US2826834A - Cushion for insoles - Google Patents

Description

March 18; 1958 R. R. RATcLn-F 2,826,834

CUSHION FOR INsoLEs Filed April 16,1957

. INVEN TOR.

A T TURA/6X5.

United States Patent ice amd inventiva when' C .nlsiiigereicl coninnefien withthei dra-W1 `Figure 1 is a( top,` plan view of' a cushion ofthe pref ferred'typeof the invention.

2-82583 "Finire-,211 'nvewsimiar to Figure 1. CUSHION FORIllSfLESv Fivre-.3; is ai chenal-new alena the line 3 3 Fielll-eilt.A A. D A" f r l l RgmoggfRJ-atd'l' Cgmmusi'ghiq Fivre' 4: is; Seeland View' alQng the line. 4-.4 Figs Application April 16,.19s1,-serirrta. ssarsi metil.' Y

u 2 Claims (CB as ln 7 A l0v .Fi'gure is' alvliagrammatic view illustrating the relatiens ft s einvenfion Masha@ and l viewualong .line yFigure 5..

: This;` invention .relates Yto shoe c onstuctionl andis par ticularlyconcerxiedfwithlaresilientsupportcshion which* V may either: be" built. directly intorthefslqekor wliicli-mayf :clearl'yslrovvn Figures land'lZ; the preferred form be insertedi-ythewearerarterfthe siisesare purchased Qfffhf risesza thin ,andreliativly Het ref In the past thereihave been 'suggested 'innumerable 'l different types and styles of shoe inserts, each adapted to support someselected: petition. off the'ffontf-tbtprovide additional comfortnor supposedly. tocorrectterristing foot ailments. lA great' maority of these construction have extensin l1in shown in Fis-y ionel preferably, although ck ininfg and' insoleand.` to ning and' insolefpfrom e, heelnofrtn forwardinview fof a modification..o f

di ,ell'erallyV as 10. Thiscmprised one or-more resilient pads selectively; d er lyf across the shoerearwarduof, around.thepsoleandein-many instances-', Vsecuredto the T heelf portion vofgthe' cushionr sclflininghoninsole. AOthertypes offconstructi e n ,A s gene as 1 he ,centralor. .sliardcY included supportsextendingover "all rf'af substantialpart p'hortin as'1'2, andthe laalls portion as l13'. An extension of the entire foot sole. lip 14 may be provided on the forward or inner edge, the The basic theory on which these earlier constructions cushion member as shown in Figures 1 and 2 being have proceeded has been to provide additional support adapted for use with .a right shoe. for some particular bone or bones of the foot, such as Centrally of the heel portion 11, and preferably on the in many cases the metatarsal heads or some portion 0f under-surface of the cushion member, an area designated the transverse or longitudinal arch. While in many types 15 has been skived out or otherwise removed leaving only of feet a direct cushioned support has proved very efa very thin section 16 (see Figure 3) and a cavity or refective in alleviating foot discomfort, in some instances cess 17 below this section. This recessed area 15 is because of the additional height provided or becasue the adapted to receive and snugly encase the oscalcis desigsupport member was wrongly positioned constructions nated 23, Figure 5, when the wearers foot is positioned in have actually contributed to foot diiculties rather than the shoe. At the same time, the solid portions of the alleviating them. 5 v cushion around the recessed area provide direct support The essential purpose of the present invention has been for the muscular portions of the foot. The support which to provide a shoe cushion construction in which the bones is provided for the oscalcis is firm but gentle and in addiof the underside of the foot which contact the shoe most tion to the other advantages mentioned tends to maintain directly and firmly in walking, to wit, the oscalcis or the foot in position in the shoe and prevent it from slipheel bone and the cuboid bone are provided with recesses ping `forward or laterally. or pockets which tend to encase them thereby permitting A similar recess 18 is provided for the cuboid bone 24, a thickened portion of the cushion to support the muS- which when positioned depresses the thin section 19 into eulal Pert 0f the fOOt and t0 relieve pressure on these the recess 20. This support of the foot at the two points Primary Shoe Contacting bones. where there is the most direct contact between the bones Another object of the invention has been to provide 50 of the foot and the shoe attains the maximum advantages a resilient support cushion adapted to support the entire of the invention, although the provision of a recess at heel and the cuboid bone and to extend sufficiently far either of the two points only is likewise contemplated. forward to relieve pressure on the metatarsal heads with- A's previously indicated, the member 10 is preferably Out being directly under these heads. skived or tapered around its entire periphery. The for- Another object of the invention is to provide a relaward edge which is designated generally as 21 is prefer- VelY flat resilient fOO SUPPOI' Cushion Which preferably tapered at a less abrupt angle than the rearward edge ably is bevelled around its peripheral edges to provide 22, This is for the purpose of providing a definite but selective types of support for the various portions of the Iunobtrusive support for the longitudinal arch just rearfOOt and a mOle Seelll'e and Comfortable twardly' of the metatarsal heads, which as diagrammatical- Another Object Of the illVeIlOIl has been t0 provide 60 1y illustrated in Figure 5 never come into direct contact a unitary resilient cushion which is simple to manufacwith the cushion. The tapering of the edges is important ture, light in weight, and which does not distort the fit also, in that it enables the cushion to be fitted more secureof the shoe when regular standard lastsand patterns are I'J and less obtrusively in the shoe. used. The extension lip shown in Figures 1 and 2 performs Another object is to provide a support cushion which an improved support function in certain types of feet,

assists in balanced posture and eases the strains of walkbut as shown in Figure 7 it may be omitted without seriing or standing. kously impairing the eficacy of the structure. s

Another object has been to provide a resilient foot sup- The cushion may be formed from almost any type of port cushion which is adapted to be built integrally into resilient material conventionally used for this purpose,

or inserted in all types of shoes, including work shoes as including sponge rubber and various synthetic plastics well as dress shoes. alone or in combinations.

Other further objects and advantages will be apparent As previously indicated, the cushion may be adhesively from the further and more detailed description of the secured to the sock lining or insole, or it may be simply inserted in the shoe either above or below the sock lining.

Having fully described the invention, I claim:

l. A one-piece cushion insert for a shoe comprising a at cushion member of generally uniformtthickness having an outline conguration coinciding with the heel and shank portions of the insole of the Yshoe and seated thereon, said cushion member formed of resilient spongy material to support the same above the surface of the insole, said cushion member having a forward edge residing rearwardly of the metatarsal heads of the foot bones, whereby the cushion member yieldably supports the longitudinal arch of the foot, the underside of said cushion member having a recess beneath the oscalcis bone of the foot, said recess being generally oval in configuration having its major axis extending longitudinally of the cushion member, said recess delineating a yieldableweb normally spaced above the insole, said yieldable web having a thickness substantially one-half the full thickness of said cushion member, the portion of the cushion member marginally surrounding, said recess providing a load-bearing section yieldably supporting the peripheral heel portion of the foot which surrounds the oscalcis bone, said yieldable web being displaced downwardly under the downward pressure of the oscalcis bone.

2; A one-piece cushion insert for a shoe comprising a at `cushion member having an outline configuration coinciding with the heel and shank portions of the insole of the shoe and seated thereon, said cushion formed of resilient spongy material to support` the same above the surface of the insole, said cushion member having a forward edge residing rearwardly of the metatarsal heads of the foot bones, whereby the cushion member yieldably supports the longitudinal arch of the foot, the underside of said cushion member having a rst recess and having a second recess residing forwardly of said rst `recess adjacent the outer edge of the insole, said first recess residing beneath the oscalcis bone of the foot, said second recess residing beneath the cuboid bone ofthe foot, each of said recesses delineating a yieldable web integral with said cushion member, said yieldable webs each having a thickness substantially one-half the full thickness of said cushion member, the portion of the cushion member which marginally surrounds the said first recess providing a load-bearing section which yieldably supports the peripheral heel portion of the foot surrounding the oscalcis bone, the portion of the cushion member which is contiguous to said second recess providing a load-bearing section for supporting the ball portion of the foot adjacent the cuboid bone, the yieldable webs which are delineated by said first and second recesses yielding downwardly under the pressure of the foot.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,778,683 Messler Oct. 14,` 1930 1,867,431 Wood July 12, 1932 2,051,072 Brown Allg. 18, 1936 2,289,823 Bradshaw July 14, 1942

Images