US2440508A - Production of arch or like supports - Google Patents

Description

p 1948' w. L. GOULD v 5 2,440, 08

PRODUCTION OF ARCH 0R LIKE SUPPORTS Filed Jan. 21, 1944 Inventor ML L MM L 5004 0 B 7 g wz wm 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 27, 1948. w. L. GOULD 2,440,508

PRODUCTION OF ARCH OR LIKE SUPPORTS Filed Jan. 2 l, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In zentor ML L MM L 50040 B y M WW ma:

Patented Apr. 27, 1948 UNITED STATES F F ICE raonuorron ARCH on LIKE SUPPORTS William L. could, Albany, N. Y. Application January 21', 1-944, Serial No. 519,220

3 ;.Glaims.

This invention relates to the Droductionof arch and like supports for the feet or other members or parts ofthe body, and the object of the present invention is primarily to provide a method of and means for producing such supports inan easy, expeditious, economical and efficient manner.

Heretofo-re, in the production of arch or like supports, it has been the common practice to first make a plaster mold of the member or part to 'be supported, then use the-mold to make a cast model of the member or part itself, and then shape the supportiabou-t the contour of the cast model. Usually, the molds and models are made of plaster of Paris, and the support has been formed of metal. The use of plaster of Paris is -a troublesome or messy andtime-consuming operation, and the indirect method involved is expensive and difficult.

An importantobject of' the therefore, is to provide for direct molding or shaping of the support to the member or part itself, as compared to theindirect prior method described above.

In carrying out the present invention, .I provide a pattern of the member or part to besupported in the form of a sheet of plastic material, This pattern is rendered soft or readily shapable, and then the pattern is molded or shaped to the .contour of themem'berorpart to be supported. The

present invention,

shaped pattern is thenallowedto harden or .set

inshaped condition.

Further objects and features. of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings, and the invention consists in thenovel method and inthe apparatus consisting of, the novel combination, form "and arrangement of parts'hereinafter more fully described, shown in the. drawings .and claimed.

:In the drawings, acters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views: A

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, and particularly adapted for the production of supports for the transverse and longitudinal arches of a foot.

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing a protector thatmay be worn to protect the patient against heat when the pattern is of plastic material that must be heated to render the same soft or readily shapable.

wherein likereference ;charbase :5 upon which is :which :is adaptedto be that may be softened root restiandpthevbase so elevate the foot rest. ,port may-thus be produced because. the person pattern without causing discomfort.

Figure '5 shows a modified manner a pattern for use in producing arch the feet.

For purposes of illustration only, the drawings show an apparatus tor producing arch supports fort-he transverse and longitudinal arches of a foot, in accordance with the present method. As shown, th appar-atus may consist of a suitable 7 adapted to be placed and suitably located molds 6 and 1 for shaping patterns to produce longitudinal and transverse arch supports, respectivel-y. Disposedabo ve the base fi .isa verticallyyieldable horizontal foot rest 8 upon placed the pattern :9 that .is adapted to be :shaped to provide the longitudinal and transverse .arch supports. This pattern is out from asheet of suitable plastic material so that it will be shaped :by the molds i6 and Ttoconform to the arches .of the foot when the latter :is placed upon the .foot rest of providing supports tor .8 and pattern 19 to :pressing the pattern downwardly against the ,molds :6 .:and 7. pattern .is shaped directly to the .foot,

Thus, .the or .rather,

transverse ingly .mounted in any suitable way such as :by means of vertical rods in attached to and .de-

pending from the ends of the footirest and slidably extending through guides in the baseflti as at ll, helical compression springs t2 being provided .on the rods and interposed between the as to normallygyieldingly ,A comfortable archsuptor-Whom thearch support is intendedis the one ,Whoplaces hi-sfoot on the foot rest and depresses the sarnewithonly sufiicient pressure to shape the In order to facilitate proper placingof the foot upont-the foot rest 8, the latter is provided near one end with an upstanding heel abutment I3, and it will be noted in Figure 2 that the foot rest is provided with openings or cut-away portions, as at M, and I5, where the molds 6 and 1 respectively occur so that when the foot rest is depressed, said molds may pass upwardly through the foot rest into engagement with the pattern 9 for shaping the latter.

When the arch supports are made of plastic material which must be heated to render the same soft or readily shapable, the base 5 may have the top thereof heated so as to heat the molds 6 and While any suitable heating means may be employed, I have shown the base as of hollow cheaper than plaster provided with a motion with the form and containing an electrical heating element 14 positioned in close proximity to the top wall of the base and the molds 6 and current being suitably supplied to the heating element by means of wires 15, Also, where heat is employed, it is necessary to protect the foot from the heat, and for this purpose an asbestos sock l6 of a. flexible nature may be provided, as shown in Figure 4, for being donned by the patient prior to placing his foot upon the foot rest and pattern and pressing the same to shape or form the arch supports.

As an alternative, the pattern may form the sole 9a of a temporary article of footwear including an upper I6 having suitable means for securing the same upon the foot, as at I! (see Fig. r

In actual operation, all that is necessary is to have the patient don the asbestos sock, then place his foot on the plastic pattern sheet resting on the foot rest, and then depress his foot so that the arch molds conform the plastic patto the arches of the foot. The patto cool and harden or set in tern sheet tern is then allowed its shaped condition.

The present method and device afiord many advantages. It is time-saving becauseit provides for instant performance or fitting. In addition, it makes use of plastic patterns which are much of Paris and metal molds. By practicing the present method, gradual fitting of arch supports is made possible, instead of immediately lifting the entire arch from an extreme abnormal to a normal condition. After the arches have been accommodated, the patient can comeback for further fittings and remoldings of the same supports, as his foot gradually becomes elevated at the arches. In practicing the present invention, there is no need to handle plaster of Paris and the mess and trouble involved therein is entirely eliminated. As a matarch supports should not take a great deal more time than is frequently required to fit shoes.

As shown in Figure 1, the hollow base may be door [8 adapted to be secured closed in any suitable way and capable of bein readily opened for access to the heating element should occasion require.

While the invention has been described in conproduction of arch supports for the foot, it will be evident that the same method and type of apparatus may be employed for producing supports for various members or portions of the body. The pattern out from a sheet of plastic material is simply supported yieldingly in position and the member or portion of the body is pressed against it and the yieldable support carrying the same so as to force the pattern into contact with a proper mold or molds by which the pattern is shaped.

-40 ter of fact, the whole procedure of producing the a support for a From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation of the apparatus, as well as the nature and advantages of the method constituting the present invention, will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new is:

l. The herein described method of producing a support for an arch of the foot, which method consists in providing a pattern sheet of plastic material, yieldingly supporting the pattern above and spaced from a fixed shaping mold, and using the foot to move the pattern downwardly into engagement with the shaping mold so that the pattern will be shaped directly to the arch of the foot.

2. The herein described method of producing part of the human body, which method consists in providing a pattern of plastic material, yieldingly supporting the pattern in spaced relation to a fixed shaping mold, and using the part of the human body to move the pattern into engagement with the shaping. mold so that the pattern will be shaped directly to the part of the human body.

3. An apparatus for producing an arch support comprising a fixed base member, a stationary shaping mold secured on said basemember, a foot rest adapted to have a plastic pattern placed thereon and mounted on the base member for vertical movement relative thereto, yieldable means normally elevating said foot rest to a position above and spaced from the shaping mold, said foot rest having an opening therein for passage of the shaping mold and being depressible by the foot against the action of said yieldable means to move the pattern downwardly into engagement with the shaping mold so. as to shapethe pattern directly to the arch of the foot.

WILLIAM L. GOULD.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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