Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUN~ O~ T~ INVENTION
FIELD OF TEIE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for
locally enlarging foot gear so as to adapt the foot gear to
the foot of the wearer.
Prior Canadian Application Serial No. 259,919 of `
August 26, 1976 discloses and claims a method of locally ; ~-
shaping foot gear~ relative to the present invention.
The primary object of the invention is to provide
an apparatus for permanently enlarging a Local Portion of a
oot gear to adapt it to the fo~t of the user.
In accordance with the present invention, apparatus ;~
for internally expanding selective portions of foot gear
comprises, at least one piston mounted on a cylinder or
reciprocatiOn therein, and a domed member detachably mounted `~
on said piston for engagement with one or more portions of
the inner surface o the foot gear to apply pressure thereto.
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BRIEF DESCRIP~ION OF THE DR:~INGS ~. ~
In the accompaning drawings, ~ :
Figure 1 is a perspective view of tha apparatus used
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in the method of form fitting foot gear; ~- ~
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Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view . ~
taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction ; .; :
of the arrows;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus in use
in a ski boot;
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Figure 4 is an elevational view of one of the forming
pads used with the method;
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Figure 5 is a side elevation of the pad shown in : ~
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Figure 4;
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Figure 6 is an elevation view of another pad used with :~
the methods;
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the pad shown in
Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a sectional view of the apparatus with an
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extension applied thereto;
Figure 9 is a perspèctive view o~ the extension used in
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Figure 8; ~i
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 of another ~ ~.
attachment;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the attaahment : ~:
illustrated in Figure 10;
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Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 8 of still .
another attachment;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of the attachment ~ :~
illustrated in Figure 12;
Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional view taken
along the line 14--14 of Figure 9, looking in the dîrection of
the arrows;
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Figure 15 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on ~ ;
the line 15--15 of Figure 13, looking in the direction of the /:
arrows; .
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Figure 16A is a view similar to Figure 3 with several ;. : :
of the attachments shown in use;
Figure 16B which is on the same sheet as Figure 23 is
an exploded perspective view of the toe attachments shown in .... `-`
Figure 16A;
Figure 17 is an exploded perspective view o the : :
invention;
Z Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of the
central unit of the apparatus;
Figure 19 is a perspective view of the pump used with
the invention;
Figure 20 is a side elevation of another modifi~ed
form of the invention shown in boot shaping position; :~:
Figure 21 is a perspective view of the C-member illus~
~:30 trated in Figure 20; :; :~:
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Figure 22 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken : :
on the line 22--22 of Figure 21, looking in the direction o
the arrows;
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Figure 23 is a perspective vi.ew ~f a still further
modified form of the invention:
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Figure 24 is a sectional view taken on line 24--24
of Figure 23 looking in the direction of the arrows; . ~.
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Figure 25 is a transverse cross section t.aken on
line 25--25 of Figure 24 looking in the direction of the arrows~
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Figure 26 is a perspective view of another modified
orm of the invention;
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Figure 27 is a transverse cross section taken on
the line 27--27 of Figure 26 looking in the direction o the .`
arrows
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Figure 28 is a perspective view of still another
modified form oE the invention; ~ ~:
Figure 29 is an exploded end elevation of the inven~
., tion illust~rated in Figure ~8;
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Figure 30 is a sectionai view taken on the~line 30--30 ~;
of Figure 2~ looking in the direction of the arrows; and
Figure 31 is a side elevation of the structure shown : .
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~ in Figure 30.
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DESCRIPTI(:)N OF THE Pl:~l?ER~:D EMBC~DIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference
numeral 30 indicates generally the pressure applying apparatus ;;
of the instant invention. The pressure applying apparatus 30 in-
cluded a compressed air bottle 31 or if desired a source of hy-
draulic fluid under pressure which is controlled by a valve 32
having a hand knob 33 associated therewith. A fitting 34 extends
upwardly from the valve 32 and has a pressure gauge 35 mounted
thereon. An elongate handle tube 36 is connected to the fitting
34 and extends to a fitting 37 forming part o a base member 38, - ;
The base member 38 is generally cylindrical in cross
section and is internally threaded at 39 for reasons to be
assigned,
A hollow cylinder 40 has an externally threaded re-
duced diameter portion 41 at one end thereo which is threaded -
into the threads 39 of the base~member 38 on each side thereof. -~
The hollow cylinder 40 has an internal flange 42 formed at the
end thereof opposite the externally threaded reduced diameter
portion 41 or reasons to ~e assigned.
A piston 43 i9 mounted for reciprocation in the cylin-
der 40 and has a shouldered portion 44 which engages the flange
42 to prevent the piston 43 from moving completely out of the
cylinder 40, The shouldered portion 44 has an annular groove
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45 formed therein to receive an O-ring seal 46 as can be clearly
seen in Figures 2 and 18. A washer 47 having an axial bore 48
formed therein is positioned between the cylinders 40 centrally
of the body 38. The opposite faces of the washer 47 are provided
with radial grooves 49 to permit the flow oE fluid from fitting
37 inwardly to the central bore 48. The inner ends of the pistons
43 have a recess 50 formed therein to permit the free flow of `fluid from the bore 48.
The outer ends of the pistons 43 are provided with
bores 51 to receive cylindrical bodies 52 for reasons to be
assigned. Each of the bodies 52 are provided with O-rings R
to assist in holding the bodies 52 in the bores.
A yenerally circular knurled contact member 53 has a
cylindrical body member 52 integrally formed thereon as can be
seen in Figures 4 and 5. An elongate domed member 54 also
knurled on its outer surface is similarly ~rovided with a cylin~
drical body 52. The members 53, 54 are used interchangeably
in accordance with the shape to be given to the foot gear as it
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is expanded.
In some instances the effective length between the
cylinders 40 must be increased and this is done with an adaptor
55 having a body 52 formed on one end thereof and a bore 56
formed in the opposite end thereof. A washer 57 having a bore
58 therein permits relatively short additions to be made to the ;
length of the apparatus. An immediate adaptor 59 is identical
to the adaptor 55 with the exception that it is shorter in over- -
all length. ~s can be seen in Figures 8 through 17 the effect-
ive length between cylinders 40 can be varied to any degree
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necessary in order to adapt the apparatus to the foot gear
needing shaping.
In some instances when found desirable to have expan~
sion from only one side of the body 38 one of the cylinders 40
can be replaced with a dummy cylinder 4 n solid at its inner end
instead of having the piston 43 mounted therein.
In Figures 16A and 16B a truncated semi-spherical
member M is used and has a bore S1 to receive the member 53 on ;
its upper surface. This arrangement is used for expanding the
complete toe area.
Referring now to Figure 19, a hand operated hydraulic
pump is illustrated generally at P. The pump P includes a
manifold M, with a pressure gauge G connected thereto. Three
output91ines #1, ~t~ and ~3 extend Erom the manifold M to the
units to be actuated.
In Figures 20 through 22 a generally U-shaped unit
60 includes a tube 61 having a fitting 62 connected centrally i^~
thereto. One end of the unit 60 is provided with an open solid -
ring 64 which is adapted to engage the outer face 65 of foot
gear 66 to be shaped. A cylinder 67 is integrally mounted on 3
the opposite end of the unit 60 and contains a piston 68,
connecting rod 69 and a dome member 70 as can be best seen in
Figure ~2. A retainer ring 71 secures the piston 68 within the ;
` cylinder 67. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures ,~
20 through 22 the foot gear is heated in the area to be expanded
and the dome shaped member 70 is pressed toward the ring 63
centrally thereof so as to reshape the foot gear 66 as needed.
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A modified form of the lnvention is illustrated in ;~ ;
Figures 23 through 25 and includes a cylinder 72 open at each
end and having an internal reduced diameter stop 73 intermediate `~
the opposite ends thereof. A piston 74 is mounted in each end ~ -
of the cylinder 72 and has a reduced diameter barrel 75 which :
engages a retainer washer 76 in the cylinder 72 secured in ~`
place by a lock ring 77.
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An O-ring seal 78 is mounted in the head of each
piston 74 and engages the inner wall of the cylinder 72 to
seal the piston for sliding movement therein. A socket 79 ~:
is formed in each of the pistons 74 to receive a post 80 of
a dome member 81. .
A fitting 82 is integrall~ formed on the cylinder 72
and has a passage 83 extending therethrough and communicating
with the space between the pistons 74. A hand controlled valve
84 is serured to the fitting 82 and to a hose 85 extending from
the #2 outlet of the pump P.
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The use and operation of the modified form of the
invention illustrated in Figures 23 through 25 is identical
to that of the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1.
A further modified form of the invention is illustrated
.n Figures 26 and 27 and consists of a half cylinder 72' having
only one open end and containing one piston 74. A retainer
washer 76 and lock ring 77 secure the piston 74 in place
in the half cylinder 72'. A fitting 82' is integrally formed
on and communicates with the closed end of the cylinder
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72', A valve 84 connects the fitting 82' to the bore 85,
The use and operation of the invention illustrated ~;
in Figures 26 and 27 is similar to that of Figure 1 but
restricted to points of use wherein expansion in a single
direction is required.
In Figures 28 through 31 further modified attachments
for the cylinder 72 are disclosed,
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The cylinder 72 has a dome ex~ension 86 secured to
the piston 74 (not shown) at one end with a fitting 87 remov-
ably mounted on its outer end. The fitting 87 has a port 88
on one end to enter a socket 89 on the outer end of the extension
86. A socket 90 is formed in the opposite end of the fitting 87
to receive a post 91 of a dome member 92.
- The fitting 87 has a threaded transverse bore 93
having a threaded post 94 extending therethrough. A head 95 `~
is threaded onto one end of the post 94 for reasons to be
assigned,
The invention disclosed in Figures 29 through 31 are ~ ;~
used in situations wherein the dome member 92 must be supported
against lateral movement within the foot gear when the position
of expansion is off center. The head 95 is engaged against the
side of the boot in order to steady the dome member 92 when uséd
in otherwise the same manner as the Figure 1 apparatus.
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