Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8042289 | Article of footwear with gripping system An article of footwear with a gripping system is disclosed. The gripping system helps to enhance the wearer's ability to contact an athletic ball during kicking. The gripping system can be centered about a region where the wearer tends to kick the ball, and the grip... | 10/25/2011 |
| 7562471 | Article of footwear with gripping system An article of footwear with a gripping system is disclosed. The gripping system helps to enhance the wearer's ability to contact an athletic ball during kicking. The gripping system can be centered about a region where the wearer tends to kick the ball, and the grip... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7497035 | Soccer training apparatus and method A soccer training apparatus for teaching a user the proper technique to stop a soccer ball. The training apparatus includes a contact patch assembly having a contact region, and a strap mechanism configured to removably mount around a foot and shoe of the user in a ... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7487605 | Footwear for gripping and kicking a ball A shoe upper (11) including one or more resiliently deformable protrusions (17, 19) extending from an outer surface of the shoe upper and positioned for contact with a ball, each said protrusion (17, 19) forming at least an inner contoured shape... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7404263 | Footwear with force sensing device An article of footwear is provided, particularly a soccer shoe, having one or more sensors mounted in the shoe upper which, when impacted by a ball, are effective to send a signal to a controller representative of the magnitude of the force with which the ball was s... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7373738 | Surface contact maximizing shoe, outsole and rand The present invention provides for multiple portions of a shoe structure and the method of making these portions wherein one or more of the portions comprise two or more flat perimeter edges. The present invention further provides faceted lasts for making faceted sh... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7350321 | Shoe upper and methods of manufacture The present invention relates to a shoe and the manufacture thereof that includes an inner shoe with an upper side and a lower side and a stitch-free shell. The stitch-free shell encompasses the upper side of the inner shoe. The shell may be produced in two or more ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7232148 | Device for retaining a boot on a gliding, rolling, or walking board adapted to a sporting activity, and the boot therefor A device for retaining a boot on a board adapted to a sporting activity, and a boot therefor. The device includes a base, a lateral edge, a rear support element, and at least one linkage for holding the boot above the base. The edge and the rear support element each... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7155846 | Article of footwear with exterior ribs An article of footwear includes a sole assembly and an upper secured to the sole assembly. A plurality of ribs is positioned on an exterior surface of at least one of the upper and the sole assembly, with each rib including a plurality of faces and each face having ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7047668 | Article of footwear having an upper with a polymer layer A article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. At least a portion of the upper includes a substrate layer and a polymer layer. The substrate layer is formed of an air-permeable material, and may be a textile or mesh material. The po... | 05/23/2006 |
| 6886275 | Kicking aid A football kicking aid for attachment to an athletic shoe. The aid has a toe piece having a cup which receives the toe of the shoe and preferably includes an aperture through which the front shoe cleat is inserted. A pair of straps extend from the sides of the toe p... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6681503 | Double tongue soccer boot/training shoe A Soccer Boot/Training Shoe with an external tongue that has upon it rubberized ball agitators for applying spin to a soccer ball. The agitators are furrowed, curved and increase in size from front to back. The external tongue is secured to the boot by la... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6637132 | Sporting footwear Improvements in footwear for sporting purposes requiring the kicking of a ball on or adjacent to an instep of the footwear, there being provided at least one insert (24) for or in addition to the footwear which is attachable to the footwear on or adjacent... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6604299 | Athletic shoe with a sole extension An athletic shoe having a sole extension extending substantially from the bottom sole to substantially overlap front portions of the shoe sidewalls including the toe enclosing portion, towards and closely adjacent the lacing area. Side seams secure the re... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6523282 | Article of footwear for gripping and kicking a ball An article of footwear for use in playing soccer or other activities that require kicking and/or handling of a ball by a player's feet. The article of footwear has a ball control region comprised of a series of raised geometric protrusions which give the ... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6421936 | Sporting footwear Improvements in footwear for sporting purposes requiring the kicking of a ball on or adjacent to an instep of the footwear, there being provided at least one insert (24) for or addition to the footwear which is attachable to the footwear on or adjacent to... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6257998 | Foot paddle A foot paddle including a footwear, a racket which includes a ball rebound surface bounded by a perimeter wall, the racket including a forefoot portion, configured to overlay a forefoot of the footwear and which generally does not extend medially beyond t... | 07/10/2001 |
| 6038792 | Soccer shoe cover A soccer shoe cover includes a rubber membrane formed to stretch over the exterior surface of a soccer shoe. The membrane covers the laces, the heel and a kicking portion of the soccer shoe while leaving the toe uncovered. The membrane has a rear opening ... | 03/21/2000 |
| 5894685 | Footbag pads externally mounted to footwear, constructed for catching, juggling, and tossing a footbag This invention comprises a plurality of concave pads adapted to be externally attached to the foot or to athletic or other footwear for use in foot game sports.... | 04/20/1999 |
| 5737858 | Training device for soccer players Soccer training shoes are provided having ball contact elements that cause a soccer ball to more readily bounce away from the foot of the user. In one aspect of the invention, a training device is provided for temporary attachment to the shoe of a soccer ... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5718069 | Football kicking shoe An athletic shoe designed for kicker's kicking footballs from the ground having a toe portion that extends upwardly with respect to the horizontal plane formed by the heel and instep of the shoe. The toe has a kicking surface that is substantially flat an... | 02/17/1998 |
| 5711092 | Jointed bendable foot protector for use with a shoe A foot protector is disclosed herein. The foot protector comprises an upper shield, suitable for conforming to, covering and protecting the metatarsal or middle portion of the foot; an anterior shield, suitable for conforming to, covering and protecting t... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5555650 | Laceless athletic shoe A laceless athletic shoe is disclosed. The shoe presents a thin, uniform upper surface, permitting truer kicks when contacted by a soccer or other ball. An integral elastic area in the upper expands to receive the wearer's foot, while carbon fibers embedd... | 09/17/1996 |
| 5472200 | Golf ball kicking device A golf ball kicking device adapted to be worn on the toe of a shoe comprising a first member having a concavity including a flexible surface adapted to be positioned against a toe of a shoe; a second member detachably connected to said first member and having ... | 12/05/1995 |
| 5437112 | Sports shoe for activities which involve kicking a ball A football boot (10) comprises an upper (12) formed with a ball contact surface (24) which is resilient. The ball contact surface may be generally flat and/or concave and provided with a plurality of formations formed of an elastomeric material, wherein t... | 08/01/1995 |
| 5216827 | Soccer training shoe A soccer training shoe has a multiplicity of target sectors affixed over different shoe portions which have a different shape corresponding to an optimal area of kicking contact for a respective kicking technique and a different color from the other targe... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5170575 | Football kicking shoe A football kicking shoe is provided having a sole with the toe portion extending angularly downward with respect to the substantially flat instep and heel portion of the sole. The sole is sufficiently flexible so that when worn by a punter the sole will l... | 12/15/1992 |
| 5067259 | Punting and soccer-style kicking shoe A kicking shoe maintains the proper foot geometry for punting and soccer-style kicking by ensuring proper toe depression during kicking, thereby increasing the accuracy, distance, and repeatability of punts and soccer kicks.... | 11/26/1991 |
| 4899470 | Athletic shoe An athletic shoe adapted for controlling an object with the foot includes multiple planar object control surfaces and a vertically enhanced sole to provide maximum control surface area. The interior portion of the shoe is conformed to the wearer's foot to... | 02/13/1990 |
| 4882858 | Boots for motorcycle cross-country racing A boot for motorcycle cross-country racing is disclosed which comprises protection plates formed with plural elastically deformable hollow, button-like projections. The hollow, button-like projections extend through holes formed in a toe, malleolus and ca... | 11/28/1989 |
| 4712317 | Athletic shoe An athletic shoe having a generally planar ball-impacting surface formed in the recessed part of the instep and/or lateral aspect regions of the shoe. When formed in the instep region, for example, the surface extends across the region between the curvili... | 12/15/1987 |
| 4617746 | Kicking shoe An improved kicking shoe having a generally durable sheath housing and a pad upwardly protruding from the front portion of the shoe is disclosed. The pad has an inclined precipice at a first end portion having an apex located at a substantially central po... | 10/21/1986 |
| 4564196 | Ankle appliance for playing football An appliance to be applied to the ankle of one or both legs of a soccer-style kicker to improve the trajectory of the kicked ball, involving a relatively rigid cordon-like member, with an arched shape so as to surround the front part of the ankle and with... | 01/14/1986 |
| 4447971 | Football boot A football boot is provided on its upper portion with strips of leather or like material which extend transversely over the instep of the boot thereby to enhance the frictional contact with a ball to be controlled with the foot. The strips are connected t... | 05/15/1984 |
| 4442615 | Sports footwear A sports boot or shoe, such as a soccer boot, has a stippled material secured to at least a portion of the outer surface of the upper of the boot or shoe, with the stippled surface of the material facing inwardly thereof. Preferably, the stippled surface ... | 04/17/1984 |
| 4422249 | Kicking apparatus This disclosure relates to a kicking shoe which incorporates a defined impact surface formed by a substantially rigid pad overlying the instep to serve as a device to consistently contact a football in a controlled pattern so that the range and accuracy o... | 12/27/1983 |
| 4204346 | Training shoe for soccer An otherwise conventional soccer shoe having two visually distinctive areas located in two regions of the shoe where proper contact with a soccer ball should be made. The first area covers a substantial part of the toe region of the shoe and the second ar... | 05/27/1980 |
| 4149325 | Field goal kicking shoe The shoe is provided with a toe portion which has a flat, ball-impacting, front wall which is forwardly slanted at a 5-15 degree angle and which has a flat, leading edge on the sole which terminates approximately flush with the bottom edge of the ball-imp... | 04/17/1979 |
| 4123856 | Kicking shoe A kicking shoe is disclosed which comprises wedging means in the toe box for maintaining the toes of a wearer in an upwardly flexed position. The resulting forward flexure of the toes facilitates "locking" of the wearer's ankle, and causes kicking force t... | 11/07/1978 |
| 4065861 | Football punting shoe A pair of impactor elements are fixedly attached to a football shoe along the side and even with the top and sides of the arch of the foot. These impactors are provided with planar ball impacting surfaces which materially increase the area of contact betw... | 01/03/1978 |
