Improvements in Trusses.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trusses.
We, THOMAS ROGER PARK, and RIAL ANDREW PICKENS of Parkersburg, in
the State of West Virginia, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in trusses, and it has for its object,
primarily, to provide a truss having a pad peculiarly shaped and constructed to
adapt it for securely retaining the intestines in place, and at the same time a pad
provided with a suitable medicant placed within the same and brought into
operation by the action of the moisture of the body thereon through the pad and
further, to provide a pad-supporting bandage with connections that especially
adapt it for various adjustments of the pad and for the avoidance of any irritable
friction between the truss and the body of the wearer, and we attain these objects
by the various details of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a truss constructed in accordance with
my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the body-band with the crotch-straps detached.
Fig. 3 is a detail in rear perspective of the end of the crotch-strap provided with
a pad and attachments.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Fig. 5 is a detail of the pad alone.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a body-band, preferably
of an elastic material but may be of any desirable material for a supporting
bandage and is designed to pass entirely around the body and be secured in the
rear by a clasp B, which is attached to the outer end of one of the body-band
terminals and clasps the opposing terminal, thus making a strong and rigid
connection for the body-band ends and at the same time a connection that affords
no friction between the body and the truss-bandage.
Crotch-straps C, C, are adjustably secured at one end to the rear of the body-
band A by clasps D similar to clasps B, and which are also attached to the outside
of the rear face of said body-band. It is of course optional whether one or two of
these straps are connected to the body-band being used when one or more pads
are used.
To the free ends of crotch-straps C, C, pads E are rigidly attached. The pad
is constructed preferably of pine-wood but may be of other suitable analogous
material and is of a frustro-conical shape.
A perforation e, is centrally situated on the rear face of pad E and extends a
suitable distance within the pad, and said perforation is filled with a suitable
medicant which is drawn out into operation against the hernial opening through
the porous pine pad by the moisture of the body.
A metallic plate F is secured by screws f, to pad E, which also forms the means
of securing the pad to the crotch-strap. To the upper end of said plate a hinged
plate G is hinged at g, which plate is provided on its edges with serrations g' and
is adapted to engage a spring-catch H at the lower end of plate F.
The adjustment of the truss can now readily be seen. The crotch-strap end with
the pad thereon is brought around and clasped to the body-band by means of the
hinged plate G and is prevented from lateral displacement by the serrations
grasping the body-band.

page_text: By this arrangement the pads can be moved in any direction desired by simply
unlocking the hinged plate and sliding the pads along beneath the body-
band and locking the hinged plate when the desired position is reached. Any
degree of pressure may also be obtained by the tightening or loosening of the
crotch-strap in the rear by means of the clasps D, au upward and inward pressure
being given to the pad by this attachment of the same to the crotch-straps.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a truss, a body-band, crotch-straps and pads of a frustro-conical shape
provided on their rear faces with central perforations filled with a suitable medicant
and a plate rigidly secured to the rear faces of the same, said plate having a
hinged plate at one end, which is provided on its edges with a series of serrations,
and a spring-catch at the opposite end of said rigid plate to engage said hinged
plate, said pads being attached to the free ends of the crotch-straps and conuccted
with the body-band by the hinged plate on its rear face clamping over the same,
substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of August 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.