Suiter Swantz IP takes a look back at past inventions and inventors with our Patent of the Day.
On this day in 1932, George W. Harper was granted U.S. Patent No. 1,867,219 for a BASEBALL CLEAT.
An excerpt from the patent states:
This invention relates to cleats for athletic shoes, especially the chisel type cleat used on baseball shoes, and has for its object to provide means for securing the cleats to the shoes in a manner to prolong the life of the shoe and distribute sole flexibility so as to facilitate running and walking. Another object is to secure increased comfort to the wearer. The usual type of chisel cleats for baseball shoes stiffens the ball portion of the sole causing excessive bending of the sole just behind the group of cleats during use, with the result that this localized flexure causes the sole to crack. Under this invention meas are provided to overcome this disadvantage.
According to this invention sole stiffening means extend rearwardly from the group of cleats so as to avoid excessive flexure and cracking of the sole. In one embodiment the toe cleat is spaced from the angularly disposed pair of ball cleats so that flexure of the sole may occur within the group of cleats. With the rear of the ball portion stiffened and the sole able to flex transversely within the group of cleats, there is a tendency for a runner to be raised on his toes by this construction to increase his speed. To increase comfort the sole stiffening means is curved to give a permanent convexity to the sole. The heel cleats are connected so as to leave the central portion of the group open permitting the leather to sink into the opening to a small extent with use, thus providing a comfortable depression for the heel bone.
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