ANTONIO YANDOLI

968,080.

A. YANDOLI.

SHOE,.

APPLICATION PILED JAN. 1], 1910.

Patented Aug. 23,1910.

ATTOlttttr

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Antonio Yandoli, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at 1 West One hundred and thirty-first street, 5 New York city. New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in shoes, and more especially to shoes pro

10 yided with means for supporting the arch qf the foot such as are used by persons having weak insteps.

One of the objects of the .invention is to provide a shoe in which the arch of the foot

15 will be prevented from "flattening when subjected to the pressure of the weight of the body.

. Another object is to provide a device of thjs .character in which the arch will be more

20 firinly supported at the instant when the foot

strikes the ground in the act'of walking. J8|i Other objects will be in part obvious and in part'pointed out hereinafter. In the accompanying drawing showing an

25 illustrative embodiment of this invention, and in which the same reference numeral refers to similar parts in the several figures; Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a shoe constructed in accordance with this

30 invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on a line A, A, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the metal strip and its associated spring, the disk being removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner sole.

i>5 In the illustrative embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings, 1 indicates the upper portion of a shoe of any approved type and 2 the outer sole thereof. The inner sole 3 is provided at its sides with oppositely

40 disposed upward extensions 4 and 5 which are so positioned as to co-act with the arch of the foot to act as a brace therefor. These extensions are integral with the sole, and as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the inner

45 extension 4 is higher and'thicker than the outer extension 5, as a more firm support is needed upon the inner side of the foot than is needed on the outer side. -. The extensions furthermore tend to keep the.shoe in its

50 proper shape and prevent the same from wrinkling. ~

Positioned intermediate the -inner and oititer soles and extending throughout a portion of the length of the shoe is a flexible

55 plate 6, preferably formed of metal and having its forward end fixed against longitudi

nal movement relative to the sole of the shoe in any suitable manner, as, for example, by a rivet 1. The plate 6 is preferably upwardly curved at its central portion and its 60 rear portion 8 is positioned within a recess 9 formed in the heel portion of the outer sole. The depth of this recess is such as to allow vertical movement1 of the end 8 of the plate 6. As clearly shown at 10 in Fig. 1 65 'the plate bears against the upper edge of the forward wall of the recess 9 thereby forming in effect a pivotal point, so that when pressure is applied to the end 8 of the plate as hereinafter described, the central 70 portion of the plate which lies under the arch of the foot will be caused to move in an upward direction.

Positioned between the end 8 of the plate and the iieel portion of the inner sole 3 is 75 a pressure-transmitting member 11 which in 'the embodiment shown, consists of a conical spring which acts as a shock absorber when the wearer of the shoe is walking.. In order to provide a suitable bearing 80 surface for the upper portion of the spring ll, I preferably place a metallic disk 12 between the spring and the inner sole 3, which disk may be secured to the spring or the inner sole in any suitable manner. 85

The operation of the device, which should be largely obvious from the above description, is as follows: The parts are so adjusted and arranged that normally they assume the positions shown in Fig. 1, the spring 11 90 being of such strength that the heel portion of the inner sole 3 is. raised slightly from the upper surface of the heel portion of the outer sole 2. When'the shoe is upon the foot of the wearer, and more especially -95 as the foot strikes the ground in the act of walking, the pressure due -to the weight of the body acting upon the heel portion of the inner sole will, through the medium of the spring, cause the rear-end 8 of the plate 6 1°° to be depressed, and inasmuch as the front end of this plate is secured against longitudinal movement, it will be seen that the central portion of the plate which lies beneath the arch of the foot will be raised, 105 thereby forming an efficient support for the arch of the foot. The arch of the foot is further supported by means of the upper extensions 4 and 5 of the inner sole, which will also move upward when pressure is ap- 110 plied to the heel, as. above described. It will of course be understood that the up

ward movement of the plate 8 will be greatest at the time the foot strikes the ground when in the act of walking, and this is the moment when the greatest support should 5 be given to the arch of the foot.

It will be seen from the above description that I have provided a shoe well adapted to use by persons having weak insteps. The shoe furthermore is simple in its con

10 struction and inexpensive to manufacture. Having described this invention in connection with the illustrative embodiment thereof, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited,

15 what is claimed As new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In a shoe, in combination, an outer sole, an inner sole, a plate interposed be

20 tween said spies,"said outer sole being provided with a recess within which the rear end of said plate extends, and resilient .pressure transmitting means interposed between the rear portion of said plate and the inner

25 sole, said means being movable bodily with respect to said outer sole.

2. In a shoe, in combination, an outer sole, an inner sole, a flexible plate interposed between said soles and extending throughout

30 a portion of their length, the front portion of said plate being fixed against longitudinal movement relative to the shoe, said outer sole being provided with a recess in its heel portion within whiqh the rear end of said

plate normally extends, and is adapted to 35 have vertical movement and resilient pressure transmitting means inferposed between the rear portion of said plate and said inner sole.

3. In a shoe in combination, an • outer 40 sole, an inner sole, a flexible plate interposed between said soles and extending throughout a portion of their length, the front portion of said plate bei'ng fixed against longitudinal movement relative to the shoe, said 45 outer sole being provided, with a recess in its heel portion, within which the rear end of said plate normally extends, said plate bearing against the upper edge of the front wall

of said recess, and resilient pressure trans- 50 mitting means interposed between the rear portion >of said plate and said inner sole.

4. In a shoe, in combination, an outer sole, an inner sole and a plate interposed between said soles, said outer sole being pro- 55 vided with a recess within which the rear end of said plate extends, resilient means interposed between the Tear end of the .plate and the inner sole, said shoe being free from supporting means' interposed between the 60 rear end. of said "plate and said, outer sole.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. «.

ANTONIO YANDOLL.
Witnesses:

George H. Gkoenestg,
A. F. Hettman.