US1349355A - Arch-support - Google Patents

Description

J. L. ZINK. ARCH SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED OCT-241N319.

1,349,355. A I I Patented Aug. 10,1920.

WITNESS: IN VEN TOR:

A TTORNE Y.

PATENT ormca;

JAMES L. ZINK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ARCH-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1919. Serial No. 333,097.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES L. ZIN-K, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and .useful Arch-Support, of which the following shoe to lift and hold the sagged or flattened portion of the human foot approximately to its normal alinement and proper anatomical position, and in lieu of the healthy and efficient ligament and muscle support and stren h which may be lacking, to maintain and old the foot-arch in proper position; the invention relating more particularly to a foot-arch supporter that is adapted to be removably inserted into a shoevand to be in a measure self-fitting to 'difi'erent shoes and to the foot of the user.

- Arch supports are commonly made of metal, leather, fibroid,'and composition, or of a combinatioii of materials, and structurallyare rigid or semi-rigid, and many are heavy, bulky and cumbersome, to such extent as to distort and damage the shoe or require a special or very large shoe to accommodate the supporter which is designed with a View to merely support or hold up the, foot-arch, rather than to correct any defect orwealtness in the foot mechanics or anatomical structures.

cred, vand that the user is thus made permanently dependent upon the arch-supports.

An object of the'invention is to. provide an improved foot-arch supporter which shall be so constructed as to be capable of supporting the foot-arch in-its proper position and'alinement, and permitting complete and unrestricted action of all the various foot movements, so as to not deprive the sustaining tissues and muscles of opportunity as they may gain or regain strength to per- I form their natural functions; to the end that the arch supporter shall be not a more support or prop, but a corrective instrument conducive to the encouragement of natural effort in the tissuesand muscles to their proper functions.

Another object is to provide a flexible arch support which shall be so constructed as to not only hold the foot-arch in its proper position and alinement, but shall be capable of being corrective by permitting complete and unrestricted actionof all the tissues involved in the foot movements while afiording firm support to the foot-arch, so thatby sues at the time the foot-arches are supported the full functions of the foot may be improved or lost functions restored, as the physiological effect of the exercise of fimction brings a return of the foot to noi'mal activities.

A further object is to provide a flexible arch support of such construction that extra pressure upon corns and bunions is avoided, and so that its flexibility shall permit it to be conformable to the foot while in passive use, in order that the arch support may be comfortable in use to those who sufier with tissueswhich may be sensitive to pressure.

A still further object is to provide a flexible arch support which shall be so constructed as to be capable of retaining its flexibility, and in all directions, and not be liable to become hardened or stifi with age, and which will be durable and economical in use. 1

With the above-mentioned and other ob jects in view, the invention consists in an arch support constructed so as to be thoroughly flexible in all of its partner portions and in all directions, being constructed so that it may readilyconform to the lines and contours of difierejnt feet and different shoes; and, the invention consists also furtherin the parts and combinations of parts as hereinafter particularly described and further claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure l is a perspective view showing principally the upper portionand the turned up side of a foot-arch supporter, for the left foot, constructed substantially .in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2is an end view looking at the heel or rearward end of the supporter; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the the normal use of the involved tis- I Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

set forth in the accompanying 60 perform I line III- H1 in 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation-of the improved supporter; and, F ig.

5 is a top plan of the supporter minus its top part orJcover.

Similar reference characters in the various figures of the drawings indicate like parts or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

The improved supporter has a main portion 1 adapted to support the middle portion of the foot and provided with a flared side portion 2 adapted to support the inner side of the foot, in may cases the supporter having a heel or rearward portion 3,

layer and extending under the turned over tongues. The fabric or cloth layers are secured together by means of suitable adhesive substance of flexible character which. shall be capable of retaining its flexibility,

such as rubber orrubber composition. It is preferred that the upper or inner face of the bottom layer and'the upper face of the top layer be thoroughly coated with rubher and forced into the fabric and interstices thereof, so as to be intimately combined with the clothand whereby the layers are secured together while in heated condition by a process similar to that practised in vulcanizing. A cover 8 is arranged upon the top of the top layer 7 and secured thereto by means of the rubber or adhesive substance combined with the surface of the top layer, the cover being, composed of suitable smooth material, preferably thin, flexible and soft leather, such as sheep-skin, to permit the foot of the user to slide freely thereon in entering the shoe having the supporter therein. The threads of the fabric of the bottom layer when in contact with the sole of the shoe have a tendency to is rendered less liable to slippage when'very thoroughly combined with the rubber, which may in some cases or in portions of the fabric be forced between the threads to the under side of the fabric.

' As is the common practice, the improved supporter is properly padded or built up by r the use of a suitable number of small pieces or layers of material in the, regions where the foot-arch requires more or less support;

but in the present case the padding or rela tive small layers, such as different sizedoverlapping layers 9,10 and 11 arranged on the main portion of the supporter, are each composed of woven fabric, preferably so that the threads thereof shall diagonally cross the threads of the adjacent layers,.the padding layers being arranged upon the bottom layer 5 and under the top layer 7, or permissibly one or more upon the top of the top layer 7, stability being desired so that the supporter shall retain its structural shape. In some cases the forward portion 4 of the supporter has padding layers 12, 13, 14, therein of different plan dimensions so as to form a convex top portion 15 to support the forward portion of the foot as may be desired in some cases.

The improved supporter may be variously made so as to have the desired or required contour, in some cases a plaster cast of the foot being made, especially in particular cases, and a cast of the inside of a shoe may supporterto obtain the most satisfactory results. The top of theheel portion 3 is more or less concave and the under side usually convex, such formation being adaptedto prevent shifting of the supporter in the shoe. Therebeing a considerable quantity of the rubber or adhesive substance incorporated in the structure, the whole sup-' porter is rendered cushion-like or yielding to some extent so as to be comfortable to the user, and yet permit of flexibility throughout the structure which permits free bending of the supporter to coincide with bending or changes of portions of the shoe and foot in use.

In practical use the flexible arch supporters are held in position as the foot is set at the beginning of a step, by the cupped heelv formation, which approximates the lift in the transverse arch of the foot accurately to a line corresponding to that drawn trans: versely from the center of the navicular bone internally, to the base of the fifth metatarsal bone externally; as the weight of the body is carried forward and the muscles in the foot relax, the lift thus placed elevates the navicular and inner side of the astragalus as well as supporting the anterior margin of the calcaneum bones and lessening the strain placed upon the ligaments holding these bones in position, thus preventing the tend-' ency of the leg to slip downward and inward off the foot. As the weight of the body is carried forward on the foot in action, the properly adjusted lift not only holds the bones in thetransverse arch of the foot up in position, but also preserves the alineinent of the foot in its correct relation to the swing of the leg and with the carrying of the body weight still forward and the beginning of the completion of the step, the flexibility of also be made on which to build the improved the supporter permits the foot muscles to tense and get their proper leverage upon the metatarsal bones for the completion of the step. As the weight is carried farther forward and thrown upon the ball or metatarsal of the foot, the flexibility of the arch permits a perfect action of the metatarsalphalangeal joints, and the flare of the arch support automatically holds the metatarsal lift in its correct anatomtical position. The normal functioning of the foot tissues thus assured tends to assist in the correction of mechanical defects of the foot arch, as well as to strengthen the tissues to a degree permit resilient adhesive substance incorporated therein and extending to one surface of the layer and also to the next adjacent layer of the material.

2. A-flexible foot-arch supporter having a plurality of superimposed layers of fabricated flexible material and also a cover layer composed of soft and pliable material, and layers of adhesive resilient material between and adhering to each of the two next adjacent layers of'material.

3. A flexible foot-arch supporter compris- 7 ing a bottom layer composed of flexible woven fabric and flexible substance combined with the upper side thereof, a top layer composed of flexible woven fabric and flexible substance combined with the upper side thereof, a cover composed of flexible material and having adhering connection with the flexible substance of the top layer, and padding layers composed of flexible woven fabric and interposed between the bottom layer and the cover and secured in place by the flexible substance thereof.

4:. A flexible foot-arch supporter comprising a bottom layer composed of flexible woven fabric and flexible substance combined with the upper side thereof, the bottom layer having tongues on its edge portion that are turned over the upper side of the layer, a top layer composed of flexible woven fabric and flexible substance combined with the upper side thereof, the top layer extending under the tongues and having adhering connection with the flexible substance of the bottom layer, a cover composed of flexible material and having adhering connection with the flexible substance of the top layer, the cover being secured upon the tongues, and padding layers composed of flexible woven fabric and interposed between the bottom layer and the cover and secured in place.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence 0 two wltnesses.

JAMES L. ZINK.

Witnesses E. T. SILvIUs, F. M. RoEDER.

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