Patent GB-1146149-A (GB)
Title: Therapeutic traction device
IPC: A61H1/02
Filed: 1966-11-30
Abstract: 1,146,149. Traction apparatus. J. C. RADFORD. 30 Nov., 1966, No. 53699/66. Heading A5R. A therapeutic traction device comprises an upright support yoke, means engaging the support yoke for positioning the support yoke with respect to a bed, a spreader bar for applying traction forces to a patient, a weight for producing the traction forces, a differential drum which is journalled in the support yoke for rotation with aspect thereto and which has a central portion of one diameter and end portions of a second and different diameter, and cable means which interconnects the spreader bar and the weight and which comprises a primary cable for connecting the spreader bar and the differential drum and a secondary cable for connecting the weight and the differential drum. The two ends of the primary cable are connected to one of either the central portion of the drum or the end portions of the drum and the central portion of the primary cable is connected to the central portion of the spreader bar; the two ends of the secondary cable are connected to the other of either the end portions of the drum or the central portion of the drum and the central portion of the secondary cable is connected to the weight. As illustrated in Figure 3, support yoke 13 comprises a closed loop of metal tubing which is adapted to be positioned with respect to a bed by means of a base member 14 which is adapted to rest on a bed frame and which comprises a partially closed loop of metal tubing in the form of a crossbar 18 and side arms 16 and 17 each of which is provided with a flattened terminal tab 28. Encircling each of the side arms 19 and 21 of the support yoke is a friction clamp 22 by means of which the support yoke is adjustably mounted on the base member. Each clamp comprises a pair of spaced resilient side plates 23 and 24, see Figure 5, each of which is perforated with a preferably non- circular aperture adapted to receive a carriage bolt 26 which is associated with a wing nut 27; each carriage bolt is adapted to be received in a preferably circular aperture provided in the respective terminal tab of the base member. Journalled in the support yoke is a differential drum 36 comprising a small diameter central portion 42 and large diameter end portions 43 and 44 which terminate in respective hubs 46 and 47. Extending through passages formed in the central portion of the drum, to be anchored thereto, are the ends of a primary cable 56, which has a central loop 57 engaged by a pulley 58, which is mounted for rotation in a clip 59, secured by a bolt 61 to a spreader bar 62, at the ends of which are hooks 63, to which may be secured a traction harness 66, for example a halter adapted to engage the head of a patient; extending through passages formed in the end portions of the drum, to be anchored thereto, are the ends 67 and 68 of a secondary cable, which has a central loop 72 for supporting a soft open-top container 73, which encloses one or more weights for supplying tractive force. Each side arm of the support yoke may comprise two telescopic members to provide additional vertical adjustment, see Figure 6 (not shown).