Apparatus For Custom Fitting Boots

Abstract

A device for custom fitting boots which includes a support platform sized to support a pair of boots for an individual's feet, a reservoir attached to the support platform, conduit means connected to the reservoir and in communication therewith for passing a liquid material in the reservoir to each of the boots supported on the platform, and means connected to the reservoir for urging the liquid material out of the reservoir and into the conduit means. Heating means can be connected to the support platform for heating the environment around the boots and body support members can be secured to the support platforms for supporting an individual's body in an upright position while the boots are being fitted to the individual's feet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In my co-pending United States Patent Applications, Ser. No. 726,094, filed May 2, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,385, entitled "Ski Boot," and Ser. No. 8,547, filed Feb. 4, 1970, entitled "Inner Boot and Method for Forming the Same," a boot is described that is custom fit to the foot of an individual. The boot includes an outer liner, and an inner liner connected to the outer liner and spaced apart therefrom to form a substantially sealed compartment between the liners. When the individual's foot is positioned within the boot a liquid resin elastomer reaction mixture is injected into the compartment between the liners. The reaction mixture is cured in situ between the liners of the inner boot to form a resilient mold which positions the inner liner substantially adjacent to and around the foot of the individual and the outer liner is positioned adjacent to the interior sidewalls of an outer boot support shell. Because of the development of the herein described boot a need has arisen for apparatus suitable for injecting a resin elastomer mixture into the inner boot and thereafter curing the reaction mixture insitu.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In its broadest form the invention comprises a support platform sized to support a boot for an individual's foot; a reservoir for containing a liquid material attached to the support platform; conduit means connected to and in communication with the reservoir for exhausting liquid material out of the reservoir and into the boot connected to the conduit means; and means connected to the reservoir for urging liquid material to flow out of the reservoir and into the conduit means.

In another embodiment of the invention, heating means are secured to the support platform for heating the environment surrounding a boot supported on the platform to accelerate curing of reaction mixture injected into the boot.

In still another embodiment of the invention upwardly extending support members are affixed to the platform for supporting an individual in an upright position while the individual is being fit with the boot.

In yet another embodiment of the invention clamping means are affixed to the support platform for fixedly positioning the boot to the support platform while the boot is being filled with a reaction mixture.

In still yet another embodiment of the invention a housing is mounted on a support platform for substantially enclosing the boot supported on the platform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the invention will be more readily understood and carried into effect reference is made to the accompanying drawings which are offered by way of example only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims which are intended to embrace equivalent structures.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the apparatus of this invention showing an individual standing therein while boots are being custom fit to the individual's feet.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the plane of line 2--2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3 taken along the plane of line 4--4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the support structure used for supporting the body of an individual being fitted with boots in the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram of one type of circuit suitable for activating heating elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings there is shown a support platform 10 sized to support a pair of boots 12 thereon in a spaced relationship. The boots are fixed to platform 10 with back-tie-down-plate 14, fixedly secured to platform 10, and front-tie-down-plate 16, adjustably secured to platform 10 with bolts 18 sized to extend through parallel elongated slots 20 formed in the front plate. Plates 14 and 16 are provided with recesses 22 sized and shaped to receive a portion of either the front or rear end of a boot 12 to hold the boot against end-wide movement. By using tie down structure of the type herein described and illustrated boots 12 are fixedly secured to support platform 10 for filling while being easily releasable therefrom by loosening bolts 18 and sliding plate 16 back away from the toe ends of the boots 12.

A housing is secured to platform 10 and mounted thereover for supporting reaction mixture reservoir 24 and its associated pumping structure, hereinafter described, and for substantially enclosing boots 12 so that the temperature of the environment surrounding the boots can be altered to accelerate reaction mixture curing. Preferably, the housing is a two piece structure which includes three-sided rear section 26 covered with top sheet 28 having a port 30 positioned therein sized to receive the back portion of an individual's legs when an individual is standing on platform 10 in boots 12. A removable front section 32, preferably constructed from a transparent material such as a heat resistant plastic, is mounted on platform 10 which mates with back section 26 to substantially enclose the area above the platform surrounding boots 12. Like section 26, front section 32 is also provided with a port 34 sized to receive the front portion of an individual's legs. As indicated, a reservoir is mounted on the top covering 28 of rear section 26. Preferably the reservoir is a cylindrical member 24 having a removable bottom end 25 for cleaning purposes and an open opposite end. Discharge tubes 34 and 36 are secured to bottom end 25 in communication with the reservoir's interior for discharging material out of the reservoir. Ports 38 and 40 are positioned in top covering 28 to accomodate discharge tubes 34 and 36. Flexible tubes 42, preferably formed from an easily cutable material such as a soft plastic, are removably attached to the open ends of discharge tube 34 and 36 for passing reaction material into boots 12 as described in my above noted patent.

Reaction material is urged out of the reservoir through the discharge tubes connected thereto with piston 34 which is snugly received within the reservoir. When the reservoir is a cylinder 24, piston 44 is a cylindrical disk-like member. The piston is urged into cylinder 24 with screw 46 which is threaded in harness 48 which in turn is secured at its opposite ends to brackets 50 affixed to plate 28. A handle 52 can be attached to the end of screw 46 to aid in turning the screw. Harness 48 is firstly used to provide a support frame for screw 46 and secondly, it holds reservoir 24 in a fixed position on plate 28. The opposite ends 52 of harness 48 are turned inwardly towards each other and are sized to slide under the outwardly turned ends 54 of brackets 50. Accordingly, harness 48 can be easily removed by merely loosening screw 56 and thereafter rotating the harness until its ends are positioned away from brackets 50.

When an individual is being custom fit with boots 12, it is preferred that the individual stand in a generally upright outwardly position. Accordingly, an upwardly extending support structure can be secured to platform 12 which provides a framework for the individual to lean upon. Also, it is desirable to elevate platform 10 above floor level 56 for ease in using the apparatus of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and 5 support members 56 and 60 are attached to platform 10, preferably proximate the corners of said platform when it is a rectangular shaped member, for holding the platform at said elevated position. In addition, poles 58 aid in supporting frame members 62 which can be used to support a person's body in an upright outwardly extending position. Preferably, cross bars 64 and 66 are adjustably secured to frame members 62 at a poxition proximate the thighs and chest of the individual standing in the apparatus. The cross bars can be secured in an adjustable fashion in a variety of ways such as through the use of outwardly extending pins 68 sized to support cross bar 66 or pins 65 which are sized to pass through frames 62 and cross bar 64.

Preferably, heating elements 70 are mounted to platform 10, as shown in FIG. 6, adjacent to the sides of boots 12. The elements are powered in a conventional fashion from an electrical power source. Control means such as potentiometer 72 and on-off switch 74 can be provided in the power circuit.

To aid in mounting and dismounting platform 10 a step 76 can be secured to the platform. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 step 76 is secured to poles 58 and frame members 62 proximate the front end of the platform.

In using the apparatus of the invention front housing section 32 is removed from platform 10 so that a person wearing boots 12 adapted to be custom fit to his feet, can step onto the platform 10 from step 76 and then position the rear portion of his legs within the opening 30 formed in the top late 28 of rear section 26. While in this position, boots 12 are locked to platform 10 with tie-down plates 14 and 16. Reservoir 24 is then positioned on the top plate 28 such that tubes 34 and 36 pass through ports 38 and 40 respectively. Thereafter, flexible connector tubes 42 are connected between tubes 34 and 36 and the boots 12. A liquid reaction mixture 27 is then poured into reservoir 24 and piston 44 is slid into the open end of the cylinder 24 until it contacts the liquid reaction mixture 27 contained therein. Finally, harness 48 is secured over reservoir 24 and screw 46 is turned until it contacts piston 44. At this time, the boot is ready to be filled with liquid reaction mixture. This is accomplished by turning screw 46 which urges piston 44 to slide into reservoir 24 and thereby urge reaction mixture 27 to exhaust through tubes 34 and 36 into boots 12. When the boots are filled with liquid material to the desired pressure, front housing section 32 is placed on platform 10 over boots 12 and heating elements 70 are activated by closing control switch 74 thereby heating the environment surrounding the boots to a desired temperature. After a predetermined time, the reaction mixture, cure hardens insitu in the boots. When this occurs, heater 70 is turned off, front section 32 is removed from support platform 10, and tubes 42 are cut thereby allowing the individual fitted with the boots 12 to step away from platform 10.

Claims

I claim:

1. Apparatus for filling a boot for an individual with a liquid filling material which comprises a support platform sized to support said boot; reservoir means for containing a supply of the liquid filling material attached to said platform; conduit means attached to and in communication with the interior of said reservoir for conveying the liquid filling material from said reservoir to said boot; and pressure means connected to said reservoir for pressurizing liquid filling material in said reservoir and urging said filling material to flow through said conduit means to said boot.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein heating means are connected to said support platform for heating the environment surrounding said boot.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a body support frame is attached to said support platform for supporting the body of the individual standing in said boot in an upright position.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein housing means are affixed to the support platform for substantially enclosing said boot supported on said platform.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein attaching means are affixed to said platform for fixedly securing said boot to said platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support platform is sized to support a pair of boots for said individual.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said housing means is separated into a rear section fixedly secured to said platform on a mating front section removably secured to said platform.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said reservoir is mounted on said rear section of said housing means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a body support frame is attached to said support platform for supporting the body of the individual standing in said boot in an upright outwardly extending position.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein attaching means are affixed to said platform for fixedly securing said boot to said platform.