Year: 1816

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; JOHN
FITKIN, of No. 60, Old Street Road, in the Parish of Shoreditch, in the
County of Middlesex, Truss Maker, sendeth greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, in and by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of March last, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, did give and grant unto the said John Fitkin; and also unto
William Fitkin and Joseph Barton, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that they, the said John Fitkin, William Fitkin, and
Joseph Barton, their executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them,
by themselves, or by their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as they, the said John Fitkin, William Fitkin, and Joseph Barton,
their executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend; within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, their
Invention of "A NEW TRUSS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso, obliging them, the said John Fitkin, William Fitkin, and Joseph-
Barton, or one of them, by an instrument in writing under their hands and
seals, or the hand and seal of one of them: particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of their said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, the said
John Fitkin doth hereby declare that the nature of their said Invention is
fully described in the following Specification and by the Drawing hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
The new truss will be found to remove the inconveniences generally
complained of in the usual mode of making trusses, and allow the patient an
opportunity of adjusting the pad to his feelings, and, therefore, removes any
unpleasant pressure occasioned by the pad in any particular part. The
adjustment of the pad consists in its being capable of any inclination, so as to
occasion a greater or less pressure on any particular part of its surface where
such pressure may be required, or where the pressure may be found to be
troublesome, which the patient will easily ascertain by his feelings. This is to
be effected with the greatest case by the wearer himself, and is done by
slackening the screw, (A, Fig. 9,) which will leave the pad in a loose state, so
as to be capable of being adjusted to any required direction, causing a greater
or less prominence in any part thereof, so that the plate (P, P, Fig. 9), which
is represented nearly perpendicular, will admit of being shifted to the direction
of the dotted line (O, O,) more or less, as occasion requires, and the same
variation of position may be made in every direction, and will be perfectly
secured in such direction by fastening the screw A. The springs of the double
truss are adjusted by loosening the screw and drawing the springs out, or
pushing them further in, to any required extent.
For a description of the truss we refer to the Drawing. Fig. 1, a piece of
iron, brass, or other suitable metal, attached to the spring by means of rivets
(D) for the reception of the pad and its appendages; the body (A) continued
in the same course as the spring; the head (B) arising a little higher than the
body (A), having in it a hole (C) for the reception of the screw (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2, a screw.
Fig. 3, a half ball, made of iron, brass, or other suitable metal, having a hole
through it (A) for the reception of the screw (Fig. 2.)
.
Fig. 4, a socket made of iron, brass, or other suitable metal, made hollow on
one side (A) to fit the circle of the half ball (Fig. 3); the other side flat, and
a hole in the middle (B) for the reception of the screw (Fig. 2.)
Fig. 5, another socket, made similar to (Fig. 4.)
Fig. 6, a half ball, the same form as (Fig. 3), the hole in the middle tap'd
for the reception of the end of the screw (Fig. 2.)

page_text: Fig. 7, a plate of iron, tin, or other suitable metal to form the pad, having a
bole in it (A) for the reception of the screw (Fig. 2.) On the centre of this
plate is a bridge (B) made of the same metal, leaving a hollow place for the
reception of the half ball and socket (Fig. 5 and 6), also a groove in the top
(C) for the reception of a pin (D). The bridge is attached to the plate by
means of rivets (E), and there are four points (F) which are adapted to fix the
plate to the piece of cork described in the next Figure.
Fig. 8, a piece of cork, or other suitable substance, made to fit and be
attached to the plate (Fig. 7), having a circular hollow place (A) cut in the
middle for the reception of the bridge (B, Fig. 7,) and its contents.
Fig. 9, an edge or side view of all the foregoing Figures, connected together
by the screw (A, Fig. 2), which is left sufficiently loose to shew the half balls
(B and C) out of their sockets (E). But when screwed tight these half balls
sink into the sockets (E) as far as the circular dotted lines (D). The cork
(F, Fig. 8,) attached to the plate (G, Fig. 7,) by means of points (F). The
piece of brass, as described (Fig. 1), is represented by (K), the head of
which forms an obtuse angle with its body; and on the inner side of the angle
is a hollow place (L) forming a recess to admit the projection of (C and E),
part of the steel spring (M) attached to (K) by rivets (N).
Fig. 10, a front view of the pad and its appendages, attached to a single
truss spring.
Fig. 11, a double truss spring, with pads attached to the front, giving an
inside view of the pads and an outside view of the back, with the manner of
adjusting it. A plate of iron, tin, or other suitable metal (A) having two
loops (B), attached to (A) by rivets (C), the end of the spring (D) passing
under the loop (B), the end of the spring (E) passing under the other loop (B),
and also under the end of the other spring (D). Grooves (F) seen near the
ends of the springs (D and E); a screw (G) passing through the grooves (F), to
be screwed into the plate (A), fixing the springs (D and E) when adjusted to a
proper extent.
In witness whereof, the said John Fitkin hath hereunto set his hand and
seal, this Fourteenth day of September, One thousand eight hundred
and sixteen.
5 Signed, sealed, and delivered in the
presence of
WILL. ALLWAY.
JOHN (L.S.) FITKIN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that' on the same Fourteenth day of
September, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Fitkin came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery; and acknowledged tlie Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all 'and everything therein contained, in form' above written.'
And also 'the' Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Fourteenth day of September, in the year above
written.