Shoe Cleat

Abstract

An inexpensive sheet metal cleat for golf shoes or the like is formed by stamping from a strip of metal, such as aluminum, and has a body section with a roughened or toothed surface that is attached to the bottom of a shoe and cleats integral with the body section extending in a direction opposite to the roughened surface.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the purpose of this invention to provide cleats for shoes, such as golf shoes, which may be manufactured at minimum cost and which may be attached by the user without the necessity of using special tools or fittings. The invention accomplishes this by means of a cleat which is formed by production methods from aluminum, or other suitable metal. The cleat has a planar base with cleats projecting from the base and may be secured to the sole or heel of an ordinary street shoe by a suitable mechanical or chemical means, the shoe contacting surface of the cleat being preferably knurled or toothed to facilitate the attachment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a shoe having six cleats constructed in accordance with this invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the cleats looking at the bottom or ground engaging side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a cleat;

FIG. 4 is a cross section on an enlarged scale along the line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross section through a modified form of cleat; and

FIG. 6 is a cross section along line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, the shoe 1 has a sole 3 and heel 4 with cleats 5 constructed in accordance with this invention mounted thereon. The cleats 5 may be mounted in any desired orientation relative to each other and to the shoe and more or less than the six illustrated may be used.

Each cleat member 5 comprises a flat plate-like base section 9 of an elongated shape with longitudinal side edges 11 that are preferably parallel and ends 13 that are preferably semi-circular, as indicated. The cleats 5 are preferably formed of inexpensive metal strip, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, and obviously may be made in large quantities by simple production stamping or punch and die operations so that the per-piece cost is very low. Alternatively, the cleats may within the broad purview of the invention be formed by forging or casting. In the forming operation, tapered cleat projections 15 are formed which preferably comprise a relatively large diameter hollow cone 17 that is formed outwardly from the base 9 and a smaller diameter cone 18 which extends from the outer end of the larger cone 17. The cone 18 ends in a conical apex that will pierce the ground and provide the holding action expected of a cleat. Preferably, two projections 15 are formed in each strip 9 as shown in the drawings and it is evident that they are integral with and formed from the metal of the base 9.

The top surface of the base section 9 is preferably knurled or roughened as indicated at 19 to provide sharp edges that embed and facilitate the attachment of the cleat to the bottom of the shoe. For such attachment the knurled surface 19 or the bottom of the shoe, or both, are coated with a suitable adhesive, such as epoxy glue, and then the surface 19 is pressed tightly in place. If suitable force or pressure are applied the knurled surface 19 will embed itself to a slight degree in the shoe bottom and this will facilitate setting of the glue and reduce the shearing stresses on the adhesive joint in usage. The knurled surface also increases the total surface area that is glued to the shoe. The entire top face of the base 9 is illustrated as knurled in FIG. 3 but it is apparent that less than all the face may be roughened or knurled, if desired.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 a modified form of cleat has a slight saw tooth rim 23 formed around the edge of the base section 9' and extending in a direction opposite to the cleat projection 15'. The toothed rim 23 provides sharp edges that embed in the bottom of the shoe if sufficient force or pressure is applied to the cleat and will, therefore, serve to facilitate the actual gluing of the cleat to the shoe as well as to take shear stresses during usage.

It will be noted that the rounded ends 13 minimize the possibility that the cleats will catch in wire shoe cleaning devices or in the ground itself and that permanence of attachment is also enhanced by the knurled surface 19 or the rim 23. It is apparent that the rim 23 and the knurled surface 19 may be used in combination in a cleat construction, if desired.

Thus, the invention provides a cleat member that may be inexpensively manufactured and therefore sold at a low cost to the public. The purchaser can then personally glue them in any desired pattern on any pair of shoes, thereby obviating the need to purchase expensive shoes or to have expensive modifications made to street shoes. It is, however, within the broad purview of the invention to secure the base sections of the cleats to the shoe by other means such as sewing, nailing, riveting, screwing, etc.

Modifications may be made in the specific structure shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A shoe cleat comprising a flat oblong plate having a top face and a bottom face, means on the top face for attaching it to a shoe surface, and at least one cleat projection formed integral with and from the material of said plate and extending transversely from the strip away from the bottom face, said plate being formed of metal and said cleat projection being hollow and formed by the metal of the plate.

2. A cleat as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cleat projection is tapered.

3. A cleat as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tapered projection is conical and comprises a larger diameter conical section extending from the strip and a smaller diameter conical section extending from the larger section.

4. A cleat as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means on the top face of the plate includes sharp metal edges for embedding in a shoe surface.

5. A cleat as set forth in claim 4 wherein said top surface is roughened to provide said sharp edges.

6. A cleat as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means includes a saw tooth rim on the circumference of the plate.

7. A shoe cleat comprising a flat oblong plate having a top face and a bottom face, means on the top face for attaching it to a shoe surface, and at least one cleat projection formed integral with and from the material of said plate and extending transversely from the strip away from the bottom face, said means on the top face including sharp edges to embed in a shoe surface.

8. A shoe cleat comprising a flat oblong plate having a top face and a bottom face, means on the top face for attaching it to a shoe surface, and at least one cleat projection formed integral with and from the material of said plate and extending transversely from the strip away from the bottom face, two cleat projections formed in the plate, said plate being metal and said two projections being hollow and conical and formed by the metal of the plate.

9. A cleat as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means on the top face includes sharp edges to embed in a shoe surface.