US2095664A - Orthopedic appliance - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12, 1937. R. GRENFELL ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 24, 1955 F ig. 4.

Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNlTED STAES ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Richard Grenfell, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, England Application August 24,

1935, Serial No. 37,618

In Great Britain October 9, 1934 4 Claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a device or appliance for curing or alleviating the disabilities of human feet suffering from what are known as cramped and hammer toes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which shall be readily adaptable to suit difierent sizes of feet and the malformations of diiferent feet.

Another object is to provide such a device which shall be of a hygienic character, whilst a still further object is the provision of a device which shall be simple in construction and application, most comfortable to wear and capable of being constructed at a low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, according to the present invention a device or appliance of the kind referred to comprises a cushion member adapted to fit under the toes of the wearer and transversely of the foot and one or more members adjustable on the cushion memher and adapted to extend from said cushion member between two or more adjacent toes of the wearer.

Thus, the pain or discomfort experienced by persons sufiering from corns or callouses, etc. under the toes or that caused by hammer toes is alleviated by the cushion member, whilst the discomfort of cramped toes will be relieved by the toe separators. The effect of the cushion member will be gradually to straighten the hammer toes and cramped toes willbe gradually set into a more natural position.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one constructional form of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combined cushion and toe-separator device;

Fig. 2 is an end View corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View, to a smaller scale, of the underside of a foot with the invention applied thereto; and

Fig. i is a view of part of the top of the foot showing the fitting of the toe-separators.

Referring to the drawing:-

The specific constructional form therein illustrated comprises a cushion part formed by a length l of soft moulded rubber, which may obviously be cut by the wearer to a length such that it will suitably extend along the little toes but, preferably, not below the big toe. In this particular construction there are two toe- separators 2 and 3, each of which is moulded in the form of a. short rubber tube. Each separator is provided with a rim or flange 4 and each is also formed with a closed end 5 which, in efiect, is a continuation of two diametrically opposite parts 6 and l of the walls of the separator, diametrically opposite holes 8 being formed in the said part-s. Thus, in order to build up the complete device it is only necessary to pass the tube l 5 through the holes 8 in the separators.

It will be obvious that with the toe-separators formed in the manner described above, any number (one to four if required) can be positioned upon the cushion tube l. Moreover, the con- 10 struction of the separators is also such that the distance between the separators can readily be varied at will to suit the spacing of the toes merely by moving the separators along the cushion tube l. The rims or flanges 4 are not essen- 15 tial, but they add to the appearance of the device and also act to hold the cushion against movement in a substantially vertical direction.

Obviously, neither the cushion tube nor the separators need necessarily be made of rubber as 20 they can bemade of any other suitable soft and yielding material. Moreover, neither the cushion nor the separators need be tubular in form. They could be made solid as long as the material was sufficiently soft and yielding not to injure 25 the feet and toes. It has been found, however, that making the cushion in the form of an openended tube has the advantage that a pneumatic cushion is thereby provided, the wearer actually treading on air contained in the cushion and ex- 30 pelled when the wearer presses downwards. As the foot is lifted, of course, the cushion returns to its original shape, so that there is a constant intake and expulsion of air into and out of the cushion, an action which is conducive to hy- 35 gienic conditions.

Whether the cushion and (or) the toe-separators are tubular or solid they need not, of course, be of circular cross section. The separators can be of any desired thickness or diameter 40 and they may be so thin as to act to separate the wearers toes by a very small amount.

The manner of fitting the device is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, in which figures the separators are shown arranged between the second and third and the third and fourth toes.

I claim l. A device of the kind described, comprising a tubular cushion member adapted to fit beneath and transversely across the toes of the wearer, 50 one or more tubular toe-separators adjustably arranged on the cushion member and adapted to separate one or more of the wearers toes, said toe-separators being provided with transverse holes whereby they may be threaded on and ad- 55 the other end for adjustment in a longitudinal direction along the cushion member.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a cushion member adapted to fit under the toes of the wearer, transversely of the foot, and one or more separator members laterally slidable on said cushion member, said toe separator members, being provided with transverse holes whereby they may be threaded on and adjusted in a longitudinal direction along the cushion member.

4. A device of the kind described, comprising a cushion member adapted to fit under the toes of the wearer transversely of the foot, and one or more separator members laterally slidable on said cushion member, said cushion member being open ended and the separators being open at one end and apertured transversely at the other end for adjustment in a longitudinal direction along the cushion member.

RICHARD GRENFELL.

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