US2074050A - Ventilated rubber cushion heel pad - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1937. w. .1. DWYER 2,074,050

VENTILATED RUBBER CUSHION HEEL PAD Filed Nov. 25, 1935 MINI@ I77 7 I INVENTOR,

WILL IAM D WYE/Q.

ATTOR YS Y Anobject of my invention is to provide a the rear portion of a standard shoe indicated `5 and extends through the inner and outer soles recess has its lower surface shaped as a. portion 10 `35 to a standard shoe with but a slight alteration the rubber Gush-i011 iS DlaCed in the reeeSS and 35 Patented Mar. 16, 1,937 Y 2,074,050

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,074,050 VENTILATED RUBBER CUSHION HEEL PAD William J. Dwyer, San Francisco, Calif. Application November 25, 1935, Serial No. 51,419 1 Claim. (Cl. 36-3) My invention relates to improvements in ven- Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rubber tilated rubber cushion heel pads, and it consists cushion' and heel pad shown in inverted posiof the combinations, constructions and arrangetion.

ments hereinafter described and claimed. In carrying out my invention I have illustrated ventilated rubber cushion i heel pad which is generally at l, and this shoe is provided with placed in a recess hollowed out in. the heel an inner sole 2, an outer sole 3, and a heel 4. of a standard shoe.' The recess is preferably A recess 5 is cut into the inner sole 2, the provided with a portion of a spherical surface outer sole 3, and down into the heel 4. This and down intothe heel portion of the shoe. of a sphere which lower surface is bounded by The device itself is made from resilient maa vertical circular rim, and the recess is positerial suchas rubber, and has an under surface tiOIied in the ShOe SO- aS t0 lie directly belO-W yconforming with the spherical surface of the the heel of the wearer.

recess.` The upper. surface is provided with a The rubber Cushion is Shown at 6 in Figure 1. Ll5 slight depression, and if desired the `heel pad This Cushion has an under Surface 7, see Figure of the shoe may becemented to the upper sur- 3J that has the Seme Spherical shape as the face. recess 5. The rubber cushion has an edge `I3 One of the principal features of the invention designed to contact with the rim of the recess is the provision of grooves in the under surface 5. The under surface 1 is provided with two 20 of the pad, these grooves crossing each other grooves 8 and 9 that intersect each other at and cooperating with the wall of the recess right angles aS ShOWn in Figure 3. The upper for providing air conduits. During the walksurface I0 of `the rubber cushion is hollowed ing operation the pad is alternately compressed Out Slightly, and if desired a heel Dad H may and expanded, and this will create an alternate be cemented thereto. Figure 1 shows the heel 25 compression and suction within the conduits Dad extending beyond the Circuler edge 0f the whereby air is forced out and sucked into the CllShiOn- The heel pad is preferably made of space between the pad and the heel, thereby leather. keeping the pad cool. From the foregoing description of the various The principal weight of the person is borne parts of the device, the operation thereof may 30 by the heels, and the pad is placed directly be readily understood. beneath the heels so that a resilient support As already stated, the device can be attached will be aorded. The device is extremely simt0 any standard shoe. The recess 5 is formed ple in construction, and can be quickly added n the shoe as described and shown, and then being necessary in the latter. The recess in the heel pad will overlie the cushion and a the heel is formed in the center of the heel, portion of the inner sole. When the cushion and therefore it does not interfere with the 6 iS het Supporting the Weight 0f the wearer. nails or other fastening means used for sethe rim I3 willhave its upper portion prOjeCting curing the heel to the shoe, since these fastenabOVe the top of the inner sole. When the 40 ing means are disposed adjacent to the marginal Cushion 6 Supports the wearer it will be deedges cf the heel, pressed until its upper surface lies substantially Other Objects. and advantages will appear in uSh With the tOp Of the l'llller S018. The Cushthe following specification, and the novel 4feai011 6 Will Compress under the Weight of the tures of the device will be particularly pointed wearer because the cushion is made 0f rubber, 45

, out in the appended claim. The gI'OOVBS 8 and 9 aid in permitting the My invention is illustrated in the accompany.. cushion to be depressed into the recess 5 because ing drawing forming a party of this application, they DIOVide Space fOr receiving the under Surin which- Y face 1 as it is enlarged during the actual com- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a standard pressing of the cushion. The rim I3 contacts 50 shoe shown partly in section, and illustrates how with the rim of the recess during the depressing the rubber cushion is disposed in the heel recess; of the cushion and prevents the dislodgement Figure 2 is a plan View of Figure 1 and illusof the cushion from the recess. trates in dotted lines the position of the rubber During the walking operation the persons cushion; and heel will compress the cushion as a step is 55 being taken, and this will partially collapse the walls of the grooves 8 and 9, and drive air from these grooves and out beneath the heel pad. At the end of the step the persons heel is lifted away from the pad or cushion 6, and this will permit the cushion to resume its normal shape. The walls of the grooves 8 and 9 will also return to normal position and a. suction will be created in the grooves which will draw in additional air from around the heel pad H, and this air will ow into the grooves 8 and 9. The result will be a pulsating flow of air beneath the rubber cushion, and this flow of air will have a cooling eiect on the device and prevent it from becoming overheated through use. It should be noted that air is free to pass between the inner sole 2 and the heel pad Il during the pulsation of air beneath the heel pad. The grooves 8 and 9 therefore perform the double function of acting as air conduits and also affording space for receiving the compressed cushion when a persons weight is placed on the cushion. The edge I3 of the cushion riding against the rim of the recess 5 acts in much the same manner as a piston in a cylinder. The recess rim guides the cushion rim as the cushion is alternately compressed and expanded during the walking operation. The cushion rim at all times contacts with the recess rim and prevents the cushion from being forced out of the recess.

When a person is standing his heels will rest directly on the rubber cushions, and there will be a more resilient support afforded than is possible with a standard shoe. The feet will therefore not become tired as quickly and in this way the device lessens fatigue.

The device can be removed at will, and repaired or a new device substituted, and this can be done without the need of any special tools,

etc. As already stated the recess 5 is formed to enter the center of the heel 4, and therefore the fastening means such as nails I2 will not be interfered with since these nails are disposed near the edge of the heel 4.

I am well aware of cushions being 'placed in a shoe but these are disposed on top of the inner sole, and throw the entire foot out of alignment because they raise the heel above the place it should occupy in the shoe. I am not aware, however, of a ventilated heel cushion disposed in the recess in the heel, the upper surface of the cushion lying substantially flush With the inner bottom surface of the shoe.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

The combination with a shoe and a heel, said heel having a centrally disposed recess with its lower surface shaped as a portion of a sphere and with its upper margin shaped as a cylindrical rim, of a resilient pad mounted in the recess, said pad having a spherical surface contacting with the spherical surface of the recess, said pad also being provided with a cylindrical rim slidably mounted in the cylindrical rim of the recess, the spherical surface of the pad being provided with two intersecting grooves that cooperate with the recess wall for forming air conveying conduits, the grooves also receiv ing portions of the pad when the latter is compressed thereby permitting a more ready depressing of the pad, and the recess rim guiding the pad rim during the compressing and expanding of the pad.

WILLIAM J. DWY'ER.

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