US53276A

US53276A - Improved ankle-supporter

Info

Publication number: US53276A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1866-03-20
Anticipated expiration: 1883-03-20

Description

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE@ ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED ANKLE-SUPPORTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,276, dated March 20, 1866.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, of Chicago, Cook county, State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Ankle-Supporter 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The present invention relates to an anklesupporter especially designed to be used in connection with ska-tes, to the rear of the heel of which it is secured at one end, and at its other, below the knee, to and about the leg ofthe person using the same, the construction and arrangement of the ankle-supporter being such as to leave the foot and knee free to move, while at the same time a-rm and reliable support is given to the ankle-joint, as will be apparent from the following detail description, reference being had to the accompanying plate of drawings, ot' which- Figure l is an elevation of the same, showing it applied to the foot and leg ot' a person, Fig. 2, a view of it folded up and laid upon the under side of the foot-rest ofaskate, shown in red in the drawings, so as to illustrate the facility with which it is carried in connection with the skates.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. 4

A in the drawings represents my improved ankle-supporter, made in three parts or sections, B, C, and D, the lower one, B, of which is secured at one end to the rear of the heel ot' the skate-restiu any proper manner, so as not to become disengaged therefrom when in use, but at the same time be readily disengaged or detached when the skate is removed from the foot, and it extends upward from the skate upon the back side of the foot to a point at or near the ankle-joint, to which end, by a hingejoint, E, the next section or part, C, of the supporter is hung, this section C consisting of two upright parallel rods or bars, a a, attached together by a cross-piece, b, at their upper ends. On these bars a a of the supporter-section C the cross-piece c ot' the rod F, constituting the remaining or upper portion of my ankle-supporter, is hung so as to freely play and slide up and down thereon, the rod F passing loosely through the cross-piece b of the said bars a a, and being hung at its upper end by a swivel or other suitable joint, G, to and upon a strap, H, which is to be passed around and about the leg ot' the person, and then fastened with sufficient tightness thereto by a buckle, J, or. any other suitable fastening to retain it in position, and so as not to slide up and down upon the leg, the height at which said strap H is secured being adjusted to suit the comfort of the person wearing the supporter, but should not be above the knee, the rod F being lengthened or shortened to permit the same by sliding it up and down upon the parallel bars a a of the part C ofthe supporter.

From the above description of the manner in which my improved ankle-supporter for skates is constructed and arranged together it is apparent that by the hinge-joint at or near the ankle-joint of the footand the sliding connection between the same and the joint of the leg at which the supporter is secured at its upper end, the foot and knee are both free to move, while at the same time a firm and reliable support is given to the ankle, the importance and advantages of which are obvious.

It may here be remarked, in conclusion, that with my ankle-supporter no chaling of theleg can possibly occur, as the supporter adjusts itselt' to the shortening and extending ot' the leg by the bending of the knee, and as the supporter is upon the back side ot' the leg there is no danger of the skates of another person becoming interlocked or caughtin ita quite important advantage.

Another advantage secured by my anklesupporter is the compactness with which it can be folded up for being carried either about the person or in conjunction with the skates, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An ankle-supporter, especially intended to be-used with skates, made in three parts or sections B, C, and D, connected together substantially in the manner and so as to operate substantially as described when applied in any proper manner to the skate and leg ot` the person, as specified.

ROBERT CUNNINGHAM.