US2515070A - Snowshoe or swampshoe - Google Patents

Description

y 11, 1950 D. F. ANDERSON 2,515,070

SNOWSHOE OR SWAMPSHOE Filed April 30, 1949 Jnv'anfor ii ii 422 122 fir/011ml? Elia-4: 6 1 g7 Patented July 11, 1950 IT ED STATES QFF 2,515,070; snowsnon'on SWAMPSHGE David F. Anderson; Camden;.Maine, assignonto Fiberlashoffl'anada (Ltd); .St. Jerome, vQuebec, Canada, a corporation of. Canada.

Application-Aprilcw, 1949; Serial No." 9!);615

' (cuss-4.5)

7 Claims. 1L

Introduction gi'lliisi-invention relates .to. a snowshoe or, swamps -1 The. conventional snowshoe. is. aracket'rlike.

structure. including: a wooden frame and; raw.- hide or leather stringing. This. structure has. certain disadvantages.-. For. example, it. is heavy. The. stringing. has. to be. treated periodically to prevent itfrom. ageing, Moreover, the article.

not lend. itself. to r mass. production.

. In. the, prior art, attempts. have been. made. to/partiallyovercome these. disadvantagesby. pro.- viding allrmetal snowshoes, or. snowshoes. with webbingsmf. metahmeshor. wire. While thesedo provide :some of. the. advantages desired, in. gen.- eral thisform. of snowshoe. is heavy. and.more.- oven, does-not .present a. flexible bearing. surface to: the feet .of the. wearer.

The. applicant. recognizes these problemsand. a-imsto provide a-.practica1 solution. for them. by. developing; a. light, sturdm. snowshoe. structure that combines the desiredrfiexible qualities .of the conventionalsnowshoe with the strength; and weatl ieic resistantqualities. of the metallic. type of snowshoe. Further,, the present snowshoe structure lends. itself. to. massproduction methods; thus, facilitating. its manufacture in largequantities:

A-pplicantfs development In accordance with theforegoing; the'zpresent inventio'n'consists of' a snowshoe having a metal frame including an outer frame having-the genera-liou'tline f the snowshoe, cross beams adapted:

twbraoe'the outer frame transversely," and an in"- a side-imme that: rests on thecross beams to form arinforced foot supporting portion. Moulded? and about'themet'al' frame is acove-ringer light moisture imperviouamouldable material to: complete the outline of the-shoe body, and: to provide.- the webbing of? the shoe.

-Mcre' sne'ci'fica'lly ;v the preferred; construction on the snowshoe" acoording'to the. invention com prises or tr metal outer frame oftlightmetal rodontubingi that extends completely about the outer-periphery of theshoe. This metal. outer frame is-formed: in the general outline of: a' conventionalti snowshoe; and is bridgedi across by a front beam' member and; a rear beamr member that extenduprfrom theouten frame andtacross the shoe: in. spaced: apart" relationship, so: as to iront'a-nd. rean of the: shoe structure: The. preferred covering of the shoe comprises a fibrous 2 materialthatiabonded together with aaheat reactive resin: varnish; for example; Fiber'glasi' bond-ed with: Lamina-c5 resin; This covering is; moulded on a suitable form with. the metal frame impositionzso-that theicoveringzandifr-ame members are bonded; together into one homogeneous structure.

In thespreferreol form; ametallrod inner-frame is; positioned centrally beneath the: shoes cover.- ing and: secured? between the cross: beam meme hers so as tOFf01m..a1 reinforced: foot" supporting. portion. and. the: covering of: the shoe; is moulded. on" the frame so to have: a dished contour with downwardly extending flanges about the outer: periphery of: the shoe. These flanges: together. with. the cross; beams: of; the frame which. extend beyond. the; lower" sunfaoe: ot the covering-provide traction-.members', and slots or: holes are provided! about" the. Outer; periphery; of. the-- shoe" for theattaching: of" rawhide: thongs for additional tracti'onaifi the: shoe is: to be: used: on ioe=orsglaze covered snow;

The: frame and. covering: of: the: shoe. adjacent the front end". is formedso; as to curve upwards similarly. to the conventional snowshoe; and. due tothe multiple= curvature employed. provides great re'sistancewto hending betweenthe beer and toe:

Detailed descriptionv Having: thus generally described the: nature? of the inventiomreference will: benmade to they-ac,- companying: drawings; in which:

Figure 1: is. plan; view' of or preferred. form of: snowshoe according to the presentinvention:

Figure 2 is a, side elevation: of the: snowshoe shown in-Figure I.

Figure: 3' is a. section on the line 3-3.-: of Fig-'- ure- P.

Figure 4 is a section on the 1ine44'- of: Fig ure 1.

With particular reference to the drawings; a snowshoe const'ruct'ed according to the invention includes a metal rod or tubular outerframe I I that isformed in the generaloutline of aconventional snowshoe and extends--completely about theouter periphery of the shoe; This outer frame I! is bridged across by a front beam (made up of' a frame member IZand a wooden filler piece l8) and a rear beam I6, both bridges extending upwards from and spanning the outer frame LL across. theskins 49,110, spaced apart relationship. so as. to form. load transmitting. and. supporting members; adjacent to. the. front. and. rear ofthe. shoe. 7

3 The frame member I2 includes downwardly extending end portions I5 that are connected to the frame II, and a wooden filler piece I8 is positioned relative to the frame member I2 so that it is supported by this member beneath the skin I9.

The rear beam comprises of a metal rod I6 that includes downwardly extending portions 11 that are connected to the frame II. It is also contemplated that the composite front beam formed by the frame I2 and the filler I8 could equally well be provided by a sheet metal structure or tubing formed in the shape of a hollow bridge, the main requisite being that the front beam be sufficiently strong to support the main weight of the wearer and that it is arranged so as to transmit this weight to the outer periphery of the shoe.

An inner frame 20, preferably made of wire rod is secured between the front beam and the 1 rearbeam and is formed so that it connects these two beams together and provides a rein forcing for the foot supporting area of the covering I9.

The covering I9 comprises fibrous glass or other fibrous material, bonded together with a heat reactive resin, for example Fiberglas bondedwith Laminac resin. The covering I9 is'moulded on a suitable form with the metal frame members in position so that the covering I9 and the outer frame II, together with the front and rear beams and the reinforcing frame are bonded together to form the complete shoe.

The frame II, and the covering I9 adjacent the front end of the shoe are formed so as to curve upwards similarly to a conventional snowshoe and the covering I9 is moulded on to the frame so as to give the covering I9 a dished contour with downwardly extending flanges surrounding the outer periphery of the shoe.

the surface of the covering I9 so as to provide traction members and in conjunction with the downwardly extending flanges formed completely about the shoe, give the shoe a grip equal to that afforded by the open webbings of the'conventional shoe.

To supply further traction, as may be needed when hard snow or ice is encountered, spaced apart holes 23 are provided along the outer edges of the shoe at both sides. These holes 23 extend along the major part of the bearing surface of the shoe, and thongs 24 are wound about the frame II through these holes so as to provide additional traction.

The upper surface of the covering I9 of the shoe that is adapted to come beneath the wearers foot can be roughened if desired by the apj plication of carborundum, sand, or other non- The snowshoe is used as a conventional shoe. The area surrounded by the outer frame II constitutes the surface of the snowshoe which rests on the snow, muskeg, or swamp. The area surrounded by the inner frame 20 constitutes an foot-supportin portion. This portion is some= what flexible to prevent jarring the foot. The front portion above the frame piece or beam I8 forms a substantially non-resilient bearing for the front portion of the foot. The skin can be made very strong when using Fiberglas base bonded with a Lamina'c resin; The particular shape of the shoe tends to accentuate its strength and a shoe made to this design when supported only at the toe and heel of the shoe, will bear the weight of a man of over 200 pounds weight.

I claim:

. 1. A snowshoe comprising a substantially rigid outer frame, a covering of resin bonded fibrous glass material moulded on said frame so as to fill the enclosure of said frame and reinforcing cross members connected to said frame and bonded to said covering material.

2. A snowshoe comprising an outer frame of light metal, a covering of fibrous glass material bonded with a heat reactive resin moulded on said metal frame so as to fill the enclosure of said frame, and reinforcing cross members connected to said frame and'bonded into attachment with said covering material.

3. A snowshoe comprising an outer frame of light metal, reinforcing cross members connected to and extending upwardly fromsaid outer frame to span said outer frame adjacent the front and rear, a covering of bonded fibrous material moulded on said outer frame andcross members, said covering being shaped to form with the frame a snowshoe structure having a dished-up contour with downwardly extending flanges extending completely about the outer periphery of the shoe, said flanges terminatingin a bulbous edge formed by said metal outer frame and openings in said covering adjacent said front cross member to provide for entrance of the toe portion of the foot, and to accommodate lashings to attach the shoe 4. A snowshoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein said covering is made of fibrous glass material bonded with a heat reactive resin.

5. A snowshoe comprising an outer frame'of light metal, reinforcing cross members connected to and extending upwardly from said outer frame to span said. outer frame adjacent the front and rear, said front cross member being constituted by a metal frame'having downwardly extending end portions that are con,-

nected to said outer frame and a wooden filler member resting on said metal frame, said rear cross member being constituted by a metal frame having downwardly extending end portions con-.,

nected to said outer frame, a covering of fibrousstructure having a dished-up contour including downwardly extending flanges extending completely'about the outer periphery of the shoe, said flanges terminating in a bulbous edge formed by said metal outer frame, and cut out portions in said covering constituting openings adjacent said front cross member to provide'for entrance of the toe portion of the foot, and to accommodate lashings adapted for shoe attachmerit: I i

6. A snowshoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cross members and U-shaped reinforcing frame project downwardly beneath the covering to constitute traction members.

7. A snowshoe as claimed in claim 5, including openings along the peripheral edge of the covering adjacent to said metal outer frame and rawhide lashings threaded through said openings and about the frame to provide traction members.

DAVID F. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Keene Oct. 26, 1937

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