IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Mayer, of the Firm of Mayer and Meltzer, of
No. 71, Great Portland Street, Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex,
Surgical Instrument Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRUSSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Mayer at the Offico
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1881.
JOSEPH MAYER, of the Firm of Mayer and Meltzer, of No. 71, Great Portland
Street, Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Surgical Instrument Manu-
facturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES."
#
In carrying out my improvements I connect the base of the pad to the retaining
spring by an adjustable arrangement of the character of ball and socket, so that
the pad may be readily adjusted to the peculiar circumstances of the wearer.
For this purpose I form at the pad end of the retaining spring a ball piece, and
I hold this ball to the pad between a recess in the base of the pad and a recess
in an adjustable lover carried by the base of the pad. The fulcrum of this lever is
a screw, to which is applied a lever arm, by moving which in one direction the
lever is caused somewhat to release its grip of the ball for the setting of the pad as
desired; and by turning this lever arm in the opposite direction when the pad has
been set the lever becomes again fixed, fixing the pad as required. The cover of
the pad and also of the spring I form of " xylonite or such like compound. The
back of this cover to the pad is recessed to receive the base of the pad, and a plate
spring acts between the base of the pad and its cover to give elasticity to the action
of the pad. The outer surface of the pad, or that to bear on the part affected, I
also in some cases form somewhat hollow or recessed, so as in part to receive the
affected part within it.
In place of a scrow a wedge or excentric or such like means may be employed to
tighten the parts.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Mayer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th December
1881.
JOSEPH MAYER, of the Firm of Mayer and Meltzer, of No. 71, Great Portland
Street, Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Surgical Instrument Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES."
In carrying out my improvements I connect the base of the pad to the retaining
spring by an adjustable arrangement of the character of a ball and socket, so that
the pad may be readily adjusted to the peculiar circumstances of the wearer.
For this purpose I form at the pad end of the retaining spring a ball piece, and I
hold this ball to the pad between a recess in the base of the pad and a recess in an
adjustable lever carried by the base of the pad. The fulcrum of this lever is a
screw, to which is applied a lever arm, by moving which in one direction the lever
is caused somewhat to release its grip of the ball for the setting of the pad as desired,
and by turning this lever arm in the opposite direction when the pad has been set
the lever becomes again fixed, fixing the pad as required.
"
The cover of the pad and also the spring in part or wholly I form of "hylonite
or such like compound. The back of this cover to the pad is recessed to receive
the base of the pad, and a plate spring acts between the base of the pad and its
cover to give elasticity to the action of the pad.
The outer surface of the pad, or that to bear on the part affected, I also in some
cases form somewhat hollow or recessed, so as in part to receive the affected part
within it.
But that the Invention may be the better understood I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means employed by me in carrying the
same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a front or external view of parts of a truss arranged according to
my Invention.
Figure 2 represents a back view of the same, or a view of these parts next the
body of the wearer when the truss is in use; Figure 3 shews a sectional view, and
Figure 4 an edge view of the parts; Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 shew parts
separately. In each of these views like letters are employed to indicate corresponding
parts wherever they occur.
A is the pad, which is made up of various parts, as I will presently proceed to
describe, and B indicates a portion of the retaining spring, by which the pad is
held or retained in position on the body of the wearer. The pad end of this
retaining spring B is formed with a nearly spherical or ball piece b. a is the base
plate of the pad A, and this plate a may be padded in the usual way, as desired;
but according to one part of my Invention I connect this plate a to a surface of
"hylonite or such like compound A', and I also cover the retaining spring B with
a similar composition or compound.
"
In the use of "hylonite" or such like compound for the operating face or surface
of the pad, the back or that side of it opposite the operating surface thereof is
'recessed to receive the plate a. A plate spring c acts between the plate a and its
cover A¹ to give elasticity to the action of the part A'.
The degree of elasticity allowed to this spring c is regulated by the screw d, which
also connects the plate a to the cover A by its passing through the plate a and
spring c into the plate d' affixed to the pad A.
The surface of the ball b is in part received into a recess formed for it in the

page_text: plate a, and partly in a corresponding recess formed for it in an adjustable piece e,
and this piece e is formed with a projection e', which forms a sort of fulcrum for it,
by which it bears against the inside surface of one end of the spring c on the
plate a, whilst a screw f formed on one end of the lever f' passes freely through
the plate a, and screws into the adjustable picce e, by which the recessed portion
of the adjustable pieco e may be caused to grip the ball 6 between it and the
plate a as desired, and thereby retain the plate and the parts of the pad at such
angle to the retaining spring B as may be desired or the circumstances of the
wearer may require.
The dotted lines in Figures 5, 6, and 7 indicate a different form for the operating
surface of the pad, so that as required in some cases it may be hollowed on the
bearing surface.
In place of a screw fa wedge or eccentric or such like means may be employed
to tighten the parts.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim as my
Invention is,-
First. The adaptation or combination of parts of trusses, whereby the bearing
part or pad of the truss is rendered adjustable by the adaptation of the ball and
socket joint-thoreto, substantially as described.
Secondly. I claim the adaptation of "bylonite "or such like compound to the
bearing surfaces of the pads of trusses and to the retaining springs thereof,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Mayer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
eighty one.
Witness,
ALFRED G. BROOKES,
59, Chancery Lane,
London.
JOSEPH MAYER. (L.S.)