Abstract: A blade support made of molded plastics including an elongated V-shaped beam with a hollow pedestal extending upwardly from the rear of the beam to meet the sole in the heel area of the skate boot. A second pedestal extends from the inner wing of the beam to be joined to the sole at the ball of the foot. A third pedestal extends from the outer wing of the beam to be joined to the sole of the boot coincident with the joint formed by the metatarsus and phalange of the fifth digit of the foot, and a fourth pedestal extends from the front end of the beam to be joined to the front end of the sole. A U-shaped sole plate joins the second, third, and fourth pedestals and provides a mounting flange for mounting the support to the boot.

Abstract: An improved synthetic pad is used in sports equipment in a three-tiered system. A front visible layer, called a cosmetic component layer, is made to the taste and color of a player or a team. A second component is a backing pad layer. The third and novel component of the present invention is a foam insert layer of about one inch thickness. A pocket provided on the rear of the cosmetic component layer or on the front of the backing pad layer may be provided for receipt of the foam insert layer. The foam insert layer is made and structured in such a way that it provides a choice of rebound possibilities for a player. The foam insert layer may be homogeneous, or lacerated on one side to a depth of about 1/2 inch in a predetermined pattern. The laceration may be performed by either a blade or with a hot wire or with a thermosetting foam molded to its final shape.

Abstract: Sports player protective equipment having a system of protective padding members, and of a scale-type configuration having one section of protective padding overlapping an adjacent section of protective padding. The padding sections overlap one another and include a sliding extension member, the end of which is secured to an approximate midsection of an adjacent padding section so as to allow sliding movement of one padding section relative to an adjacent padding section. This sliding movement allows for expansion, contraction and rotation of the entire arm protective padding, which provides improved freedom of movement with greatly increased capability of bending of an arm. Advantageously, the arm protective padding sections are capable of extension, contraction and rotation with respect to each other without diminishing protective capability. Therefore, a single chest protector fits different sizes of players due to the extension and contraction capabilities of the arms.

Abstract: Multi-layer footwear formed of laminated layers of material which are sealed together with a polymeric glue used in the original manufacture of the footwear to secure the various layers of material together. The layers of material held together by polymeric glue are capable of being heated to a degree at which the footwear, when placed in a vacuum bag or compression chamber, is molded to adopt the shape of the foot inside the footwear under atmospheric pressure once pressure inside the bag is reduced or pressure in the compression chamber is increased. The footwear is heated to the point where the synthetic components of the layers of material are flexible under thermoforming conditions, but within a temperature range in which the polymeric glue continues to perform as an adhesive so that the sealed laminated surfaces do not separate.