US1739540A

US1739540A - Foot-treatment appliance

Info

Publication number: US1739540A
Application number: US243787A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander E Block
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-12-31
Filing date: 1927-12-31
Publication date: 1929-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1946-12-17

Description

Dec. 17, 1929. A. E. BLOCK 1,739,540

FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 17, 1929. A. E. BLOCK 1,739,540

FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v iii 11 .4 01.44.

36/ W RM firronwcr:

ALMA/405A ,6. 31 0.

Dec. 17, 1929. A. E. BLOCK FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 31,, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 fix. Emu/06R .6. 6000K HTfOR VEX Patented Dec. 17, 1929 P ATEN'T ALEXANDER" E. BLOCK, 0]? ST. 1301115,, MISSOURI FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Application fileiDccember' 31, 1927. SerialZNba248787i My invention relates to: improvements in footitreatment appliances. andhas for itsobject: the production of an adjustable support for the'anterior metatarsal arch of the wearers foot, together with improvementsfor adjust'ably' supporting both the inner. and the outer longitudinal. arch of the: wearers foot, as well: as the; heelz'of the wearer.

My invention grows :outnof the-necessityof supporting: either 'or. both .01": the; longitudinal archesofithe.wearers foot, and one side orthe other-oft the wearers heel, while treating: the various: displacements of the: bones forming the-anterior metatarsalarchz. Such cooperative. adjustments are not required in all-in stances, but it is highly desirable to. have'ran appliance which has theicapacity for. such ads justments in; order to adapt itself to: the: treatmentof. a wide range ofxdistortions or injuriesof the anterior. 1netatarsal arch,.as' well as either or both of the; longitudinal arches, and: abnormal conditions: of the 2 heel ofthe wearersioot. I

Furthermore, appliancessof this; class are: to be employed'in shoes having various de greesaof curvature of. thersole,,andr' my appliance. provides for the-mounting; of therappliance. within shoes whose. soles havervaryingi curvature, and ofproviding Withinritselffor theadjustment of the varionsparts withtheappliance resulting from. such curvature;

A aln-anob ectzofm invention isto rovide an appliance capable of'adjustment'beefore beingplaced-in-the shoe, asWellasa'fter it has beenmounted in theshoe and capableof-entireremoval from the shoe when desired. The-operation of removal fromthe'shoemay. be to replace" the adjustedappliance. in another shoe, or simply becausethe treatmentof the foot hasbeen-successful, and thepresence ofthe appliance within the shoe'is no longernecessary.

An ad'litional objectzof my, invention. re.-' sides in the Wide range ofuadj ustability which is attained thereby,.and which will be; elaborated in the descriptive portionof this speci' theminimum amount of" labor involved in their. manufacture.

Drawings In. the; drawings Fig.- 1: is a: top plan view of. an appliance embodying: my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view offthesame.

Fig.3'isatop'plan view of: the:same-with the top layer lifted andfolded back: for: the purpose of the insertion: of the: elements: em ployed in treating the anterior metatarsal arch; the base insole being alsozlifted to'disclose the pocket formation of the rear of the appliance. Y

Fig. his a transversesectional View taken onthelinezl-4-0f Fig. 1-.

Fig. 5 is-afraginental longitudinal-section of the appliance; taken on theline: 55,. of Fig. 1.-

Fig;-6 isa top plan View of: one of thexbifnrcated holders carryingi inserts for: the treatment of the longitudinal archesand heel of the wearers-foot Fig. 7 is a top planview of one of the inserts intended tobe-mountedin the-holder illustrated'in Fig. 6..

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional View of theholder illustrated in' Fig. 6, taken'onthe line 88 of'Fig. 6. H 7

Fig.9 'is a transversesectionalzviewof the insert? illustrated-inFigiF.

Fig. 10 is atrans'v-erse sectionalview of the holder shown in Figiadw-ith-two inserts in place, taken on the:line 88. of Fig. 6.-

Fig. 11-is a-top'plan view of theeccentrically-humpecl insert employed in=thetreat-- I Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the carrier of Fig. 15 in place, with one of the inserts of Fig. 11 mounted on said carrier.

Fig. 18 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1818 of Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a view similar to that of Fig. 18, with the eccentrically-humped insert of Fig. 11 in reversed position.

Fig. 20 is a view of the carrier of Fig.

layer, taken on the line 18'18 of Fig. 17, and showing in section two ofthe inserts of Fig. 11 in place upon said carrier.

Fig. 21 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2121 of Fig. 3, and showing one of the holders of Fig. 6 in place, with two of the inserts of Fig. 7 mounted in said holder.

Fig. 22 is also a transverse sectional view taken on the line 21-21 of Fig. 3 showing two of the holders of Fig. 6 in place and two of the inserts of Fig. 7 mounted in each of said holders.

Fig. 23 is also a transverse sectional view taken on the line 21-21 of Fig. 3, showing v two of the holders of Fig. 6 in place and one of the inserts of Fig. 7 in place in each of said holders.

Description and is secured to said flap C and (at its forward end) to the base insole A by the line of stitching 33, to form the right hand pocket 34. I

Toward its rear end the base insole A is .provided with a series of transverse slots 35,

each of which slots is capable of receiving the locking tongue 36, which tongue 36 is formed in the top layer B, and is illustrated in section in locked position in Fig. 5.

Slightly forward of its longitudinal center, the base insole A' is provided with a series of transverse slots 37 which are arranged to receive the constricted tail 38 of the carrier E, in the manner shown in Fig. 17.

.The function of the carrier E is to serve as a mount for one or more of the inserts F, said inserts F having an eccentric hump 39. This eccentric hump 39 permits the insert F to afiord two different high points of support by being reversed, top for bottom, upon the carrier E. The carrier E is provided with various slots 40 to provide for the adjustment of the insert F forwardly, rearwardly, or widewise, as shown in Fig. 15. The insert F is provided with a series of marginal slots 41 arranged to lock said in sert F in place within either of the slots 40 of the carrier E. The insert F is of the contour shown in Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14, and the slots 41 are formed in its sides toward its thin and tapering rear terminal 43.

One'or two of the inserts F being mounted in the desired position upon the carrier E, the carrier E is laid in place upon the base 15 in place between the base insole and topv insoleA, with the forward ed e 42 of the carrier E in proximity to the line of stitchinsole A, as shown in Fig. 3, for the reception of the carrier E, is brought downwardly to cover the carrier E and insert F. As the bulk of the insert E, with its carrier F, when in place, will serve to bring the rear edge of the top layer B forward of the rear edge of the base insole A, the locking tongue 36 will be placed in position within one of the slots 35, as shown in Fig. 5, to secure the top layer B in place and prevent it from slipping under the pressure of the foot of the wearer. As indicated by the stippling shown on the lower face of thetop layer in Fig. 3, I employ a slightly tenuous adhesive upon its entire surface, so that said top layer B may, by moistening the adhesive, be caused to adhere lightly to the opposed top surface of the base insole A, as a further preventative of slipping when in place. Such adhesion is only temporary, and mustpermit the ready lifting of the layer B when it is desired to alter the adjustment of the insert F upon its carrier E.

Beneath the base insole A are the

pockets

32 and 34, each extending from the rear end of the appliance to a point under the longitudinal arches of the wearers foot, and

for use'within said pockets 32 and 34 I have provided bifurcated holders G, consisting of 6, to the inner edge of which is secured the cover 51 by means of the line of stitching 52, thus forming the pocket 53. Upon the bottom surface of the cover 51 is secured a layer 54 having the superficial outline shown in Fig. 6, and secured to the cover 51 by the line of stitching 55, thus forming the pocket 56 (see Fig. 10). The inserts H are of the form shown in Fig. 7 and are contoured to substantially fill the

pockets

53 and 56. I have illustrated in Fi 21 the use of two of the inserts H in one o the holders G. In Fig. 22 I have shown the use of two of the holders Gr, one in each of the pocket; 32 and 34, each of said holders G being provided with two of the inserts I-I.

By the described structure I am enabled to treat either of the metatarsal joints by means of the various adjustments of the insert F, and to treat either of the longitudinal arches by means of the inserts H. By the use of the inserts H I provide support for the inner or outer sides of the heel of the wearer in conjunction with the corresponding arch of the foot; and the adjustment of the heel and arch may be regulated in coincidence with the treatment of the anterior metatarsal arch at whatever point or area along the line of the anterior metatarsal arch that may need support.

To removably secure the appliance in place within the shoe, the entire bottom surface of the appliance as indicated in Fig. 2 by stippling is coated with rubber cement, or like adhesive, so as to be substantially glued in place within the wearers shoe; but the degree of adhesion must be such as to permit the removal of the appliance when occasion requires it.

Variations of structure may be effected in the construction which I have illustrated and described without departure from my actual invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved foot-treatment appliance comprising a base insole and a co-extensive top layer of like material secured together transversely at their front ends; a tongue formed in said top layer; and locking means formed in said base layer for the reception of said tongue at various points in said base layer.

2. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a slotted carrier and an insert adapted to be mounted in either of the slots of said carrier; with a base insole and a co-extensive top layer arranged to receive said carrier between them; and means for adjustably securing said top layer to said base insole.

3. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a slotted carrier and an eccentrically-humped insert adapted to be mounted in either of the slots of said carrier; with a base insole and a co-extensive top layer arranged to receive said carrier between them; and means for adjustably securing said top layer to said base insole.

4:. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a base insole contoured to lit the interior of a shoe rearwardly from the line of the anterior metatarsal arch of the wearer; a coextensive top layer secured at its forward end to said insole; a carrier arranged to be held between said insole and top layer; an insert arranged to be held by said carrier: flaps mounted beneath said base insole and forming a right-hand pocket and a left-hand pocket beneath the longitudinal arch and heel of the wearer; bifurcated holders contoured to fit said pockets; and inserts contoured to fit said bifurcated holders.

5. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a slotted carrier and a slotted insert adapted to be mounted in either of the slots of said carrier; with a base insole and a co-- ALEXANDER E. BLOCK.