Toe box 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 body molded from plastics material to have a generally U-shaped transverse cross section, the body having a top portion constituting a base of the U and two side portions constituting sides of the U, the protector thereby defining a foot receiving cavity whose height constitutes its internal clearance;
• 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 metatarsal protector also comprises a force receiving part having respective upper and lower surfaces and overlying the central part of the top portion outer surface with its lower surface spaced from the central part, the force receiving part joining at two transversely spaced junctions with the remainder of the body and being of concave shape toward the central part so as to provide an arcuate space of predetermined height between the force receiving part lower surface and the top portion central part outer surface;
• whereby compression and impact forces applied to the force receiving part urge the force receiving part toward the central part of the top portion with corresponding reduction in the height of the arcuate space and conversion of such compression and impact forces to corresponding longitudinal forces distributed along the transversely spaced junctions;
• wherein the thicknesses of the two body side portions, of the top portion, and of the force receiving part, together with the height of the arcuate space, are such that the protector maintains a minimum internal clearance of 25.4 mm ({fraction (32/32)} in) for men's footwear and 24 mm ({fraction (30/32)} in) for women's footwear when subjected to an impact force of at least 40.7 joules (30 foot pounds);
• wherein the protector comprises an impact indicating means interposed in the arcuate space between the force receiving part and the remainder of the protector body, the impact indicating means being irreversibly ruptured upon the reduction in height of the arcuate space resulting from the application of an impact force of more than 40.7 joules (30 foot pounds);
• and
• wherein the impact indicating means comprise a capsule of ink or dye that is irreversibly ruptured by the impact force of the specified value to discharge its contents into the footwear.

A combined toe box 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 box protector part and a metatarsal protector part molded from plastics material attached to one another, each of said parts comprising a body of generally U-shaped transverse cross section having a top portion constituting a base of the U and two side portions constituting sides of the U, the toe box protector part thereby providing a toe receiving cavity therein whose height constitutes its internal clearance, and the metatarsal protector part thereby providing a foot receiving cavity therein whose height constitutes its internal clearance;
• 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;
• and
• wherein the toe and metatarsal protector also comprises for each of its parts a respective force receiving 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 force receiving part joining at two respective transversely spaced junctions with the remainder of the respective body and being of concave shape toward the respective central part so as to provide a respective arcuate space of predetermined height between each force receiving part lower surface and its associated top portion central part outer surface;
• whereby compression and impact forces applied to each force receiving part urge the force receiving part toward the respective central part with corresponding reduction in the height of the respective arcuate space and conversion of such compression and impact forces to corresponding longitudinal forces distributed along the junctions;
• and
• wherein the thicknesses of each of the two body side portions, of each body top portion, and of each respective force receiving part, together with the height of the respective arcuate space, are such that the toe box protector maintains a minimum internal clearance in the foot receiving cavity of 12.7 mm ({fraction (16/32)} in) for men's footwear and 11.9 mm ({fraction (15/32)} in) for women's footwear when subjected to a compression force of at least 455 Kg (1,000 lbs;
• 4,448 Newtons), or to an impact force of at least 40.7 joules (30 foot pounds), and are such that the metatarsal protector maintains a minimum internal clearance of 25.4 mm ({fraction (32/13)} in) for men's footwear and 24 mm ({fraction (30/32)} in) for women's footwear when subjected to an impact force of at least 40.7 joules (30 foot pounds).