SKATE SHOE GUARD

• US 3,806,145 A
• Filed: 07/28/1972
• Issued: 04/23/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George R. Czeiszperger
• Original Assignee: George R. Czeiszperger
• Inventors: Czeiszperger, George R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Application Number:
  US05/276,070
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 280/11.37M,11.12 36/72R,77R,2.5A,2.5H,2.5AD,2.5AG
• US Class Current: 280/811
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 3/00 Accessories for skates

Abstract

An external guard for a skate shoe such as an ice skate having means for securing a blade in spaced relation to the shoe having a sole, a toe, a heel, outside and instep sides and laces or other means for tightening the shoe onto a person'"'"''"'"'s foot, the guard comprising a single-piece, molded plastic body having a portion adapted to enclose the toe, an integral side portion adapted to closely follow the contour of at least one of said sides and partially around the heel, the upper edge of the side portion being clear of the laces, the lower edge of the guard having an inwardly turned flange to be secured by an suitable means to the sole, a modification of the guard having a tab extending downwardly from the flange to block a portion of the space between the blade and the shoe sole.

Claims

1. A guard for external application to a skate shoe having a shoe toe, a shoe heel, an instep side shoe wall with an instep portion formed therein interconnecting said shoe toe and said shoe heel, an outer side shoe wall opposite to said instep side shoe wall interconnecting said shoe toe and said shoe heel, said side shoe walls extending upwardly to a height sufficient to generally embrace therebetween the ankle of a person wearing said skate shoe, a shoe sole portion interconnecting said shoe toe shoe heel and side shoe walls, said shoe sole being effective for securing thereto attachment means for mounting therebelow a skate blade in spaced relationship to said shoe sole, said guard comprising a guard toe portion of a size and configuration permitting the application of said guard toe portion over said shoe toe externally thereof, a guard heel portion shaped as to have general conformation to at least a portion of said shoe heel, said guard heel portion having an upwardly directed extension of a height which when applied exteriorly to said skate shoe overlays at least one side of said ankle of said person wearing said skate shoe, a generally longitudinally extending guard side wall portion integrally formed with and joining said guard heel portion and said guard toe portion, said guard side wall portion being effective to be placed in general juxtaposition to said instep side shoe wall when said guard toe portion is placed over said shoe toe and said guard heel portion is overlayed on said shoe heel, said extension and said guard side wall having an upper edge formed as to be devoid of any functionally operative connection with fastening means for securing the skate shoe to the foot of the person wearing said skate shoe, said guard toe portion having a depth for the reception therein of said shoe toe which depth is of a dimension preventing said guard toe portion from having any functionally operative connection with said fastening means, and laterally extending guard flange means formed at least at the lower portions of said guard toe portion and said guard heel portion, said flange means extending generally inwardly of said guard so as to be effective for operatively abutting against an underside of said shoe sole to thereby establish a relative vertical relationship and alignment with said skate shoe, said flange means being of a lateral width as to avoid interference with said attachment means for mounting said skate blade to said shoe sole.

2. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard toe portion comprises an upper disposed continuous cap-like portion effective for completely enclosing both side and the forwardmost portion of said shoe toe.

3. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard side wall portion comprises a generally inwardly directed indented portion having general conformity to said instep portion of said instep shoe side wall.

4. A guard according to claim 2 wherein said guard flange means comprises a flange portion Formed at a lower end of said inwardly indented portion to thereby operatively abut against said underside of said shoe sole in the vicinity of said instep portion.

5. A guard according to claim 1 and further comprising cushioning means carried on an inner surface of said guard side wall portion and said guard heel portion, said cushioning means being effective for operatively abuttingly engaging said shoe heel and said instep shoe side wall to thereby maintain said guard heel portion and said guard side wall portion spaced from said shoe heel and said instep shoe side wall.

6. A guard according to claim 1 and further comprising a downwardly depending tab-like extension formed integrally with said guard side wall portion, said tab-like extension depending downwardly a distance sufficient to prevent the passage of a hockey puck between said underside of said shoe sole and said skate blade.

7. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard side wall portion is also provided with a generally laterally extending inwardly directed flange portion at a lower end thereof, and further comprising a downwardly depending wall-like extension formed integrally with said flange portion, said wall-like extension depending downwardly a distance sufficient to prevent the passage of a hockey puck between said underside of said shoe sole and said skate blade.

8. A guard according to claim 1 and further comprising a guard second heel portion and a generally longitudinally extending guard second side wall portion, said guard second side wall portion being integrally formed with said guard toe portion and said guard second heel portion and being situated as to be in general juxtaposition to said outer side shoe wall, said guard second heel portion and said guard second side wall portion respectively having general conformity to said shoe heel and said outer side shoe wall, said guard second heel portion also extending upwardly as to generally overlay the area of the ankle of the person wearing said shoe.