US2050973A - Adjustable orthopedic arch support - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1936. -A; KURTZ" l :ADJUSTABLE ORTHOFEDIC ARCH SUPPORT Filed May 8, 1955 Patented ug. lll, 1935 2,050,973 v ADL'B'USTABL ORTHOPEDIC ARCH SUPPORT Andrew Kurtz, Allentown, Pa., assigner of onevhalf to Frank Brown, Allentown, Pa.

Application May s, 1935, seriai No. 20,3%'5' 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in foot wear and more particularly to devices used in connection therewith for supporting the arch of a foot in its correct, natural position.

A great many persons experience some form of foot troubles, such as fiat feet, fallen arches, weak ankles and the like, and it is the principal object of this invention to provide means to be either built into a specially constructed shoe, or to be manually inserted into standard shoes, to mitigate such troubles, and to give comfort and relief to the wearer.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of an arch support composed of two main elements and provided with means for relative adjustment to suit individual requirements.

Another feature is in the provision of a resilient, lateral wing-like support for the inner side of the instep, which is adjustable with respect to the central longitudinal support.

Yet another aim of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, having few, simple and inexpensive parts, and which may either be permanently embodied in a shoe during its construction, or supplied to any ordinary shoe in the form of an inner sole.

These meritorious objects and advantages are attained by the novel and simple construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of an embodiment of the invention, as permanently applied to a shoe.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, and showing its relation to a conventional shoe, indicated in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View, of the rear part of the device.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing a modification of the device, which may be inserted into any already constructed shoe.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, a conventional type of leather inner sole, designated by numeral I5, which is permanently built into a shoe, has iiXed on its upper surface, centrally of its width, at its shank portion, a stiff but slightly resilient, narrow metallic plate I6. The plate or bar I6 is preferably beveled to a thin edge at its ends I'I and is secured by a rivet I8 near its forward end to the inner sole I5.

Disposed over the plate I6 and rear portion of the sole is a leather leaf I9, shaped in conformity with the sole, arched midway its length and permanently attached to it over the heel portion, its front being free, the leaf being further secured 5 to the sole I5 by a rivet 20 which also passes through the support plate I6.

An upper leaf 2l is attached at its front edge to the leaf I9 to which it substantially conforms in profile. Both leaves I9 and 2I have formed 10 at their shank edges wing-like extensions 2I curved upwardly as shown.

Below these instep supporting elements is a resilient metal plate 22, generally circular in profile and curved upwardly to support the elements 15 2|?, this plate being attached by rivets 23 to the lower leaf I9.

Extending integrally from the plate 22 is a stem 24 bent to reach over the support bar I 6 and passing through an opening in the stem is the upper 20 end of a stud 25 screw threaded to receive a lock nut 26.

A collar or annular flange 2l on the stud acts as a seat for the stem 24 of the instep support plate and is adjustable in the bar I6 by the 25 threaded lower end 28 which engages a threaded opening in the bar, an opening 29 in the inner sole permitting such adjustment.

It will be seen that, by turning the stud, the instep support may be raised relative to the bar 30 I6, and the lock nut 26 set to secure any desired adjustment.

Due to the spring-like support 24, the instep support is quite flexible, and by reason of its pivoted attachment to the bar I6, it is self-conforming to the foot, while the height of the support can be varied to suit the requirements of the wearer of the shoe.

It will also be apparent that, when a shoe is worn in which the instep support has been raised 40 relative to the bar I6, the weight of the wearer will cause the support plate 22 to slightly adjust itself sideways, which adds materially to the comfort of a wearer.

In Figure 5 a modification of the device is 45 shown. The device disclosed in Figures 1-4 is permanently imbedded in a shoe, whereas in this modification, the arch support is built upon a loose inner sole, which may be inserted and permanently or removably secured to the inner 50 sole of any desired shoe. The inner sole upon which the arch support is constructed may be made in any size, to correspond to the various sizes in which shoes are made. The only diierences in the construction of this modification 55 are that in the modification the rivet 30, corresponding to the rivet I8 in Figure 2, secures, besides bar I6, the leather leaf I9 and upper leaf 2| to the inner sole, and that a screw 3| is used instead of the rivet 20. It will be clear that the arch support bearing inner sole may be secured to a shoe, by screwing the screw 3l into the heel.

Although the foregoing is descriptive of the preferred forms of the invention, it will be understood that changes may be made in its construction without departure from the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In an arch support, an inner sole, a metal plate fixed on its upper side centrally of its width at the shank, a flexible leaf secured at its rear edge to the heel portion of said sole, a second flexible leaf secured at its front edge to the first named leaf, a longitudinal arch support having a perforated resilient plate disposed below said leaves, a stud having an adjustable screw-threaded connection with said metal plate, a collar on 5 resilient metal strip fixed on its upper surface, a 10 series of flexible leaves over said strip and sole, a stem interposed between said strip and leaves, a flexible longitudinal arch support on said stem, said support being curved upwardly and covered by said leaves, means for raising and lowering l5 said stem relative to said strip, and means for securing said stem in adjusted position.

ANDREW KURTZ.

Images