A DEVICE FOR APPLYING A GALOSH TO FOOTWEAR This device is related to a device for applying a galosh to footwear, Disposable foot coverings made of polyethylene films that are called galoshes are worn over footwear in various facilities such as hospitals, clinics, food factories where sterile conditions must be maintained. Usually galoshes are taken by hand from the receptacle where they are placed and placed over the footwear by hand. Thus, the contact to the footwear, especially the sole cannot be eliminated. On the other hand, old people and pregnant women have to bend to put on or put off the galosh and this of course causes inconvenience.

In the state of the art, a device to apply galosh over the footwear is described in Turkish Patent Application No. 2000 2030. This device consists of mainly three parts. The top part is the place where the closed package comprising the stacked galoshes separated from each other by perforations during manufacturing process is placed. Just underneath the package, there is an upper body and a galosh guiding pair connected to the upper body. On the lower body, some guiding tubes are provided to direct the moving galoshes. There is a pedal to move along the galoshes and also metal sheets connected to this pedal and a blockage piece are provided.

Also, in the Turkish Patent Application No. 2000 2031, a device to apply galoshes over the footwear is described wherein a galosh dispenser unit is provided. In this unit, elastic bands are applied to the edges of the galosh material by means of adhesives. Thus, the galosh is manufactured automatically by means of a machine comprising adhering drums, cutting drums to cut the galosh material longitudinally, a folding apparatus to fold the material in the middle, hot adhering and perforating drums, turnpikes to fold the material crosswise and a packaging unit in which the galoshess are packed.

The object of this invention is to apply galoshes over the footwear automatically.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is the cross section view of the device according to this invention Figure 2 is the cross section view of the galosh stacking unit Figure 3 is the cross section view of the galosh applying unit Figure 4 is the top view of the galosh The parts shown in the drawings are numbered as follows: 1. Device to apply galosh 2. galosh 3. ring 4. plastic strip 5. galosh stacking unit 6. galosh applying unit 7. lever 8. pressing arms 9. shoe 10. Hook 11. Spring 12. pedal This invention is related to a device to apply galoshes over the footwear automatically by including some additions to the galoshes used in facilities in which sterile sanitary conditions must be maintained. One or more, and preferably four, rings (3) are provided on the galoshes to be used with this device by fixing two rings to the toe part and two rings to the heel part of the galosh by

means of a plastic strip (4). Thanks to said rings, the galoshes are stacked over the device.

Galoshes (2) used in this device (1) are stacked over one or more bushes comprising a tube and a tap closing the open end of the tube by means of rings (3).

A pedal (12) is provided at the center of the device (1) which is movable downwardly on vertical plane when a force is applied on it and when the force is released it moves upwardly back to its original position.

Galosh stacking unit (5) comprises a shoe (9), a winding arm, a hook (10), a spring (11), a bush and pins. Shoes (9) in the stacking unit (5) are fixed tightly into the hooks by a rotating movement by means of the winding arm. As a result, springs underneath the shoes (9) are compressed. Then, galoshes (2) stacked over the bushes by means of rings (3) are piled on the pins in the galosh stacking unit (5).

Rings (3) provided on the galoshes (2) are in contact with the cover by means of balls compressed between the rings (3) and shoes (9).

Each galosh is compressed between the cover and shoes (9) by means of the springs provided underneath the shoes.

Galosh applying unit (6) comprises a lever (7) and pressing arms one end of which is fixed onto the pedal (12) and the other fixed to the lever. When a force is applied to the pedal, the pressing arm transmits the force to the lever which in return transmits the same to the galosh stacking unit (5) and thus galosh is applied over to the footwear by this force.

Galoshes are placed over the footwear as the protective cover is opened. Stacking is done as the pressing arms located to each side of the galosh applying unit (6) and lever (7) attached to those arms are moved to the center of the device and opened. Stacking of the galoshes (2) onto the device (1) is completed as the galoshes stacked on the bushes by means of the rings (3) are piled on the pins in the galosh stacking unit (5).

As a result of the force applied over the pedal (12), levers (7) connected to the pedal by means of pressing arms moves the pressing arms to the center of the device in parallel to the ground. At the same time, galosh applying unit provided at each side of the device (1) moves to the center of the device (1) in the same fashion.

This movement is achieved by the balls compressed between the shoes on the galosh stacking unit and cover in contact thereof Rings on the galosh are released from the pins and moves forward to the object applying force to the pedal and thus covers the footwear. As a result galosh is applied to the footwear. As the force on the pedal (12) releases, thanks to the springs, galosh applying unit (6) returns to its original position.

This may be repeated each time the pedal is pressed until all the galoshes are used. Fresh galoshes are loaded to the device to re-activate the device.