CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LIMBS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of the Patent Office, 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh
day of January, One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the twelfth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my exors, adiňors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LIMBS," being a communication from a certain Foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, should cause a particular description of
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months

page_text: next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, as communicated to me, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and by this present
Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The nature of the Invention consists in an improved method of constructing
artificial limbs, having for its object the shaping and attaching of the various
joints, springs, ligatures, &c. composing the limb so as to cause them to imitate
closely the movements and uses of the natural limb.
Figure 1 is a section of a leg embodying my improvements. Figure 2 is a
view of the shape of the thigh at its lower extremity. Figure 3 is a view of
the ancle joint. Figure 4 is a view of the foot shewing the shape of the toe
joint, and also the shape it has at the place where it is joined to the ancle.
Figure 5 is a view of the method of forming the hinge for securing the too
upon the foot. Figure 6 is a view of the leg as it appears externally.
In making my legs or other limbs I use any material which can bo suitably
worked, but I prefer the wood of the willow tree for the stalks. Having
selected a suitable piece for the thigh, I shape it externally to represent that
portion of the human limb as seen at a. The top part is hollowed to receive
the stump of the amputated limb after the usual fashion. The lower part I
mako spherical, so that it shall be truly circular, having its axis at 6 and
radius c, b. There is also a suitable cavity cut to insert the spring w and other
parts immediately connected therewith. The second joint e represents the
calf, shin, and ancle of the leg. The upper part, as seen at f, c, Figure 6, is
cut and hollowed out so as to encircle the lower part of the thigh, the inside
being chamfered off so as to bring a very thin edge up against the thigh piece.
The back part is deeply cut away as represented at g, f, in order to allow the
knee joint to work, the thigh piece in bending filling up this space. When
the leg is straight this forms the only gap in any joint about the leg, but this
gap may be easily covered by a piece of flexible material b, f, g, such as buck-
sin or cloth, a countersink being cut to receive it, so that it shall be flush with
the leg.
The foot and ancle are next to be attached, which the Inventor accomplishes
by a novel and peculiar joint in the following manner:-Having found a proper
centre for the joint, as h, I cut the front to represent a part of the instep i, k,

page_text: which is of hemispherical form; his the axis. The back is hollowed out to
receive the heel of the foot and chamfered to a fine edge so as to play upon
the heel without leaving any ridge or opening. The foot is made to adapt.
itself to this joint, so that when the centres h and h¹, Figure 3, are pinned
together it can vibrate upon it as in the natural foot. The top of the foot is,
however, cut out so as to receive the hemisphere (i, k.) within it, the instep
of the foot overlapping it as far as the centre (h), where the heel of the
foot is narrowed so as to play within the ancle, as seen at (m), Figure 1..
The heel is likewise cut convex at m, n, h, being the centre whereby it operates.
in the manner described for the knee and instep. The letters o, o, show the
too joint. The toes are secured to the foot by means of the bent wire seen in
Figure 5. This has always been a very troublesome part of an artificial leg to
keep together, as it is liable to receive severe knocks.
By the following method the Inventor is enabled to keep the toes always in.
place, and render it almost impossible to remove them :—The joint o, o, on.
the foot and the concave in the toes are cut to match, after which the hole o¹ is.
bored through the side of the foot and becomes the centre of the radius o, o.
Through this hole the Inventor pushes a piece of wire p of the proper length,.
and having bent the two ends, as seen at p, Figure 5, he slips the toes (which
have two holes bored through them) on the projecting ends of this wire, and
afterwards turns the ends around two pins, which hold them securely, and lays
them in a groove cut in the under side, as seen at p¹. The cavity in the toes is.
afterwards filled up so as to keep the external appearance smooth, and conceal
the wire. The foot is jointed to the ancle by means of the pin h, which
passes through the foot, and the eyes are made in two plates of metal,.
which are fastened on each side of the second joint e and shown by the dotted
lines. The thigh is fastened to the second joint in like manner by two plates
and a bolt at b. These bolts do not move within the metallic plates, but tho
foot and knee revolve upon the bolts when the leg is in use.
The several ligatures and springs for giving motion to the various joints
fall next to be described. The foot and toes are actuated by a wire-
spring, as seen at r. This consists of a wire coiled round a pin 1,
which is passed through the foot. From the forward end of the spring r
a cords extends to the bottom of the toe piece, and keeps it down
on a line with the bottom of the foot. The opposite end of the spring
is connected to the ancle by a similar cord s¹, and this lifts the foot
up as far as it is permitted to go by the ligature connected with the
heel. There is likewise a pin a driven in the second joint e just forward of
the ligature t, and as far above the foot as it is to be allowed to play. As the

page_text: Both these
At the knee
leg is advanced in walking the heel strikes the ground first, and this pin
guages the extent of motion it should have, preventing all strain upon the
ancle and foot spring, but not touching the heel in ordinary walking.
There is no liability in this spring to break from working, as its action is
extremely slight. Within the leg there are two ligatures, or, as they may be
called, tendons. The tendo-achilles t, is attached by its lower end to the foot
near the heel, while its upper end is fastened in the leg in some convenient
position below the knee. The second tendon u is attached to the thigh
at the back parts of the leg at one end, and extends down into the foot,
where it is fastened immediately forward of the ankle bolt h, or it may be
attached to the front of the leg, as seen in the dotted lines u.
tendons are composed of "gut," but other cords may be used.
joint a spiral spring is attached for the purpose of throwing the second joint
and foot forward as the leg is advanced. To cause this to operate properly
-and-without-noise- it is connected as follows:-The thigh-bolt bis. so fastened_
as to revolve with the second joint e; to this bolt, midway through the thigh,
there is attached a metallic arm v, which extends horizontally forward, termi-
nating near the front of the leg; the front edge of this arm is rounded off and
grooved to receive the cord. A spiral or other spring w is next attached by
the cord, as represented, the top of the spring being fastened to the thigh,
while the cord depending from its lower end passes round in the grooved end
of the arm (v), passing underneath and then secured to the bolt b. This
spring, therefore, by pulling on the arm (v) and that acting on the bolt b,
throws the joints e and foot forward, until it is checked and held by the
tendon u. It will be seen that there is a short space between the lower end
of the spring w and arm v, which is occupied by the cord. This space must
always be equal to the length of the arm v, as otherwise the spring would
interfere with it in some positions. As, for instance, in sitting down, the
wearer brings the knee joint at right angles, and then the cord would lie along
the top of the arm from v to b, the arm v not changing its position with:
respect to the second joint e. The spring and lever do not act upon the knee
when the leg is at right angles with the thigh, as is usual in sitting, but act
powerfully in all the various walking positions.
The Drawings represent a leg to be applied when amputation has taken
place above the knee, and is attached to the stump in any known mode. When
amputation has been below the knee, then the leg (e) is hollowed out to
receive the stump as far as about the lower edge of the natural patella. The
foot and all the parts connected remain the same, with the exception that the
long tendon (u) is dispensed with, and usually also all the metallic parts about

page_text: the knee. In some cases the short tendon (t) may become the long tendon,
and the tendon (u) the short one; that is, by extending the tendon (t) up to
the thigh, and fastening it along with the tendon (u), and then removing the
lower termination of the tendon (u') and (t) to the front part of the second
joint, as represented in the dotted lines. In operation, the thigh in being
advanced to take the step causes the second joint (e) to follow, by the
throw of the spring (w), which is so tempered in strength as to perform its
office with sprightliness; the second joint coming forward until it is a little
in advance of a right line, when it is checked by the tendon (u). The toes and
foot meanwhile are kept up in their natural position by the spring r. The
heel now striking brings the foot flat upon the ground, and in doing so it
slightly strains the tendon (u), which prevents it from slapping violently
down. The leg now passes under the body, sustaining its weight, the body
advancing over has its axis. The instep (i, k) sinks in the foot, while the
back of the ankle (7) plays upon the heel (n, m). As soon as the body has
advanced the proper distance the tendo-achilles (t) becomes tightened and
lifts the heel a very little from the ground, the body now bears upon and
actuates the toc-joint (0, 0). The leg is then raised and advanced, as before, as
in continuous walking. By this peculiar arrangement of the joints, tendons, and
springs, I get a limb much stronger, lighter, and more elastic than those
hitherto in use. All noise and vibrations are besides obviated, and certainty
of step and safety are secured. For the spring w, the Inventor uses a bent
or coiled wire or gum elastic, and he does not confine himself to any particular
material for the coils and tendons. The spring w he sometimes places inside
the leg, which is in that case hollowed out for the purpose. At other times
he excavates a cavity on each side of the leg sufficiently to admit the spring,
placing one on each side of the leg or not as may be necessary. In the same way
also as he excavates the inside of the leg e, through which space the tendons
are passed; or he excavates or cuts grooves on the outside through which the
cords pass to the foot. When the parts are all together and in their places he
covers such external excavation with any convenient flexible material, by
glucing it on smoothly. He then paints the leg throughout with some pig-
ment, and polishes the whole smooth, after which he gives it one or more coats
of flesh-coloured paint, and polishes again so as to give it, as near as possible,
the colour of the natural leg, and make it smooth and pleasant to the
wearer.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, is the
artificial leg, before described, in the general arrangement, combination, and

page_text: adaptation of parts of which the same consists, that is to say, in so far as
regards,―
First, giving the thigh at its lower part a spherical shape, so that the second
joint (e), when adapted thereto, shall play over the said sphere when the joint
is put in motion, without causing any seam or opening to be made between
them.
Second, the combination of the arm (v) and spring (w), with the thigh and
second joint, as described.
Third, the shaping of the foot and ankle, so that they shall produce, when
put together, the peculiar joint described.
Fourth, the method of attaching the toc piece to the foot, by means of the
hinge, seen in Figure 5.
Fifth, the spring (r and s) for actuating the toe piece and foot, as
described.
Sixth, the tendon (u), in the position represented, or in the position repre-
sented in the dotted line, or in any similar position in which it is made to
operate, as herein set forth.
Seventh, the foot arrangements, independent of the thigh piece, when such
are to be applied where amputations are made below the knee. And,
Eighth, the metallic plates and bolts combining the thigh, leg, and foot, at
the articulations of the knee and ankle joints.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the
rear of our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.