US1996874A - Articulated ankle joint for artificial feet - Google Patents

Description

- April 9, 1935. E. D. MASCAU ARTICULATED ANKLE JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL FEET Filed Augl 28,.1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 9, 1935. E. D. MAscAu 1,996,374

ARTICULATED ANKLE JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL FEET Filed Aug. 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 a amt HHHHQ Patented Apr. 9, 1935 warren stares ARTICULATED ANKLE JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL FEET Emile Desire Mascau, Rouen, France Application August 28, 1933, Serial No. 687,206 In France August 31, 1932 2 Claims.

This invention relates to artificial feet and has for its object to provide an articulated ankle joint rendering possible any kind of movement of the artificial foot.

The invention has for its object more particularly to produce an ankle joint of simple con struction which will allow universal relative movement of the foot and leg portions of the artificial limb by means of a ball separating two U-shaped riders linked together and which can be easily adjusted by nuts provided on the lower ends of the lower rider. Lateral movement of the foot is provided for by supporting the bend of the upper rider in a correspondingly shaped groove provided longitudinally in a transverse axle bearing and bending and flexing of the foot is provided for by forming a recess in the foot in which the axle bearing is free to rock.

In order that the invention may be more clear- 1y understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an artificial foot provided with the articulated ankle joint in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view in section of the device.

Figure l is a detail of the device as will hereinafter appear.

Figure 5 is a side elevation partly in section of part of a modified form of the device.

Figure 6 is a sectional View at right angles to Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation partly in section 35 of a further modification, and

Figure 8 is a sectional View at right angles to Figure 7.

The joint comprises two U-shaped riders l, 2 linked together and separated by a ball 3 running 40 in grooves 4, 5 provided on the inner sides of the bends of the riders I and 2. These bends are of substantially rectangular cross section and the limbs of the riders are of circular cross section and threaded at their extremities to receive nuts 6, I, 8, 9 for holding them in position relatively to the calf and foot as shown in the drawings. The limbs of the upper rider I pass through apertures in a plate l0 resting on the bend portion of the rider which, as mentioned above, is of rectangular cross section.

An axle bearing II (shown separately in Figure 4) is mounted transversely of thefoot, and comprises a hollow axle portion l2, li and a helm-spherical portion I3 provided with a longitudinal groove M which is U-shaped to receive the U-shaped bend of the upper rider l This arrangement provides for the lateral movement of the foot by the rider 1 moving in the groove M about the ball 3. This movement is controlled by means of helical compression springs l5 and it arranged in the hollow portions I2, 52 of the axle bearing H and engaging the underside of the plate it. The springs l5, it are held inclined towards the joint by means of gudgeon pins it, it and ll, ll which are fixed respectively to the axle bearing H and to the underside of the plate l0.

The bending and flexing movements of the foot are provided for by forming a recess in the foot shaped to receive the axle bearing H and allowing the bearing to rock in the recess about the ball 3 according to the movement of the upper rider i. This movement is controlled by means of cushioning members of rubber or other suitable material mounted in recesses formed in the foot.

Thus it will be seen that all movement of the foot takes place about the ball 3 as centre and the compression springs l5 remain always in the direction of the calf and operate in a straight position irrespective of the position of the foot. The lower rider 2 on which the foot is suspended is preferably shorter and wider than the upper rider i and holds in contact the various com-' ponents of the articulated joint whereby the latter can be adjusted by adjusting the screws 8 and 9.

The joint can be used in connection with any kind of foot and calf but is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as applied to wooden calves, in Figures 5 and 6 as applied to calves of compressed wood reinforced by means of steel stays l8, and in Figures 7 and 8 as applied to metal calves, for example duralumin.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. An ankle joint for artificial feet comprising a U-shaped member and means for securing the U-shaped member to the calf, an inverted U- shaped member linked in the first member and means for suspending the foot from said member, a bearing mounted in a recess transversely of the foot and having a U-shaped recess arranged longitudinally therein and running transversely of the foot for receiving the bend of the first mentioned U-shaped member, a ball mounted in a groove provided in the inside of the bend of said first member and supporting the inverted, U-shaped member, lateral relative movement of the leg and foot being allowed by motion of the U-shaped member in the recessed bearing about the ball as center and bending and flexing of the foot being allowed by the rocking of the bearing 5 in its recess about the ball as center.

2. The combination with an ankle joint as claimed in claim 1 of a helical compression spring Hm Li." has.

Images