US1792155A - Foot and ankle brace - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 10, 1931. K J. F. FISHER v 1,792,155

FooT AND ANKLE BRACE Filed may 3, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 20 f5 i M 7 9 36 v/ 19 lf f6 *i f6 ,3 30 $15" F9 l f l i /35 j I v 57 Q W0 I I m .A .fg

. i@ ff ff fa ef d 1 -9- 7 1 53 Swuvmofo cl E Esker Feb- 10, 1931/ '.l. F. FISHER FOOT AND ANKLE BRACE Filed May 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y roo'rgriiiin Nana Bia-aon Appiiatimi aiefifiray e,

I This invention relates toa foot and ankle brace and generally-is an improvement over the construction' disclosedk inv my pending .the back of the leg; wherein the ankle is pro'- lU tected bya rigid element capable ofattachf ment vand detachment at will so. as toicause no inconveniencein lacing or unlacing the A shoe; -to provide Ya leg bar adapted to move f. from an axis to the ankle joint to avoid rub- ,2U-'V15 bing on the leg; to .provide ay construction wherein the lieg bar has the proper rigidity l Vand may pivotallymove with minimum fric-- Y tion; aconstruc'tion whereinl foot flop is prevented iby a novel spring jmean's7 and@ V20 constructionrwhei'ein such spring means-is' protected and a construction wherein a fallen L ankle is supported.` A Y Y It `is further aimed toV provide a brace which is fully flexible and reversible soas 25 to work Vequally well on either 'sidey of the foot. g n

With the foregoing and additional YobyJects and advantages in view, such as wili v lappear from a consideration of the descrip- Ytion following taken in connection with'V acof Figure 1 Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the.Y

y40 line 3- 3 of Figure 1; v

, Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation taken opposite to Figure 1; l

Figure 5 is a sectional view takenv on the line 5*-5 of Figure 1;

f 15l Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on Ythe Figure is a sectional view takenon the line 7-7 of Figure 1; p n p Figure 8 is asectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 1; andieee. Semaine. V274,832.' '1"'-V Figure 4Elisa detaily sectionalview taken' von *y Y'the line 9 9 of Figure l.

11 iofffwhicli Vthe improvedfo'otffaiidy aifikle "brace-f is .a'ttachedg vertical: anchor?A Apla is shown' 'at l2 being lfastenedfin'placef deofthe shoe desired, as by meansofremovlY able, bolts p13 passing" `,traiisverselythrough the said' heel 11. V c f 4, passesthrough a brace Madapted to 'sup-1* port afal-lenankle and which brace'flemayi' be of leather or other'le'zrible material. tened to the top of the brace latas byrnezins of rivets 15,v isa strap lfwhose `e'nfds Vare the shoe kat't'he ankle lof the wearer.

y.ally vconnected., as a ,bolt V-19 'to the ,anchor plate`l12 which/is also-of finetal. The bolt-19 is` horizontallyV disposedv andis located opposite the ankle vjoint of thewearer so tha't'ftli'e bar 18 may move in simulation with the leg whenworn.

ofleatheror the like adaptedto surround thelegof the wearer and be'jconn'ectedlatr its ends adjustab'ly vasby means of lacings 21 YJorriv ari-renna, oirliamr'rriv'rnnn; ivoafrircareorirmi-. f

n ReferringSpee'ficallytothe 'drawings'.{lQ i .i application fork an invention of similar titlef. designates raf'conventional'Shoef'to thgfhei `i 5 Serial No. 238,624, filed Decembery 851192.77.r

Y Itis definitely aimed to provide al con-Y i "struction wherein* friction and rubbingfis overcome at Athe top of the legv bar and at tachably sofas to be applied. tov either side` one k@raie toits ie, retest seen'argare I f eeparabieaaaadjustablephrougheii@ medium cklerl. The strap v16 thus, surrounds Y lfr'leg vbrace or bar-18, of metal, ispivotfv y 'Said'bar 18 yatthe top.' carries a '2Ok Y or any other'approved means.v Rigidly `fasf tened tothe top of k.the bar. 18,*.as yat 22,k is an arcuate/metallicbraee237 whose endopp'osite to bar 18 has the strap 20 fastened thereto as at 24. By 'providing this rigid element y23 at this p0int, friction .and rubbing at the back of the leg of the wearer is avoided. I

25 of niietal againstjthe bar 18'and the bar 1 Y Bolt19 alsofastens an outer plate or: b'ar '25 is connectedtothebarzlS to 'movetherewith, further-bya removable bolt 26. Bolt 26fastensla bracket 217v in pla'ceas it passes through the llatterjwhich 'has a. portion Yl'ol cated between the bars `18 and 25 and an in- 9 yturned 'flange 28 whichy overlaps anedge of 'the bar 18y so that the bracket 27 cannot turn.

',Bar'18 adjacent its lower end has a laterally. elongatedslot 29 of lSuch' shapeasvtoretain Y a ball *bearingv 3Q which is in'` constant lengagement with the plate12, and ,thus mini-k e mizes friction incidental to swinging moveend of which as at 32, a contractile coil spring ment of the bar 18 on the axis`19. The bolts 13, as best shown kin Figure 7," connect an angle member 31 to the vShoebat one 33 is fastenedV which spring at its other end Vas at Sais fastened to the adjacent end of the bracketQ?, the springthus tending to nor-l mally hold and urge thebar 18 to avertical position' and kthustending' to prevent flopV Y yof-'the foot.

The bar .or plate at its upper lendhas.y

an outwardly Vdeflected or offset bifurcated portion 35'whose slot isY designated 36. An

arcuate metallic bar isprovidedwithan ing a leg bar, a shoe having an anchor mem ,l ber secured thereto, means pivotally connectingthe bar to Vsaid anchor memberarjplate onsaid bar, said platehaving an oset bi` furcated portion, a strap to secure the device about the ankle, an'arcuaterplate engageable by said strap'V and disposable betweensaid olfsetportlonfand bar, said arcuate member hav. lng a button engageable in said bifurcation,

a bracket secured between said barrand plate,

attaching button '38: having afreducedshank ,y 39 which is slidableinto and out of thelslot Y. 36,-thevadjacentrzportionof bar 37 being-refr.,

ceived friction tightbetween said'vterminal or bifurcatedportion 35-and bar 18,''1`Ahe Y the strap 16, soV as to prevent rubbing and inconvenienceby the latter.. f

t It will be realized that'the brace islflexible and will yield with the foot andleg. VAt the Y .Y Y same time the structure is reversible and will work equally well on'either side ofthe foot.`

Various changes may be resorted to pro- :vided they -fallf within the spirit and scope of Y the invention..4 L y f 1 l n A I claimas my invention .e

arcuate bar BZthusoccupiesa position-under signature.

1. `A brace ofthe classdescribed compris@l y y ing a leg bar, means to secure the same 1n place on the leg, an anchor plate attachable Q i' I to a shoe, means pivotally connecting the leg 1 Y bar and anchor plate, an outer plate engaging said leg bar having an oifsetbifurcated portion, meansto secure the device aboutthe ankle, a plate engageable .by the strap and disposable between said offset portion and Y, t' bar, the first mentioned plate having abutton y' engageable in said bifurcation, a bracket secured to and between saidouter plate and leg bar,'an angle member, a spring secured to the angle member, av flange of the angle plate protectingthe spring from below, and said .spring being secured to said bracket.

- 2. A brace of the class described comprising a leg bar, al shoe having an anchor member secured thereto,'means pivotally connectingV the bar to said anchor member, a plate on said bar', said plate having an offset bifurcated portion, a strap to securethe device about the ,'ankle, an arcuate plate engageable by said strap and disposable between Asaid offset portion and bar,` said arcuate-member having a but-ton engageable in said4 b1furcat1on,a

bracket secured between said bar and plate, a ball bearing carried by the fbar and in lengagementwith the anchor plate, andV av spring conn'ectedto the bracket and said anchorplate Y 'tending to .urge the .leg bar tov ver-tical posif.l n tion.

`A brae ofthe classv A,compr-s'.

. rac

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