US1240275A - Arch-support. - Google Patents

Description

APPLICATIUN FILED DEQ,

WITNESS! JOHN H. "WILLETT, l1 CHICAGO, LLENOIS.

ARCH-SUPELR'I'.

retoma Specification of Letters atent.

ltatented Sept. lo, 1%170 Application filed December 29, i916. Serial No. 139,516.

To all whom L? may concer/a: l

Be it known that I, JOHN H. WILLEM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State'of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch- Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in arch supports or instep props, and more particularly to 5a' device of this character which is'constructed to be fitted Withinv a shoeto bear against the plantar surface of the foot and is adjustable to vary the distribution of the supporting pressure exerted upon the arch or instep.

An object of my invention resides in providing a support or prop including a more or less fixed supporting plate and a flexible covering, together with means by which the plateale adjustably mounted with respect to the flexible covering soo that the plate can be set'in varied relations with respect to the covering` to bring the pressure to bear at diff, ferent points beneath the metatarsal arch and with respect to the longitudinal arch.

, A further object lies in so constructing the fastening means for the two members that adjustment an be made of the shaped member longitudinally 'of the covering member and also lateral adjustment can be accom-- plished to in this way give greater latitude of use due to the fact that it is not necessary to have a special Asupport for each deformed condition but the arches of a single design can be adjusted to secure tho proper corrective pressure for diliering cases.

Yet another object to provide the shaped member with a molded portion to be received against the anterior metatarsal arch and to be adjustable transveisely Within the shoeto distribute the weight of the \vea. er properly upon the toot and in this way aid in the strength@ninav of the arch and in a natural correction of the deformity.

W' ith the above and other objects in View, my invention consists inA certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter forth in connection with the drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

lFigure l is a view in bottom plan of an arch support constructed after the manner of my invention.

Fig. 2 'is a View similar to Fig. l taken from the upper side of the arch support.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of F ig. 2.

A stiilening member l is shaped at the heel portion 2 thereof to fit and bear Within a shoe against the sole thereof, is raised in an arch 3, and then terminates at its remaining end in a broadened out portion 4 adapted to be received against the sole portion of the shoe forward of the instep arch of the same. At its side, the plate or stiftening member l is widened out as at 5 and is bent up or otherwise molded or shaped to take the torni of the' side of the foot and the arch. This shaping of the arch 3 and the formation of the foot 5 provides a structure which will present a rise or arch on that portion of the sole ot' the shoe adjacent the metatarsal arch of the foot. A covering member G, which is of a material Which is used'to conform to and mold over the lines of the stitl'ening` member l is provided t0 cover over the entire stili'ening` member, and to give the `proper smoothness to the completed arch support7 it is preferable that this covering' member G be made so that it will project at its marginal edges at all sides beyond the edge of the stilfening member l. The widened out and of the stiliening member is bossed up as shown at 7, and it is a purpose that this bossed up portion shall present a rise on that portion of the arch structure which Will fit beneath the anterior metatarsal .arch of the foot. The parts as described might be fitted together to be rigidly mounted one with respect to the other, and a very' efficient sup port would be provided as the bossed up port-ion '.7 fitting beneath the anterior metatarsal arch would brace up this part Whereas arched formation 3 of the stilfening member l would hold the arch raised to the proper degree, however, it is desirable that provision be made for the adjustment of the stiflening member l with respect to the covn ering member 6 so that the disposition of the bossed up portion 7 and also the relative mounting ot the stillening member as an entirety with respect to the covering member 6 can be Varied. It will be understood that the covering member o will lit Within the lines ot' the shoe and that consequently this member will determine the position occupied b v the arch support in a shoe, in View of which fact the adjustment. of the still'ening member l with respect to the covering memflattened portion 4 substantially crowfoot shaped slotted opening 9 is formed. Screws 10 and 11 are eX-4 tended through suitable openings provided in the covering member 6, and after being passed through the slotted openings 8 and 9, have the nuts l2 and 13 fitted thereon. It is of course to be understood that the screws 10 and 11 'are so positioned that when the screw 10 occupies the rear end of the slot 8, the screw 11l will be in a like position in the slotted opening 9.

In the use'of the arch support, if the proper adjustment has been obtained, the arch supporting structure can be fitted within the shoe to be held in place by the covering member 6 and the stiening member 1 will then hold the covering member 6 in such relation that the lbearing of the same against the plantar surface of the foot will give proper support to the' arch of the foot. As has been stated, the covering member 6 will determine the position of the arch supporting structure within the shoe, and therefore adjustment of the stiifening member 1 with respect to the covering member 6 will accomplish variation of the configuration -of the covering member 6 as presented for the bearing of the foot thereagainst. By loosening the screws 10 and 11, the stiffening lplate or member 1 can be shifted vto any of the various positions as shown in Fig. 1,'to bring the arch 3 and the bosped formation 7 rearwardly, to throw the forward endv f1 of the stiffening member having the boss 7 formed therein through either side and to thus vary thevdisposition of the supporting structure of the arch.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the stifi'ening member can be adjusted to a number of various positions with respect to the lcovering member to thus change the surface shape .of the arch support, and that by tightening the screws 10-and11 the stiffening member 1 can be locked and secured 1n` the adjusted position vwith respect to the covering member' 6. Vi/'hen the stiffening member 'l is adjusted forwardly and rearwardly, it

-also it will be seen-that by swinging the stiilening member 1 at its forward` end to the one side or the other, to bring the screw l1 into the branched arms of the slotted.

opening 9, the disposition of the bossed upJ yportion 7 will be varied and in consequence will 'be understood that a number of changes and variations might be resorted to in the form and arrangement ofthe parts as well as inthe materials used in the construction of the arch support, and while it is perhaps preferable that the stiilening member 1 be of aluminum, German silver, or other like metal, and'that the covering member 6 be of leather, and hence I do not Wish to be limited to the exact disclosure but only to such points as may beset forth in the claims.

I claim: p

'1. An arch support adapted tobe fiitted within a shoe upon the sole thereof to thus be disposed to bear against the plantar sur face of the foot, including a stiffening member shaped to fit the instep arch of the foot the shape of the stiffening member mounted` over said stiffening member, and j means passed through the covering member and through the slotted openings of the stiffen' ing member to secure the same together to be capable of adjustable movement through shifting of said means within the slotted openings.

2. An arch support including a stiifening member shaped toa form to fitfthe foot and having slotted openings provided at the for- Ward and rear ends thereof, a covering member of la material which will conform to the shape of the stiffening member made of a size ttirfit within a shoe and determine the positionfof mounting of the support, and screws passed through the slotted openings and through the covering member to hold said members connected together but at the saine time allowing movement of the stiffenf Within a shoe upon the sole thereof to thus be disposed to bear against the plantar surface of the foot, including a coverin member of a l,more or less iexible material which in usew'ill conform to the shape of the foot as supported, a stifeningmember provided with an elongated slotted opening at one end. and having a substantially crowfoot shaped slotted opening at the remaining end, and means carried by the covering member fitted through the slotted opening to secure the stiflening member adjustably in place thereon;

4. An larch support adapted to be Fitted 3. An arch support adapted to be fittedwithin a shoe upon the sole, thereof i'nelnding a eovering member ot a more or less flexible material, a stitl'ening member arehed up in its ventral portion and having slotted openings provided at its ends, screws earried b v the eovering member fitted through the slotted openings ot' the stiftening` member to mount the stitl'ening member adjnstahly upon the eovering member. and elamp nuts fitted on said serews` to be tightened against the stitl'euing member to retain the same in adjusted positions.

5. n areh support adapted to be fitted within a shoe upon the sole thereotl to thus be disposed to bear against the plantar surt'aee ot the toot` including aeovering member olE a more or less flexible material which in usel will eont'orm to the shape ot' the foot as supported, a stiltening member arehed up in its central portion and at its forward end provided with a bossed up formation, said stitfening member provided with an elongated slotted opening at the heel end and at the toe end having a substantially ermvtoot shaped slotted opening, and elamp serews extending through the Covering Vmember and throi'igh the slotted openings of the stiltening member to thus permit adjustment ot the relative positioning ot' the stitl'ening member within the'shoe and to var v the distribution ot" pressure. as exerted by the areh supportingr strueture upon the metatarsal areh and the longitudinal areh ot' the foot.

t. An arch suipport adapted to be fitted within a shoe upon the sole thereotI ineluding a eorering member ot a more or less flexible-material shaped to substantially tit the sole ot' tho shoe and position the support thereon. a stitlening member arehed up dn the eentral portion thereot' to take substantially the shape ot the instep areh ot a toot, said stitl'ening member provided with an elongated Islotted opening at one end and at. the, remaining end having a substantially erowt'oot shaped slotted opening, serews carried by said eovering member fitted through the openings ot the stitlening member and adjustable therein to allow adjustment of the s titl'ening member to vary the distribution ot pressure. as exerted by the areh supporting strut-ture. upon a toot, and elamp nuts .itted to said screws to be tight ened against the stitl'ening membel and to thus seenre, the same in thel desired adjusted relation with respect to the covering member.

ln testimony whereof I atix my signature in presi-awe ot' two witnesses.

JOHN Il. WILLlYVl.

anterior lVitnesses:

l. J. lViLLn'r'r, (l. Il. Wn rrmiALL.

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