US3028858A - Stretcher brace - Google Patents

Description

April 10, 1952 H. w. CUTLER 3,028,858

sTRETcHER BRACE Filed May s1, 195e l N VEN TOR.

8 fd/z Maf/@Wma B' www r ATTDRN EYS United States Patent 3,028,858 STRETCHER BRACE Hall W. Cutler, 308 N. 2nd St., Lamesa, Tex., assigner of one-half to Myrtle McCool, Lamesa, Tex. Filed May 31, 1956, Ser. No. 588,284 3 Claims. (Cl. 128--S4) This invention relates to surgical appliances, and in particular adjustable braces for the arms, legs, and other parts of the human body wherein, particularly in the case of bone fracture, arms, legs, and other parts of the body are retained in stationary positions to facilitate healing of broken bones and the like.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a completely adjustable stretcher brace or support wherein arms, legs, and the'like may be stretched and clamped in extended positions as fractured bones, and the like knit together.

Various types of adjustable braces and supports have been provided for retaining members of the body, and particularly arms and legs in extended positions, however, for certain fractures, such as a break below the knee or on either side of the elbow it is difficult to retain the parts in extended position. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates stretcher braces including straps having thrust pockets therein whereby bars of steel and the like may be used with the ends extended into the pockets and with intermediate parts secured by screws with wing nuts in extended positions so that arms, legs, and the like are readily retained in substantially any position desired.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an assembly of straps having thrust pockets therein with bars having elongated slots through which bolts with wing nuts thereon extend, and with U and L-shaped elements adapted to be adjustably combined, so that a brace of substantially any design may be assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stretcher brace for arms, legs', and other parts of the human body in which the brace is adapted to be worn with comfort.

A further object of the invention is to provide au adjustable stretcher brace for retaining parts of the human body in extended positions for healing in which the brace is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the invention embodies a stretcher brace assembly including arm straps having thrust pockets therein, U-shaped brackets having elongated slots and also having adjustable elements therein, an L-shaped elbow strap also having thrust pockets therein, and a plurality of straight and L-shaped bars having elongated slots therein and adapted to be adjustably connected to retain parts of arms and legs in extended positions.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the use of a stretcher brace for an arm fracture.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the brace shown in FIG. 1 taken on line M thereof, the arm being omitted.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a different arrangement of the arm brace wherein the elbow straps are positioned in a U-shaped brace.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View showing the right angular positioned elbow strap assembly with braces extended therefrom broken away.

yFIGURE 5 is a cross section through a ring of the elbow brace taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4 and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 1 showing an adjusting screw between the inner and outer sections of the upper arm brace.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view illustrating the adjustav ble bracket shown in FIG. 7.

FIGURE 9 is a view showing a clip adapted to be secured in different positions on the bars of the brace for retaining parts of the brace in adjusted positions.

Referring lnow to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the improved stretcher brace of this invention includes a plurality vof spaced bars 11) having elongated slots 11 therein and secured together with bolts 12 having wing nuts 13 thereon, U-shaped outer frames having arms 14 and 15 extended from a base 16, adjustable yokes or inner U-shaped lframes having arms 17 and 18 extended from a base 19 and adapted to be drawn downwardly with a pull bolt 29, large straps 25 having thrust pockets 26 thereon, small straps 27, an elbow strap 30 having right angularly positioned sections 31 and 32 with thrust pockets 33 thereon, Z-shaped brackets 34 secured to a ring 35 of an arm brace, an adapter including L- shaped sections 36 and 37, and a clip 38 adapted to be mounted by one of the bolts 12 and wing nuts 13 in the slots 11 of the bars 10 or in other bars of the brace.

The base 19 is provided with an elongated slot 61 through which a head 62 of the bolt 29 extends, whereby upon turning a wing nut 63, which extends through the base 16 of the U-shaped frame, it is possible to draw the U-shaped frame downwardly to stretch muscles of the shoulder.

The U-shaped frame with the yoke therein when used in combination with the elbow strap 30, will be assembled as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The frame thus assembled is shown in a vertical position in FIG. l and in a horizontal position in FIG. 3. In FIG. l a forearm supporting bar is secured to the base 19 of the yoke with the bolt 29, and as thus assembled the bar 75 extends outwardly below the forearm. One of the straps 27 is positioned around the wrist of the forearm and bar for retaining the forearm in position on the bar, and a tongue 76 of a strap '77 on the section 3-2 of the elbow strap vextends over the bar with the tongue extended through a buckle 78. A strap 79 on the section 31 of the elbow strap extends over one of the arms 17 or 18 of the yoke and the upper ends of the arms 14 and 15 extend into the thrust pockets 26 of the strap 25. The strap 79 is provided with a tongue 8i) which extends through a buckle 81 and by this means the elbow strap is secured in the yoke.

With the parts assembled as illustrated in FIG. 3 the arms 14 and 15 of the U-shaped brace are held in position by the straps 79 with the straps extending over extensions 10 secured to the arms 14 and 15 with bolts 12 and wing nuts 13, and ends 82 of the Z-shaped braces are positioned between the bars 10 and outer surface of the section 31 of the elbow strap, the opposite end 83 of the Z-bars being positioned in the thrust pockets 33 of the section 32.

In the design illustrated in FIG. 4 the upper ends 33 of Z-bars are secured in the thrust pockets 33, and the lower ends are secured by bolts 12 with wing nuts 13 thereon in openings in a ring positioned around the section 31 of the elbow strap 30. In this design bars 85 and 86 are secured to the ring 35 with bolts 12 and wing nuts 13.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 the base 19 of the yoke, including the sections 17 and 18, is connected to the base 16 of the U-shaped frame with the bolt 29, the head 62 of which is positioned on the upper side of the slot 61 and the wing nut 63 of which is positioned against the lower surface of the base 16. Where the lower end of the bolt is exposed and subjected to abuse, a shield S7 is threaded on the end of the bolt `to protect the threads thereof.

The adapter illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 is formed with the L- shaped sections 36 and 37 with the section 36 provided with an elongated slot 88 and the section 37 with a similar slot 89. The right angular positioned section 90 of the member 36 is provided with clips 91 and 92 that extend around a similar section 93 of the member 37, the section 93 `being provided with similar clips 94 that extend around the portion 90, providing an adjustable adapter that is adapted to be secured to the arms 14 and 15 or to the sections 17 and 1S of the U-shaped frame.

As illustrated in F EG. 7 clips 38, secured to the members 36 and 37 with the bolts 12 and Wing nuts 13, extend over the arms 14 and 15 for retaining the adapter in position thereon.

The different elements of the stratcher brace may, therefore, be assembled to stretch the muscles of arms, legs, or other parts of a body to facilitate bringing fractures or broken bones in position and with the parts in position the arms, legs, and the like may be retained in stationary positions until fractured parts of the bones knit together or completely heal.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing -from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l, A stretcher brace comprising a U-shaped frame having arms extended from a base, a U-shaped yoke having arms extended from a base positioned within said U-shaped frame, means adjustably connecting the base of said Ushaped frame to the base of said U-shaped yoke, means connecting the ends of the arms of the U-shaped yoke to the arms of the U-shaped frame, brackets adjustably secured at one of their ends to the arms of said U-shaped frame, and an elbow strap having a first section positioned intermediate of the arms of the U-shaped frame and a second section positioned at right angles to said rst section, thrust pockets on said second section receiving the opposite ends of the brackets.

2. In a stretcher brace, the combination which comprises a U-shaped frame including arms with elongated slots therein extended from a base, a yoke positioned in the frame and having side sections extended from a base,

a bolt connecting the base of the yoke to the base of the frame, means on the ends of the side sections of the yoke engaging the slots in the arms adjustaoly connecting the ends of the side sections to said arms, extension bars having elongated slots therein, ybolts with wing nuts extending through the slots in the arms and the slots in the extension bars connecting the extension bars to arms of the frame, an elbow strap having angularly positioned sections with thrust pockets and straps having buckles therein on said last mentioned section brackets having one of their ends connected to said bars and the opposite ends thereof positioned in said thrust pocket, said straps on said elbow strap connecting said elbow strap to said extension bars.

3. In a stretcher brace, the combination which comprises a U-shaped frame including arms with elongated slots therein extended from a base, a yoke positioned in the frame and having side sections extended from a base, a bolt connecting the base of the yoke to the base of the frame, means on the ends of side sections of the yoke engaging the slots in the arms adjustably connecting the ends of the side sections to said arms, and elbow strap having angularly positioned sections with straps having buckles therein on said elbow strap sections connecting said elbow strap to said yoke, a strap having thrust pockets thereon receiving the upper ends of said arms and a forearm supporting bar extended from the yoke of the frame, a wrist strap connected to said forearm supporting bar, said forearm supporting bar adapted to be connected to the forearm by said wrist strap, and being connected to the elbow strap by one of said straps on said elbow.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 412,213 Turner Oct. 1, 1889 590,625 Paquette Sept. 28, 1897 612,087 Boyd Oct. 11, 1898 653,179 Hughes July 3, 1900 2,079,567 Anderson May 4, 1937 2,301,534 Goodwin Nov. 10, 1942 2,413,053 Kolarik Dec. 24, 1946 2,808,052 Walchef Oct. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 542,918 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1941 all

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