US1036452A

US1036452A - Instep-arch support.

Info

Publication number: US1036452A
Application number: US64141811A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence N Childs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-07-31
Filing date: 1911-07-31
Publication date: 1912-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 1929-08-20

Description

G. N. GHILDS.

INSTEP ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1911.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNiTED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

CLARENCE N. CHILDS, F LOWELL, HASSACHUBKTTS.

- ms'rEr-ARcH symon'r.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, (Learner: N. Gimme, of Lowell, in the count of hfiddlesex and. ,the Commonwealth of assachusetts, have invented certain new andusefnl' Improvements: in Instep-Arch Supports, of which the following description andclaims, with the accompanying drawing, are a specification. i Like numerals on the drawing denote like parts. I My inventionrelates to instep-arch supports for insertion in an 1. ..removal from footwear for the rectification of thedeformi- T5 tfe s linownfas weakened foot and flatoot, and to that class of such supports which comprises a plate having a body portion shaped to underlie the instep-arch and a side portion that is integral with the body portion and opposed to the side surface of that arch.

' My invention relates more particularly. to the extent of the body portion of the plate, to the means for preventing the longitiidinal or, lateral movement of the-support relativelv to-the foot, to the means for giving rigidity to. the support or such resilience thereto as is suited to. the pathological condition or the heaviness of the patient, and to the means for cushioning the support for the comfort of the patient.

In the drawing, which shows my invention in the preferred form: Figure 1 is a plan of a form of footwear, such as a boot 3a or shoe, with the upper removed at a horizontal section near the sole, with the metallie portion of my support inserted therein,

but with the cushion omitted for greater (-learness; Fig. 2 is a planof the metallic portion, Fig; '3 is a side-elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken at the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 with a corresponding section of the cushion, in place; Figs. 5, 6, and

T are CXOSSFSQCtlOHS taken at the lines 5-5,

a corresponding-section of the cushion, in

- place, in each case; Fig. 8 is a lan of the cushion shown flat and before it has been curved to its place in the footwear but with the metallic portion of the support in plan beneath it.

'l he preferred-form of my invention comprises a resilient metallic plate havinga body portion 1 curved to conform to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31, 1911. semi No. 641,418.

6t;, and .-7- 7, respectively, of Fig. 2, with Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

lower surface of the foot beneath the tarsal and metatarsal arches, extended forwardly to a location 2 anterior to an articulationfof' a metatarsalbone with its phalanx, and extended rearwardly to a location 3 posterior to the lowest part of the os calcis. 'Its ott- 60 line at the heel 4 T4 is curved to. conform nearly to the outline of e inner sole of the footwear at the heel? I \has one or more holes 5 in its posterior part. for a screw or other projection fi-from the heel of the foot- 5 wear for maintaihmg thesupport-in position at the heell The plate 1 hasside portions integral. with the body portion and curved to conform'to the inner side portions of the tarsal and metatarsal'arches; The posterior side portioii' 7 is shaped to fitands, support the inner sideiof the tarsal-arch. and is extended laterally and vertically from' T the body portion lonly' enough to ve the desired stiffness to the inner side 0 the resilient plate and to provide a suflicient side support opposite to the head of -the astragalus and for the cushion or loose insole.

The anterior part f the side portion of p the plate ,is a tongue extended laterally and 30' vertically from the body portion with which it is integral and curved to fit "the side sur face of the foot. A part of the tongue 8 which is farther than'the remainder from, the body portion is more nearly vertical 55 than the remainder and is'constructed to be almost fixedly located laterally relatively to the foot between the sideof the foot and the upper of the footwear. To diffuse the res- 4 sure of the more nearly vertical part 0 the tongue 8 over an area of the-side of the foot which is larger than its own areajtherer' by increasing the comfort of the wearer and 7'" reducing the ossible lateral movement of the more near y-v ert i cal part of the ton e relatively to the foot, a cushion 12 of lat er v 'or other material, -to be hereinafter described, intervenes between the tongue 8 and the side of the ,foot. This more-nearly vertical part of the tongue is the part of the instep-arch support -from whi 'the'forward part of the body portionof the plate is laterally located relativelyto the foot. The surgeon, when fitting the plate to the foot of the patien? can ibend the tongue 8 in any desired direc' 1011 by the aid of suitable tools. He can so-bendit as tobring the forward part of the body .portion 0 the plate nearer to the more nearly vertical part of the tongue, or, so as to carry it farther therefrom, thus adjusting the lateral location of the forward part of the body portion to the foot. Such adjustment, without a corresponding bending of the posterior part 7 of the side portion of the plate, will vary the pressure of the part 7 whereby it resists the inward movement of the scaph'oid and the head of the astragalus. Under some circumstances this ma be advisable. The tongue'8 is a substantial tongue that is, it is strong enough and stiff enoug ,throughout its whole extent, to maintain, while the sup ort is being worn, the forward part of the body portion of the plate in its position of lateral adjustment with respect to the more nearl vertical portion of the tongue; and, there ore, with respect to the foot Thus the tongue 8 is for locating, adjusting and maintaining the forward plate in its-lateral position relatively to the foot. '-,The tongue 8 is located forward of .the raised side 7 of the tarsal-arch support and rises above its upper edge. The head of the first metatarsal bone is the only bony art of the inner side of the forward part of thefoot that-.rests firmlyand continuously upon a fixed support. This head is ball-shaped and not constructed to resist the lateral pressure of the; tongue 8 with comfort to the wearer. I have experimented by locating the tongue 8 in different positions lengthwise ofthe'foot and Iprefer to locate it alongside of the shaft 'of the first metatarsal bone and between its head and its base.

- rior endof the u per spring-10 from the an- The preferred form of my invention comprises also one or more plate springs 9 and 10 which are riveted to the body portion 1 in the posterior portions oflate-springs 9 and 10, and the bodyportion at 11 11 when it is desired to thereby reinforce the stiffness of the resilient plate. The anterior end of the lower spring 9 is farther than the anteterior end 2 of t e body portion 1 of the resilient plate for gradually reducing the reinforcing effect of the springs upon the'piate. While the heel and the ball 0 the foot are both down and while the weight of the body tends to depress the head of the astragalus, the springs 9 and 10 unite with the plate 1 to resist the depression. As the heel and the instep rise with the weight supported.

u on the ballof the foot the anterior partspart of the The anwjor ends of; the.

plate springs depress longitudinally prolonged portions of the soft fixed-innersole of the footwear and the anterior ends of the depressions would materially aid-in preventing the forward slipping of the metallic portion of my invention, if the projection from the heel of thefootwear were absent.

The preferred form of my inventionvcomprises a removable cushion or insole 12 which is shaped to conform in outline tothe outline of the fixed mole of the footwear, excepting at the places where the side portions of the metallic plate are found. At all such places. and especially at the tongue 8,

the cushion is widened sufficiently to cause- 8Q, it to intervene between the side portionswf I the plate and the foot for the comfort of the patient. The entire. cushion or insole is shaped to fit the foot within the footwear.

I claim:

1. In an instep-arch support, a metallic plate having its posterior portion shaped with a raised side more to the rear than the first metatarsal bone and to fit and support the inner and raised side and the'lower sur- 9 tion shaped to underlie the metatarsal-arch and havmg a substantialton eforward of theraised side of the ;tarsa -arch support face of the tarsal-arch audits anterior porv and risin above the upper edge of the said 9:

raised si e for*location alongside the shaft of the first metatarsal bone betweenthe head and the base ofsuch bone forgiving proper position laterally to the .forward part of the plate. I

I 2. A resilient plate of an instep-arch support having its posterior portion shaped with a raised side more to the rear than the first metatarsal bone and to fit and support the inner and raised side and the lower'surface of the tarsal-arch and its anterior portion curved to fit the lower surface of the foot beneath the metatarsal arch' and to extend forwardly to a location-anterior to an articulation of a metatarsal bone with its phalanx and having a substantial tongue forward of the raiserlsidebf the tarsal-arch support and rising above the upper edge of the said raised side for location alongside the shaft of the first metatarsahbone between the head Eand the base-of such bone for giving proper osition laterally'to'the forward part of t e plate. I

3. .In an instep-arch support, a metallic plate, having its -'osterior portion shaped with-a raised side; more to the rear than the first metatarsal bone and to fit and support the inner andraised side and the lower surface of the tarsal-arch and its anterior portion shaped to underlie the metatarsal-arch and having a substantial ton ue forward of the raised si e of the itarsa arh support and rising above he upper edge of the said' raised side. for location alongside the shaft of the first metatarsal bone between the head and the base of such bone for giving proper and the tongue and the Sid portion of the position laterally to the forward part of t e plate. 15, plate, combined with a cushion shaped to In testimony whereof, 1 afiix my signature i I it a ainsi the inner surface of the upper of Q in the presence of two witnesses.

v the gootwear for maintaimng its; uwn pmper CLARENCE N. CIULEQFS.

pasiiinn iongitudinally and laterally 0f the Witnesses: Shea, and havmg a sldewlse extensmn in! in-- CHAN mus W HZTAKER; iel'vunuou Betwgeu the foot of the wearer lnvuw D. Kxmmm.