IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR THE SUPPORT OF VARICOSE VEINS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY
Year: 1884

page_text: I EBENEZER DIVER of Kenley in the County of Surrey Surgeon do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR THE
SUPPORT OF VARICOSE VEINS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the manufacture of stockings and other appliances for
the support or relief of varicose veins and for application over or about a joint.
The Invention consists of a stocking bandage or support of a form adapted to
fit the part of the body or limb to which it is to be applied and having a structure
constituted by bands or strips arranged in parallel directions or otherwise
connected by other bands or strips whose direction crosses that of the first
mentioned bands, the series of bands enclosing or being separated by open spaces
or apertures of considerable dimensions (as distinguished from mere perforations)
and the general direction of the principal bands being such that they will lie more
or less transversely across the veins to be supported and apply light pressure
thereto at such intervals or positions as may be best calculated to favor more or
less an imitation of the natural action of the valves of the veins, and at same
time support the walls of veins themselves.
The pressure may be applied by both sets of bands or strips or by one set only
and the structure may be formed from a sheet of elastic material or moulded of
the desired form, or constructed of separate bands or strips united together or it
may be produced by the interweaving of threads as in knitted and other work,
and may be in the form of a blocking kuee cap thigh piece or bandage according
to the situation in which it is to be applied.
The open work structure above described may if desired be covered over with a
knitted or other suitable fabric the pressure being however always applied by the
bands or strips or some of them the essential feature of the Invention residing in
the lattice or open work form of the structure by which the pressure is applied.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
EBENEZER DIVER of Kenley in the County of Surrey do hereby declare the
nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR THE SUPPORT OF
VARICOSE VEINS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
My Invention relates to the manufacture of stockings and other appliances for
the support or relief of varicose veins and for application over or about a joint.
The invention consists of a stocking, bandage, or support, of a form adapted to
fit the part of the body or limb to which it is to be applied and having a lattice:
or open-work structure, such as would be constituted by bands or strips arranged
in parallel directions and connected by other bands or strips whose direction
crosses that of the first mentioned bands, the series of bands enclosing or being
separated by open spaces or apertures of considerable dimensions (as distinguished
from mere perforations) and the general direction .of the principal bands being
such that they will lie more or less transversely across the veins to be supported
and apply light pressure thereto at such intervals or positions as may be best
calculated to favor more or less an imitation of the natural action of the valves of
the veins and at same time support the walls of the veins themselves.
The structure may be formed from a sheet of elastic material or moulded of
the desired forin, or constructed of separate bands or strips united together, the
pressure being applied by one or both sets of bands, and may be in the form of a
sock, stocking, knee cap, thigh piece, or bandage, according to the situation in
which it is to be applied.
The invention resides in the lattice or open work form of the structure by
which the pressure is applied.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification in which figure 1 represents in the flat the pattern of the one half
(the inside half) of a stocking constructed according to my invention-Figure 2
represents the pattern of one half of a sock-Figure 3 represents the pattern of
one half af a knee-cap-Figure 4 represents the modification made in the outer
half of the knee-cap and in the corresponding portion of a stocking which covers
the knee.
The drawings show the preferred form and arrangement of apertures which are
triangular with rounded corners and are in rows separated by horizontal bands
the apertures in each row being separated from one another by oblique bands.
The preferable mode of making the article is by stamping or cutting out the
parts thereof from a sheet of unvulcanized indiarubber and uniting the same in
the ordinary way of making indiarubber goods and vulcanizing afterwards.
In order to adapt a knee cap or stocking to fit close to the outerside of the knee
joint it is desirable, before stamping or cutting out the apertures, to cut out a piece
from the outer half of the article of the form shown in figure 4 and then to unite
2

page_text: the edges of the aperture thus made so as to contract the fabric and avoid wrinkles
in wear, after which the apertures are made as above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe that
I do not limit myself to the form and arrangement of the apertures herein shown
and described nor to the mode of manufacture from the sheet, but I declare that
what I claim is
The manufacture of elastic stockings, bandages, or supports, with an open work
structure substantially as herein described and shown in the drawings.