Abstract An improved instep guard for safety footwear to transmit the forces from the instep through the instep guard onto a rigid toe in the safety shoe. The improvement in the instep guard takes the form of the hinge means connecting the instep guard to the toe portion. The hinge means includes hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of the toe portion, those tines being fastened to the instep guard by fastening means such that a line drawn through each of the fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe. Furthermore, there are spaces between the hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between the instep guard and the instep portion of the shoe to escape. Lastly, the lower portion of the instep guard is so shaped as to created a curved folding line in the hinged tines that is generally paralelled to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of the instep guard against the instep portion of the shoe.
Inventors
👤 B Gray
👤 E Clauer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-04 16:41
CPC Classifications
A; A43; A43C; A43C13/00; A43C13/06; A43C13/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
In a safety shoe having a sole; an upper having a toe portion united at its edges to the sole and including a shield of rigid material so as to transmit forces applied downwardly on it to the sole, and an instep portion; securing means in the instep portion; and an instep guard of relatively rigid material adapted to fit over the instep portion of the shoe and having its lower forward end overlying the shield in the toe portion towards the rear thereof, the improvement comprising: hinge means taking the form of hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of said toe portion; fastening means securing said hinge tines to said instep guard such that a line drawn through said fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe; at least one space between said hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between said instep guard and instep portion to escape; and the lower portion of said instep guard being so shaped as to create a folding line in said hinge tines that is curved and generally parallel to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of said instep guard against said instep portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
In a safety shoe having a sole; an upper having a toe portion united at its edges to the sole and including a shield of rigid material so as to transmit forces applied downwardly on it to the sole, and an instep portion; securing means in the instep portion; and an instep guard of relatively rigid material adapted to fit over the instep portion of the shoe and having its lower forward end overlying the shield in the toe portion towards the rear thereof, the improvement comprising: hinge means taking the form of hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of said toe portion; fastening means securing said hinge tines to said instep guard such that a line drawn through said fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe; at least one space between said hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between said instep guard and instep portion to escape; and the lower portion of said instep guard being so shaped as to create a folding line in said hinge tines that is curved and generally parallel to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of said instep guard against said instep portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hinge tines are integral with said toe portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hinge tines are contained in a separate piece of material which is fastened to said toe portion at the rear thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are at least three hinge tines which overlap said instep guard.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 and further including a loop in the upper portion of said instep guard to co-act with said securing means to secure said instep guard in place.