'"'"''"'"'s shoe on the opposite side thereof from said flexible plaque.

9. An accessory as defined in claim 7 characterized in that said roughened surface comprises a plurality of sharp-edged ribs arranged to extend lengthwise of the player'"'"''"'"'s foot when said accessory is secured to his shoe.

10. An accessory as defined in claim 9 characterized in that said ribs are molded from resilient elastomeric material and extended over the entire area normally engaging the face of a football while being punted.

11. An accessory as defined in claim 7 characterized in that the same comprises a major plaque and an elongated strip normally held releasably secured together by lacing, and the remote lateral edges of said major plaque and said elongated strip being permanently stitchable to the midlength portion of a player'"'"''"'"'s shoe with said major plaque covering the outwardly facing side of the player'"'"''"'"'s shoe and with said mounting strip lying along the inside face of the shoe.