US2423354A

US2423354A - Surgical boot

Info

Publication number: US2423354A
Application number: US674087A
Authority: US
Inventors: Florence B Van Hoesen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-06-03
Filing date: 1946-06-03
Publication date: 1947-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 1964-07-01

Description

July 1, 1947.

F. BQVAN HOESE N SURGICAL BOOT Filed June 3, 1946 ATTOR Y5 Patented July 1 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,423,354 SURGICAL Boo'r Florence B. Van Hoesen, Syracuse, N. Y.

Application June 3, 1946, Serial No. 674,087

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to surgical boots of the type which are adapted to be worn over plaster casts.

In order to prevent plaster casts from becoming soft and weakening, it is imperative that they be kept dry. Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a protective covering having the general form of a boot which is preferably made of water-proof or water-repellent material, and which is so constructed as to be readily put on over the cast and taken off, at will.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protective covering of the aforementioned type which is neat in appearance and which serves to keep the cast clean when worn over the same, thus largely eliminating r minimizing the embarrassment frequently created, particularly in Women, by the usual unsightly and soiled appearance of the cast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a surgical boot or protective covering which may be readily applied over a cast which is equipped or fitted with a weight sustaining support commonly known as a walking iron, said boot or covering being characterized by the provision of a detachable flap located at the heel of the foot-enclosing portion of the boot, permitting the boot to be put on over the walking iron when the flap is detached, and thereafter permitting the flap to be re-attached so as to fully protect the cast, particularly the bottom thereof near the heel where the walking iron is downwardly extended below the cast.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing my surgical boot as worn over a cast equipped with a conventional walking iron, with the cast represented in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, with the cast and walking iron shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the lower portion of the boot, with the detachable flap detached as in putting the boot on over the cast and walking iron, or in removing the boot; and

Figure 4 is a View in front elevation, with the leg-covering portion of the boot partially opened at the front.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing, wherein I generally denotes the leg-covering portion of the boot, and 2 the foot-covering portion. Both portions of the boot are preferably made of water-proof or water-repellent fabric,

which may or may not be rubberized or otherwise treated to improve the water-proofing or waterrepellent properties of the fabric.

Inthe manufacture of the boot, it maybe made up from a plurality of preformed or cut-out sections which are joined together by stitching, or in any other suitable manner as preferred. As shown in the drawing, by way of illustration, the leg-covering portion l is composed of two sections designated 3 which are stitched together along a seam at the back of the boot, as at 4. The sections 3 extend from the extreme upper end of the leg covering portion, down to a point somewhat below the ankle. Stitched to the forward edges of the respective sections 3 along the seam 5 are two front sections 6 which likewise extend from the extreme upper end of the leg-covering portion, down to a point about at the ankle or instep. Stitched to the lower extremity of each of the sections 6, along a seam l is a foot-covering section 8, the two sections 8 being stitched together along a seam 9 down the center of the foot,- covering portion of the boot. Stitched to the lower edges of the

sections

8, 8 and 3, 3, along a seam l0 which extends completely around the foot portion of the boot is a sole section II, said sole forming thebottom of the foot-covering portion 2 of the boot.

point near the front of the heel and substantially directly below the ankle, leaving a gap [2 therebetweenfor the purpose of accommodating a walking iron l3 which is embedded in the cast represented in dotted lines in the drawing and designated M. The walking iron, as illustrated in the drawing, is conventional, and has the form of a U-shaped metal member which is disposed in a vertical position with its opposite arms extending upwardly into and embedded in the cast. The arms l3, l3 of the walking iron 13 are joined together at their lower ends by a horizontally disposed bar 13" which is spaced substantially below the bottom of the cast l4 and forms an open loop which serves to support the weight of the person on whom the cast is applied, to facilitate walking without injury to the limb which is encased in the cast.

When the boot is put on over the cast, the walking iron l3 will project downwardly through the forward free end of the flap [5 may then be tucked through the loop of the walking iron I3, below the cast, and inserted between the inner face of the front section II of the sole section II and the bottom of the cast, in which position the flap is preferably detachably connected to the front sole section I l' by means of suitable detachable fasteners such as snap fasteners Hi, there being preferably two such snap fasteners located respectively at opposite sides of the flap and sole section. By reason of the provision of the flap l5, the bottom of the cast may be fully protected when the boot is worn, while at the same time the flap may be detached at its forward end and withdrawn to the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, for the purpose of permitting removal of the boot from the cast. When the flap is attached by the snap fasteners l6, it occupies the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

The sole section II is preferably reinforced around the marginal edges of the gap 12 to resist wear and chafing of the walking iron against the rear edge of the front sole section H and the, front edge of the rear sole section II. This reinforcement preferably has the form of a double thickness of the fabric which provides a band I! around the rear edge of the front sole section I I, and a band I8 around the front edge of the rear sole section II".

In order to facilitate putting on the boot over the cast and removal of the boot, the boot is separable down the front from the extreme upper end of the leg-covering portion I, down to a point preferably slightly below the seam I at the instep of the foot covering portion 2'. To permit the boot to be readily opened and closed at the front, the forward edges of the

respective front section

6, 6 of the leg-covering portion I are provided with suitable quickly detachable fasteners, such as the slide fasteners generally designated [9. In addition, the upper end of the leg-covering portion 1 is preferably provided with a'reinforced band 20 which extends completely around the leg-covering portion and one end of the band is extended to overlap upon the opposite end for the purpose of attaching the hands together by means of suitable detachable fastening means, suchas a. snap fastener 2|.

The boot may be made in different sizes and lengths accordin to the size and age of the person to which the boot is to be applied, and in each case, the boot is made large enough to fit over the cast more or less loosely, but without undue looseness such as would detract from the neatness of appearance of the boot. When Worn, the boot serves to fully protect the cast against the danger of becoming wet by rain or otherwise, and at the same time, it serves to keep the cast clean. Since the cast will be largely concealed by the boot, the unsightly appearance of the cast is eliminated, which is particularly encouraging to the wearer, from a psychological standpoint, and tends to promote greater freedom of movement of the wearer in public. These factors are particularly appealing to women and others inclined to be more or less fastidious in taste and appearance.

While the specific details of the invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: I Y

1. A surgical-boot of the class described, comprising a water-repellentfabric covering of sub stantially knee-length boot form and of a size capable of substantially completely covering a plaster cast applied to the leg and foot of the wearer, said boot being separable at the front from the upper end of the leg-covering portion, down to a point substantially at the instep of the foot, and the separable edges being provided with slide fastener means for closing and opening the front of the boot, the upper edge of the legcovering portion being provided with a reinforcing band extending completely around the same and overlapping upon itself, with its free end detachably connected thereto.

2. A surgical boot of the class described, comprising a water-repellent fabric covering of boot form and of a size capable of substantially completely covering a plaster cast applied to the leg and foot of the wearer, the bottom of the footcovering portion of the boot being provided-with a flap below the heel which is fixed to the boot at its rear end and is detachably connected at its front end, said flap when detached forming a opening in the bottom of the boot through which a walking iron may be freely projected and withdrawn in applying the boot onto and removing the same from a cast having such walking iron. anchored thereto.

3. A surgical boot of the class described, comprising a water-repellent fabric covering of boot form and of a size capable of substantially completely covering a plaster cast applied to the leg and foot of the wearer, the bottom of the foot portion of the boot being provided with a flap below the heel which is fixed to the boot at its rear end and is detaohably connected at its front end, said when detached forming an opening in the bottom of the boot through which a walking iron of substantially U-shape may be freely projected and withdrawn in applying the boot onto and removing the same from a cast having such walkin iron anchored thereto, said walking iron having its arms at the opposite sides thereof embedded in the cast, with its lower end disposed in spaced relation to the bottom of the cast and forming an open loop, and the detachable end of the flap being adapted to be inserted through the loop aforesaid and connected to the sole of the boot forwardly of the walking iron after application of the boot onto the cast, to cover the bottom of the cast in the zone of the walking iron.

1. A surgical boot for covering a cast equipped with a U-shaped walking iron projecting downwardly therefrom near the heel, comprising a boot-shaped covering of water-repellent flexible material, said covering having an opening extending transversely across the sole thereof to receive the walking iron therethrough, and a flexible flap member fixed to the sole at the rear of said opening and detachably connected to the sole forwardly of said opening so as to extend through the walking iron and across the opening aforesaid when so connected.

FLORENCE B. VAN HOESEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

"UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,278,626 Vasko Apr. 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 177,245 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1935