US1545062A - Rubber heel - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1925 P. F. OLEARY RUBBER HEEL Filed May 1 Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATRICK F. OLEARY, O'F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

RUBBER HEEL.

Application filed May 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK F. OLEARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Rubber Heel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of a rubber heel having a resilient shank portion which is particularly constructed and arranged to cushion in a predetermined degree a definite localized area in the arch of the foot, and which shank portion is extended at an inclination to the base of the heel to promote a gradual uplift of the arch and a comfortable walking action, especially to persons having fallen or weak arches.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of a shoeprovided with a heel of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the shoe and heel shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view, enlarged, of the heel itself, and Fig. 4 is-a sectional view on line 4.4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of the breast side of the heel.

The dotted lines in Fig. 1 represents the skeleton or frame work of a human foot, and show numerous but not all of the joints or articulations or the twenty-six bones therein. The relative position of the bones as shown indicate a weak arch as occurs when the ligaments become strained or stretched and lose their tone. Under these conditions the heel tires and becomes tender, the ankle tends to turn suddenly, pains occur, constant standing or walking causes general discomfort, and a broken down arch and flat foot develop. Under pressure and weight the foot also elongates as the inner longitudinal or long arch of the bone structure flattens, causing discomfort to the toes. In a weak foot the natural balance of the foot is also interfered with, imposing additional strains on various parts of the foot.

To relieve and remedy such weakened foot conditions and bring about a more normal functioning in a weak foot, I have designed a rubber heel in which the main body 2 is rounded at its rear and opposite sides and of irregular outline at its front side where a relatively narrow and short extension 3 is formed integrally with the body on the lon itudinal medial line thereof. This heel is astened to the shoe by means of nails driven through body 2, but the small pad or extension 3 is not nailed to the shoe except 1922. Serial No. 559,367.

at its base or juncture with body 2. Instead, said extension is molded to curve or slant upwardly and forwardly in respect to the flat bottom 4 and the concaved top 5 of the heel so that it will be placed under constant compression and fit snugly at all times against the bottom shank portion 6 of the sole of the shoe S when the body of the heel is nailed thereto. To further effect a snug and tight union at the meeting faces sion 3 a small shallow cavity 7 is formed within the upper face of the extension, thus providing a narrow border seat 8 of tapering cross section adapted to be readily compressed in making a tight joint. A central round protuberance 9 within cavity 7 also engages the bottom of shank portion 6 when .the heel is in place on the shoe, and the extension 3 is thus made quite resilient and functions as a cushioning pad centrally 0f the instep immediately beneath the astragal-us bone 10 and in line with the tibia 11 substantially opposite the joint 12 between the scaphoid 13 and the os calcis or heel bone 14 where the long and short plantar ligaments span and give support to the arch of the foot.

The os calcis and scaphoid bones are joined together with another bone called the cuboid which is laterally opposite the scaphoid but not shown, the meeting point being substantially on the medial line of the foot directly above the cushioning pad or extension 3 which is designed to exert a resilient uplifting effect at .this spot in standing or when walking. In other words the pressure upon the foot is localized within a given area opposite the articulations immediately in line with thebones in the leg which carry the weight down into the foot and the extension is narrow and relatively short or of a definite length for that reason. The extension is inclined or also made slanting in respect to the flat bottom of the rubber heel to further localize the pressure and 'of the shoe bottom and the pad or extenweighth to this central spot or place in the 7 present invention a weak foot is materiallyv aided in supporting the weight where a support is most needed but without harsh resistance or solid impact extended over a large area. Thus, in standing the weight is distributed over the entire foot with a slight uplift and additional pressure in the small local area of the pad or extension 3, this action being clearly shown in .Fig. 1 by the arrow or pointing upwardly, and the arrow b pointing downwardly, it being further understood that this view is of a shoe before it is flexed by the weight therein. Placing weight on the foot depresses the heel bone 14 and the body 2' of the heel but in the meantime the arch of the foot is obtaining the aid of the middle pad or cushioning extension 3. In walking a slightly different action occurs because the rear end of the heel usually strikes first and then the sole of the shoe before flattening the arch. With my improved heel the rear end strikes first and flattens, then the shank flexes as the pad or cushioning extension 3 strikes and compresses and becomes the fulcrum for distributing the weight to the sole as it strikes the ground, the ligaments'of the foot being resiliently aided bythe pad 3 in sustaining the arch of the foot in this movement.

. The body of the heel may also be provided with a recess 15 within its upper side to promote resiliency beneath the heel bone 14, and where such a recess is connection with a narrow pad or extension 3 the bridge portion or transverse area 16 intermediate recess 15 and the cavity 7 is made more resilient and co-acts with the extension in localizin the pressure in and beneath the shank o the shoe.

provided in The heel and its extension being spaced 40 ing upwardly from the breast of the heel and on the longitudinal medial line thereof, said extension providing a short cushioning pad in a small localized area beneath the shank of the shoe.

2. A rubber heel for a shoe, having a short integral extension of substantially the same thickness as the main body of the heel v and extending upwardly at an inclination from the middle of the breast of the heel,

both the top and bottom surfaces of the extension slanting upwardly from the breast.

3. A rubber heel for a shoe, having a concaved upper face and a flat bottom and formed with a short narrow integral extension extending upwardly at a slight inclination from the breast of the heel, the top of said extension being cupped and the bottom being flat, the length of said extension being approximately the same as the width thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PATRICK F. OLEARY.

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