US648345A - Artificial leg. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 24, I900.

4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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brai y M NT J. A. PEER.

ARTIFICIAL LEG. (Application filed Jam 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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No. 648,345. Patented Apr. 24, 1900. J. A. PEER. ARTIFICIAL LEG. (Application filed June 15, 1899.) (No Mqdel.) 4 Shoots-Sheet 2.

m a. 6 A

(No Model.)

J. A. PEER.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.)

Patented Apr. 24, I900.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 No. 648,345. Patented Apr. 24, 1900.

' J. A. PEER. ARTIFICIAL LEG.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. PEER, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0. 648,345, dated April 24, 1900. Application filedlunelo, 1899. Serial No. 720,614. (No model.)

lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in artificial legs. f

One object of my invention is to provide an artificial leg whose movements will more nearly resemble those of the natural leg than any artificial leg heretofore known to me.

A further object of my invention is to avoid the dangers of breakage at the joints, which have been common in artificial legs heretofore constructed, to provide for the ready adjustment of the joints, and to take up automatically all lost motion in such joints.

With these main objects in view and some others which will be obvious to the skilled in the art my invention consists in the features, details of construction, and combinations of parts, which will first be describedin connection with the accompanying drawings and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an artificial leg embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, asimilar View taken from the opposite side, showing the knee-socket swung over; Fig. 3, a transverse sectionalview of the entire leg on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.; Fig. 4,a longitudinal section of the foot; Figs. 5 and 6, detail perspective views illustrating the two parts of a toe-joint; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, detail elevationsof one form of ankle-joint employed by me; Figs. 10, 11, and 12, similar views of another form of toe-joint employed by me; Figs. 13 and 13, detail elevations of two forms of knee'socket-fastening devices which may be employed in connection with my invention; Fig. 14, a plan view of the ventilated stump-plate; Figs. 15 and 16, a detail section and side elevation, respectively, of a knee-joint and knee-joint bolt; Fig. 17, anelevation of the mechanical sinew; Fig. 18, a sectional view illustrating a modified form of ankle-joint-fastening device embodying my invention. Fig. 19 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the knee-joint bolt and stayplates separated from each other, the latter being partly broken away.

For the sake of perspicuity Iwill describe my various improvements in artificial legs under the following heads:

I. The knee-joint.

II. The ankle-joint.

III. The toe-piece and the toe-joint.

IV. The thigh-socket.

V. The artificial calf and its ventilated stump-plate. I

I. The 7mee-j0z nt -Each knee-joint comprises two sets of joint mechanism, one set for each side of the leg, each set, furthermore, comprising an upper and a lower stayplate, a joint-bolt, a mechanism which I will term the mechanical sinew, and suitable cushioning devices.

I will now describe in detail one set of joint mechanism, it being understood that the corresponding sets of joint mechanism forming a knee-joint differ from each other only in being rights and lefts, termswhichwill be fully understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring to the drawings, A is an upper stay-plate, provided at a with an upward-extending socket havingan opening in its bot-- tom, as shown at a in Fig. 19. In front of and below the said socket a is arranged a downward extending socket a to carry a cushion. The upper stay-plate A is also provided with a downward-extending lug or ear a Fig. 19, which is offset laterally, in the present case toward the inside of the leg.

The lower stay-plate B, which coacts with the upper stay-plate, has a downward-extending socket b, provided with an opening b above it, as shown in Fig. 19, and withasec- 0nd socket b Figs. 1 and 2, which extends upward and which is in front of the socket I), being also arranged to come opposite the downward-extending socket a of the upper stay-plate. The said lower stay-plate B also has a lug or ear projecting upward, which lug or ear is offset laterally, in the present instance away from the leg.

Each lug or ear a b is provided with a bolthole, a and 19 as shown, the inner and outer faces of the lugs 0. and 13 being countersunk around the respective bolt-holes,as will be seen in Fig. 19. The lugs are arranged to come 0pposite each other in such a position that their other. e i I The lugs or? 19 f each pair of stay-Iplates'A Bl'are movably connected in proper opera respective, bolt-holes will register with each tive relation by means of a knee pivot-bolt 0, Fig.119, which has acentral portionfcom prising a groove substantially semicircular,

as indicated, atc, and a'flange cat eachside 'oftsaidgroove. -The bolt projects at each end beyond the flang'es'c', as shown at oilthev extremeendsi'being reduced somewhat in'di-I a1neter,.'as shown at 0 .1. Each reduced end is u Y arranged to receivea washer (1, as will be (3X1,-

pla'ined hereinafter'.

sunk-portionof the lug, whereuponthe end of thepivot-bolt' maybe riveted to hold the. "saidwasher in place. The other stay-plate is now secured to theopposite end of the pivot+ bolt in a similar manner. At this stage of theconstruc'tion we will havean upper and a'lower stay-plate A and B, respectively, each;

pivotally connected to the pivot-bolt O .by

means of .their lugs, which will be separated from each other by the two flanges o and the groovec, while; the axes of the sockets a b a? b will all bein one vertical plane;

In the sockets c 19 rubber plugs arevinser'ted, which of course will come into contact with each other when the .two stay-plates movein one direction, thereby yieldingly limiting the movement of the stay-plates about their common axis in the said direction.

, stay-plates about their common axis is limited by the contact of the'si'des of theist-ayplates. The-points of contact are indicated at a b, respectively, Figs. 1 and 2.

I will now proceed to describe what I term the mechanical sine w. This consistsof a pair of bolts D D, Fig. 17, threaded; at the outer ends, upon which are screwed adjust ing-nuts d d, .Figu 15, provided with pin-' holes (1 to receive theendjof an ordinary ad justing-pin, spanner, or the like.

i The inner ends of the bolts D D are connected by a knuckle-joint of the usual kind, as shown at One of the said bolts is also prov vided with a square portion 01 whichis of such a width as to'be nearly equal to the distance between the {ianges c of the pivot-bolt'O, for a purpose hereinafter described. Before the two stay-plates A-and B are pivoted together, as above described, the mechanical sinew is 'put in place by inserting the respective ends of the bolts D-D through the openings ct b,'-Fig.

19, in the-bottoms of their respective sockets a. b, after which elastic washers E Ejare V The. movement in the opposite direction of. the

slipped over the ends of' said bolts D and allowed toenter the saidsockets, the-adjusting-nu ts being then screwed upon the threaded ends of the. bolts, care being taken that in assembling all the parts of a joint n echanism the swive'l-jointd connecting the bolts Dis arranged to permit the movement of the stay-plates about their axes,while the squaredfportiondfremains between the two .flanges o of the pivot-bolt-O orinthe' space between the lugs a Ib thereby preventing the turning of the bolts D D, and-hence;retainin'g themin their proper operative relation.

It is to. be noted, that in 'my construction i .thefswivel-jointd "ofxthejtwobolts DD is ,j normally in closeeontact with thepivot-bolt; Hence as'the two stay-plates A B. areswung fror'ntheir normallpositiontoa position where their longitudinal axes are at right. angles to each otherithehnechanical sinew-will com- .pre'ss the'elastic cushions through which it "passes, and the't'wo bolts D Dforming'said mechanical sinewwill also-lie with their axes at-an'angle to each other, turning on their .swivel joint'd? ;In 'my 'improved knee joint, which comprises-two mechanisms such asj ust. described, (with the difference thatone is a right and the other a left,)fthe lower stay 'plates are screwed or otherwise ffastened to the lower leg portion F, asshown, while the upper stayplatecarries the knee-socket, being bolted, riveted, screwed, 'or otherwise fastened to said knee-sockea Q lnthev ordinary use of an artificial leg embodying my improved kneej-jointthe normal position of the knee-joint device will bewith the two lower cushions in contactwith' each other. Hence these cushions and the pivotbolts 0 will transmit the weight uponthe knee-socket to "the ground inanj elastic mannerand-without jarri'ngthe stump of the limb which is secured to the artificial leg; In Walking the mechanical sinews will compress their cushionsas the lower leg portion F is bent backward at the knee-joint at the time when theother leg has moved one step-forward.

Therefore when the artificial leg is raised from the ground for the next'step-themechan- IIO ical sinew, owing to theelasticity of its cush- 'ions, will pullf the lowerleg portion into line with the knee-socket, thereby' causing the lower leg portion to swing forward, whereby itcomesinto position forthe next step. At

the same time'the cushions of the mechanical sinew take up all lost motion which might arise in .the knee-joint from wear, this lost motion being taken up automatically, owing to the fact that the said cushions of the mechanical sinew maintain a pressure on the joint, and thus keep the parts from rattling. It. is to be particularlynoted that. in my improved knee-joint when the wearer sits down, and thereby brings the'knee-socket at an angle't-o the lower-leg portion, the mechanical sinew is bent on its swivel-joint, so that the cushions'pfthe saidmechanioal sinew pull at an angle to each other, the strain of each cushion tending to draw the corresponding opposite bolt into close contact with the pivot-bolt 0. Hence as the wearer sits down there is but little or no tendency on the part of the mechanical sinew to draw on the lower leg portion. This is a great advantage, since it allows the leg to be bent at the knee with out great effort on the part of the wearer.

II. The an7cle;j0int.-My improved anklejoint comprises an upper part G and a lower part G, oneof which is provided with a ball 9 and the other with a corresponding socket g, arranged to coact with the ball in the usual manner. Both the ball and socket are provided with central openings g preferably flared, as shown. At the outer side of the parts G G are formed sockets, as indicated at 9 One of the parts-as, for example, the

part G-is provided with a pair of projecting semicircular ears g arranged to enter corresponding bearings g in the opposite part G, the said ears 9 and their bearings 9 together forming a swivel-joint, this being possible for the reason that the faces of the two parts G G slope at an obtuse angle away from the axis of the joint, so that when the ball and socket are in contact and the ears 9 resting in their bearings 9 there will be a space between the two faces of the parts G G at the outer edges away from'the axis of the joint. The said parts G G are provided with corresponding registering recesses arranged to receive rubber or other elastic cushions. In

Fig. 8 four of these cushions g are shown,

while in Fig. 3 I have shown a single circular cushion g surrounding the ball and'socket. In order to hold the two parts G G together,

a central bolt H is passed through the open-' ing in the ball and socket, respectively, and also through elastic cushions g which are located in the sockets g the bolt H having a slotted head or screw-head at the lower end and a nut or the like at the upper end.

In uniting the foot to the lower leg portion by means of myimproved ankle-joint I form the usual sort of socket .in the upper or ankle portion of the footpiece I and screw'one of the parts, as G, to the footpiece I, and bolt the other part G to the lower end of the leg portion proper by suitable bolts passing through a plate, as shown. The bolt His then put in place to unite the two parts G G, thus uniting the foot portion of the artificial leg to the lower leg portion, the said bolt H being inserted into place through a hole 2' in the bot-' tom of the foot portion. Through the hole i the said screw-headed bolt may be reached with a screw-driver in order to adjust the tension of the joint.

III. The toepiece and its $z.vrvel-j01 nt.One of the most important features of my invention consistsgof the formation of the toepiece and the relative location of the axis of the joint of said toepiece, as will be more fully understood from the description hereinafter.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, 0 is the toepiece, arranged to be connected to the foot by a suitable joint device, such as the one hereinafter described. The axis oof the joint is located above the bottom surface of the toepiece, and the said toepiece extends rearward of the vertical plane passing through said axis, said toepiece thereby partaking of the nature of a lover of the first order fulcrumed at the axis 0. The toepiece has a movement about its axis from a position where the bottom surface of the toepiece may rest firmly on the ground, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 4, to a position where the front portion of the toepiece is inclined upward and forward, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The latter position I will call the normal one, and the toepiece is retained yieldingly in said normal position by suitable elastic or yielding means, preferably,

however, by the toe-joint, which will be' de-- scribed hereinafter. Hencewhen the front portion of the toepiece is in its normal position the portion back of the vertical plane through the axis of the toe-joint will extend downward below the surface of the bottom of the foot portion I, as will appear from Fig. 4:. Cousequ ently when the artificial leg is swung forward in taking a step the heel comes into contact with the ground first, and then as the weight of the wearer is brought forward, and the calf of the leg assumes a more nearly upright position the rear portion 0' of the toepiece is brought into contact with the ground, thereby forcing said rear portion upward, while the front portion of the said toe-piece 'is thereby forced downward until finally the bottom of the toepiece is brought into close contact with the ground, thus giving a full and solid bearing of the entire bottom surface of the foot on the ground at the moment when the whole weight of the wearer. is brought upon the artificial leg, and when the other leg is about to make a step. While this is being done the heel of the artificial leg is raised from the ground, while the bottom surface of the forward part of the foot portion proper and the whole of the bottom surface of the toepiece sustain the weight of the wearer, the heel and the foot portion proper of the artificial leg swinging upward with the axis 0 as a center of motion. Then as the next step of the artificial leg is commenced by lifting.the latter. from the ground the front part of the toepiece will be inclined with relation to the foot portion properthat is to say, will be in its normal position as it leaves the ground, in which position it is held by the elastic or yielding means in the toejoint mechanism, so that as the artificial leg is swung forward in making its advancing step the toepiece will have no tendency to drag along the ground. By this means a natural action of the toepiece is effected and there is no danger of the wearer stumping his toe (as it is commonly called) and falling as a result thereof. At the same time by my construction when the weight of the via-1 1M r plane of division between its two parts .is in- 1 4 r I -e4s,345

wearer is brought upon the artificial foot the toepiec'e is capable of sustaining and does sustain its'fullflshare of the weight of the wearer, and there is no tendency of it to yield or spring away from the ground. Thus,'as

- will'be seen, the said toepiece becomes an im-v portant aid in walking, just as the toes of the natural foot do. Another advantage of this it 'maintain the toepiece in said normal p0 sition;,-the said elastic or yielding mechanism having butlittle functionin moving the toe.-

" I, piece to-it's normal position;

In view of the fact'that in my-constructi'on I cause-the'toepiece toassist materially in maintaining the balance of'the wearer, and

' hence in-"supporting some of the weightof said wearer, it becomesimportant to have the Y toepiece connected to-the foot portion: proper by a. joint which will notbe broken under the load to which it is 'subjecteds there fore employ a joint device which is substan- 1 tially the same ingeneral principles of con.-

. i struction as either the ankle-joint shown in" Fig. 301' that shown in Fig. Zywhic'h have been heretofore described, the only difierence being that the toe-joint device is usually and preferably somewhat smaller than the joint,

device employed as anan-kle-joint, and, furthermore, said toe-joint is located sothat the -clined upward and forward, as shown inFig.

' ,4, whereby" it results that the connecting-bolt (which unites the two "portions of the-said toe-joint device) projects forward anddown- 'ward and has'its screw-head 1' located in a recess at the bottom of-the toepiece, said recess being shown at i in Fig. 4.. 7 By this ar rangement the adjustment ofthe-tensionzof the elastic cushions of the joint devicemay be done readily and without requiring the dismantling of any part of the artificialleg, it being only necessary to apply a screwdriver to the said screw-head 2' and turn the same in eitherdirection, according as it is desirous to increase or decrease the tension of theelastic cushions or to-take up'wear in the ball-and-socket connection.

IV, Thethigh-so'cketz-Jn general, this comprises-the front piece K, made of any suitable material, such. as sole-leather, and preferably smooth in front, the. said front piece being connected to the upper'stay-plates A, as here'- inbe'fore described. The back-piece L of the thigh-socket is made so that it may be opened inorder toallow. the'i-nsertion of the stump I of thewearer.v

In iny preferred form of construction, as shown in Fig. 1, I unite the back piece, which is preferably of sole-leather, by meansof a hinge l, to one edge In of the front piece K. The other edge of-'said'back piece L may bedeta'ohably secured to the corresponding edge of the front piece by any suit;

able fastening or loc'kingsdevice. In Fig. 13 I have shown bucklesand straps employed for this purpose, said figure also illustrating an ordinary riveted. connnection j instead of the hinge, while in. Fig. 1381 have. shown a lacingj in place of such hinge. 1 r p I V. Thearttficial calf 07' lower legjportwn and its. ventilated 'stu-mp plate. This' part of my invention relates to the means for ventilatingthe stump and for-permitting the fitting of the leg to wearers having d-ifierent lengths of stumps-which end below the knee.

For this purpose myinvention consists in making theinterior of the lower-leg portion slightly conical. and. providing a stump-plate N, Fig. 14, having a thick rimn and a plurality of ventilating-holes,'asshown at n.

The leg is also provided toward the r-ear with longitudinal slots or openings n for the entrance of; the airto the interior of the leg and to thestumpl of the-wearer.- When the leg "embodying my improvementsis' to be fitted to a wearer having a stump ending between. the knee and ankle, the knee-socketis left open at the bottom in order that the stump may-project through into :the interior of the lower leg portion. The ventilated stumpplateN is then turned 0E until it is ofsuch diameter that it willv drop. down. into the interiorof the lower leg portion u'ntil'i-t is stopped at the proper point'for the reception of the stump, ofthe wearer. It is to be understood .that a pad of open-work material is to be placed on .top of the stump-plate to receive the end of the stump. 7

' In conclusion it is .to .be understood that whenever'in the above specification I have ''referred' to cushions-o r' similar elastic devices these may be of india-rubber or made of metallic springs, as'desired, although I pre fer the rubber devices.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

.1. In an artificial leg, a knee-joint comprising'a pair of upperstay-plates, a pair of lower stay-plates, pivot-bolts uniting said stayplates and swiveled boltsbearing against the pivot-bolts and yieldingly-connected' to the stay-plates. i t n I 2. 1 In an artificial leg,'the combination with an upper stay-plate having a socket and a lug,of a lower stay-plate-havinga corresponding socket and a'lug,a pivot-bolt on whicheach and having their ends extending through the sockets, nuts on the projecting ends of said flanges andjconnectin'g the said lugs, WtSllers on the ends of the pivot bolts and connlug is pivoted, a pair of bolts connected'by a swiveled joint, bearing against'the' pivot-bolt tersunk into the lugs, and a pair of bolts connected by a swivel joint and bearing against the pivot-bolt, one of said bolts being provided with an enlargement intermediate the flanges of the pivot-bolt whereby rotation of said bolts is prevented, means for yieldingly connecting the ends of said bolts to the upper and lower stay-plates, and cushioned stop devices for limiting the angular movement of the stay-plates.

4. In an artificial leg, the combination with a footpiece, of a toepiece having a rearwardextending portion normally projecting below the bottom surface of the toepiece, pivoted means for connecting the toepiece to the footpiece, the axis of said pivotal means being forward of the said rearward-extending portion, and yielding means for holding the toepiece in the normal position.

5. In an artificial leg, a joint device comprising two parts, one provided with a ball and the other with a socket, one part also having projecting ears with rounded ends,

the other having corresponding recesses to receive said ends a yielding cushion arranged between both of said parts, a bolt passingv through the ball and socket, and yielding means surrounding the ends of the bolts for keeping the parts tight.

6. In an artificial leg, a joint comprising two parts having coactin g faces receding from their actual line of contact, one part having a ball and the other a socket, one part having a pair of cars with rounded ends and the other a pair of corresponding recesses to receive said rounded ends, a cushion device located between the two parts and acting on each, and means for holding the parts together in a yielding manner.

7. In an artificial leg, a footpiece, a toepiece having a hole, a joint connecting the toepiece to the footpiece and'comprising two parts, one secured to the footpiece and the other to the toepiece, the plane of division of the two pieces beinginclined upward and forward, and a bolt device sloping forward and downward, said bolt device connecting the two parts of the joint and having its head opposite the hole in the toepiece, whereby the joint may be adjusted from the bottom of the toepiece.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. PEER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD HOWARD, JOHN W. THOMAS.

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