US1429604A - Automatic foot, toe, and ankle brace - Google Patents

Description

a, F. MADINGER. AUTOMATIC FOOT, TOE; AND ANKLE BRACE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, [921. I 1,429,604; ept. 19,1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

GQ F. MADINGER.

AUTOMATIC FOOT, TOE, AND ANKLE BRACE- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1921.

1,429,604, Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3] npewto'o YELF? Mad'Ln er! Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

UMTEW AU'IOliIATIC FOOT, TOE, AND ANKLE BEE-ACE.

Application filed. November 7, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTLIEB F. MADIN- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Foot, Toe, and Ankle Braces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to medical appliances, and particularly to a brace of this character designed for use in the straight ening of the deformed feet of children.

The general object ofthis invention is the provision of a combined toe and ankle brace in the nature of a boot, which may be readily applied to the deformed foot of a child and which will tend to straighten the foot and brace the ankle and leg, holding the foot in the position which it would naturally occupy and resisting any movement of the foot out of its natural position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which shall be comfortable to wear, which will not hurt the child at all, which will thoroughly brace the foot and ankle ofthe child, and which may be from time to. time tightened up to resist more strongly, as the child gets used to it, the tendency of the foot to turn from its natural position into an unnatural position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Myinvention is-illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a foot, toe

and ankle bracing boot constructed in accordance wlth my lnventlon;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the boot;

Figure 3 is a top view thereof;

Figure 4 is an under side view of the sole; Y

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the toe of the boot;

Figure 6 is asection on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the sole and a portion of the upper showing the manner in which the upper is split before it is applied to the boot as shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an elevation of the blank from which the u per is made;

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that this appliance is in the form of a Serial No. 513,486.

boot having a foot portion 10 provided with the usual sole 11 and having an integral anklet or leg portion 12. Preferably the, foot and leg portion-are formed of one piece of leather sewed to the sole by stitches 18, the toe of the foot'portion being split. and sewed from the sole up the toe some distance, as 14. Above this seam 14: the leather defining the opening which extends from the portion 1a to the top of the shoe overlaps, as illustrated in Figure 3, and the edges'of this overlapped portion are thinned down, as at 15. One margin of the overlapped portion is formed with a buttonhole flap 16 and this is provided with a, buttonhole adapted to engage the button 17 on the other margin. This buttonhole flap and the button are disposedover the instep of the foot.

attached to the margin 18, which is the outermargin of the leg portion of the shoe, is astrap 19. This strap is designed to pass around the leg portion in a spiral manner after the fashion of a leather puttee, and at the top of the leg or ankle portion of the shoe there is attached the buckle 20, with which the extremity of the strap engages. Attached upon the frontof the flap 18 approximately in line with the seam 14 are a plurality of leather loops 21 through which the strap is intended to pass, these leather loops being disposed diagonally with respect to the vertical axis of the shoe. A plurality of leather loops 22 are also attached to the back of the leg portion of the boot, these being likewise diag onal to the axis of the boot. I I

As before remarked, the upper is, made in one piece and, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the upperis split at. 23 and the lower edge of the upper 1s grooved, as at 24, while the sole ll is grooved or kerfed, as at 25.

The edge of the sole is pressed down aipon the sole so that the inner wall of the strip 23 is flattened down on the sole. Then the stitches 13 are made through the relatively thin outer wall and the stitches are more or less concealed in the grooves 24; and 25. As illustrated in Figure 6, the marginof the upper below the split therein is grooved, as at 26, and the edges of the blank 14: shown in Figure 8 are brought together and the meeting edges below the tab 16 are grooved and stitched together, as at 14. The blank from which the upper is made is illustrated in Figure 8.

in the application of this device, the strap is loosened sufliciently to permit the shoe to be slipped upon the foot, the strap 16 is buttoned over the instep of the shoe by the button 17, and the spiral strap 19 is tightened to a sufficient degree. The boot will adjust itself to the foot and limb and a greater or less strain may be placed upon the foot by adjusting the strap With relation to the buckle. It will be seen that there are no fasteners to be adjusted of any kind except the buckle. This device may be used for deformed feet of various kinds, as for example club foot. In a child born With a club foot the sincere or muscles of the great toe are stronger than they are in a normal foot. By putting on this device the foot and ankle are controlled, as the foot is kept in a straight and normal position. My boot also strengthens a Weak ankle and a Weak leg. It automatically closes itself around the ankle by the use of the strap and gives a firm support to the foot and the ankle. The sole is made in a single thickness and can be either a light or heavy Weight sole according to how the device is Worn. Thus, for instance, it may take the place of a boot,in Which case the sole will be heavy, or it may be of a relatively thinner leather and be Worn inside of the shoe. T he upper is made of one piece of leather in order to secure a sufficient and uniform rigidity and at the same time eliminate any rough obstructions on the inside of the upper which Would be painful or uncomfortable to the foot. The strap may be tightened up so that the relatively heavy leather forming the ankle portion or leg portion of the boot Will press against the childs leg and ankle and give it full support. The tightening of the strap Will cause the tightening of the leg or ankle portion of the boot from the instep to the top of the leg or ankle portion and, of course, if circumstances require, the strap may be gradually loosened as the foot becomes more and more straightened.

It Will be seen that this device Will tend to cause the foot to be held in proper radial direction relative to the axis of the leg and Will resist any movement of the foot out of this proper radial direction. Thus by its use it Will gradually remedy many deformities of the foot.

I claim 1. A combinedtoe and ankle brace for rectifying deformed feet comprising a bootlike member having a foot portion and a leg portion, the instep of the boot portion to'the leg portion being split doWn the front, the margins of said split being overlapped, and a spiral strap attached to the margin of the leg portion adjacent the in step and extending spirally around the leg portion, and a buckle attached to the upper end of the leg portion and With which said strap engages. i

2. A combined toe and ankle brace for rectifying deformed feet comprising a bootlike member having a foot portion and a leg portion, the instep of the boot portion to the leg portion being split ClOWIl'lJllG front, the margins of said split being over:

lapped, a spiral strap attached to the'margin of the leg portion adjacent the instep and engages, the front and rear of the'l'eg portion of the appliance being 'formed With extending spirally around the leg portion,

diagonally disposed loops through which the strap passes.

3. A. combined toe and ankle brace for rectifying deformed feet comprising a bootlike member having a foot portion anda leg portion, the instep of the boot portion to the leg portion being split down the front,

the niarginssof said split being overlapped,

a spiral strap attached to the margin of the leg portion adjacent the instep and extending spirally around the leg portion, and

a buckle attached to the upper end'of the leg portion and With Which said strap engages, the front and rear' of the leg portion of the appliance being formed With diagonally disposed loops through which the strap passes, the leather on one side of said 7 split at the instep being formed'vvith a tab having a buttonhole and the leather im- GOTTLIEB r. MADINGER;

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