Combination zipper aid and shoehorn device
OwnerEdna J. Carr, Savana J. Bowesinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combination zipper aid and shoehorn device wherein a conventionally shaped shoehorn for use by the individual in slipping shoes or similar footwear onto one's foot is provided with an opening on the narrow end of the shoehorn into which is retractably fitted a device for assisting in closing or opening zippers on one's apparel. The zipper aid consists of a length of cord material provided with a hook on one end, with the cord being spring wound onto a spool contained within a housing with the housing being retractable into the end of the shoehorn for storage thereof or out of the shoehorn so that the hook on the end of the cord can be attached to a zipper tab and, using the shoehorn as a handle, enabling an individual to readily open or close the zipper on one's garment.
Claims1
A combination zipper aid and shoehorn device which can be conveniently used by an individual for slipping on footwear or for closing or opening zippers provided in inconvenient areas on one's garments, the device comprising, in combination:
- a shoehorn conventional in configuration havng a concave top surface and a convex bottom surface, a rounded bottom edge, two sloped side edges terminating at two smaller rounded top edges with an opening therebetween, a notch being further provided on one of said shoehorn edges and located centrally over said opening, and with a round through hole being provided near said rounded top edges so as to provide a round through hole axially therethrough;
- and
- a zipper aid housing consisting of two parallel side walls, a flat bottom wall parallel to a flat top surface, a rounded end wall and an opposed split rounded end wall provided with a round slot therein, said zipper aid housing being further provided with a round through hole near said end wall and a smaller round through hole near said split rounded end wall and located centrally over said round slit, said zipper aid housing assembled within said opening in said small rounded edge of said shoehorn by axially locating the larger round through hole in said housing to the round through hole in said shoehorn and by assembling a pin therethrough;
- and
- a spool consisting of opposed round discs spaced apart but connected together by means of a round ring located centrally on the flat surfaces of said discs, each of said discs being provided with a round through hole located centrally therein, with further the outside of said ring being provided at one point along its diameter with a tab, said spool being further positioned centrally within said round slit in said zipper aid housing and secured therein by means of a pin;
- and
- a coil spring positioned within the inside of said ring so as to be disposed between said discs, said spring being provided on its inside end with a flat portion and on its outer end with a flat portion, said flat portion on the outer end being assembled within a through rectangular slot provided in said ring and said flat portion of said spring on its inside end assembled within a rectangular through slot disposed lengthwise along the length of said pin;
- and
- a cord assembly consisting of a length of cord material with an open hook attached on one end of said cord in a conventional way and with the opposite end of said cord secured to said tab on said ring in a conventional way, with said cord assembly being thereby spring wound onto said spool on one end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.