US1029794A - Automatic hook for artificial arms. - Google Patents

Description

Q. D. GORLBY. AUTOMATIC HOOK r011 ARTIFICIAL ARMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1912.

Patented June 18, 1912.

WITIVESSES: mmvron' QuEN-rm D. CQRLEY @14 aw mg QUENTIN D. CORLEY,

or DALLAS, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC HOOK FOR ARTIFICIAL ARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1912..

Application filed February 15, 1912. Serial No. 677,827.

. To all whom it may concern:

nature of a spring tending to bear againstthe other, the hook extremities having the function of fingers between which various articles may be grasped.

A further object is to provide a simple mechanism by which the two hook members may be adjustedv either in a spaced relation to each other or in close contact, said adjust-ments being both accomplished by a slight movement of the arm which carries the hook.

A still further object is to provide a hook for artificial arms that will be especially adapted for holding a pen, pencil or similar article. I

Finally, the objectis to provide a hook of the character described, that will be strong, durable, and comparatively simple in construction, and one that will be adapted to perform a considerable number of operations for which the appliances now employed for a similar purpose are unfitted.

VVit-h these and various other objects in view, my invention has relation to certain novel features of the construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following. specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of the hook inside elevation, showing the same supported from the extremity of an arm, the lower portion of which has been amputated, the two members oiprising the hook being shown adjusted in a spaced relation to each other.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the hook, showing the same employed to grip a pencil, the con nection with a sleeve carried by the stump of the forearm being shown sectionally. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device, showing the hook members adjusted to that position in which they have. contact with each other.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 denotes a leather socketadap'ted to fit the shortened fore arm of an amputated upper limb, and laced tight thereupon in the usual manner. A metal plug 2 is inserted in the extremity of the sleeve 1 and from the edge of said plug, a pair of oppositely disposed parallel bars 3 are each extended to a point adjacent to the elbow. At these points, said bars respectively have pivotal connection with a pair ofbars 4, which extend a short distance upward at each side of that portion of the arm connecting the shoulder and the elbow, and are riveted or otherwise secured to a leather sleeve 5 secured upon said portion of the arm by lacing. The bars 3 are also fastened by suitable means to the sleeve 1, with which they are contiguous. The construction above described forms an essential part of almost all artificial arms, and is setforth herein merely because of its relation to the invention proper, which will now be discussed.

The plug 2 is provided with a central threaded socket, which may be made to re- -the shank 6 has been screwed as far as possible into. its socket, and by its expansive pressure, resists any force acting accidentally or otherwise to unscrew the hook. From the center portion of the base 7, there project-s perpendicularly a hook member 9,

'made integral with said base or made rigid therewith by brazing or a similar operation. The end portion of the member 9 is bent laterally at a right angle, and is curved out-- wardly and rearwardly to form the hook proper as indicated at 10. The thickness of the hook 10 will be substantially the same throughout, being equal to that of the member 9. The width of the hook, however, 1s gradually reduced from its inner to its outer end, terminating in a very small hook 11, bent outwardly through a half circle, its point being projected forwardly. A second hook member 12, substantially equal in shape and proportions to the member 9, has its supporting extremity secured to the supporting extremity ofthe member 9. The

surfaces of said parts will be plane.

member 12 has the nature of a strong spring, its resiliency being utilized to nor mally produce a deflection toward the member 9, so that a very positive contact may be established between the free extremities of the two members. The member 12 carries at its free end a'hook 13, considerably shorter than the hook 10, and extending adj acent to the inner port-ion of said member. When, the resilient force of'the member 12 is unopposed, the two hooks 10 and 13 will lie in close contact, as shown in Fig. 3, except at their extremities which are made slightly divergent. The outer surfaces of the .two members 9 and 12 and of the hooks carried by said members may be made slightly rounding, but the inner or,oppo lsjilte e member 12, at a point adjacent to its free end, is pressed or distorted outwardly, so as to form a channel 14, extending diagonally across said member. The inner face of the channel 14 is adapted to fit a portion of the cylindrical surface of a pencil 15' which may be inserted between the members 9 and 12. The pencil will furthermore be gripped between the diverging portions of the hooks 10 and 13, thus being held very securely in use.

Upon the outer surface of the hook member 9, two small bearings 16 are mounted in a spaced relation to each other, said bearings being disposed respectively adjacent to the lateral edges of said member. In these bearings are journaled the end portions of a pintle 17, having a ratchet wheel 18 ri idly mounted upon its middle portion. T e members 9 and 12 are respectively provided with slots 19 and 20 to accommodate said ratchet wheel, t-heslot 19 being given a suflicient width to also receive a cam 21 having the form of a square plate with beveled corners, rigidly secured to one sideof the ratchet wheel, the pintle 17 being passed through its center. The cam 21 is so proportioned that it may hold the member 12 m a position substantially parallel to the member 9, when one of its beveled corners is contiguous withthe former member. When, however, one of the lateral edges of the cam is brought adjacent to the member 12, a slight space will intervene between the cam and said member and .the latter will not be displaced from contact with the member 9. Thus it is apparent that by subjecting the pintle 17 to rotation through forty-five degrees, the hooks 10 and 13 may be spread apart or allowed to make close contact, according to the position of the cam before rotation iscommunicated to the pintle 17.

At the opposite side of the ratchet wheel a 18 to the cam 21, a lever 22 has one extreming the teeth of the ratchet wheel. When said lever is displaced in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the pawl 23 will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel subjecting the latter to rotation. When the lever is displaced in the opposite direction, the pawl will slip over the ratchet teeth and the wheel will remain stationary. From the free end of the lever 22, a cord 24 extends to the upperextremity of one of the bars 4, being attached to said extremity by any suitable means. The length of said cord is such that it will be placed in tension when the person using the device straightens out his arm, bringing the,shortened forearm into alinement with the upper portion of the arm. The lever 22 may be thus subjected to such a displacement as will shift the ratchet wheel '18 and the cam 21 through a forty-five degree angle causing the hook members to be adjusted either from or toward each other according to the position of the cam relative to the member 12.

The many advantages and applications of the above-described device will be readily apparent to one familiar with such applinot properly shaped to be gripped between the two hook members.

The small hook-11 is a very important feature of the device, and can be made useful in an almost unlimited number of ways. Thus for example, after the extremity of the large hook has been passed through a button-hole, the small hook may be caught at the ed e of the button-hole, and by a slight pull, t e garment containing the button-hole may be removed from engagement with the button. I Also the small hook 11 may be used in opening or closing a purse, or in tying or untying shoest-rmgs or neck-ties. It may be used for turning the leaves of a book or periodical, and serves furthermore to dull the point of the larger hook, decreasing the possibility of said point accidentally causing an injury.

It is apparent that various changes and modifications may be made in the form and proportions of parts and details of the above-described invention, without de arting from the spirit or sacrificing the a vantages thereof, and the same is therefore presented as including all such changes as come within the scope of the following claims.

'What I claim is:

1. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to gear against the other or stationary mem- 2. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base and having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members being normally deflected toward the other member.

An attachment for artificial arms com prising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends, slightly spaced, one of said members being normally deflected toward the other member, and means by which a spaced relation may be established between the two members. v

4:. An attachment for artificial arms comprising twohook members rigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to bear against the other'or stationary member, a cam rigidly mounted on a pintle said pintle being adapted to rotate in bearings carried by said stationary member, said cam projecting through a slot in the stationary member, and means for rotating the cam through a desired are. I

5. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a spring tending to bear againstthe other or stationary member, a cam and a ratchet wheel rigidly mounted on a pintle, said pintle adapted to rotate in bearings carried by said stationary member, said cam projecting through a slot in the stationary member and the ratchet wheel projecting through the slot in the stationary member also a slot in the spring member, and means for rotating said cam and ratchet wheel through a desired are.

6. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly ,secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a sprin tending to bear against the other or stationary member, a cam andsratchet wheel rigidly mounted on a rotatable pintle, suitable pintlebearings carried on the stationary member, the spring member being adapted to be engaged by the cam and forced to a spaced re ber, a lever loosely mounted'on the pintle, I

a pawl attached to said lever adapted to en: gage the teeth on the ratchet wheel, and means for actuating said lever.

7. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to bear against the'other or stationary member, a cam and ratchet wheel, rotatably mounted on said stationary member, a lever and a pawl adapted to transmit rotation to said ratchet wheel, and a flexible connection having one end fastened to the free end of the lever, and the other to some point on the upper arm.

8. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two he k members rigidly secured to a common base and having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members being acted upon by a force tending to hold it deflected toward the other member, and one of said members being provided with a diagonal groove or chan nel to receive a pencil or other similar obect. J 9. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly secured toa common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to bear against the other or stationary memher, and a slight hook provided on the outer or pointed end of the stationary hook member.

10. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a .sprlng, tending tov bear against the other or stationary member, the hook portion of the spring member being somewhat shorter than that of the stationary member, and the ends of the. hook portion of each member formed so asto diverge slightly.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

QUENTIN D. CORLEY.

Witnesses:

J. S. MURRAY, DvO. RAMSEY.

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