US2477817A - Foot measuring device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 2, 1949.

J. MlRTl FOOT MEASURING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOSEPH M//er/ Aug. 2, 1949. J. MlRTi 2,477,817

v FOOT MEASURING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1944 v 2 sheets-sheet 2 i I N V EN 'l 0R. JOSEPH /V//e/ Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE This invention relates to foot measuring devices and aims to provide an improved device of this kind by which the contour of the bottom of the human foot can be readily measured and by which a corrective contour can be established or determined for use in constructing an arch support, insole, corrective pador the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device o-f this character having a foot rest whose foot-engaging portion is formed, at least in part, by a resilient body adapted to be deformed for establishing and measuring a corrective contour for the foot.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned, in which the foot rest includes one or more sections movable in a direction longitudinally of the foot and one or more of such movable sections embodies means for establishing and measuring a corrective contour for the corresponding portion or portions of the foot. y

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved device of this character, having novel means by which the movable sections of the foot rest can be readily shifted the proper amount and novel means by which the resilient bodies of the respective sections can be readily deformed by controlled amounts or increments for establishing the corrective contour.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this kind in which an elastic covering extending over and confining the deformable resilient body gives the foot rest a smooth surface and is adapted to be distended by the deformation of the resilient body.

The invention can be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings Fig; 1 is a perspective view of a foot measuring device constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe device.

Fig. 3 is a partial top plan View of the device.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line lI--4 of Fig. 1 and showing the means for shifting one of the movable sections of the foot i rest.

to the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the improved foot measuring device is illustrated. As shown in the drawings the device comprises, in general, an elongated base Ii) and a foot rest I I supported by the base and extending longitudinally thereof. The foot rest ii is kof a sectional construction and may embody any desired number of parts or sections, but in this instance, comprises three sections which include a'heel section I2, an intermediate or instep section I3 and a front or toe section I4. One or more of the sections of the foot rest, in this case the two sections I3 and I4, are movable longitudinally of the base as is further explained hereinafter.

The base I0 comprises an elongated slab or body I Ela having a substantially flat bottom upon which the device may rest or stand, and a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending side rails I5 and I 6. The side rails I5 and I 6 are attached to the body I0a of the base and extend thereabove so as to dene a longitudinally extending opening or guide-way II along which the movable sections I3 and I 4 of the foot rest can be shifted. The side rails I5 and I6 include relatively narrower spacing strips I5a and I6a so that the guide-way I'I will have undercut grooves or lateral extensions Ila towhich further reference will be made hereinafter.

The heel section I2 of the sectional foot rest I I is a stationary section which is secured in the guide-way I'I and forms a support for the heel of a human foot when the latter is placed on the foot rest. The heel section I2 may be constructed from a block of Wood, a body of molded plastic material or from any other suitable substance and is provided with an appropriately dished or contoured upper surface which will conform generally to the shape and contour of the underside of the heel of the foot for comfortably supporting the same. An upstanding stationary abutment member I9 is provided immediately at the rear of the heel support I2 and is adapted to be engaged by theback of the heel for properly locating the foot on the foot rest II. This abutment is provided with a concave heel engaging surface or portion I9a which is of a size and shape to comfortably and accurately engage the back of the heel when the foot is placed on the foot rest. The abutment I9 can be constructed of Wood or other suitable material and is suitably secured in the guide-way I'I of the base I0. The heel section l2 and the abutment I9 can be covered with a layer of leather'or suitable finishing material.

The movable sections I3 and I4 of the foot rest II each comprise a body portion 2| and a top or table portion 22. The body 2| comprises a block formed of wood or other appropriate material which is slidable longitudinally in the guideway Il and is provided With lateral extensions or anges 23 which are operable in the undercut grooves Ila for retaining the sections in the guide-way. The top or table portion 22 comprises a plate or contour member 24 and a covering of elastic sheet material 25 extending thereover. The member 24 may comprise a sheet or slab of leather, or other appropriate material, whose upper surface is shaped to conform generally to the contour of the underside of the foot. In the case of the intermediate or instep section I3, which engages and conformswith the transverse arch or instep portion of the foot, the top or table portion 22 has a surface which slopes or tapers transversely of the foot rest I I and is convexly curved longitudinally of the foot rest. In the case of the front or toe section I4 which receives and supports the forward portion of the foot including the longitudinal arch thereof, the top or table portion 22 has a surface of varying curvature including both concave and convex portions and corresponding generally with the contoiu` and shape of the underside of the portion of the foot extending forwardly of the instep.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings, the plate member 24 is connected with the body por- Icion 2| by suitable fastening members, such as the nails 26 extending therethrough, and extends laterally beyond the edges of the guide-Way I'I into overlying relation to the side rails I and I6. The elastic covering 25 extends over and around the edges of the plate member 24 so that the edges of the covering material will be concealed and so that the covering material will provide the top of the foot rest with a smooth foot-engaging surface as well as a neat and attractive appearance. The covering 25 can be formed of a soft stretchable leather, a soft sheet rubber or any other appropriate elastic sheet material. This covering material can be cemented or otherwise suitably attached to the plate member 24 on which it also forms a smooth and attractive finish.

An important feature of the present invention is that one or more of the sections of the foot rest II are provided with a non-metallic resilient deformable body which forms a part of the foot-engaging top or plate 22 of these sections and Iwhich can be deformed or distorted for the purpose of establishing and determining a corrective contour for corresponding portions of the foot which is placed on the foot rest. In the drawings I show the intermediate section I3 of the foot rest provided with such a deformable body 28 and I also show the section I4 provided with a similar deformable body 29. These deformable bodies 28 and 29 are preferably in the form of oval or elliptical pads recessed into the tops or plate members 22 of these sections and may be constructed of soft rubber or any other suitable material which is soft, resilient and pliable. In the section l3 the resilient body or pad 28 is of a size and shape and is located such that it can be used for measuring or determining the location, shape and thickness of a corrective pad or support for the transverse arch of the foot. The resilient body or pad 29 embodied in the section I4 is of a size and shape and is located on this section such that it can be used for determining the location, shape and thickness of a corrective p ad or arch support for the longitudinal arch of the foot. The corrective pad or support corresponding with the deformable body 29 of the section I4 is sometimes referred to as a metatarsal pad.

The plate members 24 of the sections I3 and I4 are provided, respectively, with recesses or openings 3I (see Figs. 5 and 6) in which the deformable bodies 28 and 29 are located. These openings may be of a somewhat oval or elliptical shape corresponding with the shape of the deformable bodies 28 and 29 and preferably have beveled or sloping edges. The deformable bodies have a rounded top or contour with a maximum thickness at or adjacent their center and taper in thickness to a relatively thin sharp edge 32 extending around their periphery. The bodies 29 and 29 are retained in the recesses 3| by the elastic covering 25 extending thereover, although if desired, an intermediate elastic layer 33 or covering may be used to assist the covering 25 in conning these deformable bodies. The intermediate elastic layer 33 may be a sheet of soft rubber or other suitable elastic material. Although Figs. 5 and 6 show only the body 29, it will be understood, of course, that the deformable body 28 is mounted and retained in a corresponding recess or opening of the section I3.

In making use of the deformable bodies 28 and 29 of the sections I3 and I4 of the foot support, I provide each of these vsections with means by which such deformable body can be distorted or deformed so as to define or establish a corrective contour for the corresponding portion of the foot. Since this deforming means is of a similar or identical construction for both of the sections I3 and I4 it will be described in detail only in connection with the deformable body 29. As shown in the drawing, this deforming means includes a plunger 35 which is slidable in an upright guide tube 36 and has its upper end located adjacent to or in engagement with the deformable body 29. If desired, the body 29 can be attached to the upper end of the plunger 35 as by means of a headed fastening member 91 extending through such body.

The guide tube 3B is carried by the section I4 and is mounted in a suitable opening provided in the body portion 2| of this member. The base IIl of the device is provided with a longitudinally extending clearance recess or slot 38 which accommodates the portion of the guide tube which extends in depending relation below the body portion 2|. The plunger 35 is provided with a rack 39 with which a pinion 40 cooperates. The pinion 4D is carried by a transverse shaft 4| supported in laterally aligned bearings 42 and 43 which are mounted in suitable openings of the body portion 2| and extend laterally outwardly into clearance slots 44 and 45 of the side rails I5 and I6. The bearings 42 and 43 are' preferably of a square or non-circular cross-section which, in the case of the bearing 43, accomplishes an additional function as will be explained hereinafter. The bearings 42 and 43 are carried by the body 2| and are slidable in the slots 44 and 45 during movement of the section I4 longitudinally in the guide-way I1 of the base I'IJ.

The pinion shaft 4| is provided at one end thereof with a shouldered retaining nut or cap 41 and at its other end with an actuating knob 48 which is connected therewith by means of a transverse pin 49. When the knob 48 is rotated to drive the shaft 4| in a direction to cause the pinion 49 to lift the rack 39, the plunger 35 is pushed upwardly against the underside of the deformable body29 causing the latter to be deformed or distorted upwardly to a bowed condition in which it causes the elastic coverings 25 and 33 to be stretched and distended. The confining effect of the elastic coverings 25 and 33 assists the plunger 35 in deforming the resilient body 29 to such an upwardly bowed condition and permits this to be carried out in a manner such that, although the contour of the foot-receiving surface of the section I4 is altered, the convex contour or curvature of the altered portion will still merge smoothly with the surrounding portions of the top or plate portion of the section without producingV wrinkles or irregularities which would be uncomfortable to the foot.

' The elastic coverings 25 provided on the movable sections I3 and I4 are cemented thereto as mentioned above and, as shown in the drawings, have their outer perimeters anchored continuously therealong on the plate members 24 by having their edge portions extending around and under the edges of these plate members. The portions of the coverings 25 which overlie the deformable pads 28 and 29 are not anchored to the plate members 24 and hence are capable of being distended and stretched upwardly by these pads, as just explained above. Since the coverings 25 are anchored continuously along their perimeters, the' portions which overlie the pads 28 and 29 will be stretched upwardly by the latter to a distended shape, which is bowed both transversely and longitudinally of the device.

The deformable body 29 is deformed or distorted by the means just described to an extent necessary to produce a corrective contour on the foot rest II as may be needed by the particular foot being analyzed. This is determined by a skilled operatorl or diagnostician who uses the device and actuates the knob 48. To permit this deforming of the body 29 to be carried out gradually and by small increments in a step by step manner which will permit repeated checking with the patron or patient whose foot is being analyzed, I provide a ratchet means for the knob 48.

This ratchet means comprises an annular series of teeth I and a beveled lug 52 carried by the knob 48 and cooperating with such ratchet teeth. The teeth 5I are carried by a disc-like head or enlargement 53 provided on the outer end of the bearing 43 and which is held against rotation by the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the bearing. A compression spring 54 located in a recess of the knob 43 and disposed around the outer end of the pinion shaft 4I urges the knob axially of the shaft in a direction to cause engagement of the lug 52 with the ratchet teeth 5I'.

When the knob 48 is rotated in a direction to lift the plunger 35 as above explained, the lug 52 rides over the ratchet teeth 5I in succession and as the lug passes over each successive tooth it holds or locks the deforming means so as to retain the body 29 in the deformed condition corresponding with the extent of angular movement through which the knob has been rotated. When the deformation of the resilient body 29 is to be decreased or when this body is to be restored to its initial or released condition, the knob 48 is withdrawn axially of the pinion shaft 4I against the action of the spring 54 to thereby disengage the lug 52 from the ratchet teeth 5I and permit reverse rotation of the knob.

To enable the operator of the device to know to what extent the resilient body 29 has been deformed and to make a record of such deformation, I provide indicating means adjacent the knob 48 comprising a pointer 55 carried by the knob and a stationary dial 56 supported by the noncircular bearing 43 and carrying suitable indications or graduations 55a.

As mentioned above, the sections I3 and I4 of the foot rest II are shiftable longitudinally along the guide-way I'I of the base Il] and relative to the heel support I2. Such movement of the sections I 3 and i4 permits them to be adjusted to suit the length or size of the foot being analyzed. By adjusting the intermediate section I3 in this manner it can be properly located with respect to the instep or transverse arch of the foot so that the corrective contour can be established by means of the deformable body 28 in the manner above explained. Likewise, the adjustment for the movable section I4 permits this section to be adjusted to a position which will locate the deformable body 29 in proper relation to the longitudinal arch of the foot so that this deformable body can be used in establishing and determining a corrective contour for a metatarsal pad or other arch support in the manner above explained.

The adjustment of the movable sections I3 and E4 to the proper'positions can be facilitated by the use of scales provided on the side rails I5 and I6 and pointers 59 provided on the movable sections. These scales and pointers also permit a record to be made by the operator of the proper adjustments of the movable sections when such adjustments have been determined for a foot which is being analyzed.

For shifting the movable sections I3 and I4 of the foot rest II along the guide-Way I'l of the base Il! for the purpose just explained above, I provide the body v2| of each section with a rack 55 with which a pinion 6I cooperates. The pinion 6I is carried by a pinion shaft 62 which is mounted in suitable bearings 53 and 54 supported by the body Illa, of the base Iil. An actuating knob 55 is connected with the pinion shaft 52 as by means of the pin 55 so that rotation of the knob for one or the other of the movable sections I3 and I4 A will cause such section to be shifted along the guide-way in a direction corresponding with the direction of rotation of the knob.

Another feature embodied in this improved foot measuring device is the provision of contoured shapes at the adjacent ends of the sections I2, I3 and I4 of the foot rest I I as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and which permit these sections to have an intertting engagement when they are adjusted to a close or abutting relation, as for example for a relatively short foot. These contoured shapes include a forwardly extending conveXly curved projection 61 on the forward end of the fixed section I2 and a corresponding concavely curved mating recess 68 in the rear end of the intermediate section I 3. Similarly, the rear end of the section I4 has a rearwardly extending convexly curved projection 69 thereon and the forward end of the intermediate section I3 has a corresponding concavely curved mating recess 'I0 therein. As shown in Fig. 3, the deformable pad 29 may be located on the section I4 so that it extends part-way into or over the curved projection 69 of this section.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will now be readily seen that the present invention provides an im'proved measuring device by which a corrective contour can be readily established or determined for a foot being analyzed. It will be seen also that the use of movable sections in the foot rest permits the devic'ei to bev used. with feet of different length, and the use of deformable resilient bodies in the movable sections permits the contour thereof to be readily altered in determining the requirements of the foot being analyzed without producing abrupt or irregular changes in the foot rest. It will be seen moreover that the measuring or analyzing operation can be carried out entirely by the manipulation of the device and does not require the actuation of any movable parts on the part of the patron or patient. It will be understood also that with the data obtained from the indicating scales of the device, properly tting pads, arch supports, or shoes can be constructed.

While I have illustrated and described my foot measuring device in considerable detail it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be correspondingly limited but regard my invention including all changes and modifications coming within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a foot measuring device, an elongated base having thereon a longitudinal guide-way and a heel abutment, a foot rest extending away from said abutment in the direction of said guide-way and including a stationary heel section and a pair of toe and instep sections which are movable along said guide-way, said toe section having foot means thereon including a deformable pad on the upper side thereof and an elastic sheet covering extending over said pad and anchored continuously around its outer perimeter on said toe section, elevating means operable to lift said pad for stretching said sheet covering upwardly to a convex shape which is bowed both longitudinally and transversely of said foot rest, said instep section having foot engaging means thereon including a deformable pad on the upper side thereof and an elastic sheet covering extending over said pad and anchored continuously around its outer perimeter on said instep section, elevating means operable to lift the pad of said instep section for stretching the sheet covering thereof upwardly to a convex shape which is bowed both longitudinally and transversely of said foot rest, and means operable to shift said toe and instep sections along said guide-way, the adjacent ends of said sections having contoured projections and e recesses thereon adapted for mating engagement.

2; In a foot measuring device, an elongated base having thereon a longitudinal guide-Way and a heel abutment', a foot rest extending away from p said abutment in the direction of said guide-way and including a stationary heel section and a pair of toe and instep sections which are movable along said guide-way, said toe section having foot engaging means thereon including a deformable pad on the upper side thereof and an elastic sheet covering extending over said pad and anchored continuously around its outer perimeter on said toe section, elevating means operable to lift said pad for stretching said sheet covering upwardly to a convex shape which is bowed both longitudinally and transversely of said foot rest, said instep section having foot engaging means thereon including a deformable pad on the upper side thereof and an elastic sheet covering extending over said pad and anchored continuously around its outer perimeter on said instep section, elevating means operable to lift the pad of said instep section for stretching the sheet covering thereof upwardly to a convex shape which is bowed both longitudinally and transversely of said foot rest, means operable to shift said toe and instep sections along said guide-Way, the adjacent ends of said sections having contoured projections and recesses thereon adapted for mating engagement, and ratchet means embodied in the elevating means of said toe and instep sections by which the lifting of the deformable pads thereof is accomplished in step-by-step increments.

JOSEPH MIRTI.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 290,652 Sturm'er Dec. 18, 1883 404,994 Stimpson June 11, 1880 534,099 English Feb. 12, 1395 1,010,451 OSullivan Dec. 5, 1911 1,585,458 Barth May 18, 1926 1,682,579 Oliver Aug. 23, 1928 1,689,040 Marron Oct. 23, 1928 2,216,533 Kaplan Oct. l, 1940

Images