US2426735A - Stabilizing insert for shoes - Google Patents

Description

Sept 2, l947- l l J. M. Hlss 2,426,735

STABILIZING INSERT FOR sHoEs '//l//l/V////:\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\m 12 j u zz l; 11 y 1 f INVHVTOR.

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Sept 2, 1947- I J. M. Hiss 2,426,735 v STABILIZING INSERT'FOR SHOES Filed Dec. 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

` l By A754410 Patented Sept. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE STABILIZIN G INSERT FORv SHOES John M. Hiss, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 3, 1945, Serial No. 632,374

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a stabilizing pad to be inserted or built into a shoe to aid the functioning of the human foot as it maintains body balance while standing and distributes the moving load during walking.

In the past, countless different types and kinds of devices have been provided for raising or lowering certain portions of the foot, for supporting arches and the like. Although these devices have diiered from one another to some extent in their exact configuration and in the area supported, they are almost Without exception directed to the general idea of supporting some portion of the foot in an attempt to maintain it in the position which nature intended. In this respect these prior art devices function very much like crutches in that they make the user less conscious of the condition but they do not correct it. As a matter of fact comprehensive functional checks indicate that supports of this type actually interfere with the natural foot function, and to a substantial extent, cause muscle atrophy.

It has long been recognized that certain types of foot ailments which affect over fifty percent of all feet, such as bunion joints, hammer toes, and foot eversion require the use of shoes which are particularly wide in the forepart in order that adequate room be provided to permit the proper fitting for the correction of this type of ailment. In constructing a shoe which provides sufficient room in the forepart it has been exceedingly dini-- cult to obtain snug fitting in the backpart with the result that shoes of this type do not provide any means whatsoever for guiding the action of the heel and arch bones during walking. Consequently, the heel rolls medialward toward the midline of the body resulting in a displacement of the center of gravity toward the medial side of the foot and a shifting ofthe moving load away from its normal position on the lateral border of the foot. This causes muscle strain and great physical discomfort in many cases, all because the shoe is not balanced and the heel is not stabilized.

'Ihe foot is normally divided longitudinally into of the heel and the metatarsal heads. As walking progresses the weight travels forward along the lateral side of the foot to the forepart where it moves medially or inwardly of the foot and across the metatarsal heads in an even distribution. Thereafter, the weight moves oiT the ends of the toes as the body is thrust forward. This normal distribution of weight in walking has been diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings forming a part of this application, the arrows indicating the progress of the distribution of the weight and the heavier lines indicating the relative concentration.

Having due regard for the general concepts as herein described, the primary purpose of this invention is to provide a stabilizing means which aids in promoting proper weight distribution by maintaining the center of weight bearing in its proper balanced position at the cuboid bone and returning it to its normal position in the event of displacement.

Another important object of the invention is to provide in a foot stabilizing pad a cupped heel seat which stabilizes or anchors the heel bone by lling in the excess space in the extreme back part of the shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stabilizing foundation pad which is elevated at the medial and forward portions of the heel in order to throw the weight to the lateral side of the foot at the beginning of the step.

Another object is to provide a stabilizing pad which includes a relatively rm and balanced base directly beneath the cuboid bone for supporting the foot and maintaining the equilibrium of the body when the weight is normally distributed as hereinbefore described.

Another object is to provide in a stabilizing pad a smooth, convex, and soft contour in the forepart to aid in the distribution of the moving weight load across the metatarsal heads at the end of the step. This prevents a localization of the weight at any one particular metatarsal head, which localization usually results in a painful callus formation.

Another object of the invention is to provide over different portions of the area.

permits the shoe to be pulled up on the medial side as by lacing and the resilient pad thereby lls in some of the waste space and exerts a massaging effect on the muscles and blood vessels on the under side of the foot during walking.

Another object is to provide a, stabilizing foundation pad of unitary construction in which various degrees of softness and firmness may be provided by using materials of different densities or by different types f material in combination.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the further and more detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a stabilizing pad representing a preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View along the line 2 2, Figure l, illustrating particularly the contours of the pad on the medial side of the foot.

Figure 3 is a sectional View along the line 3-3, Figure 1, similarly illustrating the' contours on the lateral side of the foot.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views along the lines 4 4 and 5---5,A Figure 1, respectively, and illustrate the contours of the cupped heel seat.

Figures 6 and '7 are sectional views along the lines 6-6 and 7 1, Figure 1, illustrating the contours and construction of the upper side of the pad toward the forepart thereof.

Figure 8 is, as previously stated, a diagrammatic view illustrating the normal transposition of weight from one portion of the foot to another during walking.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of the construction in which the desired results are obtained and to some extent accentuated. by securing elevator pads to the under side of an insert of the general type illustrated in Figure 1. e These pads may be utilized particularly to avoid the necessity of providing inserts of different thicknesses.

Figure 10 is an elevational View of the modied form of the construction shown in Figure 9.

Figure l1 is a sectional view of another modied form of construction similar to FigureZ, the modified form having the same plan view as the form illustrated in Figure l but having different contours in elevation. y

Figure 12 is a sectionalview similar to Figure 3 of thefmodied form of construction shown in Figure 11.

Referring again to the drawings for a further and more detailed description of the invention, the stabilizing padshown Ias an insert adapted to be inserted in or built into. a shoeis indicated generally at I0, Figure 1. The pad is preferably formed from rubber having different densities However, other'resilientr materials may be used for the construction of the entire pad and it may be. provided byv combinations of various materials,

The heel cups whichforms an. important feature of the invention is constituted by the flange Il which is extended upwardly around the periphery of the rear portion of the pad in general arcuate configuration and the depressed area I2 in which the heel bone is adapted to rest. The ange also extends forwardly on the medial side of the foot for a slight distance and a markedly raised area I3 is provided also on thisV side just rearwardly of the area of the spring arch. The purpose of the ange extension andthe raised area I3 is to throw the Weight laterally toward therm portion of the pad I4 which rests directly beneath the cuboid bone.A This portion, which has been shaded in Figure 1, is preferably of relatively hard and rm construction and rests flatly on the bottom of the shoe in order to provide a strong and sure support for the cuboid bone during normal Walking. This firm portion I4 is a very important element of this invention, as most shoes are decidedly unstable under their lateral portions. portion strengthens the weak portion of an 0rdinary shoe and alfords a balanced foundation for the cuboid bone, which in itself is the balanc-Y ing point of the foot.

In the area adjacent the medial spring arch, vacuum cups I5 or similar cavities may be formed on the upper side of the pad while the lower side I5 is preferably hollowed cut. This portion of the pad is preferably formed of soft and, flexible material for the purpose, as previously stated, of deliberately avoiding support of the arch at this point and providing a massaging effect on the muscles and blood vessels of the foot during Walk-v ing.

Two rows of similar cavities or vacuum cups Il', extending across the insert adjacent to the ends of the rm portion of the pad I4, give flexibility to allow the stabilizer to conform to the inner contours of a shoe andv cooperate with the firm portion of the pad Id permitting it to rest atly on the bottom. of the shoe while allowing the soft and flexible portion ofthe pad to flex to give a massaging effect,

The forepart of the padl I8 in the area of the metatarsal heads is preferably arched slightly, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and is formed from material which is particularly. soft and smooth, the purpose being to aid in the distribution of weight across the various metatarsal heads.

The. operation of the pad inuse as an insert in or a component part of a shoe is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 8- in which I 9 indicates the heel area, 20 the area of the cuboid boneV and 2l the area of the metatarsal head on a foot 22 of normal contours. The distribution of Weight through these various areas has been heretofore described.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 9 and l0 elevator pads are shown secured to the under side of the stabilizer pad I0. These pads need not necessarily be of the exact configuration shown and may be cut by hand or stamped from rubber sheets distributed in conjunction with the stabilizer pads. The pad 23 .is preferably positioned toward the front part of the heel area and rearwardly'of the medial spring arch and is for the purpose of` throwing the weight toward the lateral side of the foot in the area of the pad 24 positioned directly beneath the cuboid bone. This pad is preferably skived on the side toward` the centerk ofthe foot. Thepad 25 is positioned directly beneath the metatarsal heads. Pads 24 and, 25 may both have bevelled or skived edges as shown4 to lessentheir protuberance.

In the modified form of the inventionvr shown ,Y

This relatively hardA and iirmy The importance of these pads arises from f the fact that, in order to accommodate the stabilizer pad to various types and sizes of shoes,

in Figures 11 and 12, the insert, although having the plan view shown in Figure 1, which' is that of the rst form, is dierently shaped in elevation from the first form. As shown at 26, the lower surface is curved lengthwise in this form of the invention. This lengthwise curvature permits the insert to lay nat inside a, shoe and conform to the lengthwise curvature thereof.

As previously stated, the preferred material from which' the stabilizer pads are constructed is rubber of different densities but other materials may be used alone or in combination. The pads may be covered with leather, cloth or other suitable material and they may be made in various widths and lengths for different sizes of feet. While the construction which has been described herein constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from th'e principles of the invention as herein stated and as embodied in the ensuing claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A foot balancing pad for insertion in a shoe comprising a unitary sheet of resilient material having portions thereof of different densities; said pad conforming in outline substantially to the heel, arch' and forward parts of the foot and including an upstanding ilange formed on the upper surface of the pad and extending around the periphery of the heel portion and 6 `along the medial side toward the arch, said flange providing a cup for conning the heel, said flange along the medial side being of greater height so as to direct the weight toward the lateral side, the portion of the pad directly forward of the heel cup on the medial side also being elevated to assist in the direction of the weight toward the lateral side, the portion of the pad directly beneath the medial arch being substantially soft and flexible, the portion on the lateral side beneath the cuboid bone being substantially hard and rm for sustaining the weight as it is transferred from the heel to the forward part of th'e foot in walking.

JOI-1N M. HISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,841,942 Fenton Jan. 19, 1932 2,027,757 Whiteld Jan. 14, 1936 2,036,890 Slater Apr. 7, 1936 2,081,474 Burns .1.. May 25, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 497,744 Great Britain Dec. 28, 1938

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