US741411A - Artificial leg. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD OUT. 13, 19013.

N0 MODEL.

Inventor Wit nesses. I

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NITED Patented October 13, 1903.

OLE PETER RASMUSSEN POLD, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

' ARTIFlCIAL LEG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,411, dated October 18, 1903.

Application filed December 4, 1902. Serial No. 133,923. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE PETER RAsMUssEN POLD, shoemaker, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen, Denmark, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to artificial legs, and more particularly to the joint corresponding with the ankle. It is also free from any proj ections which might cause wear of the trousers.

I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows an elevation of the leg in vertical section. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the leg, partly in section and in a bent position. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of part of the mechanism. Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section taken at the line A B of Fig. 3.

The leg is designed for cases in which the natural leg is' amputated above the knee. The part which serves to receive the stump of the leg consists, as usual, of a leather socket 1, provided with laces for tightening. The said socket is attached removably to the metal frame 4:, which turns on the pivots 2. The lower part of the leg consists of a leather case 3, the edges of which are stitched together. In the leg are inclosed the working parts and the spring-action, thus preventing any danger of tearing the trousers when walking. The motion of the leg on the pivots2 is limited by the hook 5, placed at the lower part of the metal frame 4. When the thigh is in a vertical position, the hook 5 engages with the edge of the stop 7, which projects from the interior of the leg and is connected to the bar 6, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. When the leg is bent as shown in Fig. 2, the hook 5 engages with the fore part of the bar 6. move the leg forward,the interior spiral spring Sis employed, the upper end of which is fitted to the leather strap 9, connected to the angular bar 4.. The lower end of the spring is connected to the lug 10, attached to the inside of the leg or in any other suitable way.

The ankle-joint is formed by a spring-controlled universal joint, which permits the bending of the foot in any direction. It consists of the metal cross-plate 12, placed in a recess in the foot 11. In the four arms of the cross-plate are fitted the bolts 13 in a vertical position. These bolts extend through holes in the plate 14, fitted to the lower end of the leather case 3,and are encircled above and below it by spiral springs 15 and 16. The bolts 13 are provided with nuts 17, which engage the upper springs. In the middle of the crossplate 12 is fixed the mushroom-stud 18 in an upright position. Over it is an india-rubber disk 19, which is fastened underneath the plate 14 in such a way that the said plate and at the same time the leg may be moved in any direction on the stud 18, while the bolts 13 during this action slide through the plate 14., and their springs are compressed or extended, as the motion demands.

The foot, which is fitted to the cross-plate 12 by means of the screws 20, is formed of cork,with an exterior leather cover 21. At the toe-joint an acute-angularcut 22 is formed, in which two spiral springs 23 are placed to increase the flexibility of the foot.

The plate 14. may be jointed to the cover 3 by means of angle-plates 24. or in any suitable way. The foot terminates at its upper end in a socket, which surrounds the lower end of the leg and is connected thereto by means of a strap 29, Figs. 1 and 2.

By the use of leather instead of wood for the lower portion of the leg the weight is greatly reduced.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the nature set forth, the combination with the foot member, of a plate secured thereto, a centrally -disposedl stud rising from said plate, a leg member provided with a plate adapted to engage said stud and resilient means for holding said plates in normal relation.

2. In combination, a foot member provided with a cross-plate a mushroom-stud secured I and springs encircling said bolts and engagcentrally in said cross-plate, a leg member ing the bottom plate and said nuts. 10 provided with a bottom plate, an elastic disk In testimony whereof I affix my signature inserted between said bottom plate and said in presence of two witnesses.

5 stud, bolts secured in the arms of said cross- OLE PETER RASMUSSEN POLD.

plate and projecting through holes in said Witnesses: 4 bottom plate nuts in said bolts, springs en- HANS PETERSEN,

circling said bolts and engaging said plates NIELs ABRAHAMSEN.

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