System and method for forming custom-made shoe insert

Claim 3

A system for forming a custom-made insert according to claim 1 in which said impression means comprises an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions, said controllable means is operable for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of a given person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the foot, and said impression means further comprises means for locking said elements thereafter in their depressed positions to define said contour.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2 in which said last named means comprises means forming a guideway for each said element, each said element being disposed to move in an associated one of said guideways, and means acting laterally against said elements to cause them to bind against the sides of their respective guideways.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 2 in which the last named means comprises means forming guideways for said elements, said elements being disposed to move in said guideways, and means acting laterally against said elements to cause them to bind against the sides of the guideways.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 5 wherein said last named means comprises a carriage for supporting said arm, and means supporting said carriage to move between retracted and advanced positions to permit said tracing means to move lengthwise of said configuration, said carriage having means supporting said arm to move from side to side to permit said tracing means to travel along said configuration at various positions disposed from side to side thereof, and said carriage having means supporting said arm to pivot up and down to permit said tracing means to rise and fall with the contour defined by said configuration.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 7 wherein said impression means comprises an array of elements disposed in columns and rows, said elements being movable between lowered and raised positions, means for guiding said elements between said positions including means forming first and second axially spaced openings receiving each of said elements, said controllable means being operable for yieldingly urging all said elements upwardly to a predetermined position, and locking means for selectively locking said elements in a depressed position under the weight of a person's foot to conform to the undersurface thereof.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 8 wherein said locking means comprises an elongate inflatable expansive tubing disposed in a serpentine configuration between adjacent pairs of said columns for urging said elements laterally of the side of said tubing in response to inflation thereof to force said elements into holding engagement with the edges of said axially spaced openings containing said elements.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 8 wherein said locking means includes elongate inflatable expansive tubing means disposed between adjacent pairs of said columns for urging said elements laterally of the side of said tubing in response to inflation thereof to force said elements into holding engagement.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 5 wherein said last named means comprises a carriage for supporting said arm, and guide means supporting said carriage to move between retracted and advanced positions to permit said tracing means to move lengthwise of said configuration, said carriage having means supporting said arm to move from side to side to permit said tracing means to travel along said configuration at various positions disposed from side to side thereof, and said carriage having means supporting said arm to pivot up and down to permit said tracing means to rise and fall with the contour defined by said configuration.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 11 in which said carriage includes means for selectively holding said arm at each of said various positions to restrict lateral movement of said arm during movement of said carriage between retracted and advanced positions.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 7 comprising means for holding said blank in position to be operated upon by said shaping means, the last named means comprising a template formed to include an opening shaped substantially to the shoe size of the person, said opening being adapted to receive therein a blank of material to be used for a shoe insert, a low pressure air chamber open on one side, backing means defining said one side, and means for mounting said template to cover said one side, said blank being retained in said template opening against said backing means under the suction supplied by the low pressure within said chamber.

Claim 17

A system according to claim 7 wherein said impression means comprises an array of elements disposed in columns and rows, said elements are movable between lowered and raised positions, said system includes means for guiding said elements between said positions, said controllable means is operable for yieldingly urging all said elements upwardly to a predetermined position, and said system includes means for selectively locking said elements in a depressed position under the weight of a person's foot to conform to the undersurface thereof.

Claim 18

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, shaping means for shaping a surface of a blank of material to form the insert, impression means for selectively making an impression of the contour of the undersurface of a person's foot, inflatable means for retaining said impression means in condition to be traced, a tracing head movable laterlly and lengthwise of the impression and supported to rise and fall with the contour defined by the impression, and means coupled to said head for transmitting corresponding movement to said shape means.

Claim 19

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, shaping means for shaping a surface of a blank of material to form the insert, impression means for selectively making an impression of the contour of the undersurface of a person's foot, inflatable means for retaining said impression means in condition to be traced, a tracing head movable laterlly and lengthwise of the impression and supported to rise and fall with the contour defined by the impression, and means coupled to said head for transmitting corresponding movement to said shape means.

Claim 22

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, means for taking an impression of the undersurface of the person's foot comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions, controllable means operable while taking said impression for yieldingly urging said element toward their raised position against the downward force of the person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the foot, and means for locking said elements thereafter in their depressed positions to define said contour.

Claim 23

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, means for taking an impression of the undersurface of the person's foot comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions, controllable means operable while taking said impression for yieldingly urging said element toward their raised position against the downward force of the person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the foot, and means for locking said elements thereafter in their depressed positions to define said contour.

Claim 24

In a system according to claim 17 said last named means comprises means forming a guideway for each said element, each said element being disposed to move in an associated one of said guideways, and means serving to urge said elements laterally to cause them to bind against the sides of their respective guideways.

Claim 25

In a system according to claim 17 said array of elements is disposed in columns and rows, and said last named means includes means forming first and second axially spaced aligned openings receiving each of said elements for guiding each of said elements between said lowered and raised positions, the axially extending edge portions of said openings being sufficiently thin as to cause said elements in said openings to be restrained against axial movement when urged laterally against those edge portions, and means selectively operable for so urging said elements to lock said elements in a positioned defined under the weight of a person's foot to conform to the undersurface thereof.

Claim 26

In a system according to claim 19 said last named means comprises an elongated inflatable expansive tubing disposed in a serpentine configuration between adjacent pairs of said columns for urging said elements laterally of the side of said tubing in repsonse to inflation thereof to force said elements into holding engagement with the axially extending edge portions of said openings containing said elements.

Claim 27

In a system according to claim 19 said last named means comprises elongate inflatable expansive tubing disposed between adjacent pairs of said columns for urging said elements laterally of the side of said tubing in response to inflation thereof to force said elements into holding engagement with the axially extending edge portions of said openings containing said elements.

Claim 28

In a system according to claim 17 the last named means comprises means forming guideways for said elements, said elements being disposed to move in said guideways, and means serving to urge said elements laterally to cause them to bind against the sides of the guideways.

Claim 29

in a system according to claim 17 said array of elements is disposed in columns and rows, and said last named means includes means forming axially spaced aligned openings receiving said elements for guiding said elements between said lowered and raised positions, the axially extending edge portions of said openings being operable to cause said elements in said openings to be restrained against axial movement when urged laterally against those edge portions, and means selectivley operable for so urging said elements to lock said elements in a position defined under the weight of a person's foot to conform to the undersurface thereof.

Claim 30

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the undersurface of the person's foot with a load applied thereto, impression means, including an array of movable elements, serving to form an impression of the contour of the undersurface of a person's foot, means forming a guideway for independently guiding movement of each said element, cutting means, mounting means for mounting a blank of insert material adjacent said cutting means, and means for operating said cutting means to relieve material from said blank in conformance with said impression.

Claim 31

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the undersurface of the person's foot with a load applied thereto, impression means, including an array of movable elements, serving to form an impression of the contour of the undersurface of a person's foot, means forming a guideway for independently guiding movement of each said element, cutting means, mounting means for mounting a blank of insert material adjacent said cutting means, and means for operating said cutting means to relieve material from said blank in conformance with said impression.

Claim 32

In a system according to claim 24 means for selectively establishing said load.

Claim 33

In a system according to claim 25 said array of movable elements comprises an array of rigid pins movable between lowered and raised positions, a diaphragm is disposed below said pins, and means is provided for feeding a fluid under pressure into said diaphragm to inflate same to urge said pins upwardly.

Claim 34

In a system according to claim 26 said diaphragm includes hydraulic fluid, and means is provided for applying a selected pressure to said diaphragm to force said pins upwardly with a selected force providing a selected load against a person's foot disposed upon said pins.

Claim 35

In a system according to claim 24 means movable to registers a person's foot with respect to said impression means, said mounting means including a flat surface movable into and out of proximity to said cutting means, said blank having an adhesive flat bottom to be adhered to said mounting means.

Claim 36

In a system according to claim 24 means movable to register a person's foot with respect to the impression means, said mounting means including a flat surface disposed adjacent to said cutting means, said blank having an adhesive flat bottom to be adhered to said mounting means.

Claim 37

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the undersurface of the person's foot with a load applied thereto, impression means serving to form an impression of the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, adjustable means serving to register the person's foot with respect to a portion of said impression means, cutting means, and mounting means for mounting a blank of insert material adjacent to said cutting means, said adjustable means being transferable to said mounting means for correspondingly registering said blank with respect to said mounting means.

Claim 38

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the undersurface of the person's foot with a load applied thereto, impression means serving to form an impression of the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, adjustable means serving to register the person's foot with respect to a portion of said impression means, cutting means, and mounting means for mounting a blank of insert material adjacent to said cutting means, said adjustable means being transferable to said mounting means for correspondingly registering said blank with respect to said mounting means.

Claim 39

In a unit for taking an impression of the undersurface of a person's foot, said unit having an array of elongate elements and means carrying said elements to move through an associated displacemenet defined between raised and lowered positions in response to placement of a person's foot thereon, the improvement comprising means for progressively increasingly limiting the displacement of those of said elements disposed at positions progressively forwardly of the locus for supporting the ball of the person's foot for defining the impression made by that portion of the undersurface of a person's foot underlying the person's toes.

Claim 40

In a unit for taking an impression of the undersurface of a person's foot, said unit having an array of elongate elements and means carrying said elements to move through an associated displacemenet defined between raised and lowered positions in response to placement of a person's foot thereon, the improvement comprising means for progressively increasingly limiting the displacement of those of said elements disposed at positions progressively forwardly of the locus for supporting the ball of the person's foot for defining the impression made by that portion of the undersurface of a person's foot underlying the person's toes.

Claim 41

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe, means for selectively taking an impression of the undersurface of a person's foot, said last named means comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions with respect to a reference plane common to said elements, means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of a given person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the person's foot, means for locking said elements thereafter in their depressed positions to define said contour, and means for progressively increasingly limiting vertical displacement of those of said elements disposed and adapted to underlie that portion of the person's foot beneath the toes thereof, said array as viewed in side elevation and with said elements fully extended upwardly defining a profile having a substantially straight portion extending generally from the heel region forwardly to the region adapted to underlie the ball of the person's foot and a downwardly sloping portion extending forwardly therebeyond to progressively reduce the degree to which those of said elements defining said downwardly sloping portion of said profile extend above said plane to reduce the force required to be applied by the toes to said elements to create said impression in the region beneath the toes.

Claim 42

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe, means for selectively taking an impression of the undersurface of a person's foot, said last named means comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions with respect to a reference plane common to said elements, means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of a given person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the person's foot, means for locking said elements thereafter in their depressed positions to define said contour, and means for progressively increasingly limiting vertical displacement of those of said elements disposed and adapted to underlie that portion of the person's foot beneath the toes thereof, said array as viewed in side elevation and with said elements fully extended upwardly defining a profile having a substantially straight portion extending generally from the heel region forwardly to the region adapted to underlie the ball of the person's foot and a downwardly sloping portion extending forwardly therebeyond to progressively reduce the degree to which those of said elements defining said downwardly sloping portion of said profile extend above said plane to reduce the force required to be applied by the toes to said elements to create said impression in the region beneath the toes.

Claim 43

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, means for taking an impression of the undersurface of the person's foot comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions, means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of the person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the person's foot, and means for disposing the upper ends of said elements to protrude progressively less at positions disposed progressively forwardly of the locus for supporting the ball of the person's foot to reduce the degree of downward displacement of said elements to be derived from downward force applied by the person's toes.

Claim 44

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert is shaped to substantially correspond to the negative image of the contour of the undersurface of the person's foot, means for taking an impression of the undersurface of the person's foot comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions, means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of the person's foot disposed thereon to depress said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the person's foot, and means for disposing the upper ends of said elements to protrude progressively less at positions disposed progressively forwardly of the locus for supporting the ball of the person's foot to reduce the degree of downward displacement of said elements to be derived from downward force applied by the person's toes.

Claim 45

In a system according to claim 33 said means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions comprises an inflatable diaphragm disposed beneath said elements for urging said elements upwardly in response to inflation of said disphragm, and said means for disposing the upper ends of said elements comprises a member progressively constricting the expansion of said diaphragm beneath those of said elements disposed at positions progressively forwardly of said locus.

Claim 46

In a system according to claim 34 said member comprises a rigid body disposed beneath said diaphragm and beneath those of said elements disposed at positions progressively forwardly of said locus, a rigid member is disposed over said diaphragm to limit upward movement of said diaphragm, and said body slopes upwardly to limit the downward displacement of said elements when said elements are moved from raised to lowered positions.

Claim 47

In a system according to claim 34 said member comprises a rigid body disposed above said diaphragm and beneath those of said elements disposed at positions progressively forward of said locus, a rigid base is disposed beneath said diaphragm to limit downward expansion of said diaphragm, and said body slopes downwardly and forwardly to progressively depress the top of said diaphragm so as to increasingly constrict the upward movement thereof.

Claim 48

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe, means for selectively taking an impression of the undersurface of a person's foot, said last named means comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions with respect to a reference plane common to said elements, means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of a given person's foot disposed thereon to dispose said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the person's foot, means for locking said elements thereafter in their disposed positions to define said contour, and means for progressively increasingly limiting vertical displacement of those of said elements disposed and adapted to underlie that portion of the person's foot beneath the toes thereof, said array as viewed in side elevation and with said elements fully extended upwardly defining a profile having a substantially straight portion extending generally from the heel region forwardly to the region adapted to underlie the ball of the person's foot and a downwardly sloping portion extending forwardly therebeyond to progressively reduce the degree to which those of said elements defining said downwardly sloping portion of said profile extend above said plane to reduce the force required to be applied by the toes to said elements to create said impression in the region beneath the toes.

Claim 49

In a system for forming a custom-made insert for a given person's shoe, means for selectively taking an impression of the undersurface of a person's foot, said last named means comprising an array of elements movable between lowered and raised positions with respect to a reference plane common to said elements, means for yieldingly urging said elements toward their raised positions against the downward force of a given person's foot disposed thereon to dispose said elements selectively in accordance with the contour of the underside of the person's foot, means for locking said elements thereafter in their disposed positions to define said contour, and means for progressively increasingly limiting vertical displacement of those of said elements disposed and adapted to underlie that portion of the person's foot beneath the toes thereof, said array as viewed in side elevation and with said elements fully extended upwardly defining a profile having a substantially straight portion extending generally from the heel region forwardly to the region adapted to underlie the ball of the person's foot and a downwardly sloping portion extending forwardly therebeyond to progressively reduce the degree to which those of said elements defining said downwardly sloping portion of said profile extend above said plane to reduce the force required to be applied by the toes to said elements to create said impression in the region beneath the toes.