Improvement in Appliances for Persons with a Shortened Leg.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Appliances for Persons with a Shortened Leg.
I THOMAS RICHARD WHITTINGHAM of 13 Elm Terrace High Road Leyton--
stone in the County of Essex Harness Maker do hereby declare the nature of this,
invention to be as follows:-
A cork appliance shaped to the sole or bottom of a foot of a leg requiring-
lengthening in such a manner as to enable a lame person with a shortened leg to-
walk and appear as a person with two perfect legs and feet, which appliance is
intended to be inserted in a boot which can be made by any ordinary bootmaker,,
as it will only differ from the ordinary make in being higher on the instep and in
the leg. The bottom or sole of the appliance is shaped to corespond with the
perfect foot of the person requiring it so that both boots may be of the same.
length &width. The heel A. B. Fig. 1 will be made as high in proportion as the
leg is short, thus if the leg is six inches short the heel will be six inches high, and
shaped down towords the toe part C. as much as possible but gradualy enough to
permit the foot to rest in perfect comfort and to obtain a regular pressure on the
sole of the foot, see Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 represents a boot with a foot and the appliance in position the dotted
lines A indicate the appliance and the dotted lines B. indicate the foot.
Dated this Sixteenth day of January 1895.
I, THOMAS RICHARD WHITTINGHAM of 13 Elm Terrace High Road Leyton-
stone in the County of Essex Harness Maker 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 :-
An improved appliance for persons with a shortened leg to enable them to walk
and appear as having two perfect legs and feet. The invention consists in having
a cork cut the size and shape of the inside of a boot to be worn on the foot of the
short leg to corespond with that worn on the perfect foot and leg but thick enough
at the heel to raise the foot as much as the leg is shorter than the perfect limb.
and tapered towards the toe so much as will make it appear the same as the
natural foot. The appliance is manufactured from cork, but as the cork cannot be
obtained more than about three inches thick and the appliance is required at times.
much thicker several peices must be fixed together. When the proper thickness is.
obtained, shape the cork so to fit the bottom of the foot as shown in Fig. 2 (left
with Provisional Specification). The whole is then covered with leather, the
bottom part with thin sole leather to keep the appliance firm, and the sides and
top with thin smooth leather (such as calf). The bottom of the appliance must be
made the same length and width as the sole of the natural foot so that two boots
may be used of the same width and length. The heel A. B Fig. 1 will be made as-

page_text: high in proportion as the leg is short thus if the leg is six inches short the
appliance must be six inches high at the heel and taper down towards the toe C.
Fig. 1. as much as is necessary and gradual enough to permitt the foot to rest in
perfect ease and comfort upon the cork appliance as shown in Fig. 2 and thus
obtain an equal and uniform pressure on the sole of the foot of the short leg.
A boot of ordinary manufacture can be used excepting that it must be higher in
the instep and in the leg or upper part to accomidate both the appliance & the foot
as shown in Fig. 3.
A. A. A represents the appliance and B. B. B. B. represents the foot.
Having now particularly discribed and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim,
1. Is a cork appliance covered with thin leather, and shaped to fit the bottom of
the foot, of a person with a shortened leg, and then to be used in a boot so that the
person useing it will appear to have two perfect feet.
2. The appliance can be removed from one boot to another as often as the user
desires.
Dated this Eleventh day of January 1806
THOMAS RICHARD WHITTINGHAM..