Hosiery removal and retrieval tool with a notch for shoe removal and a shoehorn

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6763982
  • Patent Number
    6,763,982
  • Date Filed
    Monday, February 10, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 20, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Calvert; John J.
    • Smith; James G
    Agents
    • Goldstein Law Offices, P.C.
Abstract
A hosiery removal and retrieval tool with a notch for shoe removal and a shoehorn, for use by individuals with limited mobility. The tool has a substantially cylindrical elongated shank having a first end and a second end. The first end of the shank terminates in a rounded portion, having a substantially cylindrical prong which extends from the shank at an angle, and also having a notch. The prong is used for pushing socks or stockings off the foot of the user. The notch is used for pushing a shoe off the foot of the user. The prong additionally has a rough strip located on a portion of its surface for aiding a user in retrieving hosiery once it has been removed by use of the prong. The second end of the shank has a shoehorn, for aiding a user in putting the shoe onto the foot.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The invention relates to a hosiery removal and retrieval tool which includes a notch for shoe removal and also a shoehorn.




2. Description of the Related Art




A great many elderly and disabled people are limited in their ability to perform ordinary activities. In particular, removal of socks, stockings, and shoes, may be difficult for these individuals because of their limited ability to stretch or bend. Additionally, it may be difficult for these individuals to put on a pair of shoes, or to retrieve hosiery once it has been removed from the feet. Accordingly, there is a need for a hosiery removal and retrieval tool for helping individuals with limited mobility to remove and retrieve socks and stockings, which also includes a notch for removing shoes, and a shoehorn for putting on a pair of shoes.




A variety of hosiery removal tools are available. U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,882 to Berlin appears to show a hosiery removal tool comprised of an elongated shank with a handle and plate containing a U-shaped configuration. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,252 to Scianimanico appears to show a hosiery removal tool comprised of a U-shaped member and a pair of handles. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. D259,299 to Vreeken appears to show an ornamental design for a hosiery removal tool for the handicapped.




None of these devices appears to show a hosiery removal and retrieval tool having a prong and a notch on one end, for aiding a user in removing hosiery and shoes, respectively, a rough portion on the prong for retrieving hosiery after removal, and a shoehorn at the opposite end.




While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is an object of the invention to provide a hosiery removal and retrieval tool which enables a user to remove socks or stockings from his/her feet without having to stretch excessively or to bend at the waist. Accordingly, the tool has an elongated shank with a cylindrical prong attached to one end, which enables the user to push the sock off the foot without having to stretch excessively or to bend at the waist.




It is another object of the invention to provide a hosiery removal and retrieval tool which allows a person to retrieve hosiery once it has been removed by use of the tool. Accordingly, the tool has a rough strip located upon the cylindrical prong, whereby the user may pick up and retrieve hosiery once it has been removed from the feet.




It is yet another object of the invention to provide a hosiery removal and retrieval tool which also helps individuals with limited mobility to remove shoes from the feet. Accordingly, the tool has a rounded notch located in proximity to the cylindrical prong by which a user may push a shoe off a foot.




It is still another object of the invention to provide a hosiery removal and retrieval tool which may also be used to help an individual with limited mobility to put a shoe onto a foot. Accordingly, the tool has a shoehorn located on an opposite end of the elongated shank from that of the cylindrical prong, to assist the user in putting the shoe onto the foot.




The invention is a hosiery removal and retrieval tool with a notch for shoe removal and a shoehorn, for use by individuals with limited mobility. The tool has a substantially cylindrical elongated shank having a first end and a second end. The first end of the shank terminates in a rounded portion, having a substantially cylindrical prong which extends from the shank at an angle, and also having a notch. The prong is used for pushing socks or stockings off the foot of the user. The notch is used for pushing a shoe off the foot of the user. The prong additionally has a rough strip located on a portion of its surface for aiding a user in retrieving hosiery once it has been removed by use of the prong. The second end of the shank has a shoehorn, for aiding a user in putting the shoe onto the foot.




To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows.





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the hosiery removal tool


10


.





FIG. 2

is an enlarged perspective view of the first end of the hosiery removal tool.





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the tool being used to remove a sock from a foot of a user.





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the tool being used to remove a shoe from a foot of a user.





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of the tool being used to retrieve a sock.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1

illustrates a perspective view of the hosiery removal and retrieval tool


10


. The tool


10


has a substantially cylindrical elongated shank


12


having a first end


12


A and a second end


12


B. The first end


12


A terminates in a rounded portion


14


having a notch


14


N, and also having a substantially cylindrical prong


16


which extends from the shank


12


in proximity to the rounded portion


14


at substantially a forty-five degree angle. The notch


14


N is used to push a shoe off the foot of a user. The prong


16


is used for pushing socks or stockings off the foot of the user. The prong


16


has an internally oriented surface


16


I which faces the shank


12


, and also an externally oriented surface


16


E facing away from the shank


12


. The second end


12


B has a shoehorn


14


, having a tapered end


14


T, for helping the user put a shoe onto the foot.





FIG. 2

illustrates an enlarged perspective view of the first end


12


A of the hosiery removal tool


10


. The prong


16


has a rough strip


18


located along the externally oriented surface


16


E of the prong


16


for aiding in the retrieval of hosiery once it has been removed by the prong


16


. The rough strip


18


on the prong


16


also partially extends along an adjacent portion of the shank


12


in the direction of the second end


12


B of the shank


12


.





FIG. 3

illustrates a perspective view of the tool


10


being used by a user


20


having a leg


26


having a foot


28


having a heel


28


H, and also having an arm


22


having a hand


24


, while sitting on a chair


34


. The user


20


is removing a sock


30


from the foot


28


. The sock


30


has an upper portion


30


U and an opening


30


H in the upper portion


30


U. The user


20


is holding the second end


12


B of the tool


10


in his hand


24


and has extended the prong


16


between the opening


30


H in the upper portion


30


U of the sock


30


and the foot


28


. The sock


30


has been substantially pushed off the foot


28


of the user


20


by pushing the second end


12


B of the shank


12


toward the heel


28


H of the foot


28


.





FIG. 4

illustrates a perspective view of the rounded notch


14


of the tool


10


being used to push a shoe


32


from a foot


28


of the user. The notch


14


has an upper edge


14


U and a lower edge


14


L. The shoe


32


has a heel


32


H and also an opening


32


J into which the user extends the foot


28


when putting on the shoe


32


. The opening


32


J of the shoe


32


is encircled by a lip


32


L of the shoe


32


. The upper edge


14


U and the lower edge


14


L of the notch


14


have been extended over a portion of the lip


32


L. The shoe


32


has been partially removed from the foot


28


by pushing the second end


12


B of the shank


12


toward the heel


32


H of the shoe


32


.





FIG. 5

illustrates a perspective view of the rough strip


18


on the externally oriented surface


16


E of the prong


16


being used to retrieve a sock


30


. In particular, the prong


16


has been extended within the opening


30


H in the sock


30


, and the rough strip


18


prevents the sock


30


from easily slipping off of the prong


16


once it has been so engaged by the prong


16


.




The hosiery removal and retrieval tool


10


is available in two sizes. The longer embodiment is thirty-six inches long and the shorter embodiment is eighteen inches long. The width of the tool


10


is approximately ¾ inches. The shank


12


is preferably constructed from wood. The shoehorn


14


is preferably constructed from plastic or metal.




To use the tool


10


to remove a shoe


32


from the foot


28


of a user, the user


20


holds the second end


12


B of the shank


12


in the hand


24


, engages the upper edge


14


U and the lower edge


14


L of the notch


14


over the lip


32


L surrounding the opening


32


J of the shoe


32


, and pushes the tool


10


towards the heel


32


H of the shoe


32


. The user


20


may then remove the sock


30


from the foot


28


by extending the prong


16


between the leg


26


of the user


20


and the sock


30


, and by then pushing the tool


10


towards the heel


28


H of the foot


28


. After removing the sock


30


from the foot


28


, the user


20


may retrieve the sock


30


, after hooking the sock


30


by extending the prong


16


within the opening


30


H of the sock


30


. The rough strip


18


on the prong


16


prevents the sock


30


from easily falling from the prong


16


. The user


20


may also use the tool


10


to help put a shoe


32


onto the foot


28


by extending the tapered portion


14


T of the shoe horn


14


into the opening


32


J of the shoe


32


prior to insertion of the foot


28


into the opening


32


J, so that the foot


28


is able to more easily slide into the opening


32


J.




In conclusion, herein is presented a hosiery removal and retrieval tool with a notch for shoe removal and also a shoehorn. The invention is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A hosiery removal and retrieval tool for use by a user having at least one foot, said foot being covered by hosiery and also by a shoe, comprising a substantially cylindrical elongated shank having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end terminates in a rounded portion, the tool further having a substantially cylindrical prong extending from the shank and forming an acute angle with the shank at the first end thereof for pushing hosiery off the foot of the user, said first end also having a notch for pushing the shoe off the foot of the user, wherein the prong at the first end of the hosiery removal tool has an internally oriented surface which substantially faces the elongated shank of the tool, and an externally oriented surface which substantially faces away from the elongated shank, and wherein said prong has a rough strip located on said externally oriented surface for aiding a user in retrieving hosiery once it has been removed by the prong.
  • 2. The hosiery removal tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the rough strip is comprised of a strip of sandpaper.
  • 3. The hosiery removal tool as recited in claim 2, wherein the second end of the elongated shank has a shoehorn having a tapered end, for aiding a user in putting a shoe onto a foot.
  • 4. A method of using a hosiery removal and retrieval tool by a user having at least one arm having a hand and at least one leg having a foot, for removing a shoe and a sock from the foot of the user, said foot having a heel portion and a toe portion, said shoe having a heel portion and an opening located above the heel portion for insertion of the foot therein, said shoe also having a lip which encircles said opening of said shoe, said sock having an opening located in proximity to the upper portion of the sock for insertion of the foot therein, said hosiery removal tool having a substantially cylindrical elongated shank having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end terminates in a rounded portion having a substantially cylindrical prong extending from the shank and forming an acute angle with the shank at the first end thereof, and also having a notch, and wherein the prong at the first end of the hosiery removal tool has an internally oriented surface which substantially faces the elongated shank of the tool, and also an externally oriented surface which substantially faces away from the elongated shank, and wherein said prong has a rough strip located on said externally oriented surface, comprising the steps of:a) grasping by the hand of the user of the second end of the elongated shank; b) directing the first end of the elongated shank toward the foot of the user; c) engaging the notch at the first end of the elongated shank with the lip of the shoe; d) pushing the shoe off the foot by pushing the second end of the tool with the arm and hand of said user, in the direction of the heel of the shoe; e) positioning the prong between the upper portion of the sock and the leg; f) removing the sock from the foot by pushing the tool with the arm and hand of said user, from the second end of the tool, in the direction of the toe portion of the foot; and g) retrieving the sock to the user by hooking the opening of the sock onto the prong and engaging the sock with the rough strip on the prong.
  • 5. The method of using a hosiery removal tool as recited in claim 4, wherein the second end of the elongated shank further comprises a shoehorn having a tapered end, wherein the step of removing the shoe from the foot of the user is preceded by the step of putting the shoe onto the foot of the user by grasping the first end of the tool, extending the tapered end of the shoehorn into the opening of the shoe, and sliding the foot into the shoe aided by the use of the shoehorn.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
594894 Nylander Dec 1897 A
3396882 Berlin Aug 1968 A
3853252 Scianimanico Dec 1974 A
D259299 Vreeken May 1981 S