An Improved Fabric for Surgical Splints and for other like Articles, and Method of Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
COME LEIE DIECIFICATION.
An Improved Fabric for Surgical Splints and for other like Articles,
and Method of Manufacturing the same.
A communication from abroad by EDWARD ALOYSIUS TRACY, of 99, West
Broadway, So. Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United
States of America, Physician.
.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention has for its object the production of a light and strong fabric,
pliable under certain conditions, and of such a character that it may be readily
stretched and moulded to any desired contour when in a moist state, the fabric when
dried and rigid retaining the contour given to it while moist.
The fabric to be described and having such characteristics, is well adapted for
use as surgical splints which to get the best results should be of such a contour as
to very closely conform to the shape of the part or parts to which they are applied,
it being also highly desirable that splint material should possess relatively great
strength and rigidity compared to its weight.
I will now proceed to describe fully and clearly my invention, and will particularly
point out various features thereof in the claims.
In the drawings now to be referred to,
Fig. 1 represents a sufficient portion of a layer of fibroid material to enable my
invention to be readily understood, one corner being broken away to show the
re-inforcing addition;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a shoulder splint made from the fabric to be
described, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a piece of the fabric, the re-inforcing addition being
omitted.
In practising my invention, I take some fibroid material, such as wood pulp made
in any usual manner, and without sizing, and while the same is moist I form it into
a sheet or layer a of the desired average thickness, but rugose or wrinkled, as
shown in the drawing, the rugae a¹ being irregular in thickness, width, traction and
extent, as very clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
If pulp is used, the rugose condition may be given thereto in a variety of
ways, such as pressing the ends of the layer towards each other, or by permitting
the layer to slide over a flat surface, the friction of the underside of the layer upon
the said surface retarding the leading end of the layer while the weight thereof
presses the material forward, or I may irregularly roughen or groove the surface of
the roll in common use to form the sheet or layer of pulp.
For many reasons wood pulp is the preferable material which I employ, but
other fibroid materials may be used, as for instance, leather, which can be readily
wrinkled or made rugose when in a moist state.
It will be understood that whatever the material, the rugosity is imparted thereto
while it is in a moist and consequently pliable condition.
A fabric composed of pulp is somewhat liable to split or tear when being
moulded, and to overcome this tendency when forming the material, I preferably
apply thereto a reticulated re-inforcing addition b, see Fig. 1, which is embedde
in the moist pulp and imparts great tenacity thereto, assisting the material also to
preserve its inoulded shape while drying.

page_text: This reticulated fabric may be composed of any suitable netting, or fibres
irregularly disposed to make a rough netting could be used.
The rugose or wrinkled fibroid material or fabric is very stiff and strong when
dry, the columnar form of the rugae a' adding greatly to its stability aud strength,
and when the fabric is moist it can be readily moulded into various shapes or
configurations, the rugae flattening or decreasing in prominence at such time, and
thereby permitting the fabric to stretch.
I have found that as the rugose material when moist can be most accurately
moulded to any part of the body without breaking or rupturing, it is particularly
useful in making surgical splints and cases for bodily injuries, for the material will
quickly absorb sufficient moisture to render it pliable, and it dries rapidly, setting
or hardening in its moulded shape when dried.
Bi-chloride of mercury solution or other suitable antiseptic may be used to
moisten the material when used for splints.
In Fig. 2, I have shown a shoulder splint d moulded to shape, the portions c, c',
on the front showing the rugae as considerably flattened or decreased in size owing
to the stretching of the fabric at such points during the moulding to the contour of
the body, such stretching permitting the fabric to assume the desired contour
without breaking or tearing.
In this figure the reinforcing addition is not shown for the sake of clearness, and
it is to be understood that while such addition adds strength to the fabric, as has
been explained, the latter may be used without it.
The re-inforcing addition may be completely enclosed between successive layers
of the fabric if so desired.
It will be readily seen that a splint made of such fabric as I have described, will
be so tight that it will not incommode the wearer by reason of its weight, it can
be made to assume the exact shape of the parts involved, and as it dries in such
moulded shape stiffening and hardening, it will rigidly, yet easily, hold them in the
desired position.
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 :
-
1. The method of making fibroid material which may be stretched and moulded
to any desired form when subsequently moistened, which consists in forming
irregular rugae or wrinkles in a layer of the material while in a soft and pliable
condition, substantially as described.
2. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a fabric composed of a rugose
layer of fibroid material adapted to be stretched and moulded when moist, substan-
tially as described.
3. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a fabric adapted to be moulded
and stretched when moist, composed of a layer of fibroid material, and a reticulated
re-inforcing addition embedded therein, substantially as described.
4. A surgical splint of suitable shape, composed of a layer of rugose or wrinkled
fibroid material, which can be stretched and readily moulded when moistened to
closely conform to a desired contour, and retaining the given contour when dried
and rigid, substantially as described.
5. A surgical splint of suitable shape, composed of a layer of fibroid material,
and a reticulated re-inforcing addition embedded therein, the splint being readily
moulded when moist and retaining the moulded form when dried and rigid,
substantially as described.
Dated the 22nd day of March 1894.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.