Abstract:
A shoe adapted for use with a plurality of various attachable and interchangeable skating accessories whereby said accessories may be selectively and removably locked into the sole of said shoe, and whereby certain safety features are provided in the form of front and rear stops for a roller skate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional shoes designed for selective use as either a shoe or roller skate generally relate to &#34;collapsible&#34; roller skates wherein rollers are provided in preformed depressions in the sole of said shoe and are partially releasable in response to a suitable release means so that at least a portion of each roller will extend from its respective depression, said release means generally serving to support said rollers in the extended position. 
     The major defect of such constructions is that there is insufficient support to the rollers when in the extended position so that skating tends to be unstable. Also, due to the fact that the total support function is localized to a very small point in the central portion of the shoe body, these skates are not capable of supporting much weight and are therefor suitable only for very young children. For the same reason, these skates are extremely susceptable to malfunctions and damage, and generally provide a very short useful life. 
     Another defect of such shoe/skate combinations is that the rollers are generally not easily detachable from the shoe body so that when the supportive device fails, the combination becomes useless as either a skate or a shoe. 
     Yet another defect of such shoe/skate combinations is that as the rollers must be concealable in the body of the shoe and are generally not detachable therefrom, it is not possible to change different types of rollers or other skating accessories to provide a variety of skating effects. 
     The purpose of the present invention is to improve the above said defects and to provide a shoe with skating accessories that is of a very stable construction and which is far less susceptable to malfunctions, providing a greatly increased useful life. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe and skate combination wherein the skating accessories are easily attachable to and detachable from the shoe so that a variety of skating means are interchangeable for producing different skating effects. 
     It is yet another purpose of the present invention to provide a shoe and skate combination whereby support is distributed uniformly over the skate means, providing more stability and allowing persons of all ages to use the skate with a minimum chance of malfunction. 
     It is a further purpose of the present invention to increase the overall safety of a skate and more specifically to provide suitable stops which are located at both the front and rear portions of the skating means in such a way that they will not interfere with the walking function of the shoe when the skating means is removed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other purposes and advantages of a shoe and skate combination according to the present invention will become apparent as it is now described in detail with reference to the appended drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe body adapted for receiving and holding various skating means according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view in partial cross section thereof showing a skating means in place; 
     FIG. 3 is a view in cross section of a catch means suitable for use with the present invention; 
     FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a roller skating means according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4B is a similar view of a second embodiment thereof; 
     FIG. 4C is a similar view of an ice skating means according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a second embodiment of the shoe body of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention includes a shoe body 10 having suitable fastening means 11 for fastening the shoe body 10 to the foot of the user. Along the bottom portion 12 of the shoe body 10 is provided a sole 20 of a suitable material to provide suitable traction when wearing the shoe for the purpose of walking. Along the length of the sole 20 and into the shoe body 10 is a generally arcuate slot 13. The slot 13 runs longitudinaly along the central bottom portion 12 of the shoe body 10 and is spaced from each end of the shoe. As shown in FIG. 2, the top portion 110 of the shoe body 10 may be contoured to provide comfort to the foot of the user. 
     At a central portion of one side of the shoe body 10 there is provided a suitable catch means 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the catch means comprises a bore 35 through a suitable portion of the shoe body 10 communicative with the longitudinal slot 13. Through said bore is provided a pin 31 and a cylindrical locking member 32. Said locking member 32 is urged into the slot 13 by means of a spring 34 which is biased between a stopper 33 and said locking member. By pulling the pin 31 manually, the locking member 32 will leave the slot 13. In this way the catch means 30 is always in the shoe body 10 and will not be lost or misplaced. 
     A variety of skating means is provided to be used in conjunction with a shoe of the construction described above, as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C. 
     With particular reference to FIG. 4A, one embodiment of a skating means includes a set of rollers 50 mounted on a suitable mounting plate 40. The mounting plate 40 is constructed so that the upper edge 41 thereof follows the configuration of the slot 13. A hole 401 is provided at a suitable position on the mounting plate 40 for locking engagement with the cylindrical locking member 32 of the catch means 30. To insert the roller assembly the catch means 30 is pulled and held manually out of the slot 13 whereupon the mounting plate 40 may be inserted until the upper edge 41 thereof is flush with the top of the groove 13, as shown in FIG. 2. The catch means 30 is then released, whereupon the force of the spring 34 will cause the locking member 32 to enter and extend beyond the hole 401. In this way the roller assembly is locked into place within the shoe body 10. 
     According to one embodiment of a roller assembly, the rollers 50 are provided on shafts 43. Said shafts 43 extend beyond the edge of the shoe body on each side thereof and are contained in generally &#34;U&#34; shaped support casings 44. Said casings 44 are flat across the top and are flush with the sole 20 of the shoe when the roller assembly is in it correct position in the slot 13. 
     The mounting plate 40 is also provided at each end with an extending portion 42 which is also flush against the sole 20 of the shoe body 10 to provide better support. In this way the weight of the user is distributed uniformly along the upper edge 41 of the mounting plate 40 and the bottom of the groove 13, along the extended portions 42, as well as along the flat upper portions of the support casings 44. 
     As a safety feature, a stop 46 of a suitable material may be secured to both the front and rear extended portions 42 to enable the user to stop safely even when skating at high speeds. 
     As shown in FIG. 4B, according to a second embodiment of the roller assembly, the rollers 50 may be rotably secured to protruding portions 441 of the mounting plate 40&#39; so that the rollers 50 are not in contact with the sole 20 of the shoe body 10 and are free to rotate. In this embodiment the rollers are provided along the central portion of the bottom of the shoe so that more dexterity is required when skating, thus creating a different skating effect. Rubber stops may also be used with this embodiment by attaching them by means of a screw through a hole 45 provided at both the forward (not shown) and rear portions thereof. 
     According to a combination shoe and skate as disclosed, it is possible to employ a wide variety of skating means of various designs, including a blade 60 for ice skating, as shown in FIG. 3C. The ice skating blade 60 consists of a mounting plate in the same configuration as the preceding embodiments, having upper support edges 61 and a suitable hole 601 for engagement with the catch means 30 of the shoe body 10. The lower portion of the mounting plate is extended and formed in a suitable configuration for skating on ice. To provide better support, semi-round support posts 64 in the same general configuration as the support casings 44 of a previous embodiment may be formed integrally with the mounting plate. The support posts 63 have flat upper surfaces which fit flush against the sole 20 of the shoe 10 and extend transversly across the sole 20 of the shoe 10 on either side of the skate 60, providing the necessary support and stability required to skate. 
     Of course, the style of the shoe body itself may be subject to many various designs. For example, to provide more comfortable walking when the skating means are not in use, the shoe 10 may be provided with an inclined toe portion 12A and a slightly rounded heel portion 12B as shown in FIG. 5. 
     In this way there is provided a shoe that is suited for walking in the normal fashion and which, in conjunction with various interchangeable skating means of the type disclosed above, may be used for roller skating, ice skating and the like. It will be noted that skating means will be subject to a great variety of designs without leaving the scope of the present invention and should be restricted only by the claims heretofollow.