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US 5,169,259 AGranted
Adjustable foot insert
OwnerThomas W. Cornell, Jr., John L. Reinbold +1inventors
InventorsThomas W. Cornell, Jr., John L. Reinbold, Fred W. Eilenberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A foot element with exterior threads on a portion of its surface is die cast or injection molded. Two half sleeves are die cast or injection molded, and are each half cylindrical in shape and have threads on the inside surfaces of the half sleeves and one end is fully or partially closed off. The foot insert can be enclosed between the two sleeve halves and be adjustably extended out from or withdrawn into the completed sleeve.
Claims13
An adjustable foot insert assembly for attachment to a leg or similar article to lengthen or shorten it comprising:
- a foot element having a cylindrical exterior surface, an upper end and a lower end, said lower end adapted to contact a floor or similar support surface, said exterior surface of said foot element adjacent said upper end having threads between said upper and lower ends;
- a sleeve element assembly comprising a first sleeve element and a second sleeve element assembled together, each said first and second sleeve elements having the shape of a hollow half cylinder and having an upper end and a lower end,
- said upper ends of said first and second sleeve elements being at least partially closed off, the distance between the at least partially closed off upper ends of the assembled first and second sleeve elements being less than the diameter of the exterior surface of the foot element.
- said first and second sleeve elements each having an internal surface having spiral threads between said upper and lower ends corresponding to said threads of said exterior surface of said foot element,
- said foot element being enclosed and threadably engaged between said first and second sleeve elements and rotatable relative thereto in one direction or the other with the upper end of the foot element located between the upper and lower ends of the first and second sleeve elements and the lower end of the foot element extending beyond the lower ends of the first and second sleeve elements,
- whereby rotation of the foot element relative to the first and second sleeve elements in one direction will axially move the foot element relative to the first and second sleeve elements to cause the lower end of the foot element to extend beyond the lower ends of the first and second sleeve elements for a greater distance to thereby lengthen the leg or similar article to which the adjustable foot insert assembly is attachable, and rotation of the foot element relative to the first and second sleeve elements in the other direction will axially move the foot element relative to the first and second sleeve elements to cause the lower end of the foot element to extend beyond the lower ends of the first and second sleeve elements for a lesser distance to thereby shorten the leg or similar article to which the adjustable foot insert assembly is attachable.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing an adjustable foot insert assembly for attachment to a leg or similar article to lengthen or shorten it comprising the following steps:
- manufacturing a foot element having a lower end adapted to contact a floor or similar support surface an upper end and a cylindrical external surface with spiral threads between said upper and lower ends;
- manufacturing a sleeve element assembly comprising a first sleeve element and a second sleeve element for assembly together, each having an upper and a lower end and each being in the shape of a hollow half cylinder and having an abutment surface therebetween, internal spiral threads between said upper and lower ends, and means for locating and fastening said first sleeve element relative to said second sleeve element;
- at least partially closing off the upper ends of said first and second sleeve elements so that the distance between the at least partially closed off upper ends of the assembled first and second sleeve elements is less than the diameter of the external surface of the foot element;
- placing said foot element inside said first sleeve element so that said external threads of said foot element are threadably engaged with said internal threads of said first sleeve element and rotatable relative thereto in one direction or the other so that the upper end of the foot element is located between said upper and lower ends of the first sleeve element and the lower end of the foot element extends beyond the lower end of the first sleeve element;
- and
- placing said second sleeve element relative to said first sleeve element so that said external threads of said foot element are threadably engaged with said internal threads of said second sleeve element and rotatable relative thereto in one direction or the other so that the upper end of the foot element is located between said upper and lower ends of the second sleeve element and the lower end of the foot element extends beyond the lower end of the second sleeve element, said locating and fastening means being engaged to maintain said first sleeve element in assembled position relative to said second sleeve element,
- whereby rotation of the foot element relative to the assembled first and second sleeve elements in one direction will axially move the foot element relative to the assembled first and second sleeve elements to cause the lower end of the foot element to extend beyond the lower ends of the assembled first and second sleeve elements for a greater distance to thereby lengthen the leg or similar article to which the adjustable foot insert assembly is attachable, and rotation of the foot element relative to the assembled first and second sleeve elements in the other direction will axially move the foot element relative to the assembled first and second sleeve elements to cause the lower end of the foot element to extend beyond the lower ends of the assembled first and second sleeve elements for a lesser distance to thereby shorten the leg or similar article to which the adjustable foot insert assembly is attachable.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.