IMPROVED TRUSS PLATES PRODUCING AN UPWARD PRESSURE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Theophilus Gontard, of No. 16, Rue des Vieux
Augustins, Paris, in the Empire of France, Physician, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED TRUSS PLATES PRODUCING AN UPWARD PRESSURE."
Sealed the 22nd July 1862, and dated the 30th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Theophilus Gontard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1862.
I, THEOPHILUS GONTARD, of No. 16, Rue des Vieux Augustins, Paris, in
the Empire of France, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED TRUSS PLATES PRODUCING AN UPWARD PRESSURE," to be
as follows:-
My Invention consists in the mode of constructing the metallic plates
carrying the cushion intended to exert a pressure on the hernia. These
plates being composed of two pieces hinging together, and the end of the
hinge pin being fastened to the blade spring usually used in trusses.
ولا thus
Part
of the hinge knot being cut off in the middle part of the plates leaves an
empty space for the introduction of either a small angular bearing shaped
or a fluted cylinder, which being fastened on the pin, allows the two
parts of the plate to be brought gradually into various angular positions to get
a progressive pressure, either by means of setting screws running through the
angular bearing, or, by preference, by the action of a small blade spring
fastened on the plate, which spring catches into the grooves of the fluted
cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Theophilus Gontard in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THEOPHILUS
GONTARD, of No. 16, Rue des Vieux Augustins, Paris, in the Empire of France,
Physician, 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 sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Theophilus Gontard, Her special licence that I, the said
Theophilus Gontard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Theophilus Gontard, 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 term 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 "IMPROVED TRUSS PLATES PRODUCING AN UPWARD PRESSURE,"
upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Theophilus Gontard,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer
tain 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Theophilus Gontard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and forming part of this my Specification, and to the figures and letters of
reference marked thereon:-
The Invention consists in the mode of fitting the metallic plate, on which is
fixed the cushion intended to squeeze the hernia. I prefer making the said
plate of steel rather than of any other metal; it is composed of two parts,
which are joined together as a hinge. The flattened end of the hinge peg is
fastened to the usual curled spring girdling the body; both parts of the plate
have corresponding notches cut in the hinge part, and a small fluted cylinder,
fixed by a pin on the hinge peg, is lodged in the said notches. On one of the

page_text: two parts of the metallic plate a small tempered steel blade is fastened either
by a screw or rivet; the end of the said blade enters the fluting of the small
cylinder which is in the same line. If now the portion of the plate carrying
the steel blade acting as a spring is moved around the hinge peg, the blade of
flexible steel yielding, its end gets out of the fluting where it was engaged to
fall back in the next one, and to maintain the said plate either in the plane or
angular position, as the case requires.
The Drawing shews my Invention drawn full size, Figure 1 being a top,
and Figure 2 an under view; Figure 3, a side view, in which the two parts A
and B make an angle together; and Figure 4, views of the pieces shewn
separately. The two parts A and B of the plate are joined together by a
hinge peg D, upon which the small partly fluted cylinder I is fastened by a
pin. The small steel blade E, acting as a spring, is fixed on the portion A by
a screw, and its end being engaged into a fluting of the cylinder I, maintains
the two parts A and B in the plane or angular position, where they are placed
according to requirement to squeeze more efficaciously the hernia; this
pressure, as it is evident, can be graduated at pleasure, and always upwards.
The hinge plate can always be disposed in the most suitable shape in order to
act the more efficaciously according to the nature and character of the hernia
it is to squeeze. It might happen, for instance, that it should be necessary
to exert a pressure against the thigh independantly from the normal pressure
of the ordinary cushion; then I would give to the metallic plate the shape
and disposition shewn, Figures 5 and 6, forming the said plate with three
parts A, B, C, joined together by hinging, in the same way as the one above
described. The hinge peg D attached to the girdling spring bears a small
fluted cylinder I, and the other hinge peg bears a similar fluted cylinder J, in
the flutings of which either the spring F or the catch L stops to maintain the
thigh plate in the angular position where it is set. Instead of a partly fluted
cylinder fastened on the hinge peg, I could set a small angular bearing b, as
shewn, Figure 7, fastened by a pin on the said hinge peg and setting screws V
engaged in the arms of the bearing 6 would allow of the two parts A and B of
the cushion plate being gradually brought at various angles.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it un-
derstood that its principle is to exert a gradual upward pressure on the hernias
by means of the usual squeezing cushions carried by hinged metallic plates;
and I claim as my Invention the particular arrangement of the said hinged
plates, and the means of operating the gradual angular movement of their
composing parts, either by means of an angular bearing and setting screws,
as shewn, Figure 7 of the annexed Sheet of Drawing, or by means of a

page_text: small partly fluted cylinder and catch spring (shewn, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4) as
substantially described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Theophilus Gontard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Signed and sealed in the pre-
sence of
L. D'AUBRÉVILLE, C. E.
TH. GONTARD. (L.S.)