PROPULSION FOOTWEAR

CHAUSSURE A PROPULSION

Claims

7
CLAIMS
I claim:
1. A jumping shoe attachment controlled by the normal heel to toe
distribution of the weight and metatarsal thrust of a person as they stride
or jump. Said attachment performs by comprising in combination:
a) a foot encasement of a durable, lightweight and rigidly formed
material which can allow for the normal motions of the user's foot
while securely supporting it. Said encasement is to serve as a
platform spaced generally parallel above a base plate. Said foot
encasement is to have a point located above the user's heel and behind
the ankle, for the upper portion of the shock absorber to pivotally
connect. Said foot encasement is to have an attachment point, located
below the pivot center of the user's foot, to which the two upper arms
of an angle spring device arc to pivotally connect. Said foot
encasement is to also have an attachment point for the upper end of a
coil spring to firmly connect under the ball area of the user's foot;

8
b) an angle spring device, hereinafter referred to as torsion springs,
pivotally secured under the central pivot point of the foot encasement.
The angle spring's upper arms extend rearward, horizontally when
idle, from said central pivot point on either side of the user's heel.
The lower arms of the said torsion springs extend down and attach
firmly to the base plate of the apparatus. AT a predetermined point,
between said attachment to the foot encasement and the elbow of the
angle spring. The lower end of the shock absorber is pivotally
secured;
c) shock absorber(s) pivotally secured at it supper and to said foot
encasement in a manner that biases said foot encasement towards a
generally horizontal position. Said shock absorber is pivotally secured
at a predetermined point on its lower end to said attachment point on
the angle spring arms;
d) a device with coil spring properties attached to the underside of the
foot encasement and the top of said apparatus base in a manner that
provides spring to the ball of the foot and imposes a predetermined
maximum span between said foot encasement and said base plate;

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e) a base plate of a durable, lightweight and rigidly formed material on it
supper surface and a means of attachment to a footwear sole suitable
to the user's intended application of the propulsion footwear; and
f) said shock absorber, said torsion spring and said coil spring cyclically
arranged to sequentially absorb the forces of impact and the user's
exertion, while generating torsion buildup throughout a rocking heel
to toe motion, and then impart an amplified metatarsal thrust to the
user.
2. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, wherein the
foot encasement extends up to support and guide the user's ankle.
3. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined is claim 1, including a
supportive cover for said torsion springs' arms and coils to prevent an
excess of directional leeway in said torsion spring arms.
4. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 2, including
lower torsion spring arms which form the frame of the base plate and are
pivotally connected to the heel area of said base plate's sole.

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5. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, including a
rigid tab protruding out either side of the foot platform positioned with the
intent of contacting beneath the upper arms of the torsion spring. Said
tabs contact said torsion spring arms to result is the restriction of forward
pivot by said foot platform.
6. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, wherein the
pivotal connection between the torsion spring and the shock absorber is
accomplished through a means that connects pivotally to said torsion
spring and connected pivotally to the bottom extremity of said shock
absorber, allowing said means to introduce a swing type-movement.
7. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, including a
pivotal means for attaching the coil spring to the base plate so that the
directional thrust of the apparatus is dictated by the angle of the foot
encasement and not that of the base plate.
8. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 7, wherein the
coil spring's pivotal connection holds its angled position once the user's
weight has been exerted upon the apparatus.

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9. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, wherein fully
enclosed ball bearing rings are used for the pivot points of the apparatus.
10. The spring notion propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, wherein fully
sealed ball and socket connections are used for given pivot points of the
apparatus.
11. The spring action propulsion footwear as defined in claim 1, including a
means to regulate the span between the foot encasement and the
apparatus' base.

Description

CA 02391760 2002-06-25
2
BACKC~1~OIJ'ND OF THE INVENTION
Previous inventions of the same sort have zrvt surceeried in working
proficiently with
the natural hoci impact, rear to front weight transfer and metatarsal push.
The
inventions which have integrated this heel to toe movement (when absorbing,
amplifying and returning to the user's efforts) have failed to maintain a
light-weight
design. Lighter versions of the spring footwear fond to return energy to the
same
portion so the foot that it was absorbed from or, as in many cases, they
merely act as
a shock absor6cr without avor actually amplifying the user's energy.
An issue that has been neglected entirely by this field is the braking
properties of
thrust-enhancing footwear. Due to this oversight, spring action footwear has
not
accomplished a stopping technique which allows for the toe to heel transfer of
weight
which is a necessity to metatarsal shock absorption for the user's foot.
Maneuverability in regards to cornering situations is another attribute which
has been
ineffective in previous spring footwear designs.
The above mentioned disadvantages can be overcome through a suspension system
combining shock absorbers, torsion springs and coil springs which, when
functioning
in a cycle, drsstioakly amplifies the thrust capabilities of a runner or
jumper and also
absorbs the impact from such actions while remaining lightweight and
maneuverable.

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3
$lt>(EF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of this invention. '~
Figure 2 is a top view of the preferred eznbodinnent with eomprassed air as
the spring
,.
factor within the shock absorber. '
Figure 3 depicts tt side view of the preferred embodiment with the addition of
ankle
support and pivotal connections to the bast plate.
tQ
Figure 4 is a blown .apart view of the ball and socket joint pivotally
connection the
coil spring to the bast plate.
E
DESCRxf'fION 4F THE PREFERRED EMBODIIVIENT
Figure 1 shows a side view wherein one slxoclc absorber 2 is attached to the
torsion
springs 3 and to the user's foot encasement 1 in such a manner as to absorb
shock
and then influexACe a forward pivot of the foot encasement 1. The site at
which the
foal encasement 1 is initially cushioned and then rifted forward is the upper
pivotal
point G of flea shock 2. In this model the upper attachment point 6 of the
shock 2 and
the extension 15 (welds have bean utilized to make fixed attachments in this
embodiment) ~~'om the foot encasement 1, have a bolt - which allows for
pivoting -

CA 02391760 2002-06-25
fastening them together at a point above the user's heel. The lower pivoting
point 17
of the shock 2 consists of a fully enclosed ball bearing ring firmly fixed to
the bottom -
of the shock 2 and the middle of the swing shaped rod 8 that conzi,ects in a
pivotal
manner 7 to tech torsion spring 3. T'he swing shaped rod is necessary with
most
shock absorbers, because the shock cannot compress past Fttty percent of its
own
length_ This amount of compression is optimum for suffzciont travel of the
foot
encasement's 1 heel. The rod 8, having a Lower pivoting connection 17 to the
bottom
of the shock absorber 2, allows the shock 2 to realign itsrlf as it is
compressed. Two
torsion springs 3 are pivotally secured to the central pivoting point 5 of the
foot
encasement 2 - in this instance four fl~lly enclosed ball bearing rings are
used. The
lower arms ofthe torsion springs 3 fixedly connect 11 at the rear afthe
jumping
shoe's base 13. 'flee upper arms of the torsion springs 3 fixedly coxuaect 10
to a rod "
16 which acts as a connection between tile torsion spriuags 3 and the control
pivoting
point S of the foot encasement 1. A tab 9 protrudes out either side of the
foot
encasennent 1 positioned with the intent of contacting beneath the upper arms
of the
torsion springs 3 to result in the restriction offorward pivot by the foot
encasernont x.
i
A coil spring 4 spans the area between the ball area of the foot encasecuent
and the '
apparatus' bast 13. The coil spring 4 is functionally engaged when the torsion
spzingg 3 have compressed and the shock 2 has released. A chord 12 attaches tv
the
24 same points as the coil spring 11 and regulates the maximum distance
between the
foot ez~case~nent 1' end the apparatus base 13. The apparatus base 13 is
fixedly
connected to the footwear sole 14.

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Figure 2 shows a top view wherein an air shock is the type of shock absorber 2
utilized and a pivotal connection 17 has not been incorporated. =
E
5 Figure 3 sho~cus a side view of the preferred embodiment as depicted by
Figure 1 with
the addibiozt of pivotal connections between the bast plate 14 and the lower
F
extremities of the coil spriztg 4 and the torsion spring extension 13. A ball
23 and
socket I8 connection has been utilizAd for the brio of the coil spring 4. Ball
bearing
rings 19 are the pivotal connection between the torsion spring ~tensioz~s I3
and the
brio plate 14. Figure 3 also embodies a pivotal ankle support 20 and tabs 22
to
prevent ankle hyper-extension. A rivet 21 has been used as the pivotal
connection
between the ankle suppart 20 and the foot encasement 1.
F
Figure 4 shows that the base of the socket 18 is rubber lined 24 to restrict
rotation of
the ball 23 upon impact.
V
The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been
present for purposes of illustration azzd is not intended to be exhaustive or
to limit the
invention to the precise form disclosed. It was chosen and described in order
to best
explain the principles of the invention and their practical application to
thereby
enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various
embodiments
and with various modifications as arc suited to the particular user
contemplated. For

CA 02391760 2002-06-25
example, two shock absorbers can be used instead ar ane; an overlapping angle
spring can be used to assist aad cvea replace the torsion springs; the pouts
of
connection, both pivoting and fixed can be altered to influence the heel to
toe rocking
motion for specific type of performaace; and a full boot can replace the
sandal style '
foot encasement and ankle support.
,.
The torsion buildup used to create an amplified metatarsal thrust is fully
capitalized
through tbo following sequence, which is unique to this apparatus_
When the user places weight on the heel of the foot first, upon impact, the
shocks)
arid torsioa springs coxxapress to cushion the user's weight. Said shock is
the frst to
ba fully camprcsscd, at this point the dlt of the foot platform rxks forward
under the
user's weight and compresses the coil spring.
With a factor rexctiorr time than bath of the spring types, the shocks)
decompress
first, causing the foot platform to tilt all the way forward and the heel
basins to rise.
Hoth the torsion spring and the coil spring ctxomprcss simultaneously to
provide lift-
off tbrust to the ball area of the foot.

Representative Drawing