US1194672A

US1194672A - Ihstep-arch support

Info

Publication number: US1194672A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1916-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1933-08-15

Description

W. M. SCHULL.

INSTEP flRCH SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1915.

Patentefl Aug. 15, 1916.

at Fig. 1.

WILLIAM M. SCHOLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

INSTEP-ARCH SUPPORT.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed March 20, 1915. Serial No. 15,958.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM. M. SoHoLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in instep-Arch Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in instep arch supports, and in some of its features more particularly to multiple-plate arch supports.

Que of the objects of my invention is to provide an arch support particuluarly adapted for the relief of breaking down of the transverse arch of the ball of the human foot, and to make the support readily adjustable for variation in the curvatures of the elevation afiorded for supporting the transverse arch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sliding-plate arch support construction in which the distribution of weight to the main arch support structure and the transverse arch-supporting curvature may automatically be varied under different conditions of use. i p

A. further object of my invention is to provide a construction which is simple, efficaclone and comfortable-in use, and that may be made at low expense.

in the drawings wherein 1 have illustrated an embodiment of my invention Fig ure 1 is a bottom plan view of the instep arch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 33 F 1g. 4 1s atransverse section on line 4a of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 13 a detail section on line 55 of Fig.1.

In said drawings is a metal base plateand 11 a longitudinal arch plate, it bein my preference for some of the purposes 0 my invention to employ two superimposed plates of which the lower, or base plate is the longer, and the arch platethe wider. The base plate 10 preferably spans from a point 12 adjacent to the heel of the human foot to a point 13 just in rear of the head of the metatarsal bones of the foot, spanning over the shoe-shank. Where a supplementary arch plate is to be used, this base plate 10 may be relatively narrow .at its waist and heel. Such base plate has a general longitudinal curvature somewhat less than the normal curvature of the foot. In the specific construction shown I prefer that the base plate shall be relatively narrow at its waist and be gradually concaved transversely, as shown at 10. into arcuate or semicircular form forrigidity at its waist. The plate 10 is preferably broadened at its front end to form a head 14; affording a wide substantial bearing below the metatarsal bones and preferably extending forward somewhat in the form of a central tongue 15, the metal being cut away somewhat, as at 16, at the inner side of the tongue 15, to form a joint-receiving recess while, if desired, a similar recess 16' may be formed on the other side of the axial line of the tongue.

In the portion of the arch structure that supports the part of the foot just back of the heads of the metatarsal bones (such portion of the structure, in this instance, being the base plate 10), I provide a hump or elevation 20 shown in Figs. 2 and 1, adapted to give support to the transverse arch of the foot. It is highly important, in manyinstances, that the arch or hump aiiforded shall be accurately titted to relieve-pressure under one or more of the metatarsal bones between the first and lifthmetatarsals, andto provide for easy fitting of the hump 20 to the foot of the individual wearer, either by variation in its general curvature or by exaggeration of curvature along the line of any one of the metatarsal bones that the hump underlies, I provide in the transversely arched portion of the plate, within the locus of the hump 20, slots 21, preferably wholly confined by the plate, has dividing the hump into a plurality of relatively-narrow strips 22. In adjusting the arch to the individualuse'rs needs any one or more of these strips may be particularly distorted to secure just the elevation that is desired at just the location where the extra height is needed. These slots 21 preferably radiate somewhat from their inner ends outwardly, for approximately uniform distribution of the metal in the several strips 22.

The arch plate 11 I preferably make of general curvatures longitudinally and transversely to conform to the under surface of the shank or waist-portion of the foot, preferably making said arch plate to extend from a rear bearing edge 25 that is in front of the rear bearing edge 12 of the base plate, forward to a front bearing edge 26 that is located, and appropriately curved, approximately to conform to the rear portion of the base of the hump 20. "lrahsversely the arch plate 11 is preferably curved up at its edge into a side wing 27, conforming approxlmately to the inside curve of the instep. I prefer that the two plates be connected at their rear ends as at 30, as by

rivets

30, 31 and be free for relative sliding movement at their front contacting edges where the edge 26 of the arch plate bears upon the upper surface of the plate 10 at approximately the base of the hump 20.

The structure thus described is, in commercial practice covered with the usual leather cover piece 32, appropriately shaped to fit in the heel and shank portion of the shoe, so as to position the metal plates properly. To assemble the parts in the desired relation I preferably run the rivet 30 through all three plies of the structure, as indicated in Fig. 5, but retain the rivet 31 local to the two

metal plates

10 and 11, and rivet the front end of plate 11 only, as at 33, to the cover piece 32.

In operation it will be understood that the base plate 10, curving over the shank of the shoe, tends to throw the weight of the wearer on the heel and ball portion of the shoe, spanning the shank, but this plate is flexible and may readily yield as to its long longitudinal arch. The upper plate 11, also flexible, but preferably in less degrees than the lower plate may extend longitudinally, the weight of the wearer imposed on this upper plate being transmitted to the lower plate between the ends of the latter, and the upper plate slipping relative to the lower plate at one end, due to their difference in extension. It will be observed that as the entire structure tends to expand, the upper plate, higher arched than the lower plate tends to slide its forward end 26 forwardly up the hump 20, and while the action of .the structure as an entirety is easy and it has a considerable capability of yielding under the weight of the wearer, the sliding tendency of the forward end of the plate 11 is restricted by the curvature of the hump. Thus the tendency of the arch plate 11 to carry the weight of the wearer at the shank portion of the foot rather than on the ball and heel only, is enhanced somewhatabove the resistance that is afforded by the normal spring-resistance of the metal, this increase in resistance being due to the relation be tween the sliding forward portion of the plate 11 and the hump-formation of the forward portion of the base plate 10. Also it will be observed that as the forward end 261 of the upper plate does slide forward with respect to the hump 20' of the base plate, it

ture bein cut away under the great-toe joint and pre erably also under the small-toe joint, leaves these parts free to function substantially unaffected by the presence of the hump in plate 10, and I prefer, to this end, that the leather cover piece be recessed.

as at 16 and skived thin, to give the greatest freedom to the great-toe joint.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an arch support, a metallic plate adapted to underlie the-anterior portion of the metatarsal bones in rear of the heads thereof, said plate having a transverse hump plurality of strips adapted to be shaped individually.

3. In an arch support, the combination of a base plate adapted to extend from a bearing point adjacent the heel of the foot to a bearing point adjacent the heads .of the metatarsal bones, said plate having at its forward end a hump to support the transverse arch, and an arch plate, carried by said base plate, said arch plate shaped to conform to the waist portion of the plantar surface of the human foot, and bearing at both ends upon'said'base plate, the bearing of'said arch plate upon said base plate at the front end being adjacent the base of the hump of the base plate.

4. In an arch support, the combination of a base plate adapted to extend from a bearing adjacent the heel of the wearer to a bearing approximately conforming to the heads of the metatarsal bones, said base plate having a hump adjacent its forward end to support the transverse arch of the foot, and an arch plate secured to said base plate at its rear end and at its front end bearing on the arch plate slidingly at substantially the base of said hump, said arch plate having a longitudinal curvature in excess of the cur- V'ature of the base plate.

5. In an archsupport, a base plate, adapted to bear at its ends in a shoe and to span the shoe shank, and an arch plate, secured at one end to the base plate and at its other end free to slide thereon, said base plate being narrow and curved to arcuate cross section at its waist and having at its forward end a transverse hump to underlie the central metatarsal bones.

,toe joint.

6 In an arch support, a plate having a transverse hump tovv underlie the central metatarsal 'bones, and a cover piece con-' nected with said plate, both said plate .and the cover 7. In an arch support,. a metallic plate having a transverse curvature in excess of the curvature of the human foot and slots, terminating within the confines of the plate,

extending. in a generally longitudinal direction through said curvature and dividing the same into a plurality of strips adapted to be shaped individually.

8. As an article of manufacture, a leather cover piece adapted to fit in the heel and piece cut away beneath the greatnesses.

shank portions of a shoe, and a metal plate secured thereto adapted to underlie the anterior portion of the middle metatarsal bone, said. plate having a hump raised in the portion thereof to lie in rear of the head of said metatarsal bone, and said hump portion having therein longitudinal slots having their. front ends lying in a line bowed 'for- Wardly in plan.

In testimony whereo1 I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit- WILLIAM M. SOHOLL. In the presence of- Gno. T. MAY, J12,

MARY Y. ALLEN.