US959881A - Joint for artificial legs. - Google Patents

Description

D. W..PRIGE.

JOINT POR ARTIFICIAL LEGS. APPLICATION FILED JULY2s,19o9.

Patented May 31, 1910.

law

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

DAVID W. PRICE, OF OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL LEG-S.

To all 'whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Joint for Artificial Legs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to artificial legs, and has for its object the provision of means whereby free movements of the leg will be permitted, while at the same time, a irm support will be provided in all the positions assumed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an artificial leg which will have a iiexible but firm support for the limb of the user which will avoid the injurious clamping action of the ordinary stiff socket or inclosing case.

Vith these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which will be hereinafter lirst fully described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of an artificial leg embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the lower portion of the same, and Fig. 3 is an edge view of the joint between the upper and lower members.

In carrying out my present invention, I employ a casing consisting of a lower meinber 1, and an upper member 2, each of which is constructed of stout leather cut to the proper size and folded around to form sleeves adapted to inclose the stump of the amputated limb, the meeting edges of said sleeves being connected by lacings 3 whereby the said sleeves or casings may be secured in position on the stump. By using a exible casing or iiiclosiiig sleeve formed of leather or similar material, I avoid the irritating stiffness which was a prominent feature of articial legs heretofore made.

The lower end of the lower member 1 is secured to a wooden block or skeleton I and is therebyprevented from collapsing, and in order to further reinforce the sleeve, I employ metallic straps or braces 5 which are riveted to the inner sides of the sleeve at the lower portion of the same, while just above the skeleton or block L1 and within the sleeve or casing and connected with the upper ends of the straps 5 I provide an inter- Specication of Letters Patent.

` Application led July 23, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 509,150.

nal annular brace 6 which is riveted to the casing, as will be readily understood. Firmly secured to the outer sides of the casing at the upper end of the same and extending from the said brace 6 to the upper extremity of the casing is a metallic strap 7, having a jointed connection with a similar strap 8 secured to the outer sides of the upper member 2 of the casing. The connection between these straps 7 and 8 consists of a pair of plates 9 pivotally secured to the upper end of the stra 7 a link 10 pivoted between the upper en s of the plates 9 and having its own upper end pivoted between the lower ends of plates 11 which are similar to the plates 9 and are pivotally secured to the lower end of the strap 8. This construction will provide a flexible link connection between the two straps and permit a free play of the members 1 and 2 relative to each other so as to accommodate all the natural movements of the limb in order to relieve the strain on the several pivots and provide a firm support for the limb when the user of the device is walking or standing.

The link 10 is provided with shoulders 12 at its upper and its lower ends which shoulders are adapted to engage against similar shoulders on the ends of the straps 7 and 8 and thereby prevent undue forward movement which would cause the wearer to fall or to severely strain or injure the stump of the amputated limb, and similar shoulders 13 are provided on the meeting ends of the plates 9 and 11 for the same purpose. In order to give a support to the parts when the leg is bent, as in the acts of walking, sitting or kneeling, the ends of the link or straps and the connecting plates are formed on curves which describe eccentric arcs whereby, when the upper member is moved rearward relatively to the lower member, the rear end of the edge of one member of the joint will be brought against the adjacent edge of the meeting member of the joint and thereby support the leg, as will be most readily understood on reference to the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The block or skeleton 4 is provided in its lower end with a central transverse concave seat 14 which may be lined with metal in order to reduce the wear, and this seat engages a convex projection or support 15 rising from the upper side of the foot member 16 of the device. The meeting convex and concave faces of the seat 1/1 and the pro-jection 15 are spheroidal so that the ankle mem ber or skeleton l may move in all directions over the foot member so as to accommodate the ordinary motions of straight walking on a level surface and also permit the user of the device to walk upon a hillside or to ascend or descend stairs. A cushion 17 is interposed between the ankle member or skeleton I and the foot member or skeleton 16 so as to reduce the shock upon the limb in the act of walking and to promote comfort of the user of the device.

In order to firmly hold the ankle and foot members together I employ eye-bolts 18 which pass vertically through the ankle member and are engaged at their lower ends with loops or straps 19 of leather or similar material which are secured firmly in the foot member and pass through the same so as to engage the eyes of the eye-bolts. Around the upper ends of the said eye-bolts I coil springs Q0 between the upper end of the ankle member 4 and retaining nuts 21 which are mounted on the upper extremities of the bolts and are adapted to be turned toward the ankle or skeleton 4f so as to adjust the tension of the springs 20, as will be readily understood. The foot member is covered with felt, as indicated at 22, and the usual spring 23 is provided for the toe portion to impart the desired elasticity thereto and give the proper strength for fast walking or the taking of long steps. The construction of the ankle joint permits either long or short steps to be taken without eXtra effort on the part of the user and without strain on the stump and knee joint. The movement of my artificial limb so closely resembles the movement of the natural joint that limping is almost imperceptible.

It is believed that the use and advantages of my device may be readily understood from the foregoing description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and further detailed mention of the same is believed to be unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination of upper and lower reinforcing straps, a connecting plate pivoted to the upper end of the lower reinforcing strap, a connecting plate pivoted to the lower end of the upper reinforcing strap, and a vlink having its opposite ends pivoted to the ends of the connecting plates, the con- VeX end of one member playing in an eccentric concave end of the meeting member.

2. The combination of upper and lower.

reinforcing straps having convex end edges terminating in transversely disposed shoulders at the front edges of the straps, connecting plates pivoted to the said straps and having their meeting ends formed with transverse shoulders at their front edges, the said ends in rearof said shoulders presenting engaging convex and concave faces arranged eccentrically to each other, and a link pivoted to and connecting the said connecting plates and having its ends formed with concave faces disposed eccentrically to the convex ends of the reinforcing straps and with shoulders at its front edge adapted to engage the shoulders of the ends of the reinforcing straps.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID WV. PRICE.

Titnesses PEARLE DINKELSPEEL, MAMIE KELLY.

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