An Improved Compress.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Compress.
I, ERANZ EMIL GNANT, of Zenettistrasse, Munich, in the Empire of Germany,
Glass Painter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Compresses as hitherto employed, provided with circulation pipes, and usually
of a bag or sack form, have the drawback of never fitting closely to the round
shape of the body, but only encountering it in certain places when inflated as
practical experiments have shown.
This invention has for its object to remove or avoid this drawback and to
create a compress which accurately fits any form of body and meets the require-
ments attached to compresses. It may for instance equally well be employed for
exerting any necessary pressure for the even application of liquids to au injured
or sick part, and also for evenly transmitting any desired hot or cold temperature
for any desired period of time to any part of the body. It also allows of a
massaging or kneading of the parts of the body.
The compress may be formed in any desired shape, such as a cushion compress,
an annular compress or a band or binding compress.
The present compress is essentially composed of two separate water or air
cushions lying one over the other, each of which is provided with its own inlet
and outlet taps or nozzles, one cushion serving for maintaining the pressure,
whilst the other serves for transmitting cold or heat to the body and also forms
a close fitting cushion. In the one cushion, bands are inserted, which form
prismatic chambers open at both ends and connected one with another. These
bands have for their object to obtain always an equal distribution of the filling
medium (water) in the cushion and thus to secure an even exertion of pressure
by the same on the respective part of the body. The other cushion which accord-
ing to the destination of the compress serves for receiving the warm or cold liquid,
or for applying liquids to a sick part is formed of a stuff covering attached to
the pressure cushion by its outer edges but being otherwise free inside these
fastening edges, which covering is strained taut on the cushion being filled, and
is adapted on the compress being placed on any part of the body to fit closely
thereto.
On the inner side of the cover, small plates or balls may be attached with the
object of strengthening the massaging or kneading action if the compress be
subsequently employed for such purposes.
The handling of the compress is exceedingly simple. The pressure cushion is
first filled more or less full according to the pressure which is to be obtained,
after which the hot or cold liquid is introduced into the other cushion and the
compress is laid on the body or wound round the member to be treated. If the
compress is to keep the said part warm or cold for a considerable time. liquid of
a suitable temperature is constantly allowed to flow through the cushion or the
warm or cold liquid is renewed therein at suitable intervals of time. Cold or
heated air may also take the place of a liquid. If it be desired that liquids be
applied to the sick part, the cover is finely perforated, or a fabric which is permeable

page_text: to water is employed. By the liquid or air being pumped into the cushion in jerks
the effect of massage or kneading can be obtained, as the cover provided with
the small plates is thereby set in a pulsating movement.
Another form of construction of this compress consists in the cushions being
replaced by a system of tubes arranged on a flexible bed plate and suitably inter-
sected, combined or divided into sections. The arrangement and form of the
cushion remains however the same.
In the case of band or winding compresses the system of tubes may be arranged
only in the outer edges of the compress in such a way that one narrow side
entirely, and one longitudinal side approximately to the extent of about one half
the length of the said band compress, remain free, and the bedplate projects
somewhat on these sides. The edge thus formed serves, when the compress is
in use, to cover the joint of two adjacent coils in order to prevent the outer air
having access to the part of the body to be treated whereby the action of the
compress might be affected. It is sufficient in this form of compress to have
eventually only one tube arranged on one of the longitudinal sides. The handling
of this compress is exceedingly simple, and resembles essentially that of the com-
press previously described.
Before the coiling hereinbefore described is effected, the tube is filled through
the valve, the cushion is then filled with the filling material which has been
brought to the desired temperature, after which the coil itself can be formed.
After the coiling has taken place the filling material may be pumped into the
compress in order to further increase the pressure on the body.
In all the forms of construction, a second covering material which is only
attached at its outer edges and may also be inflated or filled, may be arranged on
the bed plate or rather on the cushion, which second cover may be utilised for
increasing the pressure of the compress. When filled with air it also forms an
insulating layer in order to avoid as far as possible a chilling of the filling
material contained in the compress. For this object, a layer of felt may also be
arranged on this covering material. A fastening strap or the like may be provided
by means of which the compress may be firmly buckled on the respective part of
the body, and which may be provided in all the forms of compress according to
requirements.
Dated this 25th day of July 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of G. Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
I, FRANZ EMIL UNANT, of Zenettistrasse, Munich, in the Empire of Germany,
Glass Painter, 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:-
Compresses as hitherto employed, provided with circulation pipes, and usually
of a bag or sack form, have the drawback of never fitting closely to the round
shape of the body, but only encountering it in certain places when inflated as
practical experiments have shown.
This invention has for its object to remove or avoid this drawback and to
create a compress which accurately fits any form of body and fully meets the require-
ments attached to compresses. It may for instance equally well be employed for
exerting any necessary pressure for the even application of liquids to an injured

page_text: or sick part, and also for evenly transmitting any desired hot or cold temperature
for any desired period of time to any part of the body. It also allows of a
massaging or kneading of the parts of the body.
The compress may be formed in any desired shape, such as a cushion compress,
an annular compress or a band or binding compress.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation; and
Figures and 3 cross sections of a cushion compress; whilst
Figure 4 is a section of an annular compress; and
Figure 5, a view of a band or binding compress.
The present compress is essentially composed of two separate water or air
cushions and e lying one over the other, each of which is provided with its own
inlet and outlet taps or nozzles be and f g respectively, one cushion serving for
maintaining the pressure, whilst the other serves for transmitting cold or heat
to the body and also forms a close fitting cushion. In the one cushion a
bands d are inserted, which form prismatic chambers open at both ends and
connected one with another, Figures 3 and 4. These bands d have for their
object to obtain always an equal distribution of the filling medium (water) in
the cushion a and thus to secure an even exertion of pressure by the same on
the respective part of the body. The other cushion e which according to the
destination of the compress serves for receiving the warm or cold liquid, or for
applying liquids to a sick part is formed of a stuff covering attached to the
pressure cushion by its outer edges but being otherwise free inside these
fastening edges, which covering is strained taut on the cushion being filled, and
is adapted on the compress being placed on any part of the body to fit closely
thereto.
On the inner side of the cover small plates or halls may be attached with
the object of strengthening the massaging or kneading action if the compress be
subsequently employed for such purposes.
The handling of the compress is exceedingly simple. The pressure cushion a
is first filled more or less full according to the pressure which is to be obtained,
after which the hot or cold liquid is introduced into the other cushion e and
the compress is laid on the body or wound round the member to be treated. If
the compress is to keep the said part warm or cold for a considerable time, liquid
of a suitable temperature is constantly allowed to flow through the cushion e
or the warm or cold liquid is renewed therein at suitable intervals of time. Cold
or heated air may also take the place of a liquid. If it be desired that liquids
be applied to the sick part, the cover is finely perforated, or a fabric which is
permeable to water is employed. By the liquid or air being pumped into the
cushion in jerks, the effect of massage or kneading can be obtained, as the
cover provided with the small plates his thereby set in a pulsating movement.
Another form of construction of this compress is shown in Figures 6-15 of
the drawings,
Figure 6 being a compress cushion:
Figure 7 a section on the line. A B of same;
Figure S, a band or binding compress;
Figure 9, a longitudinal section of same; and
Figure 10, a cross section of same on the line E F and
Figures 11 and 12 cross section of same on the line C D, the former showing
the cushion e of the compress empty, and the latter the same full;
Figure 3 shows the compress as wound on; and
Figure 14, a section of this winding;
Figure 15, a peculiarly shaped special compress as used for instance for treating
the head but which may be similarly made for treating hands or feet.
The drawings shows the invention as applied to the head, the cushion or
pad e being arranged as a covering for the head extending from the forehead
to the back of the neck.

page_text: It is covered in a recticulated manner by a system of tubes m and secured
to the head by a bands, passing under the chin. Air or water is introduced into
the pipes m and the cushion e through the nozzles b and f.
In the case of band or winding compresses, Figures 8 and 14, the system of
tubes may be arranged only in the outer edges of the compress in such a way
that one narrow side entirely, and one longitudinal side approximately to the
extent of about one half the length of the said band compress, remain free,
and the bedplate projects somewhat on these sides. The edge thus formed
serves, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, when the compress is in use, to cover the
joint of two adjacent coils in order to prevent the outer air having access to the
part of the body to be treated whereby the action of the compress might be affected.
It is sufficient in this form of compress to have eventually only one tube m
arranged on one of the longitudinal sides. The handling of this compress is
exceedingly simple, and resembles essentially that of the compress previously
described.
Before the coiling herein before described is effected, the tube m is filled through
the valve, the cushion is then filled with the filling material which has been
brought to the desired temperature, after which the coil itself can be formed.
After the coiling has taken place the filling material may be pumped into the
compress in order to further increase the pressure on the body.
In all the forms of construction, including those shown in Figures 1-5, a
second covering material S, Figures 6 and 7, which is only attached at its outer
edges o and may also be inflated or filled, may be arranged on the bed plate !
or rather on the cushion a, which second cover may be utilised for increasing the
pressure of the compress. When filled with air it also forms an insulating layer
in order to avoid as far as possible a chilling of the filling material contained in
the compress. For this object, a layer of felt r may also be arranged on this
covering material. A fastening straps or the like may be provided by means
of which the compress may be firmly buckled on the respective part of the body,
and which may be provided in all the forms of compress according to require-
ments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what
I claim is:-
A compress in two parts adapted to allow of the application to the respective
parts of the body of temperatures and fluids, the exertion of any suitable pressure,
and a massaging or kneading, consisting of a (fitting) cushion (e) carried by a
system of tubes (m) mounted on a flexible foundation plate, or by a second
water cushion (a) in which intermediate bands (d) are inserted forming chambers
open at their ends and interconnected, the wall (k) of the cushion (e) which is to
be applied to the body being provided with projections on its inner face to obtain
an increased effect when the compress is employed for massage purposes, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
1
L 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.