US1298529A - Surgical splint. - Google Patents

Description

R. D. MADDOX.

SURGICAL SPLINT.

APPLICATIQN FILED OCT. 19. IBIS.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

1 I I:- All 1 iii 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w NQ BN R. D. MADDOX.

SURGICAL SPLINT. APPLICATION FILED OCT. r9. l9l8.

1,298,529. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

amemtoz UNTTED STATES PATENT FFIE ROBERT D. MADDOX, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.'

SURGICAL SPLINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lVIaI'. 25, 1919.

Application filed October 19, 1918. Serial No. 258,873.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

'1 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. MADDoX,

major, Medical Dept., U. S. A., a citizen of the United States, stationed at Washington, D. 0., have invented an Improvement in Surgical Splints, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an improvement in surgeons splints for sustaining a forearm and hand or a foot in position during treatment for fracture and other injuries to prevent displacement of the splint, while leaving the fingers or toes free to be separated for the application of separate bandages, or dressings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character in which provision is made for supporting the hand orfoot independently of the fingers or toes, and readily applicable to either the right or left hand or foot without change of structionally retaining the swinging supporting member in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including a swinging bendable member adapted to be it bent over the foot or hand to retain the same in position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain new and novel constructions and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device applied to a forearm and hand splint.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the improved device applied to a foot splint.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation, and

F1g. 6 is a plan view, of the improved device applied to a foot splint.

The improvedsplint is designed to hold an m ured hand or foot from lateral displacement during treatment, and the holding attachment may be associated with any.

pressed into the required shape, and made of any suitable metal or metallic compound, and when applied to a forearm or hand support, the body portion is slightly curved transversely. WVhen applied to a forearm and hand splint, the body 10 is extended into a hand supporting portion 11 and Wrist supporting portion 12, the portion 12 extending obliquely to the longitudinal planes of the portions 10-11. When employed as a foot supporting splint, the surface of the body 10 will generally be continuous from end to end and from side to side, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A continuous pad of felt or like material 13 is disposed upon the body portions as shown. The hand supporting portion and wrist supporting portlon are Wider than the forearm supportin portion as shown in Fig. 1, and the body am: the pad are reduced in width at the juncture of the portions 11-12 whereby recesses or depressions 14 are formed in the side edges of the device, to receive the bindin straps.

When employed as a oot supporting splint, an arm or standard 19 will extend from the body 10 and be arranged to support a padded leg engaging member 20, the latter adapted to be secured to the leg of the patient by suitable straps, or like devices, not shown. It will be noted that the member 18 extends between the standard 19 and the body 10 and is thus frietionally held in adjusted position.

When employed as a hand supporting splint the body member 10 is provided with longitudinally directed reinforcing ribs 15, the latter extending for a portion of their length in the forearm supporting portion 10 and the remainder of their lengths in from the sheet metal material of which the body is constructed. Pressed outwardly from the body between the ribs 15 is a bearing indicated at 16, the bearing being located preferably at the juncture ofthe obliquely directed portion 12 and the forearm supporting portion 10. The bearing 16 is preferably slighly less in height than the ribs '15 as illustrated in Fig. 3, and pivoted at 17 to the bearing is a thumb supporting member 18, the latter being of suiiicient width to extend over the portion of the ribs adjacent to the bearing, and by reducing the height .of the bearing the support 18 may be pressed by the action of the rivet against the ribs and thus prevent its working loose and at the same time causing the support 18 to grip the ribs with suflicient force to hold it in adjusted position. The member 18 is thus free to swing laterally to either side of the body of the device, one of its functions beingto support the thumb. The member 18 is of bendable metal, so that after the hand or foot is in position upon the pad, the member 18 can be bent over into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.

5, to form a stop to preyen't lateral 1novement, The hand or foot 1s thus held in po- I sition and prevented from displacement. By

arranging the member '18 to swing to either side of the bodyyit will be obvious that the device may beadapted to either the right or left-hand, or the right or left foot and without structural change or the removal of any of the members.

If it is not desirable to support the thumb or foot, the member 18 may be left centrally of the body, orin parallel relation thereto as illustrated in Fig. 2.

When the device is applied holding straps or bandages, or both, not shown, will be passed around the hand portion and in the depressions 14:, and thus effectively bind the device to the hand and arm and prevent slipping thereform. The depressions 14 thus operate as a holding device to retain the straps orbandages and materially increases the efliciency and utility. Suitable straps, not shown will also be applied to .hold the foo-t in position.

Having thus described the invention what is-des red to secure by Letters Patent is:

11A device of the class describedcommanuals patent may be obtained for prising a body including continuous forearm wrist and hand supportlng portlons, and an auxlliary support of bendable materialpivoted at one end to the body interlationand a wrist supporting portion connecting the forearm and hand supporting portions and obliquely to the plane thereof, and an auxiliary support of bendable mate-rialpi'voted to the body atthe juncture of the forearm and Wrist supporting portions and swinging at its free end beyond the sides of the body. 3. A device of the class describedcomprising a body member including'a forearm supporting portion, a hand supporting portion and an intervening obliquely directed wrist supporting portion reduced transversely to form depressions to receive holding straps, said wrist supporting portion and the contiguous arm and hand supporting portions having longitudinally directed stiffening ribs pressed therein, and a bendable thumb supporting member pivoted to the body and adapted. to swing laterally thereon in engagement with the ribs.

4. A device of the class described com prising a body member formed of sheet metal and including fore arm, hand and wrist supporting portions, said body member being formed with longitudinally directed strengthening ribs intermediate the ends and a bearing portion upset from the body me'1n ber between the ribs, and a bendable member 6- A device of the class described comprising a supporting body, and awigid member of bendable material extendible laterally of the body. p p

7 A device of I the class described comprising a supporting body, and a member.

of bendable material movable relative to the body and extensible laterally thereof.

ROBERT D. MAVD'DO'XQ I 1 five each, r ns the "Commissioner of Patents, 'washington, D.G.

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