Jan. 13, 1948. B. F. MILLER ET AL 2,434,331 APRON OR PROTECTOR Filed April 12, 1946

INVENTOR w safe 2-2-caea/2-zeer 724. ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 13, 1948 2,434,331

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,434,331 SHOEAPRON OR PROTECTOR, Beulah. F. Miller and Ernest F. Probst, Cleveland, Ohio Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,728 Claim. (C. 36-72) 1. 2 Our present invention comprises an improved Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement article of manufacture in the form of a shoe apron of the shoe and apron as seen in Figure 1. Or protectOr. Figure 3 is a plan View of the apron or pro Explaining the purpose of our invention, it is tector, as when said apron or protector is laid out noted that a quite common practice of women flat, the elastic inset holding member being in their homes is to at times work in the kitchen broken off adjacent to its end portions to enable while wearing better clothes, and oftentimes high the said illustrated, and the rearwardly extend quality or . The foregoing usually ing laces shown as they are ready for tying at happens when special haste is required in pre the back of the shoe. paring a meal, or under some similar condition, O Now specifically detailing the preferred con When a lady has not sufficient time to put on her struction of our apron, which of course would be house clothes in lieu of dress clothes and shoes. used in pairs, for a pair of Shoes, We refer par Having the foregoing in mind, we contemplate ticularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings in the provision, according to our present inven which there is illustrated a common form of tion, of a simple form of apron or protector mem 5 ladies' shoe, designated at A. This shoe may be her which may readily be slipped over the shoe, a , or one commonly worn daily, usually for the purpose previously referred to, and which outdoors, by ladies. In Figure 1 the apron, gen may be quickly tied at the rear portion thereof erally designated B, is shown in its operative posi in Order to hold the same in place upon the shoe. tion over a shoe. The apron B comprises a Cen The apron O: protector member for each shoe, 20 tral body portion having the forwardly extending as provided by us, comprises primarily a front toe covering member C which is shaped to provide Section adapted to cover the front half of the a somewhat hollow formation at its forward por shoe, and Spaced side members or flap portions tion in order to extend over and fit the toe por which extend sidewardly of the shoe, toward the tion of the shoe A. Extending rearwardly from rear end thereof, at which portion said side flaps 25 the central body portion of the protector B are are attached together in any suitable manner. the side extensions or flap portions designated D. It is contemplated within the purview of our in These portions of the protector B are sufficiently Vention that We may make our protector article long that they will extend practically to the rear from glazed chintz, having various designs printed end of the shoe A at the heel portion of the latter thereon, preferably in different colors so that 30 and substantially cover the side portions of the ladies may choose attractive colors of the aprons shoe A, so that, in conjunction. With the front or protectors when purchasing the same in order portion C, the protector of our design set forth to match which they have already ac will practically cover the entire shoe. quired. Or, our protector apron may be made of We prefer to provide reinforcing means for various kinds of transparent materials, so that to 35 the edge portions of the protector B, and for a certain extent the apron itself would not be very this purpose of utilize bias tape, or any equivalent Visible and the shoe over which it is draped reinforcing material designated E, the Same ex WOuld primarily be seen. tending along the edges of the protector through A Special further object of our invention has out the marginal portions of the latter. . been to So design the apron or protector referred 40 By reason of the rearward extension of the to that it may be made very cheaply, and that flaps or side portions D of our protector, these When it is applied to the shoe it will fit the shoe portions are spaced somewhat at the point des fairly snugly and can be readily attached about ignated F in the drawings, and on this account the ankle by means of suitable tie members at the parts D can extend at opposite side of the 45 ankle of the wearer and embracing the ankle the rear end of the side portions of the protector. may be attached by means of the lacing parts G A full understanding of our invention will be which lace parts are virtually extensions of por had upon reference to the following detail de tions of the margin reinforcing bias tape E, as Scription setting forth a preferred form of the Well seen by reference to Figure 3 of the drawing. invention, in conjunction with the annexed draw 50 Now it will be understood that We have de ing, in which: Scribed above the primary and utilitarian con Figure i is a side elevation of a shoe for ladies' Struction of our invention, as shown in the draw Wear, and our apron or protector applied there ingS. But it is to be understood that the apron. Over in operative position as when it would be or protector may be made of different artistic ap WOrn by the person Wearing the Said shoe. 55 pearances, as by providing lacing at the front 2,484.88. 3 4. portion, a cross-toe tape, and any desirable de-, which we make the protectors may be glazed signs of an ornamental nature, or otherwise. chintz having waterproof characteristics, or may The peculiar formation of the front end of the be of other fabrics of waterproof nature, thus apron B is such as to afford a pocket structure, to facilitate the protection of the shoe when the so to speak, as previously generally referred to, is apron is applied thereto. so that this pocket structure will snugly fit the With each shoe protector we provide a plu toe of the shoe and tend to prevent rearward rality of pins, which may be inserted at intervals displacement of the apron along the Shoe as the through the marginal edge Or tape E of the pro apron is being worn. tector so that the shanks of the pins extend be Connecting the lower portions of the sides of 10 tween the sole and the upper of the shoe to hold the protector B, and preferably attached to the the protector firmly in place thereon. lower edges of Said sides is an elastic member Having thus described our invention, what we H, which member is designed to extend across claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat the shank portion of the shoe A and hold the ent of the United States is: apron in its downward adjustment upon the shoe 5 A shoe protector of the nature described, com while worn. By reason of the elasticity of the prising a front portion of bottomless hollow-like member H, it is obvious that the shoe of the per form to extend over and receive the front upper son applying the apron B may readily be slipped portion of a shoe, side portions at the real of the forward between the flap or side parts D of the front portion, extending therefrom, to cover the apron into the front portion C, with the elastic 20 sides of a shoe at the rear thereof, meains to at member H stretched beneath the sole to facilitate tach the protector over a shoe, the side portions this action. Thereafter of course, the apron. being integral continuations of the front potion, being fully emplaced upon the shoe, the lace parts combined with tape reinforcing for the edges of G may be tied in a bow, or otherwise, as seen in the protector, said tape reinforcing being ex Figures 1 and 2, thereby holding the apron in 25 tended away from the protector at the rear ex place upon the shoe. tremities of the side portions to form tie laces. Bearing in mind that ladies Working in BEULAH. F. MILLER. kitchens with nice clothes being Worn and their ERNEST F. PROBST. better shoes in use can very quickly the aprons or protectors of our invention over their 30 REFERENCES CITED shoes and tie them in place, it will be seen that The following references are of record in the the use of our protector Will prevent any liability file of this patent: of Soiling of shoes as by grease or foreign matter dropping thereon While the protector is being UNITED STATES PATENTS LSed, Number Name Date Owing to the simplicity of Our article, it may 282,915 Miller ------Aug. 7, 1883 be manufactured very cheaply in a multitude of Des. 97,524 Geayer ------Nov. 19, 1935 designs of pleasing appareance and may be sold FOREIGN PATENTS at such a low price that many women will de sire to obtain several pairs of the protectors for 40 Number Country Date use with different clothes, and sometimes with 349,673 Great Britain ------June 4, 1931 different kinds of Shoes. The material from