AN IM- PRAYED ONCE FAD HEDNIA
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Newling, of Park Street, Grosvenor Square,
London, Surgical Instrument Maker, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PRAYED ONCE FAD HEDNIA"
Sealed the 27th July 1858, and dated the 30th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Newling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
January 1858.
I, JOHN NEWLING, of Park Street, Grosvenor Square, London, Surgical
Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED TRUSS FOR HERNIA," to be as follows:-
One of the common forms of the truss is that of a band of steel, which
nearly encircles the body, and to which a pad is attached which presses on
the rupture. Another form consists of a band of leather instead of steel,
which supports a pad, and pressure is applied to this pad by means of a small
lever, which is depressed by a metal strip or tongue attached to a strap or
straps passing under the thighs. In this, which is called the lever truss, no
steel spring round the body is required, but the use of straps under the thighs
is objectionable. Now, my Invention consists of a combination of the steel
spring for the body, and of the lever spring pad, whereby I obtain in my.
improved truss greater pressure and more freedom of action without the
under straps.
My improved truss is shewn by the annexed Drawing. A steel spring,
passes round the body and is attached by a short strap and buckle to the rivet

page_text: B in any convenient manner; this steel spring being finely tapered to give
greater elasticity. To allow the springs to adapt themselves to the move-
ments of the body, a hinge joint is provided at D; the hinge allows the parts
H, E, to approach or recede from each other; the part II is attached to the
steel spring A, by means of two rivets B, C, which slide in a groove F, and
allow the pressure pad to be adjusted laterally. This pad is situated at E, and
is kept against the ruptured part by means of the flat spring G and hinge
joint H, which prevent the pad shifting, no matter what position the body is
placed in. Finding that the under strap which passes between the legs, and
is used in most other trusses neutralizes the action of the spring behind the
pressure pad, I dispense with it and use the hinge joint shewn at D and the
flat spring G, which keep the pad against the ruptured part, without inter-
fering with the free action of the body or the comfort of the wearer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Newling in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
30th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NEWLING, of Park Street, Grosvenor Square, London, Surgical Instrument
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Newling, Her special licence, that I, the said John Newling, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Newling,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the termi
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED TRUSS FOR HERNIA," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, 'the said John Newling, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my or their or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Newling, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
One of the common forms of truss for hernia consists of a band of steel
which nearly encircles the body, and retaining in position with the aid of
under straps a pad which presses on the ruptured part. Another form consists
of a band of leather or other pliable material instead of the steel spring, sup-
porting in the same manner a pad, to which pressere is applied by means of a
small lever depressed by a metal strip or tongue, which is attached to a strap
or straps passing under the thighs. This form of truss is called a lever truss,
and is open to several objections. The only pressure that can be applied to
the rupture is derived from these straps, which must be kept tight, and are
therefore uncomfortable and very liable to shift the pad with the movements:
of the body, and no considerable amount of pressure can be applied. And in
another kind of truss, a thumb-screw is employed to press upon a binged
plate.
Now, my Invention consists of a truss composed of a steel spring to partly
encompass the body, of a binged pad attached to a body spring, and of a lever
spring which is attached to the lower end of the pad, and passing upwards to
the top is pressed by the body spring, thereby pressing with double power the
lower end of the pad, while the hinge allows freedom for every movement of
the body, and by these means the pad is kept in close application to the
rupture, and the use of under straps is avoided.
My improved truss is shewn by the annexed Drawing. A is a steel spring,
which passes round the body and is attached by a short strap to the stud B*
in any convenient manner; this steel spring being finely tapered to give greater
elasticity. To allow the springs to adapt themselves to the movements of the
body, a hinge joint is provided at D; this allows the parts H, E, to approach
or recede from each other; the part H is attached to the steel spring A by
means of two screws B, C, which, when unscrewed, slide in a semicircular slot
F, and allow the pressure pad to be adjusted laterally and to any angle
required. This pad is situated at E, and is kept against the ruptured part by
means of the lever spring G and hinge joint H, which prevent the pad shifting
no matter what position the body is placed in. Finding that the understrap
which passes between the legs and is used in most other trusses neutralises
the action of the spring behind the pressure pad, I dispense with it and uso
the hinge joint shewn at D and the lever spring G, which keep the pad against

page_text: the ruptured part without interfering with the free action of the body or the
comfort of the wearer.
It will also be seen that by the double action of lever and body spring, this
body spring is merely to secure the pad in its position, and the exceedingly
light pressure required for this purpose renders it trifling more than a soft
body band and under straps quite unnecessary.
Since filing my Provisional Specification I have improved the truss by
making the parts smaller and finer, and by using the curved slot instead of the
groove shewn in the Drawing attached to my Provisional Specification; but
the principle remains the same.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and how the same
is to be performed, I do not claim the parts taken separately; but I claim
the manufacture of a truss composed of a steel band with hinge and lever pad,'
as herein-before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Newling, have hereunto set my 1
hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOHN NEWLING. (L.S.)