US2917848A

US2917848A - Light weight foot supporting device

Info

Publication number: US2917848A
Application number: US679329A
Authority: US
Inventors: William M Scholl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-08-21
Filing date: 1957-08-21
Publication date: 1959-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1976-12-22
Also published as: GB846965A

Description

l W. M. SCHOLL LIGHT WEIGHT FOOT SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1957 'If-Mig Dec. 22, 1959 United States Patent y 2,917,848 LIGHT WEIGHT FOOT SUPPORTING DEVICE William M. Scholl, Chicago, Ill. Application August 21, 1957, serial No. 679,329

' 2 claims. (cl. 36-71) In the past, many and various forms of foot `suplporting devices have been developed7 but in most cases these devices were uncomfortably heavy andprovided an uncomfortable and irritating hard feeling against the foot of the user. In otherwords, these devices made the user conscious at all times' that his foot was in contact with a' relatively rigid and hard surface, particularly where a longitudinal or metatarsal arch supporting device was being used. ln order to adequately support the foot upon a longitudinal arch lift, it is necessary that that lift be of sufficient strength and stiffness-,to carry the body weight, although the lift may spring slightly with the body weight. In addition, with these formerly known devices it frequentlyoccurred that the longitudinal arch supporting lift or plate extendedy beneath` the heel of the user so that there was hardsurface contact of the heel at every step during walking. In short, while on his feet the user Was always aware 'thattherewas something bulky and hard within his shoe that'didno't normally belong there. r

With the foregoing in mind, it of the instant invention to provide a light weight foot supporting device that not only is capable of carrying the load of the body in the region of support, but which also provides a cushion to the foot of the userso that the discomfort of an arch lift is thereby minimized to a great extent. y

Another object of this invention is the provision of a foot supporting device embodying a relatively stiff lift is an important object member, but which device incorporates a sheet of` cushv v ioning material over the lift member so while the desired effect is brought abou'tagainst the foot vof .the

user, the user is not conscious` ofi-the device" being'pin Another feature of the instant invention is the provision of a foot supporting device in the form of a longitudinal arch support, and wherein the rigid weight carrying element does not extend beneath the heel of the user. f

Also a feature of this invention resides in the provision of a longitudinal arch supporting device embodying a layer of cushioning material which extends under the heel of the user and beneath which the weight carrying plate member may be disposed so that the users foot is cushioned on top of that member.

Still another feature of the instant invention resides in the provision of a longitudinal arch supporting device having a removable weight carrying plate, tne device also incorporating a layer of cushioning material, whereby the device may be selectively changed from a longitudinal arch support to a cushion type insole at the will of the user.

Still another object of the instant invention resides in the provision of a foot supporting device comprising a pair of thermoplastic sheets with a layerV of thermoplastic foam between them, the sheets and the layer being secured together by heat seal seam around the bounding margin of the structure, and also secured in a generally transversely extending heat seal seam just in front of the heel seat portion of the device, the frontend of the device being open to freely receive an arch lift therein.

Also a feature of the instant invention is` the provision of an arch supporting-device comprising a cover sheet, a bottom sheet, and a middle sheet of foam cushioning material which sheets are heat sealed together around the bounding edges thereof Vexcept at the forward end, and alight weight plastic arch lift freely inserted in the forward end of the device underneath the' cushioning layer and above lthe bottom layer vor accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a top' plan view of a foot supporting device embodying principles of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged transverse verticalr sectional view of the structure of Figure 1 taken substantially as indicated by the line II-II of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

' Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicatedy by the line III- III of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a reduced top plan view of the structure illustrating how the weight carrying member may be in- ;serted orremoved from the remainder of the device.

As shown on the drawings:

,v By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the

illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is shown in the form of a longitudinal arch support for the foot.

However, the novel structure embodied in the instant invention may be incorporated in foot supporting devices vof different shapes and Ystyles and the weight car'- rying lift member may be in the form of a metatarsal support Or various other types of lifts may be included in the device, it not being essential that the device be Imade only in the shapevdisclosed and for the purpose of supporting thelongitudinal arch of the foot.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a cover sheet 1, a bottom sheet 2, and an intermediate sheet or layer 3. The top and bottom sheets may satis- -factorily be thermoplastic unsupported film, such as. a

4polyvinyl chloride film, while the middle sheet 3 isy preferably in the form of a thermoplastic foam and iS thicker than either the top or bottom sheet to function as a cushioning medium for the foot.

The foam sheet 3 may also be a polyvinyl chloride foam, and a satisfactory example of material is a vinyl foam made from a liquid composition generally known as a plastisol. This plastisol is expanded preferably by the use of an inert gas, and then cured in the expanded condition to provide a light weight structural material which is highly flexible, resilient, has intercommunicating cells for ventilative purposes, and has magnificent restorative powers. The plastisol itself may satisfactorily be a dispersion or suspension of polyvinyl chloride resin, or a copolymer in one or more plastisizers selected from a large number of high boiling esters, for example, such as dioctyl phthalate, dioctyl adipate, dicapryl phthalate, etc, 'l'he top and bottom sheets are made of the same accessible at the front of the device.

general material and are not subjected to the expanding process, but on the contrary the resins and plasticizers are charged directly into a 'Banbury mill and from there passed to a calender which rolls out the finished product. Consequently, the top and bottom sheets are considerably denser than the foam cushioning intermediate sheet.

It will be understood, of course, that other materials may be utilized for the production of the top and bottom sheets as well as the thermoplastic foam cushioning sheet, it being only necessary that suitable substances be utilized which are of such character thatthey may be heat sealed together. This heat sealing is preferably by Way ofthe high frequency electronic process, but other means-of heat sealing might be employed.

The three

sheets

1, 2 and 3 are joined together by heat seal seam `4 around the bounding edge of the device, this seam extending along both sides and across the rear,`but there is no seam at the front, thefront end of the device being left open so as to provide an interior pocket A transverse seam 5 is also provided uniting the three layers together just in front of the heel seat portion of the device, but it will vbe noted that the cushion'layer 3 extends completely to the rear end of the device so as to underlie the heel of the user and give a cushioning effect. With nothing placed in the pocket between the layers, the device will function as a cushion vtype insole and in the illustrated instance the device extends from beneath the heel of the user to a position adjacent the metatarsal arch, the first and fifth metatarsal heads preferably falling upon the device, while the toes or phalanges extend beyond the forward end of the device, thereby providing 'ample toe room within the shoe in which the device is located.

Itv should also be noted that the three layers are preferably not secured to leach other in any location except at the heat seal seams 4 and 5, whereby objectionable wriniiling or buckling of the device does not occur in use because relative movement between the respective layers is always present except at the seams 4 and 5.

In order to render arch supporting aid, a lift 6which is preferably a light thermoplastic material of sufficient rigidity and strength to carry the weight, may be slipped into the pocket through the front end of the device'. Preferably, this lift is disposed between the foam cushion sheet 3 and the bottom sheet 2. Thus, a cushioning effect to the foot is provided and the foot does not contact a relatively rigid and hard surface, but is given a comfortable cushion type resting place notwithstanding the fact that there is adequate arch supporting structure therebeneath.

The lift 6 is preferably contoured in keeping with the plantar surface of a normal foot, and therefore, as seen in Figure 2, has a concave upper surface in the intermediate region, although the entire lift is bowed upwardly lengthwise as seen best in Figure 3. It is also readily apparent that the lift 6 does not extend beneath'the heel of the user so there is no hard surface for contact by the os calcis when walking, the heel of the user only contacting the padded heel portion of the device to the rear of the seal seam 5 which limits the inward disposition of the insert or lift 6. As seen in Figure 4, a lift or plate 6 may easily be slipped into the pocket or removed therefrom as may be desired by the user.

The entire device is extremely light in weight and may be provided in any desirable color or combination of colors. In use, there is always a comfortable cushioning feel to the foot of the user and in most cases even when walking, the usei will be unconscious of the fact that something out of the ordinary has been disposed in his shoe. In addition, it will be noted that the device is long lived by Virtue of the heat seal seam and may be made decorative by having the heat seal seams simulate stitching as illustrated in the drawing. Further, the structure is economical to manufacture and use, since it is readily interchangeable from one article of footwear to another, and since it may be utilized as a cushion type insole after the wearer does not any longer need the plate 6.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an arch supporting device, thin upper and lower sheets of thermoplastic material, an intermediate sheet of thermoplastic foam, all said sheets being of equal area and secured together by a heat seal seam along the bounding vedge `of the device, a light weight and comparatively rigid arch supporting element between the foam sheet and one of the other sheets, and a transverse heat seal seam joining all said sheets in front of the heel seat of the device and behind said element to confine said element to the central and forepart of the device.

2. In an arch supporting device to underlie the foot from the rear of the heel to the metatarsal arch, upper and lower thermoplastic sheets joined by a heat seal seam at the bounding edge of the device, a sheet of cushioning material between said sheets in the heel portion of the device, said upper and lower sheets also connected by a transverse heat seal seam in front of the heel seat of the device, and a plastic light weight and comparatively rigid arch supporting insert between said upper and lower sheets and confined to the forepart of the device by said transverse heat seal seam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,270,003 Carling June 18, 1918 1,272,994y Phelps July 16, 1918 1,488,596 Gash Apr. 1, 1924 2,487,691 Boos Nov. 8, 1949 2,495,045 Woodbury Jan. 17, 1950 2,658,288 Scholl Nov. 10, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Plastics Periodical, November 1954, pp. 106- 108 and 214-216. Plastic Digest.