Method and apparatus for manufacturing foot supports with anatomically contoured shank portions

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing foot supports such as insoles and the like with an anatomically configurated surface corresponding to the bottom of user's foot, comprising the steps of: arranging on a supporting surface at least one pad of spongy material, impregnating said pad with a foamable hardenable reactive chemical composition, positioning the user's foot onto the impregnated pad and causing the impression of the user's foot to be formed onto said impregnated pad, leaving the user's foot in position onto said pad until the reactive chemical composition has attained a sufficient degree of hardness to maintain the impression unaltered, removing the foot thereafter from the pad and cutting and trimming the impressed and hardened pad to obtain a foot support therefrom with desired contour.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing foot supports such as insoles and the like with an anatomically configurated surface corresponding to the bottom of user's foot, comprising the steps of: arranging on a supporting surface at least one pad of spongy material, impregnating said pad with a foamable hardenable reactive chemical composition, positioning the user's foot onto the impregnated pad and causing the impression of the user's foot to be formed onto said impregnated pad, leaving the user's foot in position onto said pad until the reactive chemical composition has attained a sufficient degree of hardness to maintain the impression unaltered, removing the foot thereafter from the pad and cutting and trimming the impressed and hardened pad to obtain a foot support therefrom with desired contour.

Claim 5

An apparatus for manufacturing foot supports with an anatomically configurated surface corresponding to the bottom of a user's foot, comprising a container, a pair of pan formations formed therein in side by side relationship to each other and having each a bottom surface and sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom surface thereby to define a trough-like shape for each pan, one of said side walls being arranged in an intermediate position between said pan formations and separating said pan formations from each other, said pans being adapted to hold a spongy pad on each of said bottom surfaces, said sidewalls having a contour zone on the top thereof, hinge means on an edge of said contour zone, a lid-like frame hinged on said hinge means and in closed position mating with said contour zone, opening in said lid-like frame situated above said pan formations when the lid-like frame is in closed position to allow a user's feet to pass therethrough and reach the pads on said bottom surfaces.

Claim 6

An apparatus for manufacturing foot supports with an anatomically configurated surface corresponding to the bottom of a user's foot, comprising a container, a pair of pan formations formed therein in side by side relationship to each other and having each a bottom surface and sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom surface thereby to define a trough-like shape for each pan, one of said side walls being arranged in an intermediate position between said pan formations and separating said pan formations from each other, said pans being adapted to hold a spongy pad on each of said bottom surfaces, said sidewalls having a contour zone on the top thereof, hinge means on an edge of said contour zone, a lid-like frame hinged on said hinge means and in closed position mating with said contour zone, opening in said lid-like frame situated above said pan formations when the lid-like frame is in closed position to allow a user's feet to pass therethrough and reach the pads on said bottom surfaces.