US2099577A

US2099577A - Arch support pad

Info

Publication number: US2099577A
Application number: US93455A
Authority: US
Inventors: Myer S Silver
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-07-30
Filing date: 1936-07-30
Publication date: 1937-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1954-11-16

Description

Nev. 16, 1937. M ILVER v 2,099,577

ARCH SUPPORT PAD Filed July 30, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 16, 1937. I M. s. SILVER fi fi ARCH SUPPORT PAD Filed July so, less 2 Sheets-Sheet W L v ifif w 3 w 5 jf w A MM Patented Nov. 16, 1937 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to arch support pads and is exemplified herein in a support pad for the metatarsal arch.

Heretofore, arch supports have generally been 5: made ofmaterials such as sponge rubber or felt but these structures'have all been objectionable in certain respects. Sponge rubber pads have been open to the objection which generally'exists to having rubber in contact with the foot. Covering the sponge rubber with leather is not entirely satisfactory because the leather is deleteriously affected by the natural perspiration of thefoot.

The use of felt material generally gives the best results becausefelt absorbs the perspiration of the foot but felt pads are very expensive to manufacture. The proper shaping of the pads requirescostly skiving and buffing operations especially in metatarsal pads in whichbevelled thin edges are necessary. The cost of theseoperations is largely due to the fact thateach pad must, be separatelygtreated. Padszmade entirely ofrfelt, however; are apt to lose their. shape, and therefore, .their efiectiveness, through condensation duerto'continued pressure. I

The principal object of my-invention is the provision of an arch support pad which comprises a combination-of felt an'd'irubber in which the desirable qualities of thematerials; are fully utilized to the exclusion of the-objectionable features'.

Another object to produce an arch. support which: is eflicient, durable, and' which can be made at a very low cost.

Other objects of the invention will be described hereinafter;

My invention contemplates an arch support pad having a permanently resilient body portion provided. with atop: surface of fibrous material 40 such: as-feltor similar material. The'body portion istof rubber ordrubber composition, preferably sponge rubber, which imparts to the support the necessary-resiliency and the covering of felt affordsv a smooth surface for engaging the sole 45 of-the footand atthe same time absorbs any perspiration exuding from the foot.

Preferably, the body portion conforms in shape and contour to the shape and contour desired in-thefinishedpadgand the top layer is of unimay have an approximately smooth continuous top surface, the peripheral edge of the top layer is embedded within the marginal portion of the body portion.

It will be observed that by the combination of the two materials, an arch support pad constructed in accordance with my invention presents to the foot a felt surface and thereby possesses all the advantages of a pad made entirely of felt, yet at a much lower cost. Since the body portion is of rubber or rubber composition, the pad has the permanent resiliency of one made entirely of that material without its objectionable features.

In the accompanying drawings for the purpose of illustrating the principle of my inven-v tion, there is shown a support pad for the metatarsal arch constructed in accordance with my invention, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pad; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a bottom p1an view; Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 5 is a. plan view of the felt blank forming the top layer of the pad; Fig. 6 is a side elevationof the same; Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one form of staple for fastening the pad in a shoe; Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of one form of mold and cover suitable for making the circular pad of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the parts being shown in open position; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same, the parts being shown in closed position; Fig. 10 is a sectional View ofthe mold closed on lines Ill-Ill in Fig. 8; and Fig. 11 is a similar cross sectional view of the cover having a mass of uncured rubber fastened to its inner surface by a staple illustrating the method of embedding a staple in the body portion of the arch support.

Referring to the drawings showing my invention embodied in a support pad for the metatarsal arch, the preferred form of pad comprises a body portion Ill and a top layer l2. The body portion may be made of any suitable permanently resilient material such as rubber composition, preferably sponge rubber, and the top layer of a fibrous moisture-absorbing material, such as felt or similar material.

The body portion In is of the contour and shape desired for the contour and shape of the support and the top layer is preferably of uniform thickness but of slightly smaller area than the area of the top surface of the body portion. As shown, the body portion in plan is somewhat oblate and is generally in the form of a knoll H withv the thickest portion off-center, the top surface merging gradually into a thin peripheral edge IS. The bottom surface I! of the pad is fiat for engaging the inner sole of a shoe. The marginal portions of the body Ill are, however, built up to enclose the peripheral edge I8 of the top layer l2, so that the top surface of the support is approximately smooth and continuous from its highest point to its thin edge 16.

For fastening the arch support to the inner sole of a shoe, it may, if desired, be provided with a staple of any suitable form, the head of which is preferably embedded in the upper part of the body Ill adjacent the top layer, with the prongs of the staple projecting out the, bottom face of the support.

24, which is shown in Fig. 4 embedded in the body portion I0. I

The arch support of my invention may be made in a mold which may be of any suitable construction, and one such as shown in Fig. 8' of the drawings, comprising a mold 30 and a cover 32. Both parts are in theform of plates of steel or other suitable material. In its top face, the mold is provided'with a depression or cavity 34, of a shape corresponding to the shape of the arch support in reverse position. Surrounding the cavity is a'channel 36 adapted toreceive during the molding process the overflow from the cavity of rubber composition. The top face of the mold is also provided with a plurality, preferably three, of projecting round lugs 38 adapted to fit into circular holes 46 in the cover 32 for registering the cover inproper position upon the plate. To permit the insertion of a tool'for forcing the cover off the mold at the end of a molding operation, the lattermay have cut-out portions 42 at one or more corners.

In forming the arch support a blank [2 is first cut from the fibrous sheet material which is to be used for the top layer of the pad. This blank is then positioned centrally on the floorof the cavity 34 in the mold and since it is of slightly smaller area than the area of the cavity, there is a narrow marginal space between the peripheral edges of the blank and the cavity. The cavity is then filled with uncured rubber composition, which may be of any composition which will produce, when vulcanized, a permanently soft and resilient body. Preferably, however, I use a composition which Will produce, when vulcanized, sponge rubber of fine grain, that is, having small, minute interstices. This composition, when uncured, is generally more or less plastic and is easily handled. A suflicient amount is placed in the cavity to insure the complete filling of the cavity when it is compressed. The cover 32 is then placed in position on the mold 323 and the parts are subjected to pressure and heat in any suitable steam vulcanizing press. With the ordinary rubber compound, a heat treatment of approximately five minutes will generally be found sufficient, but where the composition is adapted to produce a sponge rubber, this period will have to be increased to approximately twenty minutes. In the vulcanizing step,'the heat and pressure cause the composition to fiow in the mold around the peripheral edge of the top layer and to unite with the inner face of the said layer so that it and the body portion are bonded together into a unitary integral structure. Since the peripheral edge of the body portion extends beyond the edge of the top layer, it is possible to get a sharp feather edge'onthe pad, and the embedd ng ofthe In the drawings (Fig. 7),- there is shown a staple suitable for this purpose j having a triangular head 22 and three prongs top layer in the body portion results in the pad having a top surface which is approximately smooth and continuous over its entire surface.

When the support pad is to be provided with a fastening staple, the foregoing method is modified by using the staple to fasten the uncured composition which is' to be molded to form the body portion of the pad, to the inner face of the cover instead of placing it in the cavity. The inner face of the cover is provided with a series of holes 44 for receiving the prongs of the staple. These holes 44 are of such diameter that the prongs of the staple fit snugly therein and they 7 cover 32, as shown in Fig. 11, by passing the prongs through the composition and then inserting them in the holes 44 in the cover. These holes are positioned accurately sbthat when the cover is placed upon the 'mold, the head of the rivet will lie in its proper position in the cavity adjacent the top layer l2. When the pad is vulcanized, the staple is firmly embedded therein and cannot be separated therefrom.

In use, the pad may be fastened in any de sired position tothe inner sole of a shoe by pressing the projecting prongs of the staple into the inner sole, or by cementing the bottom face of the pad to the inner sole if it is not provided with a staple.

It will be observed that the arch support of my invention is of simple'construction and that the method of making it conduces'to rapid pro duction at a low cost. Although I have shown the mold as being one adapted for making a single arch support at a time, it will be understood that in practice a larger mold will be used with a multiplicity of cavities for producing a large number a on each operation.

Although I have described my invention as embodied in a pad for support of the metatarsal arch, it is tobe understood that this is merely illustrative and that my'invention may be embodied in various other forms of arch support such as longitudinal supports, all within the purview of the following claims.

' What I claim is:

1. An arch support pad comprising a body portion of resilient, soft sponge rubber having a thin peripheral edge and a top layer of felt material of uniform thickness, said top layer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface of said body portion and having its peripheral edge enclosed by the marginal portion of said body portion. 7 2. An arch support pad comprising a knolled body portion of soft, resilient sponge rubber composition having a thin peripheral edge and a top layer of fibrous moisture absorbing material such as felt of approximately uniform thickness, said layer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface of said body portion and its peripheral edge being embedded in the'marginal portion of said body portion to provide the pad with an approximately smooth top surface. I

3. An arch support pad comprislnga body portion of soft, resilient sponge rubber and a top layer of fibrous moisture absorbing material, said body portion being of variable thickness and having a flat bottom and a thin peripheral edge and said top layer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface of said body portion and having its peripheral edge embedded in said body portion for providing said pad with an approximately smooth top surface. I

4. An arch support pad comprising a body portion of soft, resilient rubber composition having a thin peripheral edge, a top layer of fibrous moisture absorbing material of approximately uniform thickness, said layer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface of said body portion and its peripheral edge being embedded in the marginal portion of said body portion to provide the pad with an approximately smooth top surface, and a staple for fastening said pad in a shoe, the head of said staple being embedded in said body portion with its prongs projecting out the bottom face thereof.

5. A metatarsal pad comprising a body portion of soft resilientsponge rubber, said body portion being oval in outline and of knoll form with a flat bottom face and a thin peripheral edge and a top layer of uniform thickness of fibrous moisture absorbing material such as felt, said top layer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface of said body portion and having its peripheral edge embedded in the marginal portion of said body portion for providing said pad with an approximately smooth top surface.

MYER S. SILVER.