GLIDE SOCK AND METHOD OF MAKING A GLIDE SOCK

Abstract

A chair including a plurality of legs having glides attached to the legs is provided with glide socks that are assembled over each of the glides. The glide socks each have a fabric body that envelops a floor facing surface of the glide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide. The glide socks each include a band of elastic material sewn to an inner edge of the fabric body that is retained in the recess by the band of elastic material. A method of making a glide sock includes the step of providing a blank of a fabric having a perimeter and sewing a band of elastic to the perimeter of the blank. The band of elastic material is stretched as it is sewn to the perimeter of the blank.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to removable covers for chair glides.

BACKGROUND

Glide socks are assembled over chair glides to facilitate moving chairs and avoid damaging floor surfaces. Floor surfaces maybe smooth, e.g. wood, linoleum, smooth ceramic tile, and the like, or may be rough, e.g. carpet, concrete, and the like.

Different types of chair glides are available including ones that are flush with the chair leg, ball-shaped glides attached to the leg, and pivotable or fixed glides that have a wider bottom surface and a tapered top surface sloping inwardly to a narrow neck.

One problem with existing glide socks is that they are difficult to assemble to chair glides that have a tapered top surface sloping inwardly to a narrow neck. Existing glide socks may tend to be easily striped from the chair glide when moved across a floor.

Another problem is that in some locations the same chairs are used on smooth surfaces or on rough surfaces for different event set-ups. A single type of glide sock is not appropriate for both types of surfaces.

This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and other problems as summarized below.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of this disclosure, a glide sock is disclosed that includes a fabric body and a band of elastic material. The fabric body has a floor engaging surface and inwardly extending top surface that extends from an outer diameter of the floor engaging surface to an inner edge. The band of elastic material is attached to the inner edge that draws the inner edge inwardly to a circular shape having an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the floor engaging surface.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, the band of elastic material may have an inner portion and an outer portion that are folded together along the length of the band, wherein the inner portion may be sewn to an inner surface of the perimeter edge, and the outer portion may be sewn to an outer surface of the perimeter edge.

The fabric body may have an inner layer that may be attached to an outer layer that has a durable and smooth outer surface. Alternatively, the fabric body may have an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer has an outer surface covered with pile.

According to another aspect of this disclosure a combination of a glide sock and a chair is disclosed that includes a plurality of legs supporting a chair, glides attached to the legs, and glide socks assembled over each of the glides. The glides include a floor facing surface and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide that extends from an outer diameter of the glide toward a leg receptacle provided at the bottom of the leg. The leg receptacle of each of the glides is attached to the bottom of each of the legs. The glides and the legs define a circular recess adjacent the bottom of each leg. The glide socks each have a fabric body that envelops the floor facing surface of the glide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide. The glide socks each include a band of elastic material sewn to an inner edge of the fabric body, wherein the inner edge of the fabric body is retained in the recess by the band of elastic material.

According to a further aspect of this disclosure, a method of making a glide sock is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing a blank of a fabric having a generally circular perimeter and providing a band of elastic material that in a normal, unstretched condition has a length less than one-half the perimeter of the blank. A band of elastic material is sewn to the perimeter of the blank, and the band of elastic material is stretched as it is sewn to the perimeter of the blank. A first end of the band of elastic material is sewn to a second end of the band of elastic material with the first end overlapping the second end.

According to other aspects of the method, the fabric may be cut to form the blank and the elastic material may be cut to form the band to a desired length. The method may also include the steps of folding the band of elastic material to form an inner portion and an outer portion together along the length of the band and sewing the inner portion to an inner surface of the perimeter edge and the outer portion to an outer surface of the perimeter edge.

The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a lower end of a chair leg, a glide assembled to the chair leg, and a glide sock assembled to the glide.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the lower end of the chair leg, the glide assembled to the chair leg, and the glide sock assembled to the glide shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a cross-section view taken along the line 3A-3A in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3B is a cross-section view like FIG. 3A showing a glide sock having two layers including an inner later and a smooth outer layer.

FIG. 3C is a cross-section view like FIG. 3A showing a glide sock having two layers including an inner later and a pile outer layer.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of a blank and a band of elastic material initially being sewn together to form the glide sock.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of the blank and the band of elastic material being sewn together with the band of elastic being stretched as it is sewn to the blank as the blank is rotated to form the glide sock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.

Referring to FIG. 1, a chair leg 10 is illustrated that is provided with a glide sock 12 made according to one example of this disclosure. The glide sock 12 is assembled to a glide 14 that is, in turn, assembled to the bottom, or distal, end 16 of the chair leg 10. The glide sock 12 includes a body 18 of fabric and has a floor engaging portion 20 and a top portion 22 that together define an outer diameter 24 of the body 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, the chair leg 10, glide 14 and glide sock 12, are illustrated in a partial exploded perspective view. A band 26 is sewn to the inner diameter 28 of the body 18. The inner edge 28 that is formed when the band 26 is sewn to glide sock 12, as will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 4-6 below.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the glide sock 12 is shown in isolation in a cross-section view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2. The glide sock 12 includes the body 18 that has a floor engaging surface 20 and a top surface 22. The widest part of the body 18 forms the outer diameter 24. The band 26 is sewn to the inner diameter 28 of the body 18. The body 18 is drawn by the band 26 into the inner edge 28 that is less than one-half the diameter of the outer diameter 24 of the body 18. The band 26 is folded over to form an inner portion 30 and an outer portion 32 that are sewn with stitches 33 to an inner surface 34 and an outer surface 36 of the body 18 at the inner edge 28.

Referring to FIG. 3B, one embodiment of the glide sock 12 is shown that includes a body 18 that is formed with two layers including an inner layer 38 formed of a durable elastic material and an outer layer 40 formed of a durable smooth, or low friction, material to facilitate moving the chair over a floor surface that is relatively rough such as a carpeted floor.

Referring to FIG. 3C, one embodiment of the glide sock 12 is shown that includes a body 18 that is formed with two layers including an inner layer 38 formed of a durable elastic material and an outer layer 40 formed of a durable pile-covered, or soft material, to facilitate moving the chair over a floor surface that is relatively smooth such as a finished wood floor or a tile floor.

Referring to FIG. 2, the outer diameter 42 of the glide 14 is visible when the glide sock 12 is removed. The glide 14 has a leg receptacle 44 that defines an opening for receiving the distal end 16 of the chair leg 10. The glide 14 defines a recess 48 adjacent the bottom end 16 of the chair leg 10 that is adapted to receive the band 26 that pulls the body 18 into the recess 48. The glide 14 has a floor facing surface 50 that is adapted to slide on a floor surface.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, fragmentary schematic views are provided to illustrate the method of making the glide sock 12. The blank 52 that is used to form the body 18 is initially a generally circular blank that is drawn to the shape shown in FIG. 2. A first end 54 of the band 26 is tacked to the blank 52 with a stitch 33. The band 26 has an initial length D₁ before the first stitch 33 is made through the inner portion of the band 26 the blank and outer portion 32 of the band 26, as best seen in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 6 the sewing step is illustrated after the first tacking stitch 33 is made at the first end 54 of the band 26. The blank 52 is rotated as indicated by the circle of arrows and the dashed line in FIG. 6 and a force is applied to the second end of the band 26 as indicated by the larger arrow pointing toward the top of the page thereby stretching the band to an increased length D₂. As the sewing continues the edge of the blank 52 is drawn inwardly to form the band into the ring shown in FIG. 2. The first end 54 of the band 26 is overlapped over the second end 56 of the band 26 to provide hoop-strength that provides a strong retentive force that keeps the glide sock 12 on the glide 14 with the band 26 being retained in the recess 48 of the glide 14.

The embodiments described above are specific examples that do not describe all possible forms of the disclosure. The features of the illustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation. The scope of the following claims is broader than the specifically disclosed embodiments and includes modifications of the illustrated embodiments.

Claims

1. A glide sock comprising:

a fabric body having a floor engaging surface and inwardly extending top surface that extends from an outer diameter of the floor engaging surface to an inner edge; and

a band of elastic material attached to the inner edge that draws the inner edge inwardly to a circular shape having an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the floor engaging surface.

2. The glide sock of claim 1 wherein the band of elastic material has an inner portion and an outer portion that are folded together along a length of the band, wherein the inner portion is sewn to an inner surface of the inner edge, and the outer portion is sewn to an outer surface of the inner edge.

3. The glide sock of claim 1 wherein the fabric body has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has a durable and smooth outer surface.

4. The glide sock of claim 1 wherein the fabric body has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer having an outer surface covered with pile.

5. A combination of a glide sock and a chair, the combination comprising:

a plurality of legs supporting the chair;

a plurality of glides including a floor facing surface of the glide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide that extends from an outer diameter of the glide toward a leg receptacle attached to a bottom end of the leg, wherein the leg receptacle of one of the glides is attached to the bottom end of each of the legs, the leg receptacles each define a circular recess adjacent the bottom of each leg; and

a plurality of glide socks each having a fabric body that envelops the floor facing surface of the glide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide, the glide sock including a band of elastic material sewn to an inner edge of the fabric body, wherein the inner edge of the fabric body is retained in the recess by the band of elastic material.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the band of elastic material has an inner portion and an outer portion that are folded together along a length of the band, wherein the inner portion is sewn to an inner surface of the inner edge, and the outer portion is sewn to an outer surface of the inner edge.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein the fabric body has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has a durable and smooth outer surface.

8. The combination of claim 5 wherein the fabric body has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has an outer surface covered with pile.

9. A method of making a glide sock comprising:

providing a blank of a fabric having a perimeter;

providing a band of elastic material that in a normal, unstretched condition has a length of less than one-half the perimeter of the blank; and

sewing a band of elastic material to the perimeter of the blank, wherein the band of elastic material is stretched as the band of elastic material is sewn to the perimeter of the blank.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

cutting the fabric to form the blank; and

cutting the elastic material to form the band to a desired length.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

folding the band of elastic material to form an inner portion and an outer portion that are folded together along the length of the band; and

sewing the inner portion to an inner surface of an inner edge and the outer portion to an outer surface of the inner edge.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sewing a first end of the band of elastic material to a second end of the band of elastic material with the second end overlapping the first end.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the fabric has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has a durable and smooth outer surface.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the fabric has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has outer surface covered with pile.