1. A foot support adapted to position a foot in an anatomically functional position, the foot support comprising:
(a) a metatarsal portion adapted to align the first metatarsal head of a foot, the metatarsal portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(b) a toe portion extending away from the metatarsal portion and adapted to align the big toe of a foot, the toe portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(c) a bendable joint defined between the metatarsal portion and the toe portion.
2. The foot support of claim 1, further comprising an inner edge and an outer edge.
3. The foot support of claim 2, wherein the foot support decreases in thickness from the outer edge to the inner edge.
4. The foot support of claim 1, wherein the toe portion defines an upper edge, and the metatarsal portion defines a lower edge.
5. The foot support of claim 4, wherein the foot support increases in thickness from the upper edge to the lower edge.
6. The foot support of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive disposed on the lower surface of the metatarsal portion and the lower surface of the toe portion.
7. The foot support of claim 6, further comprising a first peel sheet releasably secured to the adhesive on the metatarsal portion and a second peel sheet releasably secured to the adhesive on the toe portion.
8. The foot support of claim 1, wherein the foot support is securable to the bottom of a foot such that the lower surface of the metatarsal portion is secured beneath the first metatarsal of the foot and the lower surface of the toe portion is secured beneath the big toe of the foot.
9. The foot support of claim 1, wherein the foot support is securable within a shoe such that the metatarsal portion is positioned beneath the first metatarsal of the foot and the toe portion is positioned beneath the big toe of the foot.
10. A method of supporting a foot in an anatomically functional position, the method comprising:
(a) providing a foot support, comprising:
(i) a metatarsal portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(ii) a toe portion extending away from the metatarsal portion, the toe portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(iii) a bendable joint defined between the metatarsal portion and the toe portion;
(b) securing the foot support beneath a foot such that the metatarsal portion aligns the first metatarsal of the foot and the toe portion aligns the big toe of the foot.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the foot support further comprises an inner edge and an outer edge.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the foot support decreases in thickness from the outer edge to the inner edge.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning the outer edge of the foot support along the medial side of the foot.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the foot support further comprises an adhesive disposed on the lower surface of the metatarsal portion and the lower surface of the toe portion.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the foot support further comprises a first peel sheet releasably secured to the adhesive on the metatarsal portion and a second peel sheet releasably secured to the adhesive on the toe portion.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising bending the foot support about the bendable joint to expose the adhesive on one of the metatarsal portion and the toe portion.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising securing the exposed adhesive to a first bottom portion of the foot.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising bending the foot support about the bendable joint to expose the adhesive of the other of the metatarsal portion and the toe portion.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising securing the exposed adhesive to a second bottom portion of the foot.
20. A foot support adapted to position a foot in an anatomically functional position, the foot support comprising:
(a) a metatarsal portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(b) a toe portion extending away from the metatarsal portion, the toe portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(c) a bendable joint defined between the metatarsal portion and the toe portion;
(d) means for securing the foot support below a foot such that the metatarsal portion aligns the first metatarsal head of the foot and the toe portion aligns the big toe of the foot.
21. The foot support of claim 20, wherein the means for securing the foot support below a foot comprises adhering the lower surface of the metatarsal portion to the bottom of the first metatarsal and adhering the lower surface of the toe portion to the bottom of the big toe.
22. The foot support of claim 20, wherein the means for securing the foot support below a foot comprises adhering the lower surface of the metatarsal portion and the lower surface of the toe portion to a portion of a shoe such that the metatarsal portion is positionable beneath the first metatarsal of the foot and the toe portion is positionable beneath the big toe of the foot.
23. The foot support of claim 20, wherein the means for securing the foot support below a foot comprises a loop secured to the foot support and adapted to pass around the big toe of a foot when the metatarsal portion is positioned beneath the first metatarsal of the foot and the toe portion is positioned beneath the big toe of the foot.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A fixture for supporting a drill, comprising
(a) a housing for receiving a drill, said housing including a forwardly extending drill portion and a coaxial rearwardly extending cylindrical section;
(b) an abutment member arranged within and coaxial with said housing cylindrical section; and
(c) means for extending and retracting said abutment member relative to said housing cylindrical section, whereby when the drill is positioned adjacent to a hard surface and said abutment member is positioned against a rear surface opposite the hard surface, said abutment member may be extended from said housing cylindrical section while the drill is operated to provide a longitudinal drilling force along the axis of said housing.
2. A fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein said abutment member includes an abutment device rotatably connected therewith for abutting against the rear surface.
3. A fixture as defined in claim 2, wherein said abutment device terminates in a rearwardly facing point.
4. A fixture as defined in claim 2, and further comprising a bearing connecting said abutment device with said sleeve rear portion.
5. A fixture as defined in claim 2, and further comprising a spring arranged between said rod and said abutment device to bias said abutment device against the rear surface.
6. A fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein said extending and retracting means comprises a threaded rod connected with said housing and extending from said cylindrical section and said abutment member comprises a cylindrical sleeve threadably connected with said rod for displacement along said rod upon rotation of said sleeve.
7. A fixture as defined in claim 6, wherein said rod is threadably connected with said housing for displacement relative to said housing, whereby the effective length of displacement of said sleeve is increased.
8. A fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a handle portion.
9. A fixture as defined in claim 8, wherein said handle portion is pivotally connected with said housing cylindrical portion.
10. A fixture as defined in claim 9, wherein said handle portion includes a drill actuator at an end portion thereof.
11. A fixture as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a foot-operated drill actuator connected with said housing.
12. A fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein said actuator member comprises a piston and said extending and retracting means comprises a pneumatic actuator.
13. A fixture as defined in claim 12, and further comprising a spring connected with said piston for biasing said piston to a retracted position.
14. A fixture as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear surface is provided on a mounting bracket for said fixture.
15. A fixture for supporting a drill used to drill a hole in the frame of a vehicle, comprising
(a) a mounting bracket connected with the vehicle and having a surface parallel to and opposite a surface of the vehicle frame to be drilled;
(b) a housing receiving a drill, said housing including a forwardly extending drill portion which engages the vehicle frame surface and a coaxial rearwardly extending cylindrical section;
(c) an abutment member arranged within and coaxial with said housing cylindrical section for engaging the surface of said mounting bracket; and
(d) means for extending and retracting said abutment member relative to said housing cylindrical section, whereby said abutment member may be extended from said housing cylindrical section while the drill is operated to provide a longitudinal drilling force along the axis of said housing to advance the a bit of the drill against and through the frame surface.
16. A drill fixture as defined in claim 15, wherein said mounting bracket is connected with the vehicle frame.
17. A drill fixture as defined in claim 15, wherein said mounting bracket is connected with a wheel hub of the vehicle.