Patent Publication Number: US-6711833-B1

Title: Tap shoe and fastening assembly and method for attaching tap to dance shoe

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to shoes specifically made for tap dancing, and in particular, to an assembly for fastening the tap and sole of the shoe together. 
     2. Background Art 
     In the prior art, it is known to secure the tap of a tap shoe to the sole of the shoe with flat head machine screws passing through the bottom of the tap and into nuts retained in the sole of the shoe. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,946. 
     In the use of tap shoes, it is desirable to adjust the machine screws so that they can be adjusted for tightness, but still will not come loose during use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     My invention comprises a tap shoe fastening assembly wherein machine screws pass through the tap and a resilient composition sole material and into a conically-shaped nut embedded in the sole of the shoe. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the inside of the sole of a tap shoe in accordance with my invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section, partially broken away and partially exploded of a fastening assembly and shoe sole taken along the lines and arrows  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the shoe shown in the previous Figures. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the Figures, a tap shoe (not shown in detail, but well known in the art) has a sole means, comprising a sole  10  made of a suitable material. Between the sole and the tap  12 , there is a composite resilient material  11 ; most preferably made of polycarbonate. The tap  12  to be fastened on the end of the shoe is made of a suitable metal. 
     To retain the tap to the sole material, screw means, such as flat head machine screws  14  are used. The machine screws pass through a hole in the tap  12  and the material  11  and the sole  10 . Each of the machine screws  14  has a conical shape  15  below its flat head. Each is placed into a countersunk hole, such as  16 . 
     Nut means, such as the nut  18  has a polygonal-shaped head  20  and is placed in a suitably counterbored hole  22  in the inside of the shoe material  10 . The nut  18  does not rotate when assembled with the screw  14 . 
     The shank portion  24  of the nut  18  is conical, and fits in a countersunk conical hole  26  in the sole  10 . 
     In the arrangement shown, the threaded screw  14  can be tightened into the threaded nut  18  to draw the tap  12  tight against the sole  10 . On the other hand, if it is desirable to adjust the tightness with which this tap is maintained against the sole, the screw  14  can be backed off slightly. Since the material  11  is resilient and since both the screw head and nut shank are conical in shape and fit into conical countersunk holes, this adjustment can be made without the screw coming loose.