GB112539A - Improvements in Artificial Hands. - Google Patents

Abstract

112,539. Wilson, W. J., and Markham, F. A. Feb. 26, 1917. Limbs, artificial.-Relates to hands of the type in which the fingers and thumb are normally held in the closed position under spring action and are opened by a body movement of the wearer, and consists in an arrangement in which some or all of the fingers are normally held, relatively to a fixed thumb, in the grasping or operative position against the action of one or more springs, by a stronger spring, means being provided for relieving the fingers from the pull of the stronger spring by the body movement so as to permit of their opening for the purpose of grasping or releasing an object. The fingers are pivoted to strips g, Figs. 3 and 4, secured to the hand a, which is hinged to a wrist-piece b. The index and middle fingers d, e are held with their ends in contact with the thumb c by means of a cord or wire passing over a pulley k at one end of a lever k<1> which is pivoted at k<2> to the hand and normally held in the position shown by a spring l. A cord or wire m attached to the other end of the lever k extends up the arm and is secured to the wearer's shoulder &c. so that a slight movement of the shoulder &c. relieves the fingers d, e of the tension spring l and allows them to be moved outwards under the action of springs l<1>. The third and little fingers h, i are held with their ends nearly in contact with the palm of the hand a by a spring n, one end of which is secured to the hand at n<1> while the other end engages a looped cord or wire o, the ends of which are attached to the fingers h, i. In a modification. Fig. 5, a cord p passes over a pulley q on the lever k<1> and is attached at its ends to the fingers It, i at points on the opposite side of their hinge-pins f to those to which the cord o is secured, so that the movement of the lever k<1> will pull the fingers h, i away from the palm against the action of the spring n,