US3120667A

US3120667A - Portable shoe polishing fixture

Info

Publication number: US3120667A
Application number: US72792A
Authority: US
Inventors: Reubin F Skarnes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-11-30
Filing date: 1960-11-30
Publication date: 1964-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1981-02-11

Description

Feb. 11, 1964-` R. F. sKARNEs 3,120,667

PORTABLE SHOE POLISHING FIXTURE Filed NOV. 50. 1960 FIG. 3

2 Sheets-Sheet l du l! INVENTOR. REI/ /N/'J/(ARA/fs ATTORNEYJ R. F. SKARNES PORTABLE SHOE POLISHING FIXTURE Feb. 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 30,- 1960 FIG. 6

United States Patent O 3,120,667 PORTABLE SHOE POLISHING FIXTURE Reubin F. Skames, 3336 N. Bay Lane, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Nov. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 72,792 2 Claims. (Cl. 12-53.6)

This invention relates to a new and improved shoe polishing fixture having means for firmly supporting a shoe therein to facilitate the operation of cleaning and polishing the shoe.

It is Well known that many individuals have in recent years taken to cleaning and polishing their own shoes, largely because of the current high cost of shoe shining service. Such do-it-yourself shoe shining has not been very popular in the past Abecause of the lack of adequate means for supporting the shoe in a convenient position during the cleaning and polishing operation. Such a fixture to be practical, should be so designed and constructed that a shoe may readily and quickly be secured therein in a position convenient to the individuals hands, and whereby the means for securing the shoe in position does not overlay and conceal any portion of the surface of the shoe to be polished, including the exposed edge of the shoe sole.

An important object of the present invention therefore is to provide an improved portable shoe polishing fixture which may readily be moved about from place to place and which has means for firmly securing a shoe therein in a position convenient to the individual while cleaning and shining the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishing fixture provided at one end with means for firmly supporting a shoe thereon, and having its opposite end adapted to be placed on a chair whereby the individual may sit on said end to support the fixture in position during the cleaning and polishing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishing fixture having one end adapted to be inserted into the toe portion of a shoe and having a member movably mounted thereon adapted to be inserted into the heel portion of the shoe and operable to secure the shoe in position on the fixture.

further object is to provide a fixture of the class described comprising an elongated body having one end fashioned to be received in the toe portion of a shoe and having a member insertable in the heel portion of the shoe and movable relative to said toe portion, thereby to secure the shoe in position on the fixture and whereby the entire outer surface of the shoe including the edge of the sole and the heel are exposed for convenient cleaning and polishing of the shoe.

Other objects of the invention reside in the specific construction of the toe engaging portion of the fixture whereby the wall of the toe portion of the shoe can be stretched sufficiently to remove all wrinkles and folds therefrom to facilitate polishing; in the provision of a shoe polishing fixture having means for securing a shoe to one end thereof, the opposite end of the fixture being relatively wide and thin, whereby it may be placed upon the seat of a chai-r to permit an individual to place his weight thereon to support the fixture in position in front of him while working on the shoe; and in the provision of a shoe polishing fixture which is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following description taken in connection wtih the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed 3,120,667 Patented Feb. 11, 1964 "ice a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention 1s not confined to the exact features shown, as vanous changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of my improved shoe polishing fixture showing a shoe secured to the forward end thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the fixture shown in FIG- URE l, with the shoe removed therefrom;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing a slightly modified construction;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary View showing the toe p0rtion of the fixture shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the fixture shown in FIGURE 3, with its rear end portion positioned on a chair, and showing an individual sitting thereon to support the fixture in an operative position in front of the individual;

IFIGURE 7 is a plan view of FIGURE 6 showing the shoe conveniently positioned in front of the individual and the fixture firmly held in position by the weight of the individual on the rear end portion thereof; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the fixture shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7, with the shoe detached therefrom.

The novel fixture herein disclosed is shown comprising an elongated body, generally designated by the numeral 2, comprising a toe-engaging portion 3 and a rear portion 4, which is preferably made relatively Wide to facilitate supporting the fixture when in use, as shown in FIGURE 6. The rear end portion 4 is also quite thin as shown in FIGURE l, whereby an individual may sit on the portion 4, when placed on a chair, as shown in FIGURE 6r.

The front end portion 3 of the fixture is preferably fashioned to substantially fit the interior of the toe portion of the shoe, in a manner similar to a conventional shoe tree so that when inserted into the toe of a shoe, any wrinkles or folds present in the wall of the shoe are removed, thereby to present a relatively smooth outer surface to facilitate cleaning and polishing the toe portion of the shoe.

A heel-engaging member 5 is secured to one end of a bolt or threaded stem 6, preferably having its lower end fixed to the member 5 to prevent relative turning of rod or bolt 6 as will be understood. The bolt or rod 6 extends upwardly through an elongated opening or slot 7 provided in the body 2 of the fixture, and has its upper end portion threaded, as shown at S.

A suitable finger grip or knob 9 is received in threaded engagement with the threaded terminal of stem 6 for securing the heel-engaging member 5 in adjusted position. lMember 5 is longitudinally adjustable on the body 2 by means of slot 7, as will be understood by reference to the drawings.

In the form shown in FIGURES l and 2, the central portion of the body 2 has a flattened surface, as indicated at 10 `in FIGURE 2 to provide a flat seat for knob 9, when manipulated to secure the heel-engaging member 5 in adjusted position relative to the toe-engaging portion 3. To prevent the heel member 5 from relatively rotating when knob 9 is tightened, member 5 may be provided with upstanding means such as pins 5 which extend into slot 7 whereby member 5 cannot rotate.

In the form shown in FIGURES 3 to 8, inclusive, a clamping element .1-1 is shown seated on the body 2, and has a concave bottom surface to fit the cylindrical contour of body 2. The heel-engaging mem-ber 5 here shown also has a concave upper surface, as best shown in FIG- URE 4.

To use the fixture the individual seats himself on a chair 13, as indicated in FIGURE 6, and then inserts the flattened rear end portion 4 of the fixture between his body and the seat of the chair, as clearly illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7. When the fixture is so positioned the weight of the individuals ybody on the rear flattened end portion of the fixture will securely support it in the position shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, and the shoe will be conveniently supported directly in front of the individual whereby he may readily manipulate a brush or a polishing cloth in the operating of polishing the shoe. The fixture is of light weight, whereby the individual may, if he so desires, support the fixture with a shoe thereon with one hand while manipulating a brush with his other hand.

To remove a shoe from the fixture it is only necessary to slightly rotate the linger knob 9 on the threaded stem 6, whereby the heel-engaging member 5 may readily be moved forwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 3 to release the shoe from the fixture, as will be understood.

The elongated slot 7 provides means whereby the fixture may support shoes of different sizes. The forward or toe-engagin g end of the enlongated body 2 is shaped to conform somewhat to the interior of the toe of the shoe whereas the form shown in FIGURES 3 to 8, inclusive, a separate toe-engaging member 14 is utilized which may be secured to the forward end of the elongated body 2 by such means as screws 15.

The novel shoe polishing fixture herein disclosed has been found extremely practical and efficient in actual use. It is particularly applicable for low shoes. It construction is such that a low shoe may quickly be secured thereto by manipulation of the hand knob 9, and may as readily be detached therefrom. It will also be noted that the means for securing the shoe to the fixture does not cover or conceal any portion of the outer surface of the shoe which may require periodic polishing whereby a complete polishing job may be completed with but a single setting of the shoe. The elongated body `Zr may be made of wood or plastic material.

It is apparent that many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shoe polishing fixture, an elongated body having a raised toe-engaging portion at one end adapted to be inserted into the toe of a shoe; a heel-engaging member mounted for longitudinal adjustment on said elongated body and cooperating with -the toe-engaging portion to secure a shoe in position on said fixture, said heel-engaging member having yone end of an elongated stem secured thereto, the opposite end of said stem having a finger knob received in threaded engagement therewith for securing the heel-engaging member in adjusted position on said elongated body, and means for supporting the fixture in operative position convenient to a user including a rearwardly extending paddle-like end portion being adapted to permit the user to be seated thereon when placed on a chair.

2. In a shoe polishing fixture, an elongated body having a raised forward end portion shaped to be received in the toe portion of a shoe, means for engaging the heel of the shoe and cooperating with said ytoe portion to detachably secure a shoe to the fixture, the rear end portion of said elongated body being paddle-like in configuration to permit an individual to be seated on said paddlelike end portion when placed on a chair, thereby to support the fixture on the chair, whereby a shoe secured to the fixture is conveniently located in front of the individual and slightly elevated to facilitate polishing, the intermediate portion of said elongated body having a longitudinally extending slot therein, an elongated stem traversing said slot and having said heel-engaging means secured to its lower end and extending below said elongated body for insertion into the heel portion of a shoe, said stern being longitudinally adjustable in said slot to axially shift the position of the heel-engaging means on said elongated lbody, and means at the upper end of said stem for securing the heel-engaging means in adjusted position on said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 431,036 Dawson July 1, 1890 675,274 Gardner May 28, 1901 2,457,445 Clair Dec. 28, 1948 2,476,462 Smith July 19, 1949 2,883,097 Scardarnalia et al. Apr. 21, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 854,525 France Ian. 19, 1940 1,120,100 France Apr. 16, 1956

Claims

1. IN A SHOE POLISHING FIXTURE, AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A RAISED TOE-ENGAGING PORTION AT ONE END ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE TOE OF A SHOE; A HEEL-ENGAGING MEMBER MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT ON SAID ELONGATED BODY AND COOPERATING WITH THE TOE-ENGAGING PORTION TO SECURE A SHOE IN POSITION ON SAID FIXTURE, SAID HEEL-ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING ONE END OF AN ELONGATED STEM SECURED THERETO, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID STEM HAVING A FINGER KNOB