US2754598A - Tracking toy - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1955 W. P, AULL 2,754,598

TRACKING TOY Filed May 20, 1954 United States Patent O TRACKING TOY Watson P. Aull, St. Louis, Mo.

Application May 20, 1954, Serial N o. 431,059

6 Claims. (Cl. 36-1) This invention relates to improvements in childrens toys, and in particular is concerned with a shoe heel attachment which is adapted to be used as a track laying device. The shoe Yheel attachment of this invention is adapted to be worn on a conventional shoe and is provided with a metallic, horseshoe-like element which gives olf a simulated sound of a horses hoof when striking a hard surface. In addition, there is an identifying symbol which is used as a marking device to make possible the recognition of a particular track laid down by the shoe heel attachment.

By means of this invention, the shoe heel attachment can be worn on any conventional footwear in s uch manner that `a child when Wearing the same can give oft" the sound of a horses hoof when traveling over pavement or hard surfaces. Thus, in playing games like cowboys and Indians, children can, by means of this invention, imagine by the sound given E that there are horses in the immediate neighborhood, and this provides realism to their vivid imagination.

As a further feature, the shoe heel attachment is adapted to lay down the imprint of a small horseshoe when worn upon the ground or any surface in which a track can be imprinted. Thus, a game of `tracking can be practiced in which `the horseshoe-like tracks are followed as in a game of hide-and-seek, or the like.

Further, to provide for identifying one set of horseshoe tracks from another in the gaine of hide-and-seek or hare-and-hounds, and other similar games, the shoe heel attachment is provided with a compressible identifying symbol which is replaceable. Thus, any number of appropriate identifying symbols can be used so that, if two sides of children want to use different identifying symbols, they can be provided, for example, with Separate posse and star insignia which would, of course, be applicable to a game of cowboys and Indians.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an attachment for shoes which can be Worn by children so as to simulate the sound of a horses hoof upon hard surfaces.

It is a further lobject of this invention to provide an attachment which can be worn on footwear to simulate the sound of a horses hoof when passing over a hard surface and to lay down the track of a horseshoe.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for shoes which is adapted to give the sound of a horses hoof when striking a hard surface and to lay down a horseshoe track and an identifying insignia therein, so that one setof horseshoe tracks may be identified from another.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a Shoe heel attachment which can be worn on conventional shoes of a simple structure, and in which a horseshoelike element is fastened on the bottom plate and a resilient marking device is placed therein in a removable manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shoe heel attachment of the type described wherein the mate- Patented July 17, 1956 rice rials and construction are of a rugged character and simple to construct, yet of a simple and inexpensive nature.

Further objects of this invention will appear from the detailed description which follows and will be further apparent to those skilled in the art.

Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings showing a particular embodiment of this invention, which is for the purpose of illustration only, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric View showing the shoe heel attachment of this invention attached to a wearers foot;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the shoe heel attachment;

Figure 3 is a front View in elevation of the device;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the device;

Figure 5 is a side View in elevation taken from the righ side of Figure 3 of the device;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged View of a marking symbol; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged View of a modified marking symbol.

The shoe heel attachment of this invention is generally indicated at 10 in Figure 1 and is shown there connected to a wearers shoe 11. The shoe heel attachment is placed on the bottom of the shoe heel 12 and is retained by a strap 13 which is tied around the ankle of the wearer.

The shoe heel attachment 1th, as particularly shown in Figures 2 through 6, comprises a plate-like support member or base 14 to which are connected heel engaging rear ange 15 and side flanges 16 and 1'7, The side ilanges 16 and 17 are both provided with slots 18 and 19, respectively, in order that the strap 13 may be retained on said side flanges.

Depending from the bottom of the plateflike support member 14 is a metallic horseshoe-like element 21. This element is connected to the support member by welding, riveting, or may be cast integrally with the support member, as is well understood in the art. The horseshoe-like element 21 has two legs 22 and 23 which are spaced from one another at their open ends and point to the rear .of the heel.

A slightly compressible marking element, which is generally indicated at 24, is made of rubber or plastic and is provided with two holes through which pins 25 and 2,6 are inserted to connect the marking element to the support member, as shown in Figures 2 and 6. A raised mark, such as the star shown in Figures 4 and 7, is offset from the base of the marking element and is indicatedV at 27. This raised mark extends slightly below the ilat surface of the horseshoe-like element, as particularly shown in Figure 6, and is adapted to be compressed by the weight of the wearer to about the same plane as the bottom surface of said horseshoe-like element.

A modified form of marking element 29 is shown in Figure 8 wherein the offset letters forming the word Posse indicated at 28 provide for a different marking and identifying indicia. Thus, by the removal of one marking element for another, proper identification can be provided as desired.

Use

The shoe heel attachment generally indicated at 10 is very easily retained on the heel of a shoe, as shown in Figure l, by tying the straps 13 together over the instep of the foot. Of course, it is obvious that buckles andthe like 4may be used instead of tying. Once retained on Vthe foot, the shoe heel attachment is ready to be used in tr-ack laying and in other games.

When the shoe heel attachment 10 is worn upon a hard surface, the metallic horseshoe-like element 21 will hit thereupon and form a clomping noise simulating the noise caused by a horses hoof on hard surfaces. Thus, the member 14 forms with the hard surface of the ground a top and bottom confining means dening a sounding board further bounded by the horseshoe itself which is open in the rear of the attachment. This sounding board, by the force of impact, is designed to give off a hollow noise like the aforementioned clomping of a horses hoof.

The resilient marking symbol 24 placed in the middle of the horseshoe-like element is noiseless and does not distort the sound of the track laying device when it is worn upon a hard surface and is of particular advantage because of this feature. Such distortion which might be caused by a metallic marking symbol is to be avoided. When the track laying device is worn upon soft ground it imprints a track of a horseshoe and, in addition, a star from the marking symbol, as shown in Fig. 4, where the marking elements 24 and 27 are utilized. Thus, this particular track laying device can be distinguished from the marking element 29 of Figure 8 having the word Posse formed thereon at 28.

Further, by the slightly elevated relation of the actual marking devices 27 and 28 of the marking elements 24 and 29, respectively, a slight compression is effected due to the resiliency of the materials. This is of particular advantage in the laying of tracks with the identifying indicia upon soft ground where the marking element hits rst and is then compressed to the level of the horseshoe element. Further, when the track laying device is worn over a hard surface after first being worn over soft or moistened ground, say in puddles of water, an imprinting of the star 27 or the word Posse 28 is laid down upon the dry hard surface which can be easily followed until the marking element dries out.

The marking elements 24 and 29 are removable from the support member 14 upon removal of pins 25 and 26. This provides for ready interchangeability of the marking element and also replacement when this is necessitated by wear conditions.

Various changes and modifications will appear to those skilled in the art in accordance with the teachings of this invention and are within the scope thereof, as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. An attachment for the heel of a shoe comprising a plate-like support member, shoe attaching means for connecting said support member to the heel of the shoe, said support member having means at the bottom thereof to simulate the sound of a horses hoof when the shoe attachment is worn while traversing a hard surface, said means including a metallic horseshoe-like element depending below the bottom of said support member, said horseshoe-like element having a at bottom surface spaced beneath said support member and being open at the end corresponding to the rear of the heel to provide a sounding board when the horseshoe-like element shoe attachment strikes the hard surface, said sounding board being defined at the bottom by the hard surface, at the side by the horseshoe-like element, and at the top by the bottom of the support member.

2. An attachment for the bottom of a shoe comprising a plate-like support member, shoe attaching means for connecting said support member to the bottom of the shoe, a metallic horseshoe-like element depending from the bottom of said support member, said horseshoe-like element having a flat bottom surface spaced beneath said support member and being open at one end, and a marking element situated within said horseshoe-like element to leave an identifying mark upon the ground when the attachment is impressed thereupon.

3. An attachment for the bottom of a shoe comprising a plate-like support member, shoe attaching means for connecting said support member to the bottom of the shoe, a horseshoe-like element depending from the bottom of said support member, said horseshoe-like element having a Hat bottom surface spaced beneath said support member and being open at one end, and a removable marking element situated within said horseshoe-like element to leave an identifying mark upon the ground when the attachment is impressed thereupon, said marking element being composed of a slightly compressible material and extending slightly below said horseshoe-like element.

4. An attachment for the bottom of a shoe comprising a plate-like support member, shoe attaching means for connecting said support member to the bottom of the shoe, said support member having means at the bottom thereof to simulate the sound of a horses hoof when the shoe attachment is worn while traversing a hard surface, said means including a metallic horseshoe-like element depending below the bottom of said support member, said horseshoe-like element having a flat bottom surface spaced beneath said support member and being open at one end to provide a sounding board when the shoe attachment strikes the hard surface, said sounding board being defined at the bottom by the hard surface, at the side by the horseshoe-like element, and at the top by the bottom of the support member, and a marking element situated within said horseshoe-like element to leave an identifying mark upon the ground when the attachment is impressed thereupon.

5. An attachment for the bottom of a shoe comprising a plate-like support member, shoe attaching means for connecting said support member to the bottom of the shoe, said support member having means at the bottom thereof to simulate the sound of a horses hoof when the shoe attachment is worn while traversing a hard surface, said means including a metallic horseshoe-like element depending below the bottom of said support member, said horseshoe-like element having a at bottom surface spaced beneath said support member and being open at one end to provide a sounding board when the shoe attachment strikes the hard surface, said sounding board being dened at the bottom by the hard surface, at the side by the horseshoe-like element, and at the top by the bottom of the support member, and a marking element situated within said horseshoe-like element to leave an identifying mark upon the ground when the attachment is impressed thereupon, said marking element being composed of a slightly compressible material and extending slightly below said horseshoe-like element whereby said marking element is compressed within the bounds of the sounding board.

6. An attachment for the bottom of a shoe comprising a plate-like support member, shoe attaching means for connecting said support member to the bottom of the shoe, a horseshoe-like element connected to the bottom of said support member, said horseshoe-like element having a flat bottom surface spaced beneath said support member and being open at one end, and a marking element situated within said horseshoe-like element to leave an identifying mark upon the ground when the attachment is impressed thereupon, said marking element being composed of a material having less sound-imparting qualities than said horseshoe-like element when these elements strike a hard surface.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 97,311 Troy Oct. 22, 1935 2,037,105 West Apr. 14, 1936 2,089,136 Rosine Aug. 3, 1937 2,616,189 Smith NOV. 4, 1952

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