CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES
Year: 1845

page_text: HOSKYNS' SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHANDOS
HOSKYNS, of Dublin, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of November, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Chands Hoskyns, my exors, adññors, and assigns, Her especial license, fult
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said. Chando Hoskyns, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Chandos Hoskyns,
my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times 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, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a pro-
viso that I, the said Chandos Hoskyns, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Chandos Hoskyns, hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described in aud by
the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here.
unto annexed, that is to say. :-

page_text: Figure 1 of the said Drawings is a perspective view of a truss, in which
are embodied the whole of my said invented improvements; and the other
Figures from 2 to 12, both inclusive, represent cach a portion or portions of
the truss detached from the rest. The truss consists of a belt A, which
buckles in front, to which there is attached by the means to be presently
explained, two front pads B, B, and a back pad C. The belt is made of
two straps of leather sewed to each other by the sides, but left open at
both ends and of unequal lengths, so as to bear at each end a buckle
piece of a single thickness, as seen clearly in Figures 1 and 8. One
of the front pads is represented in Figures 2 and 3; it is made of wood
and of the form shown (or it may be made of any other form deemed
preferable), and has a circular recess D cut out in it, with an undersunk
part D¹ of an oblong shape. E is a small circular plate of metal (shewn
separately in Figure 4, which is dropped loosely into the oblong part D' of
the recess D. F is another and larger circular plate (Figure 5), let into the
recess D above the other plate, and made fast in its place by four screws
a, a, a, a, in the middle of which there is an aperture F, of the same oblong
form as D', but of about only one half of the size. G, G, are two screws
into two holes tapped
(Figure 6) which are inserted through the aperture F
in the under plate E, so that that plate may be moved round in any direction
according as these screws may happen to be acted upon, as is afterwards
explained. The back pad C is represented in Figure 7; it consists of two
thin metal plates placed end to end, and enclosed in leather stuffed on the
inner side, or that which comes next the body, with some elastic or yielding
substance. n, n, are two loops at the back, through which the belt A. is
passed, and by which the pad is secured in its place. H, H, are two sliding
plates (Figure 8), which are rivetted to the buckle ends of the belt, as shown
in Figure 9, and have respectively three slots in them, one w, w, in the centre,
and two r, r, at the sides. The parts of the leather strap which comes imme-
diately under the centre. slots w, w, have openings cut in them to correspond,
as seen at Figure 1. I, I, (Figures 10 and 11) are two side springs of.. metal
which are enclosed in the belt; each of these springs is inserted by its narrow
end into one of the open ends of the belt, and pushed forward till the project-
ing pins p, p, on the outer face of it, slip into the side slots 2, r, of the plate H,
leaving a part of the larger end of the spring uncovered. When the parts
of the strap have been so far adjusted, the projecting ends of the springs I, I,
are slipped over the heads of the screws G, G, of the front pads B, B, by
means of the orifices 9, 9, which are of a corresponding size to the heads,
and then pushed forward upon the necks of the screws (which necks take

page_text: into narrow slits y, y, extending inwards from the orifices 9, 9), till the screws
G, G¹, enter, about midway into the centre slots w, w, of the plates H, H.
The front pads are then secured to the belt in any required position, by
sliding the screws G, G¹, in the centre slots w, w, of the plates H, H, and
the pins p, p, in the side slots r, r, of the same plates, and a motion upwards
or downwards, or in any oblique line of direction, is also obtained by the
circular action of the under plates E, E, to which the screws G, G, are
attached, the screws G, G, themselves being capable of being loosened or
tightened at pleasure. K, Figure 12, is a clasp through the open bars, in
which one end of the belt is passed, and which is hooked on to a knob k
which projects from the end of the spring I on the opposite side. I havo
described the front pads.as being made of wood, and there is a great advan-
tage in their being so, for they are more to be relied on, more cleanly, and
less changeable in shape than any soft pad whatever; but that I am enabled
to make them of wood is owing solely to the accompanying arrangements
before described, and to the readiness with which, in consequence thereof, they
they may be adjusted to any position required by the wearer.
I wish it to be understood, however, that I do not confine myself to the
use of wooden or solid front pads, because trusses on my improved plan may
be made with soft pads, which will be superior to any others with which I am
acquainted. It may be further observed, that from the mode in which the ends
of my improved trusses are connected, it admits of being eased out or contracted
to a very considerable extent, so that one truss may be made to fit persons of
different sizes or the same person in different degrees of stoutness.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
improvements in trusses are,-
First, the attaching of the front pads to the belt by means of moveable
circular plates (E), adjustable screws (G, G), sliding plates (H, H), and
side springs (I, I), each with its subordinate adjuncts, as before described.
Second, the employment of a back pad, constructed of two pieces of
unjointed metal covered and stuffed, and connected to the belt as before.
described. And,
Third, the mode of buckling the two ends of the belt as before described,
whereby the truss may be eased or contracted at pleasure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Chandos Hoskyns, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
CHANDOS (L.S.) HOSKYNS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Chandos Hoskyns came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.