Toe and metatarsal protectors for safety footwear

A metatarsal protector for safety footwear that comprise an upper and a sole joined to one another, the upper and sole each having respective outer and inner surfaces and having respective registering metatarsal regions;

• wherein the metatarsal protector comprises a generally U-shaped body molded from plastics material, having a top portion constituting a base of the U and two side portions constituting sides of the U;
• wherein the metatarsal protector when incorporated into safety footwear is interposed between the metatarsal regions, and when so interposed has an outer surface convex toward the inner surface of the upper and an inner surface concave toward the inner surface of the sole;
• wherein the protector body is provided at its top portion outer surface with two mutually facing spaced surfaces extending outward from the outer surface toward the inner surface of the upper, the side surfaces bounding between them a central part of the top portion outer surface;
• and
• wherein the metatarsal protector also comprises a force receiving plate member having respective upper and lower surfaces overlying the said central part of the top portion outer surface with its lower surface spaced from the said central part, the plate member being of concave shape toward the said central part and having two spaced edges engageable respectively with the two surfaces of the protector body;
• whereby crushing and impact forces applied to the plate member are operative to attempt to press the plate member toward the said central part and to forcibly butt its edges against the two cooperating surfaces with conversion of such crushing and impact forces to corresponding butting forces distributed along the surfaces.

A combined toe and metatarsal protector for safety footwear that comprise an upper and a sole joined to one another, the upper and sole each having respective outer and inner surfaces and having respective registering toe and metatarsal regions;

• wherein the combined protector comprises a toe protector part and a metatarsal protector part molded from plastics material attached to one another, each of said parts comprising a generally U-shaped body having a top portion constituting a base of the U and two side portions constituting sides of the U;
• the toe and metatarsal protector when incorporated into safety footwear being interposed between the toe and metatarsal regions, and when so interposed each having an outer surface convex toward the inner surface of the upper and an inner surface concave toward the inner surface of the sole;
• wherein the toe and metatarsal protector parts are each provided at its respective top portion outer surface with two mutually facing, spaced surfaces extending outward from the respective outer surface toward the lower surface of the upper, each two cooperating surfaces bounding between them a respective central part of the respective top portion outer surface;
• and
• wherein the toe and metatarsal protector also comprises for each of its parts a respective force receiving plate member part having respective upper and lower surfaces and overlying the respective central part of the respective top portion outer surface with its respective lower surface spaced from the respective central part, each plate member part being of concave shape toward the respective central part and having two spaced edges engageable respectively with the two surfaces of the respective protector body part;
• whereby crushing and impact forces applied to each plate member part are operative to attempt to press the plate member part toward the respective central part and to forcibly butt its edges against the two cooperating surfaces with conversion of such crushing and impact forces to corresponding butting forces distributed along the surfaces.