A cushion type innersole for use with a shoe comprising a first relatively upwardly positioned innersole element conforming generally to the shape of a foot of a wearer, a second innersole element moveably interconnected to and at least partially disposed beneath said first innersole element, the second innersole element being of a generally U-shaped configuration and extending rearwardly from that part of said first innersole element normally underlying the metatarsal area of said foot. Disposed beneath the second innersole element is a U-shaped sealed envelope, each leg of which contains a frangible flexible container in turn containing one phase of a two phase rigid foam system. The two phases are manually mixed before insertion of the device into the shoe of a wearer, and the foot placed thereupon to enable the foam upon expanding and curing to conform the upper surface of the device to the foot of the wearer. Optionally, the U-shaped sealed envelope may be provided with small perforations through which a small amount of foam, upon expanding passes to provide a cementitious effect serving to anchor the insole in position within a shoe. Forwardly of the metatarsal area, the toe cushioning portion of the device is provided with a sealed envelope containing a soft wax which conforms to the toes of the wearer as the device is used. In one embodiment, the device is formed in two pieces, whereby a variety of shoe sizes is readily accommodated by one size of device.
A hole is drilled into the sole of a conventional shoe. The user's foot is then placed into the shoe and a curable plastic material is injected into the shoe. The hole is located directly below the metatarsal arch of the user's foot. The foot is removed after the plastic has set.
A construction and method of forming shoe inserts in order to support the arch of the entire foot, in which a flexible container is filled with a formable material that is capable of curing at about room temperature to form an elastomeric material, the container is placed inside the shoe beneath the foot, and pressure is maintained on the foot while the formable material sets and hardens. The formable material may be provided by means of a catalyst-filled inner container with frangible walls which can be ruptured by applying pressure to the outer container, thereby to admix the catalyst with a curable elastomeric material which fills the rest of the outer container's volume.
A supportive type of innersole device to automatically control proper placement of a molding mixture to receive and maintain the contours of a foot resting within any type of shoe. The first innersole element conforms generally to the shape of the sole and sides of the foot and shoe, extending back from the general area of the ball of the foot to the back of the heel, with centrally located opposing generally semi-circular cut out areas. A second innersole element of a generally dumbbell configuration is partially disposed beneath said first innersole element's semi-circular cut out areas, and is centrally connected to it to permit three dimentional conformity to the shape of shoe and foot in the absence of wrinkling. Disposed beneath these innersole elements is a flexible envelope containing novel means to prevent entry of the molding mixture into selected areas of the envelope, and to control the entry of the mixture into other areas of the envelope, said means consisting of a resilient cushion impermiably connected to selected areas of the top and bottom of the envelope, and a shaped semi-flexible plastic piece connected to the inside front edge of the envelope. The bag is provided with perforations thru which small amounts of the molding mixture pass to provide cementitious effect to unite all three elements with each other as well as anchoring the device to the shoe. A larger self sealing opening permits controlled entry of the molding mixture into the envelope.
A composite material blank for an orthotic insert. The device is formed of layers of fiberglass and graphite fiber material. A first graphite fiber layer provides the overall structure with increased strength, while secondary graphite fiber reinforcement strips are arranged below the first and fifth rays of the foot to provide additional rigidity and control in these areas. The edges of the graphite fiber layers are recessed inwardly from the edges of the fiberglass layers so as to provide a graphite-free border which prevents cracks from propagating into the graphite fiber layers. The layers are bonded together by heat curing over molds.
A moldable article useful for making a form-stable article is described. The moldable article comprises a formable material that is a moldable polymeric or prepolymeric substance that can be cured to a form stable state and a curing agent, in close proximity to the curable substance but isolated therefrom, in frangible hollow fibers. In use, the frangible hollow fibers are ruptured to release the curing agent and the moldable article, in a first configuration, can be shaped to a second configuration in which it is maintained until the formable material is cured sufficiently for it to be form-stable in the second configuration. The moldable article can be used to make molds, casts, support for a portion of the human or animal anatomy, or other articles with diverse utilities.
