Importance

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Abstract

A lacing aid which assists in lacing two elements tightly together comprises a first open portion that is easily threaded and engages a lace with reduced friction, and a second portion for frictional restraint of the threaded lace. Such lacing aids of the invention may be formed by bending smooth and stiff but resilient wire to form a first portion providing an opening larger than a lace with smooth inner walls, permitting the lace to slip easily when it is being tightened, and a second lace-restraining portion formed adjacent to the first portion to which a tightened lace may be easily slipped and engaged. An eyelet-connecting structure that may be used to fasten a lacing aid to a substrate element can be formed by two legs projecting from a junction, with one of the legs including a sleeve for rotatably carrying a first portion of the lacing aid and with the distal ends of the legs providing structure, such as a pair of mating fasteners, for fastening the lacing aid to a substrate, one mate being carried by each of the legs. Detent-forming structure adjacent the sleeve can hold the eyelet being carried so it extends upwardly and away from the leg. Such a connecting structure can comprise thin sheet steel bent into a U-shape, with one of the legs of the U being stamped to form notch-like portions and bent adjacent the notch-like portions to form a sleeve sized to engage the first portion of the lacing aid with a snap-fit so the first portion of a lacing aid is captively, but rotatably, carried by the U-shaped clip and can be held in the notch-like portions upwardly away from the connecting structure for easy threading.

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First Claim