US1319884A

US1319884A - Punooearm

Info

Publication number: US1319884A
Authority: US
Priority date: 1917-10-31
Filing date: 1917-10-31
Publication date: 1919-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1936-10-28

Description

P. M. McKAY.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPucATIoN FILED ocT. 31. 1911.

Patented Oct. 28,1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I IIIII I k WIIIIHHHMMLM.

lulI I II.

'P.M. McKAY.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLlcATloN min ocr. 31. lsu.

1,319,884. Patented 001;. 28,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. '1a V r. E 9

PETER MURRAY IVICKAY, OF NELSON, NEW ZEALAND.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

wire, and a pivoted thumb of hard material is normally held in the closed or gripping position by a spring, and is opened by a cord or other flexible member connected to a part of the wearers body. The fingers of such a hand are bent or straightened by the other hand of the wearer as occasion requires, and one object of this invention is to provide a construction which will enable the central wires of the fingers to be readily replaced when worn out. To that end, the

`fingers are hollow and the stilfening wire can be inserted therein and withdrawn through an opening provided in the hand. The openings for the stiffening wires are preferably located in the end of thewrist, andthe end of each wire can be connected by a screw to a metal plate, which is embedded in the hand.

At the wrist, the hand can be provided with a cylindrical plug adapted to be inserted in a socket member attached to the wearers arm, and a spring catch is provided at the wrist of the hand adapted to engage any one of a series of holes located in the socket member and concentric with the socket. Thus the angular position of the hand relatively to the socket member can be adjusted, and held in the desired position by the spring catch engaging one of the holes.

A thumb is provided to the hand, and is normally held in the closed or gripping position by a tension spring connected at one end to the palm of the hand and at the other end connected between the end of the thumb and its pivot. The tension spring can be connected to the stiifening wire in the index finger, and thus it can readily be removed and replaced by a longer or shorter spring if desired. A flexible member such as a cord is connected to the basal end of the thumb and passes over a pulley situated on the Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application led October 31, 1917. Serial N' o. 199,400.

the tension of the spring. The cord passes up outside the wearers arm, across his back, and thence across his chest, and is finally connected to a shoulder pad; guide pulleys being provided at the elbow and shoulder. By a suitable movement of the muscles of the chest and Shoulder the cord can becaused to exercise a pull on the thumb and open it to the desired extent.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is an elevation of the back of an artificial hand according to this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 shows the hand and the thumb operating flexible member in position on the wearer.

The ngers A of rubber and fabric have a central hole B in which a wire C of non-V resilient metal such as soft copper is inserted from the end of the wrist. The wire is formed with an eye D at one end through which a screw E can be inserted and screwed into an angle plate F set in a wooden block G which forms the base and wrist portion of the hand. A plate H is fixed on the end of the wrist by a small screw I and a cylindrical plug J both of which screw into the angle plate F. The plug J is a good fit in a hole in a socket member K which is connected to the stump of the arm of the wearer, and when the plug is pushed home an annular groove J1 on the plug engages with a spring catch K1 on the socket member K. This spring catch K1 can be of the kind described in British patent specification No. 13067 of 1916 'but any known type of catch can be used which is adapted to engage with the groove J1 and hold the hand firmly in the socket and which can b e moved to release the hand when desired. The hand can be rotated in the socket member K, its angular position being fixed by a spring catch I., the pin M of which is adapted to enter any one of the holes N formed on the outside of the socket member in a series concentric with the hole which receives the plug J. The spring catch L is mounted on the plate H, and pressure on the finger piece O compresses the spring P and thus lifts the pin M out of the holes N.

In the thumb Q a metal plate R is embedded and provided with two ears S which are pivotally connected to two ears extending from a plate T embedded in the palm of the hand. A tension spring Ui is connected at one end to the plate R Vand at the other end is connected to the stiifening wire in the index finger. A cord V is connected at one end to the base of the thumb and passes between the pulleys W, the other end of the cord being provided with an eye X. After the hand is connected yto the socket, the eye X is connected to a strap Y (Fig. 4) which in turn is connected to a cord Y1 passing successively over pulleys Z and Z1 and then joining to a strap Y2 which after passing across the back and the chest of the wearer is connected to the shoulder pad Ys. A strap Y4 is connected to the strap Y2 where it passes under the armpit, and the said strap Y1 is connected to a waist-band or the like so as to relieve the upward pressure of the strap Y2 under the armpit. It will be obvious that a suitable movement of the muscles of the chest and shoulder will move the cord over its pulleys and cause the thumb to open against the tension of its spring.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An artificial hand comprising hollow fingers composed of rubber and fabric; and renewable stifiening wires separately insertible into and withdrawable from the hollow in each finger without impairing the hand, for the purpose described.

2. An artificial hand comprising hollow fingers composed of rubber and fabric; re-

newable stiifenng wires separately insertible into and withdrawablefrom the hollow in each finger without impairing the hand;

a metal plate embedded in the hand; and

means to connect the end of each wire to said plate after said wires are inserted, said means being accessible from the outside of the hand; for the purpose described.

3. In an artificial hand, the combination of hollow fingerscomposed of rubber and fabric; renewable stiifening wires separately insertible into and Vwithdrawable from the hollow' in each finger without impairing the hand; a thumb pivoted intermediate its ends to the hand; a tension spring connected at one end to the palm of the hand and at its other end to the thumb onone side ofits pivot; and a flexible member/operatively connected to the thumb on'the other side of the pivot.

4l. In an artificial hand, the combination of hollow lingers composed of ,rubber and fabric; renewable stiflening wires separately insertible into and withdrawable," from the hello-w in each finger without impairing the hand; a thumb pivoted intermediate its ends to the hand; a tension spring connected at one end td one of the finger wires and at its other end to the thumb on one side of its pivot; and a flexible member operatively connected to the thumb on the other side of-A the pivot. In testimony whereof I aiiix mysignature.

PETER MURRAY MCKAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C.