Adjustable arch support for shoes

The height of the arch of an arch-support member is adjustable by turning a screw that is positioned between the insole and the sole of a shoe. A lever extends from the central portion of the arch support downwardly through the insole to the adjusting screw. The lever turns about the insole as a fulcrum in response to adjustment of the screw for varying the height of the arch-support member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to shoes having devices for correcting foot 
deformities and particularly to adjustable arch supports as parts of 
shoes. 
Arch supports for many users must be changed frequently to provide optimum 
heights for the users. Usually, different arch supports or adjustments by 
specialists are required for gradually correcting deformities of the 
users' feet. The required adjustments in heights of arch supports are 
expensive and time-consuming for the users. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An arch support within a shoe is continuously adjustable in height by a 
lever below the center of the arch of the arch support. The lever has an 
upper end contacting the lower surface of the arch and is adjustable to 
change its inclination for varying the height of the arch support, the 
greatest variation generally being along that portion of the arch that 
contacts the inner portion of the foot of the user. 
The adjustable lever is inclined downwardly from the inner central portion 
of the arch through an aperture of an insole below the arch support. The 
lower end of the lever at a short distance below the insole has a hole for 
receiving a screw that functions as an actuator. A head of the screw for 
receiving an adjusting tool such as a screw driver or a hex key is 
positioned between the edges of a sole and the insole of the shoe. The 
shank of the screw passes through the hole through the lower end of the 
lever, and a collar is fixed to the screw adjacent the side of the lever 
away from the head of the screw. 
The remainder of the screw is threaded and extends through a mating 
internally threaded member that is fixed to the shoe. As the screw is 
turned in the direction to move the fixed collar against the lower end of 
the lever, the screw rotates the lever about the point where it passes 
through the insole. The resulting movement of the upper end of the lever 
inwardly against the gradual lower surface of the arch-support member 
raises the arch support for the user, and rotation of the screw in the 
opposite direction permits the arch support to be pressed downwardly to a 
lower position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an arch support 11 of usual shape is 
inserted over an insole of a shoe 12. The arch support 11 has a stiff, 
formed portion to fit in the arch of the foot of a user and preferably has 
leather or other smooth, soft material extending forward from the formed 
portion to the toe of the shoe and rearwardly to cover the insole of the 
shoe over the heel. In order to adjust the height of the arch support 11 
as required for a user, an adjusting lever 13, that may be fabricated from 
a flat metal bar, has an upper end in contact with the formed, highest 
portion of the arch support 11 and a lower end that extends downwardly 
through an aperture 14 of an insole 15 to terminate a short distance below 
the insole at the sole 23 or in a shallow cavity 24 (FIG. 1) within the 
upper surface of the sole. 
The height of the arch support 11 is varied by operation of an adjusting 
screw 16 that moves the lower end of the adjusting lever 13 in a lateral 
direction. The adjusting lever 13 is preferably bent downwardly where it 
passes through the aperture 14 of the insole 15 such that the lower part 
is substantially perpendicular to the insole 15 and the upper part slants 
outwardly and upwardly to contact the lower surface of the arch support 
11. As the adjusting screw 16 is turned to move the lower end of the 
adjusting lever 13 outwardly, the portion of the adjusting lever 13 that 
passes through the aperture 14 bears against the edge of the insole 15 at 
the aperture 14 such that the line of contact between an adjusting lever 
and the insole functions as a fulcrum. Therefore, as the lower end of the 
adjusting lever 13 is moved outwardly, the upper end of the lever is moved 
inwardly against the upwardly curved portion of the arch support 11 to 
raise the arch support, particularly the highest portion that fits 
upwardly in the arch of a foot. The arch support has the usual shape, the 
outer edge fitting quite closely to the insole of the shoe along the 
length of the shoe and a gradually raised portion toward the inner side of 
the foot fitting in the arch. 
In order to provide the desired movement of the adjusting lever 13, the 
adjusting screw 16 is turned into an inside-threaded sleeve 17. The sleeve 
17 is fixed across an elongated plate 18 that extends forwardly a short 
distance toward the toe of the shoe and extends rearwardly over a portion 
of the heel of the shoe. The plate may be somewhat closer to the outer 
edge of a shoe than it is to the inner edge, and it is fastened to the 
insole 15 of the shoe by suitable fasteners 19 and 20. If desired, the 
fasteners 20 at the rear could extend downwardly into the heel of the 
shoe. 
The end of the screw 16 toward the inside edge of the shoe 12 has either a 
slotted head or a socket for receiving a tool. The head 22 is between the 
sole 23 and the insole 15 and is preferably inside the edges of the soles. 
In the direction from the head 22, the screw 16 extends inwardly through a 
hole that has been provided through the lower end of the adjusting lever 
13. At a point along the screw determined for having the lower end of the 
adjusting lever 13 nearly perpendicular for mid-range adjustment, a collar 
21 is firmly fixed to the screw such that the collar bears against that 
surface of the lower end of the adjusting lever 13 away from the head of 
the screw. The end of the screw 16 opposite its head 22 is turned into the 
fixed sleeve 17.