US140168A - Improvement in trusses - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets--8heet 2 A. T. C. SC H0 EV ERS.

Trusses.

Patenled June 24, l87o3.

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AM FHoTo-mHalmPH/c co. mi (assale/vak PRocEss UNITED STATES ALEXANDER T. C. SCHOEVERS, OF HAGUE, HOLLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUSSES.v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,163, dated June 24, 1873; application tiled J une 6, 1873.

at the same time shall not be liable to dis- Y placement by the motion of the body of the wearer. My said invention `has reference Vwholly or mainly to that part of the truss called the pad or cushion; and consists in making the said pad or cushion in the following manner:

l make the back of the pad ot' a series of radial spring-arms connected to a central plate. The ends of the spring-arms are expanded in breadth and slightly turned up. 'lhe said springs and central plate are bent so as to give the whole a domelike ligure. The said springs and central plate may be made K in one piece by cutting out from thin sheets'teel. The outline of this spring baci?. of the pad may either be circular or elliptical. lVithin the said dome or spring back is a coiled spring of a conical figure, the apex of the cone being connected to the center of the plate forming the. summit of the dome. The base of the conical spring carries a small metallic plate, which, when the spring carrying it is uncompressed, projects a short distance beyond the plane in which the ends of the spring-arms are situated. The parts described are contained within a case or cover of vulcanized India rubber. The pad is connected to the spring-band which passes round the body of the wearer by a connection at its back, which allows the said pad a considerable range of motion about the end of the spring-band. The face of the pad of the truss is of a slightlyconvex gure, the central part being made to project considerably by the pressure of the conical spring.

In applying my improved truss, the central part of the face of the pad is applied to the center of the rupture, the spring-band being attached to the body oi' the wearer. The said spring-band presses the pad against the body,

and the result ot the pressure is that the edge of the pad is thereby pressed all round against the body, thus iixing the position of the pad by the hold which the edge of the pad acquires on the ilesh of the part to which it is applied. By my improved truss the pressure is applied to the rupture at the precise Vpoint required, and the position ofthe pad is so secured that there is no risk of its displacement by the motion of the Wearers body.

Having explained the nature of my invention, I will proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the manner in whichr the same is to be performed.

Figure l represents in edge view a truss constructed according to my invent-ion. Fig. 2 represents across-section of the pad or cushion of the truss detached. Fig. 3 represents the pad or cushion in eleva-tion, Withoutits case or cover of vulcanized India rubber 5 and Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are parts of the same, as hereinafter explained.

The samej letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several igures of the drawings.

,Y a a is the series of radial spring-arms connected to the center-plate b, the said springarms and plate constituting the spring back of the pad, the said spring back having a dome-shaped iigure. The said arms and plate a b are made from one piece of sheet-steel. The ends of the spring-arms a a are expanded in breadth and have a convex or rounded figure given to them. The dome-shaped spring back a b is represented in plan in Fig. 4. The center-plate b of the dome-shaped spring back is secured between the flat edges ot' the two cupped metallic plates c d, the middle of each plate being hemispherical, for the purpose hereinafter explained. The cupped plate c is represented separately in elevation, section, and plan in Fig. 5; and the cupped plate d is represented separately in elevation, section, and plan in Fig. 6. rI he two plates c d are connected together with the middle part b of the dome-shaped back a b between them by vthe screw-pins e e, the concave faces of the 'PATENT OEEICE.

nectin g arm f fixed on the sprin g-band h works. The arm f f2 is shown separately in Fig. 7. Between the cupped plate c and the head f2 of the arm f is a lilling-up piece, g, shown separately in Fig. 8. The connection of the spring-band h of the truss to the pad or cushion is thus e'ected by a joint of the kind commonly called a ball-and-socket joint, the spherical end f2 of the arm f forming the ba-ll part and the spherical opening between the two plates c d the socket part of the joint. Within the dome-shaped spring back a b of the pad is apcoiled spring, t', of a conical figure, the apex of the cone being connected by soldering or otherwise to the center of the cupped plate c. The base of the conical spring i carries a small convex metallic plate, k, which plate k projects, when the spring i is uncompressed, beyond the plane in which the arms a a of the spring back a b are situated. lis the case or cover, of vulcanized India rubber, (shown separately in Fig. 9,) by which the parts constituting the pad or cushion are enveloped. The said case or cover l, besides covering and protecting the parts of the pad from injury, also assists in preventing the pad from getting out of place. The pad or cushA ion thus made has a convex figure, the central part being made to project considerably by the pressure of the conical coiled spring. The shape of the completed pad or cushion is best seen in Figs. l and 2. By connecting the pad or cushion to the spring-band h of' the truss by the ball-and-socket joint at its back, as represented in the drawing, the said pad or cushion has considerable play or range of motion about the end of the said spring band.

In applying my improved truss to a rupture, the central part of the face ofthe pad or cushion is placed against the center of the rupture and the spring-band is fastened to the body of the wearer. On fastening the truss to the body the action of the spring-band presses the pad against the body and compresses the arms a a of the spring back a b, which are thereby expanded or flattened out, and by their elasticity press every part of the edge Z2 of the pad against the body. The position of the pad is thus fixed by the hold which the edge l2 of the pad acquires on the flesh of the part to which it is applied, and the central part 7c of the pad, which has been pressed with considerable force against the ruptured part by the action of the coiled spring t', is thereby prevented from being displaced.

By an examination of the drawing, it will be seen that by the united action of the spring back or dome a b, conical spring and plate t' k, elastic covering l, and the spring-band h, the pad or cushion is so firmly fixed on the person that it cannot be moved without lifting up the spring-band.

Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my invention; but

I claim as my invention of improvements in trusses for the cure or relief of hernial. A truss pad or cushion composed of a dome-shaped spring back, in combination with a central conical spring-cushion within the same, the whole being arranged and enveloped in a case of vulcanized India rubber or its equivalent, substantially as shown and dcscribed.

2. In combination with the domeshaped spring back and the spring-cushion within the same, the arm or stem for connecting said parts to the springband of the truss, said arm being united with the pad by a ball-andocket joint, substantially as shown and set orth.

ALErANDER TrMON CORNELIS scHoEVERS. Vitnesses:

Z. C. D. Ho'rz,

A. W. L DE ROOT.

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