US977684A - Arch-supporter. - Google Patents

Description

J. G. SHEPARD. AARCH SUPPORTER. APPLIUATION :FILED JUNI: 3, 190s.

977,684. l Patented Dec.6,1910.

620252665565? fg/ w/ZQW /Qf/W @SM E 19M@ iM JOHN C. SHEPARD, OF NOPAY, MAINE.

ARCH-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1910.

l Application led June 3, 1908. vSerial No. 436,416.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN C. SHEPARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norway, county of Oxford, State of Maine, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Arch-Supporters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a cheap and adequate stitfener for the instep of al shoe which may be readily applied to a shoe by the ordinary'shoemaker or cobbler, so that it may be sold for a small price and be directly accessible to the wearers of shoes.

Heretofore various forms of arch supporters and shank stiffeners have been employed, some of these being intended to b'e fitted within the shoe, and some between the layers of the shank. These devices require either that the stiffener be especially constructed to fit the foot of the wearer or else that the shoe be originally constructed with a stiifener. As is well known arch supporters which are made to fit the peculiar form of the wearers foot are very expensive and on the other hand shoes constructed with the stiffener in the shank of the shoe rarely fit the foot well enough so that they may be used without causing the wearer discomfort.

The device embodying my invention is adapted to be applied to any shoe and particularly to those which have assumed the shape of the wearers instep through use; they may also be satisfactorily applied to new shoes. The device embodying my invention, by reason of its peculiar construction and arrangement, does not add perceptibly to the weight of the shoe, but nevertheless affords a complete support for the instep of the wearer throughout its entire area.

I am aware that stiifeners have been applied to the exterior of a shoe, but so far as is known to me, when so applied, they have not aorded a support for more than a small portion of the instep, thereby resulting in failure to perform the oiiice required of them and in discomfort and inconvenience to the user.

My invent-ion has the added advantage that it may be readily applied to the shoes by any cobbler and when applied to shoes which have previously been worn serves to retain them in the shape which they have received from contact with the wearers foot.

The construction of my improved arch supporter is such that the weight is olistributed over the entire shank of the shoe, thereby making it possible to afford more complete support, while at the same time the arch supporter is more durable and less likely to get out of shape with use.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof are pointed out and clearly defined in the claim at the close of the specification.

in the drawings-Figure l is a perspective view of a. shoe provided with an arch supporter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 3 is a seet-ion on line 3 3 F ig. 2.

Referring to the drawings-My improved arch supporter consists of two side portions B and A which follow substantially the` curve of the inside line of the shank of a shoe and the outside line thereof respectively, and of atransverse portion C which lies across the portion of the shoe just back of the ball of the foot in such a position that it will not ordinarily contact with the ground being slightly above the level of the ground by reason of the curve of the shoe. The rear ends of the side portions of the arclnsupporter extend rearwardly under the heel F as shown at D and E for a short distance so that the curve of the shank and the relation between the heel and the shank shall always be maintained in the condition intended. l find this arrangement important as otherwise the shoe tends to bend at the line of union between the heel and the shank. The arch supporter is attached to the shoe by nails H or the like, and the said nails extend through the outsole, upper, and insole and at the rear through the counter, if the counter extends far enough forward. The nails are securely clenched on the inside, By this arrangement, all the parts are secured together much more firmly than has hitherto been possible and all possibility of working is entirely prevented.

rilhe longitudinal portions of the arch supporter are constructed so that in cross-section they are of the shape shown in Fig. 3; that is, the outer edge thereof is bent over the edge of the shank as shown at K. The rib or edge K keeps the arch supporter from bending and greatly increases the strength and stilness ot the arch supporter without increasingy its weight.

I claim as my invention:

In combination with a boot or shoe, a three sided arch supporter comprising two side strip portions, a transverse strip portion connecting the two forward ends of said strip portions7 said arch supporter being secured to the outer face of the outer sole, the transverse portion lying' across the outer soie of the. shoe just back of the bail of the foot5 the twov side portions extendingrearwardiy on the outer face or' the shank following the contour of the two side lines of the shank, the open rear ends thereof eX- l5 tending backward between the heel and the outer sole near the outer edges thereof and concealed between the heel and the heel portion of the sole between which it is secured.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, 20 in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. SHEPRD.

Witnesses MERTON L. KIMBALL, ALFRED S'. KIMBALL.

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