US2985171A

US2985171A - Colon manipulator

Info

Publication number: US2985171A
Application number: US778786A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wiederman Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-12-08
Filing date: 1958-12-08
Publication date: 1961-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-23

Description

y 1961 c. WIEDERMAN 2,985,171

COLON MANIPULATOR Filed Dec. 8, 1958 FIG. 3.

INVEN TOR. C/MEZES W/EDERW H40 BY 46 45 FIG] ATTOR/VEX United States Patent 0. mg

Patented May 23.1961

COLON MANIPULATOR Charles Wiederman, 1025 McBridge St., Far Rockaway, N.Y.

Filed Dec. '8, 1958, Ser. No. 778,786

Claims. (Cl. 128-341) This invention relates to colon manipulators, It is particularly directed to a device for aiding bowel movement and to act on impacted fecal matter.

An object of this invention is to provide a highly im proved device of the character described, which may be attached to a toilet seat, which shall have means for pressing upwardly on a buttock of a user to apply pressure to the colon, acting on compacted fecal matter and helping press it out of the rectum. Such a device is for persons suffering from constipation and helps to start the bowel movement.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, having means to clamp a sheet of tissue to the device for covering the same to keep it in clean condition.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable device of the character described, which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and yet practical and efficient to a v high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention attached to a toilet seat;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with a piece of tissue folded over said device;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top perspective view of the device shown removed from the toilet seat;

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the device shown removed from the toilet seat;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the clamp for the tissue; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a colon manipulator mounted on a toilet seat 11. The toilet seat may be of any usual construction, and may be annular, as shown, or divided at the front. The toilet seat 11 has a fiat bottom surface 12 and a transversely curved top surface 13. The 'rear of the toilet seat is somewhat wider, as shown at 14. The device 10 may be made of synthetic plastic, wood, or any other suitable material. It may be made as a molding or casting, if desired.

Said device 10 is formed, at its underside, with a groove 15 to receive a portion of the toilet seat adjacent the rear end 14. Groove 15 is longitudinally curved and becomes wider from front to rear. Said device 10 is preferably placed on the left side of the toilet seat, near said wider rear portion 14. Said member 10 thus comprises a top portion 16 overlying the groove 15. At the rear inner side of top wall 16 is a portion 16a overlyingpart of the rear wider portion of the toilet seat. At one side of top portion 16 is a downwardly curved outer portion '17 following the longitudinal curvature of the toilet seat. Extending from the downwardly curved portion 17 is a bottom, inwardly extending, longitudinally curved, flange 18 to engage the underside 12 of the toilet seat. Extending from the opposite or inner side of the top wall 16 is a downwardly extending portion 19, from which extends an arm 20.

Arm 20 has an undersurface 21, which should be substantially in the plane of the undersurface 12 of the toilet seat, or in the plane of the upper surface 18a of the flange 18. The front edge 23 of the arm 20 may be disposed in a fiat vertical plane which forms a continuation of the front edge 24 of the top wall 16, outer wall 17 and flange 18. However, the inner and rear ends of the arm 20, forming a curve indicated in the drawing at 26, merge with the rear edge 27 of the top Wall 16. The edges 24 and 27 may be parallel. Thus the arm 20 has a greater radial extent at its front side. Extending upwardly from the inner end of the arm 20, and extending from the edge 23 rearwardly, partially along the curved edge 26, is an elongated finger 30, or contact which runs from front to rear as shown in Fig. l of the drawing, and rearwardly of the center of the seat opening. Finger 30 has a downwardly and outwardly bevelled inner surface 30a. The bevel 30a is at an angle sufiicient to permit the waste matter to pass the device freely, avoiding making contact as much as is possible. It will be noted that device 10 is easily removable from and attachable to the toilet seat.

Attached to the underside of the arm 20 is a spring clamp 40. The spring clamp 40 comprises a clamp jaw 41, which may be screwed to said arm by screws or other fastening members 42. Hinged to jaw 41, in the manner hereinafter explained, is a movable jaw 46. Jaw 46 has a handle 47 extending on one side towards the inner end of member 10.

Jaw 46 has side walls 45 formed with openings 45a receiving pintles 41a on jaw 41 to pivot jaw 46 to jaw 41. Between jaw 41 and the underside of arm 20 is a bar 48 attached to said arm by a central screw 48a. The outer ends of bar 48 act as springs and can move slightly relative to said arm 20 and jaw 41. Side walls 45 have cam edges 45b and 45c to selectively hold jaw 46 in open or closed position, By pressing against the handle 47, the jaw 46 may be opened to receive one end 50 of a piece of tissue 51 between the jaws. The handle 47 may then be pulled and the jaws closed, and the tissue may then be folded around the top of manipulator 10 to overlie the same, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The patient or user, sitting on the toilet seat, will have the finger or contact presser 30 pressing upwardly against his buttock on the left side toward the mid-section where the colon is situated. Such pressure seems to apply pressure against the colon. A person sulfering from constipation very often has a very hard stool and cannot start the bowel movement. Such a person using this device can start the bowel movement by helping impacted fecal matter to move without any painful discomfort to the person as is experienced in such cases without the use of an aid. The person sitting on the toilet seat could make side movements of the body to help manipulation. It has been found that such pressure will often press the hard fecal matter out of the colon, and thus help a normal bowel movement. The arm 20 will have some resiliency so as not to hurt the user, or make him uncomfortable. With the use of this device cathartics would be disposed with, as such could be harmful.

When the device is properly placed on the toilet seat the lip or flange 18 is an important feature, as it has a tendency to support the arm extension so that the device acts as a lever. The groove 15 is wider toward the rear so that the device may be placed on the middle of the toilet seat and then moved rearwardly to engage the flange without the underside of the seat. The wider portion 16a of the device rests partly on the rear part of the toilet seat to release the leverage of the arm 29. After the user has passed the impacted fecal matter, the user simply raises the left part of his body by leaning over to the right sufliciently to permit him to lift the manipulator off the toilet seat.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the condition of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A colon manipulator, comprising a one piece member having means for detachable attachment to a toilet seat and an integral rigid arm extending radially inwardly of the toilet seat attachment means, and said arm being provided with an upwardly extending finger to project upwardly against the buttock of a user, said device being formed with a groove at its underside to receive part of the toilet seat and with a flange to engage beneath the outer side of the toilet seat, in combination with clamp ing means at the underside of said member for clamping 4 engagement with one end or a tissue adapted to be folded over said device. 7

2. The combination of claim 1, said clamping means including a pair of jaws and means to selectively retain the jaws in open position and in closed position.

3. A colon manipulator comprising a. one piece member provided with a portion formed with a longitudinally curved groove at its underside to receive part of a toilet seat, said member having a flange at its outer side to engage beneath the outer side of the toilet seat, and said member being formed with an integral arm extending radially inwardly from said portion, and formed at its end with an upwardly extending finger, said arm having a thinned portion between said finger and said first portion, said finger being longitudinally and transversely curved, said finger having a downwardly and outwardly bevelled inner surface.

4. The combination of claim 3, said groove being longitudinally curved and widening from front to rear.

5. A colon manipulator comprising a one piece member provided witha portion formed with a longitudinally curved groove at its underside to receive part of a toilet seat, said member having a flange at its outer sideto engage beneath the outer side of the toilet seat, and said member being formed with an integral arm extending radially inwardly from said portion, and formed atits end with an upwardly extending finger, said arm having a thinned portion between said finger and said first portion, said finger having a downwardly and outwardly bevelled inner surface.

References Cited in the file" of this patent UN' ITED STATES PATENTS