An Improved Bunion Protector.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
An Improved Bunion Protector.
I, CLARA BELLE DADISMAN, of Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., Gentlewoman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to that class of bunion-protectors which are designed to
secure a covering to be worn over the bunion next the foot and between it and the
stocking, shoe, or other covering of the foot; and the object of my invention is to
obtain a bunion-protector of the character named which shall protect the bunion
from the pressure of the shoe and stocking when the protector is worn between the
foot and such shoe and stocking, thereby giving the bunion a chance to heal, and
to obtain a bunion-protector which shall fit the foot having a bunion thereon, and
to which the device is applied sufficiently well to cause no pain or discomfort in
wearing it, and conforming to the outlines of the foot and the shoe to be worn upon
the foot in such a way as to obviate all unsightly appearance in the shoe.
I have illustrated my invention by the drawings accompanying and forming a
part of this Specification, in which―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a foot having my device placed in position
thereon;
Fig. 2, a plan view of the device;
Fig. 3, an elevation thereof, and
Fig. 4 a cross section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.
Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.
A is the foot of the person.
B is a bunion.
Dis the bunion-protector, formed of wings dd, united by web d³.
is a hole in web d', adapted to come over the bunion.
is the under surface of the bunion-protector D, and when desired is covered
with adhesive material in the same manner as common court-plaster.
The wings
d may be formed of a single piece of felting or other like and
suitable material, and should be formed of substantially the shape and thickness of
the wings, as illustrated in the drawings. I do not mean by this to confine myself
to any one size, as it will be evident that differing bunions will require protectors
of differing sizes, and that the thickness need be only sufficient to properly protect
the bunion from pressure from the shoe or stocking. Wings d d are integral with
the web d. Where the wings d d are not formed of one material of sufficient
thickness to protect the bunion, more than one thickness of material can be used, and
such pieces may be stitched together in the ordinary manner of superimposing
and stitching felting and other cloth together. The length and width of the web d¹
and the size of the hole d in the web are controlled to a great extent by the size of
the bunion to be protected. The main purpose of this web d¹ is, it will be observed,
to hold the wings in proper relation with each other and with the bunion when the
device is placed upon the foot.
In operation my invention is: The device is placed alongside of the foot with the
hole in the web over the bunion. Where adhesive material is placed on
the surface of the bunion-protector, it is, of course, properly moistened before
being placed against the foot. The stocking is then drawn over the foot and over
the bunion protector, care being taken that no part of the wings d d be underneath
the foot or upon the top thereof. The shoe or other outer covering for the foot is
The bunion-protector being
then drawn over the stocking in the ordinary manner.
interposed between the shoe and stocking and the foot will relieve the bunion from

page_text: all pressure, while the bunion-protector will be flattened by the pressure of the shoe
and stocking thereon, and, owing to the particular shape given by me to the device,
it will be readily conformed to the required shape demanded by the shoe, and hence
will present an appearance substantially the same as is presented by an ordinary
foot having no bunion thereon.
I am aware that square and round shaped bunion-protectors having holes therein
have hitherto been used, but I am not aware that any bunion-protector of sub-
stantially the form of the hereindescribed bunion-protector invented by me has been
heretofore made. Nor am I aware that any bunion-protector has heretofore been
made in which a natural appearance has been given to the shoe of the person
wearing the same when the bunion-protector is interposed between the foot and
shoe, and in position to protect the bunion from blows or pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is :
A bunion-protector formed of wings united by a web, the base or part thereof
coming in contact with the foot, being in form an extended oval, the web uniting
the wings having a hole therein adapted to be placed over the bunion, the wings at
the point of uniting with the web being hemispherical in cross section, and each of
such wings being in longitudinal section the form of a quarter of an oval, and adapted
to be compressed by the pressure of the covering thereof and of the foot when the
device is in position on the foot, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of January 1892.
W. H. MUNNS,
Applicant's Agent.