US2316158A - Adjustable tourniquet - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE TOURNIQUET Albert Eschner Santa Monica, Calif. Application May 20, 1942, Serjal N0. 443,755

This invention relates to an adjustable tourniquet fl arresting bleecling and ci reulatioh, and carries forward the purposes and objects of the tourniquet described and claimed in my co-pendingapplication, Ser. N0. 433,184;; filed March 3, 1942.

Among the objects of-the present inventiun are:

T0 provide a tourniquet that may belnore quickly applied to and rem-0ved from an injurecl limb and which may also be more quicklyjafter being applied, adjusted. to and from a momentarily relaxed condition to 'preventaninjurious stasis of the circulation throughout the injurecl part; 130 dispense With the necessity of using a separate part o1 additional extensioh to function as a pressure pad; to provide for a quicker and more ccnvenient adjustrnent of the device fer properly fitting around limbs differing greatly in size; to provide a more oompact; structure no part of which will protrude in an objectionable manner from a limb to which the devlce 1's applied; to provide an improved combination of Cooperating gripping elements; and t-o simplify construction ancl further reduce the cost ofmanufacture of devices of the Kind to which the invention pertains.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cembination of an elastic band to encir'cle the injured limb, with a swingable lever which sexVes both 130 tighten said band a.nd to applyan eflicient radially direted pressure to the tissue overlylng t-he bleeding bl-ood vessel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device particularly well adapted for quick application to a snakebitten limb to prevent the injected poison Irom passing into I;he general circulation.

Qther objects, advantages and features qf in vntion will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the a0companying drawing, which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device showing lt; in the extended condition, portions of the flexible connection being broken out in order t-o contract; the length of the view; Also or'1e of the clips is partly sectioned.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device illustrat ing the position thereof after the first; step in applying it to a limb has been taken, the limb being shown in cross section.

Fig. 3 illustrates the same structures as Fig. 2 and difiers therefrom only in that the device is shown in the ful1y applied condition.

- the hook portion I9 of the clip I I.

'side of the laberall'y deflected hook portion I9 of the elongated compressor member IT i di- Referring in detail I;o the drawing, the flexible connection 0r band III for encircling one or more tirnes the injured lirnb II should possess con siderable elasticity in -order Im hold more firmly in place the part of the tourniquet which applies pregsure to the injured blood vessel. Said band h-as a folded over end portion I2 which is passed through the slotted basal portion I3 of a rectan- 'gular sheet metal Clip l4 the two runs 0f this folde d over part of the connection being shown vulcanized together in a flatwise manner,- but they may be secured to eat:h other by a grummet or in some other conventional manner. Said clip I4, a1; its free end, is contracted in a sy1hmetrical manner as to its width, I;hus forming an extension I5 which terminates in a h0ok I6. This hook is designecl' I;o engage an elongated compresgor member or Clip I1 in the manner shown in Fig.

'3, whenthe device is in I:he fully applied condition.

' Said clip I'l has a body Portion I8 and end portions I9 and 20 both of which a1e deflected toward the same face of the clip of which they form a part thereby giving said clip a longitudinally dished appearance.

The end portion I9 of the Clip I1 is formed of a hook shape, the hook havir1g a terminal portion 2I ivvhich substantially parallels the opposite side portion 22 of the hook of which it; forma a part. These opposed, parallel, spaced apart; portions 2I- and 22 are respectively provided with adjacent, spaced apart slots 23 and 24 that are parallel to each other and thus afford. means for feeding the strap I0 through The open rected toward the plane in which the body portion of said compressor member lies, and the adjacent slots 23 and 24 afford means of swingab1y connectin-g said compressor member with the elastic strap I I).

The end portion 20 of I3he compressor c1ip IT, which is opposite to its hook I9, is furm'shed with a spacious, rectangular opening 25 adjacent toitsfree end, thus afiording an anchor bar 26 over which the hook IG of the c1ip I4 hqok when the compressor Clip I'I is in the applied p0sition shown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 2 and 3 a blood vessel 3I is shown located betweena bone 30 and Ishatside of the limb to which the compressor platei I! is applied, sai-d blood Vessel being shown collapsed in Fig. 3 owing to the pressure of the applied device bo the overlying tissue.

pressure.

The slots 23 and 24 of the hooked-shaped part of the compressor member form passages for the band II), are each sufiiciently long to prevent the edges of said band from binding against their ends, and are each of a Width only slightly greater than the thickness of said band. Hence said clip can be slid freely along the band only when the body portion of the compressor Clip extends appmximately parallel to the adjacent part of the band, as shown in Fig. 2.

In using the device t check hemorrhage, after the elastic band I0 has been wound around the injured limb till portions of said band come opposite to each other as shown in Fig. 2, the compressor member I'I being at this time in its inoperative, unswung position and therefore freely slidable along the band; said compressor member is then slid along the band as may necessitate to position lt adjacent to the blood vessel to be compressed, anal thereupon said compressor member is swung over and down to the applied position shown in Fig. 3 where it compresses the blood vessel 3 I, whereupon the hook I6 is applied to the anchor bar 26 0f the compressor member, thereby tomaintain said member in its operative position. The down swinging of said compressor member forms a kink in the band shaped as a closed loop, as shown in Fig, 3, thus producing increased tension in the kinked and adjacent part of the band. If the band has been properly adjusted around the limb before the hook I6 is applled, the end portion of the band that carries the hook will also necessarily be stretchecl in bringing the hook into engagement With the bar 25 to which it is applied. 'I'Ihis double tensioning of the band adds t0 the eiliciency 0f the device when used as a tourniquet and is a particularly valuable asset when the device is used to ob struct circulation to prevent poison injected from the bite of a venemous animal from entering the general circulation. In applying the compressor member in the manner which has been stated, said member is swung through an angle of 180 degrees andafter the hook I6 has been applied thereto it produces an efiicient, radially directed pressure directly over the blood vessel to be compressed, which pressure is rendered more eflleient by reason cf the dish-shapecl character of said member. Hewever, the firm pressure of the metal clip f whieh said member consists will not irritate the umlerlying tissue, because at least a single run of the elastic band Will overlie that part 0f the tissue which is subjected to the greatest amount cf The frictional engagement cf the applied Clip I'I with the part of the band I0 linderlying it, in conjunction with the grip of the slotted part of said Clip 'upon the band at the same time, positively prevent displacement of said clip.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration on1y and that thiS invention includes all modifications and equivalents Which fall Withln the scope of the subject matter claimeol.

What is claimed is:

1. A tourniquet consisting of a flexible strap for passing around a bleeding limb, an elongated compressor member having at each end a laterally deflected portion, saicl deflected portions being located at the same side of said. compressor member and a body portion uniting said end portions, there being a pair of adjacent para11e1 slots leading through one of said end portions of said clip, said strap extending through said slots and thereby swingably connecting seid member to it, the opposite end portion of said member having an anchoi portion to receive a hook when said member is swung about its connection with said strap as an axis through an angle of 180 degrees from an inoperative to an operative position, and a hook attached to one of the end portions of saidstrap to cooperate with said anchor portion when said member 1's in its operative position.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 and, the glotted part of said member consisting of a hook the open sicle of which is directed toward the plane occupied by the body portion 0f said member.

3. A tourniquet comprising a flexible strap for passing around a bleeding limb, a compressor member consisting of an elongated plate dishshaped in the direction of itslength and having a laterally deflected end portion which includes two runs in an adjacent parallel relation to each other, each of said runs beim; slotted so that said. strap extends through them both, thereby swingably connecting said member With said strap, the opposite end portion of said Clip having an anchor portion toreceive a hook, and a hook attached to one cf the end portions'of said strap to cooperate With said anchor when said compressor member is in its operative position With the bottom face of its dish-shaped portion in exterior contact With said strap when the latter is applied to the limb of a human subject.

4. The subject matter of claim 3 anal, said compressor member, when moved toward its operative position to the limit of its swinging movement, producing an outwardly directed tensioning loop in the aforesaid strap.

5. In a device of the Kind described an elastic strap to encir-cle a limb of a human subject, a hook carried by one end portion of said strap, a compressor member consisting of an elongated plate of rigid sheet material which has a presser portion and at each end of Said presser 'portion a laterally deflected portion, said deflected portions being located at the same side of said 00mpressor member, one of said deflected portions including two adjacent spaced apart runs each of which has through it a slot opposite to the slot of the other, said elastic strap extending through both 0f said slots in a freely sliclable manner when said compressor member is in its inoperative position, saiol member being swingable from such position to an operative position whereinthe face thereof farthest from its said projecting portions presses exteriorly against said strap when the latter is in its applied position in relation to the limb of a human subject, said compressor member having an anchor portion at the end thereof opposite to its aforesaid two slots, said hook being engageable with said anchor por-tion to hold said compressor member in its said operative position.

6. The subject matter of claim 5 anal, saicl compressor member when swung from its imperative to its operative position moving through an angle of substantially degrees and kinking into a closed loop the part of said strap which passes through its said two slots, thereb adding to force With which said strap grips the limb to which it is applied. v

ALBERT ESCHNER.

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