US975888A - Artificial leg. - Google Patents

Description

-H T. ODGERS.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 25, 1909.

Patented N0v.15,1910.

itnesses I i Harv T067 pen 0,

To all whom it may concern:

STATES BATE rm ,mnmr r. operas, or ootoareosfonro, assienoa To THE commas rnanrr'aoar I COMPANY, OIv COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

' Be it known that I, I'IARRY T. Ononns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in thecounty of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs,

I of whiohthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in artificial leg constructions and has especial reference to the construction of the pivot between the upper and the lower leg member. Controlling devices are mounted upon the -upper and lower leg members in a well known manner and are operatively associated with the pivot or .joint between the leg members. Operating means are connect ed with a suspender or harness fitted-upon the shoulders of the wearer, and are adapted manner.

to be operated by the movement of the shoulders appropriately, either upwardly,

forwardly or rearwardly, or the combination of these movements in a well known The pivot or joint between'the leg members is built up in a unique manner to provide for the mounting of a roller thereon with which the leg controllii'ig means is in engagement and by which engagement the control over the lower leg section is made more complete and easy.

' The specific features will be hereinafter set out in detail.

In the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part of this application, Figure 1 is an artificial leg construction viewed from the side showing the operating means in position, the dotted lines illustrating the position of the parts when the leg is bent. Fig. 2 is a front view of the leg members showing the operating means in position, there being similar controlling I means on each side of the leg; Fig. 3 shows the ioint or pivot member for connecting the leg sections, and in Fig. 4 are shown detached the members appearing at the right hand end of Fig. 3.

:It is not deemed necessary to show the shoulder harness and for the sake of simplicity I have illustrated the upper leg sec.- tion, the lower leg section-in part, the pivot construction for the two sections, and the operating cord by which the movement of the lower leg section is controlled, the cord being shown induplicate. The upper leg section is shown at 1, the lower leg section Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1909. Serial No. 514,586.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

per leg section. The cord 4 is therefore seen to be free to move through the guides over the roller and pulley when force is exerted at either end thereof, and it is clearly seen that such force may be exerted by the wearer on the ends 5 and 6 by lifting the shoulders upwardly and rearwardly and; pressing downwardly and backwardly with the stump of the limb.

W'hen the wearer seats himself the lower leg section 2 remaining upright, the upper leg section assumes an angle therewith, about as l'appenswiththenatural leg,as appears in Fig. 1, and this operation the wearer may facilitate by proper movement of the shoulders setting up a stress in the cord 4 through the ends 5 and 6. When desiring .to arise, the wearer will lift and throw backwardly his shoulders, which will have the effect of pulling upwardly on the ends 5 and (i of the cord 4'," thereby operating to swing the lower leg section forwardly. In both movements of the lower leg section the operation is aided by the engagement of the up-in the cord 4 tends to throw the lower leg forwardly, whereas it has been found that-if the cord is not passed over the knee bolt, when the leg is bent, the initial effect of the stress is rather to bend the leg more. Thus far the description has been'for the most part of well known devices which I adopt in my present construction.

The .novel joint or pivot upon which the leg sections are connected comprises the hollow 'shaft 3 provided .with the enlargement 13 at one end and the stop or cap member 14, preferably formed integral therewith,

while at the opposite end the cap member 15, is associated with the shoulder 16 and these are integrally formed with the threaded member 1?, which is adapted to be screwed into the threaded end 18 of the hollow shaft The roller 19 is adapted to be mounted on the shoulder 16 as will be presently described.

In assembling the parts of the legand. the operating devices, the straps "21 and 2d are secured to the lower leg member appropriately and the lower leg member is positioned appropriately with respect to the upperleg member and the bracket 26; the roller 8 is then positioned on the shoulder 13 against the head 14- of the shaft 3, the shaft is then inserted through the opening -in the head 22, and as the shaft is turned on the threads, the other end 20 thereof enters the opening in the head 25 of the strap '24, so that when the shaft is turned to for repairs or other purposes; the parts are simple in their construction and may be readily replaced.

It will be seen that the shaft or bolt 3 is rigidly carried on the lower leg section, and that during the bending of the leg the upper leg section will rotate on the shaft 3, bearing 40 thereon through the bracket 26.

Variations in the construction may be made and I do not confine myself therefore to the specific details of construction 'set forth, but desire to have the advantage of any modifications lying within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In an artificial leg, an upper leg section, a lower leg section, a pivot bolt engaging said leg section comprising a cap and an enlarged portion at one end thereof, a de tachable cap and an enlarged portion at the other end thereof, a roller mounted upon each of said enlarged portions, and an operating cord in engagement with each of said rollers.

2. In an'artificial leg, an upper leg section, a lower leg section, a bolt forming a,

pivotal connection for said leg section com; prising a body portion having a cap at one end, an annular shoulder formed thereon adjacent 'to said cap, a separable cap member adapted to be secured to the opposite end of said bolt, an annular shoulder formed on said detachable member, a roller adapted to be placed on each of said shoulders, guides on said upper leg section, and an operating cord arranged in said guides in engagement with said roller and slidably connected with said lower leg section.

3. An artificial leg comprising an upper leg section, a lower leg section, a bolt pivotally connecting said leg sections internally threaded at one end, a member adapted to be screwed into said internally'threaded end, roller members adapted to be mounted upon said bolt, and strap members carried by said bolt andconnected to said lower leg sec tion, guides arranged on saidiupper leg section, and operating cords arranged in said guides engaging with said rollers and slidingly connected with said lower leg section. In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY T. ODGER-S. Witnesses:

Jas. D. WINTERS, H. B. M LHOLLAND.

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