Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A lever-operable fastener for a shoe, comprising a first fastener member comprising a tension strap and adapted to be attached to one part of a shoe, a second fastener member comprising an outwardly open strap retainer adapted to be attached to another part of a shoe and to receive said tension strap in a predetermined orientation, at least one series of teeth carried by one of said fastener members on the side thereof which faces the other one of said fastener members in said orientation, said one series of teeth defining tooth spaces which are inclined from a normal on said said strap when said strap has been received by said retainer in said orientation, a tensioning lever which is connected to said other fastener member and pivotally movable relative thereto in one sense to enter said tooth spaces and engage said one series of teeth and then to tension said strap in its longitudinal direction, and in the opposite sense to disengage said one series of teeth and leave said tooth spaces to release said strap, and strap-restraining means comprising a first part comprising said series of teeth and a second part comprising a locking pawl carried by said other fastener member and adapted to hold said strap in tension when said strap has been received by said retainer and tensioned and subsequently released by said tensioning lever, one of said parts of said strap-restraining means being fixed to said retainer and extending toward and being adapted to cooperate with said strap.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A lever-operable fastener for a shoe, comprising a first fastener member comprising a tension strap and adapted to be attached to one part of a shoe, a second fastener member comprising an outwardly open strap retainer adapted to be attached to another part of a shoe and to receive said tension strap in a predetermined orientation, at least one series of teeth carried by one of said fastener members on the side thereof which faces the other one of said fastener members in said orientation, said one series of teeth defining tooth spaces which are inclined from a normal on said said strap when said strap has been received by said retainer in said orientation, a tensioning lever which is connected to said other fastener member and pivotally movable relative thereto in one sense to enter said tooth spaces and engage said one series of teeth and then to tension said strap in its longitudinal direction, and in the opposite sense to disengage said one series of teeth and leave said tooth spaces to release said strap, and strap-restraining means comprising a first part comprising said series of teeth and a second part comprising a locking pawl carried by said other fastener member and adapted to hold said strap in tension when said strap has been received by said retainer and tensioned and subsequently released by said tensioning lever, one of said parts of said strap-restraining means being fixed to said retainer and extending toward and being adapted to cooperate with said strap.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said one series of teeth are carried by said strap and disposed on the side thereof which faces said retainer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 2, in which said retainer comprises a channel-shaped bearing bracket having side walls for guiding said strap when the same is received in said retainer, and said lever is U-shaped and has legs having free end portions pivoted in said bearing bracket and a crosspiece connecting said legs opposite to said free end portions and interengageable with said one series of teeth.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
86 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said lever is movable in engagement with said one series of teeth in said one sense to a position in which said lever engages said retainer and said strap at predetermined points when said strap has been received by said retainer, and said points in said position of said lever are spaced such a distance apart at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said strap that said position of said lever is an overcenter position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, which comprises lever-restraining means for cooperating with said lever and one of said fastener members to hold said lever in engagement with said one series of teeth.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said one series of teeth are carried by said retainer and disposed on the side thereof which faces said strap.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 6, in which said retainer comprising a channel member having outwardly directed side walls which carry two of said series of teeth, said lever is connected to said strap and is U-shaped and has two legs which are arranged to protrude toward said teeth when said strap has been received by said retainer, and each of said legs has a detent extension which is engageable with one of said series of teeth.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 7, in which said lever has a crosspiece which constitutes said extensions and said legs extend from said crosspiece and at their ends opposite to said crosspiece are pivoted to said strap.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 8, in which said locking pawl is carried by said strap and consists of lateral projections which engage two of said series of teeth.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 7, which comprises a U-shaped link, which is pivoted to said strap on a first pivotal axis and to said lever on a second pivotal axis spaced from said first axis in the longitudinal direction of said strap.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 10, in which said strap has a free end carrying said locking pawl and said first pivotal axis is spaced from said free end.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 10, which comprises a stop arranged to limit the pivotal movement of said lever relative to said link in said opposite sense.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said lever is pivotally movable in said opposite sense to an open position and a stop is provided, which is engageable by said lever to define said open position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said lever is resiliently biased toward said open position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 14, in which said lever is U-shaped and has a cross-piece for engaging said teeth and resilient legs extending from said crosspiece and including an obtuse angle with each other.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 15, in which said other fastener member is formed with slots and said legs engage said other fastener member is said slots.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 15, in which said other fastener member has bevelled outside surfaces and said resilient legs of said lever engage said bevelled outside surfaces.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said strap has a stiffened free end portion which constitutes an actuating lever.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said tensioning lever has an engaging portion which is engageable with said strap and extends beyond said engaging portion to form an actuating lever.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
70 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 1, in which said strap retainer is channel-shaped and has a cross-piece and side walls extending from said crosspiece, said locking pawl comprising a rib formed on said crosspiece and said side walls carry guiding projections, which are spaced from said crosspiece and face each other and are adapted to protrude over said strap when the same has been received by said retainer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 20, in which said side walls are resilient.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 20, in which said guiding projections are offset from said rib in the longitudinal direction of said strap when the same has been received by said retainer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
64 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 20, in which said strap is formed in its side edges with grooves which conform in cross-section to said guiding projections and are inclined from a normal on said strap in a sense which is opposite to the inclination of said one series of teeth when said strap has been received by said retainer in said orientation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
A fastener as set forth in claim 23, in which said strap is formed with apertures adajcent to said strap-restraining means.