Improvements in Abdominal Trusses.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Abdominal Trusses.
I, WILLIAM WILLMETT of No. 51, Beulah Grove, Windmill Road, Croydon, in
the County of Surrey, Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in abdominal trusses, and the object of it
is to provide a trustworthy and practical truss at a very low cost.
In carrying my invention into effect, I prepare a strap of suitable length, width
and material. The ends of it are attached to the buttons or equivalent portions of
the trousers, back and front, the strap being passed between the legs. Instead of
having only one loop at each end of the strap, I prefer to pivot a short bar on each
end, which short bar carries a loop at each end of it, so that in the case of one
giving way, the wearer has only to turn the bar round on its pivot, and so bring the
second loop or button hole into its operative position.
A pad, preferably adapted to slide upon the strap, may be used if required.
I attach to the front portion of the strap above mentioned, or main strap of the
truss, an auxiliary strap to be buttoned to the opposite side in front. To render
the truss-strap self-adjusting to the person of the wearer, I connect an elastic band
by its opposite ends to two points upon the said strap, there being a slack in it
between the points. When the wearer stoops, the elastic band stretches, and the
slack straightens out. When the wearer resumes his upright position, the elastic
band takes up the slack. This latter band may be incorporated with the strap in
any equivalent way. A strap intended to be placed round the thigh is attached to
the truss strap.
The truss may be held to the person of the wearer by a waist-band, or belt if
preferred, or by,a strap passing over the shoulders when it is to be worn in a
recumbent position.
Dated this 20th I
CTI 1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Abdominal Trusses.
I, WILLIAM WILLMETT, of No. 51, Beulah Grove, Windmill Road, Croydon,
in the County of Surrey, Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
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 improvements in abdominal trusses, and the object of it
is to provide a trustworthy and practical truss at a very low cost.
In carrying any invention into effect, I prepare a strap of suitable length, width
and material. The ends of it are attached to the buttons or equivalent portions of
the trousers, back and front, the strap being passed between the legs. Instead of
having only one loop at each end of the strap, I prefer to pivot a short bar on each
end, which short bar carries a loop at each end of it, so that in the case of one
giving way, the wearer has only to turn the bar round on its pivot; and so bring
the second loop or button hole into its operative position.
A pad, preferably adapted to slide upon the strap, may be used if required.
I attach to the front portion of the strap above mentioned, or main strap of the
truss, an auxiliary strap to be buttoned to the opposite side in front. To render the

page_text: truss-strap self-adjusting to the person of the wearer, I connect an elastic band by
its opposite ends to two points upon the said strap, there being a slack in it between
the points. When the wearer stoops, the elastic band stretches, and the slack
straightens out. When the wearer resumes his upright position, the elastic band
takes up the slack. This latter band may be incorporated with the strap in any
equivalent way. A strap intended to be placed round the thigh is attached to the
truss strap.
The truss may be held to the person of the wearer by a waist-band, or belt if
preferred, or by a strap passing over the shoulders when it is to be worn in a
recumbent position.
In order that my invention and the means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will describe it and them in detail,
referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part
of this Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 illustrates the construction and use of a truss made according to iny
invention with an adjustment device combined with the main strap of the truss for
a rupture on any part of the body.
Fig. 2 illustrates the construction and use of a truss made according to my
invention with an elastic thigh ring adapted to act as both adjustment device and
thigh strap.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of an elastic thigh ring with a flat pad, pad bulb and
straps.
Fig. is a plan of Figure 3.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of an elastic thigh ring, strap ends and flat pad without a
bulb.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of an elastic thigh ring, straps, round pad and pad bulb.
Fig. 7 is a plan of Figure 6.
Fig. 8 is an elevation of an elastic thigh ring, straps and round pad, omitting
the bulb.
Fig. 9 is an illustration of a strap truss with a shoulder strap.
a is the main strap of the truss. Its ends are made fast to some fixed portion of
the dress, back and front. When the truss is worn by a man, a button bb, is
provided inside the trousers, back and front. The position of these devices as to
their being on the left or on the right hand of the wearer, and consequently that
of the pad, as well as the direction in which the latter must be drawn so as to
counteract the rupture, is regulated according to the position of the latter. When
the buttons b, bare used on the wearer's dress, each end of the strap has a button
hole cut in it. I prefer that each end of the main strap should be a duplex one,
and this is effected by pivotting a short strap c by its centre to the said end. Each
end of the strap c has a button hole cut in it, so that in the event of one being
broken while the wearer of the truss is walking, or at work, or stretching himself
in his easy chair, or leaning forward, or reaching over, the other of them can be
brought into proper position for use by simply turning the short strap through
half a turn about its pivot and buttoning the now top end on to the button.
The button and button hole fastening device may be replaced by one of any
suitable type.
The pad is of any suitable construction and contour. Figs. 1, 6, 7 and 8 shew
this part of the truss as circular in general cross section. Figs. 2 to 5 shew it as
flat and oval. A circular pad d surrounds the strap, while a flat pad e is connected
to it by an extension or eye el. is a bulb or convex enlargement. It is made of
any suitable material and made fast to the pad in a proper position thereon for
being pressed against that part where the rupture is, or threatens to be, the worst.
The dotted lines of Figures 3 and 7 indicate different positions of the bulb. This
latter feature of the invention is made fast to the pad in any suitable way, and
preferably at the time that the truss is fitted to the person of the patient.
fis the auxiliary strap. It is made fast to the main strap a by one, end, while
the other end of it is made fast to a fixed portion of the wearer's dress, in front of

page_text: him, but on the opposite side to that on which the main strap is made fast. The
function of this auxiliary strap is to prevent the main strap pulling the pad too
much to its own side.
is a strap which is made fast by each end to the main strap at suitable points
thereon for it to take a bearing round the thigh.
Special provision is made for imparting a quantum of elasticity to the main strap,
enough to allow of its ends being moved away from each other, as they necessarily
are more or less when the wearer stoops, and to contract the strap when he raises
himself again.
This is effected in either of two ways, each of which is characterised by the
combination of an elastic band or an elastic ring with the main strap in such a way
that when one end of the said strap is pulled away from its fellow end, it will be
drawn back to its former position as soon as the pulling strain ceases.
Referring to Figure 1, an elastic band is aligned with the main strap a,
preferably with that part of it which will come in front of the groin. The band
is laid to the inner or skin side of the strap a, and its ends made fast to two points
on the said strap separated from each other by a distance greater than the normal
length of the elastic band, so that a pucker or slack a¹ is produced on the strap,
which is pulled out against the elastic band when the wearer stoops, and formed
again by the contraction of the said band when he rises.
Referring to Figures 2 to 8, I use an elastic thigh strap y' which is in the form
of a ring. The thigh strap o of the construction illustrated in Figure 1 is
discarded. Further, the central portion of the main strap is cut out, and the front
and back portions joined to the opposite sides of the ring, respectively.
A truss made as hereinbefore described may be worn from a waistband or belt
instead of from the trouser band, if preferred.
The foregoing portion of my Specification deals with the use of a truss which is
supported by the wearer's dress. It may however be supported from a waist belt
or a corset.
The simplest form in which my invention can be made is illustrated in Figure 9.
is a strap which is intended to be passed between the legs and held close up to
the person of the wearer by any convenient means. This strap is referred to
elsewhere in this Specification as a strap truss. For day use, it may be made fast
by its ends to the back and front sides, respectively, of a corset, a waist belt, or
the equivalent for that purpose of either of them. Suitable elastic devices are
interposed between the strap truss and the corset or its equivalent. These devices
serve to connect the two together, but their special function is to impart the
requisite quantum of elasticity to the strap truss for the purpose of enabling it to
accommodate itself to the various movements of the wearer. India rubber rings i¹, i¹
answer this purpose very satisfactorily. is a smooth sheath of rubber or other
suitably soft material. Its function is to prevent the skin being irritated or frayer.
j is a shoulder strap. It is intended more particularly for use as a supporter of
the strap truss while the wearer is in a recumbent position. In fact the com-
bination of the shoulder strap and strap truss produces an excellent night-truss, i.e.,
one to be worn in bed. It is light, takes up no room worth mentioning and meets
every requirement. The four ends of the shoulder strap and of the strap truss are
made fast to each other preferably by the elastic devices described in the preceding
paragraph and when elastic devices are used, there is no compulsion upon the
wearer to be in one position, for he may stretch his legs out, turn over, draw his
legs up and stretch them out again as much as he likes. The elastic devices will
yield to or follow each change of posture and hold the strap truss to the shoulder
strap so evenly that the former will never move out of its operative position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The combination with any fixed portions of the wearer's dress, or with a

page_text: corset, a waist belt, or the equivalent of either of them, of a strap truss adapted to
be passed between the legs and to be held in operative position to the person of the
wearer by being made fast by its ends respectively back and front to the said
portion, corset, waistbelt or equivalent, as set forth with reference to Figure 9.
2. The combination of truss strap, elastic devices and some fixed portion of the
wearer's dress, corset, waist belt, or the equivalent of either of them, as set forth
with reference to Figure 9.
3. The combination of shoulder strap and strap truss as set forth with reference
to Figure 9.
4. The combination of main strap adapted to be passed between the legs and to
be held by its ends to points respectively before and behind the wearer and duplex
fastening device at each of the said ends, as set forth.
5. The combination of truss pad on main strap of the truss, main strap adapted
to be passed between the legs and to be held by its ends to points respectively
before and behind the wearer and duplex fastening device at each of the said ends,
as set forth.
6. The combination of main strap adapted to be passed between the legs and to
be held by its ends to points respectively before and behind the wearer and thigh
strap, as set forth.
7. The combination of main strap, back and front fastening device on its
respective ends, thigh strap and auxiliary strap, as set forth.
8. The combination of back and front fastening devices on the respective ends-
of the main strap and an elastic band or ring adapted to allow of one end of the
main strap to be pulled away from the other end, and to draw the said end back to
its former position as soon as the strain ceases, as set forth.
9. The combination of back and front fastening devices on the respective ends
of the main strap, an auxiliary strap, and an elastic band or ring adapted to allow
of one end of the main strap to be pulled away from the other end, and to draw
the said end back to its former position as soon as the strain ceases, as set forth.
10. The combination of back and front fastening devices on the respective ends
of the main strap, an auxiliary strap, a thigh strap or band and an elastic device
adapted to allow of one end of the main strap to be pulled away from the other end
and to draw the said end back to its former position as soon as the strain ceases, as
set forth.
11. The combination of main strap adapted to be passed between the legs and to
be held by its ends to points respectively before and behind the wearer, a pucker
or slack in the said main strap and an elastic band made fast by its ends to the said
strap at points outside the said pucker or slack, as set forth.
12. The combination of main strap adapted to be passed between the legs and to
be held by its ends to points respectively before and behind the wearer, an
auxiliary strap, a pucker or slack in the said main strap and an elastic band made
fast by its ends to the said strap at points outside the said pucker or slack, as set
forth.
13. The combination of main strap adapted to be passed between the legs and to
be held by its ends to points respectively before and behind the wearer, an
auxiliary strap, a thigh strap or elastic band, a pucker or slack in the said main
strap and an elastic band made fast by its ends to the said strap at points outside
the said pucker or slack, as set forth.
Dated this 11th day of March 1893
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.