AN IMPROVED PESSARY to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN BROWN, of Holyhead House, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
and at the Office for Patents, 17 and 18 Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN
IMPROVED PESSARY to be as follows:-
"1
This invention has for its object improvements in pessaries used in the surgical
treatment of "prolapsus uteri" and is designed to provide a pessary of lesser size
than those commonly in use and so cause less discomfort to the patient in the entry
and withdrawal of the same.
Pessaries as at prosent constructed have the vulcanite or other wings opened by
vulcanite or other links operated by a screw working in a stem.
These links necessarily work in slots in the stem and matters from the body
could leak into the same and stop or render difficult the working of the screw
besides injuring the patient internally and externally.
The object of my invention is to open the wings in a simpler and more
effective manner and to dispense with the aforesaid links and slots in the sides of
the stem.
I form a hollow curved metallic stem screwed internally at its lower end which
is formed straight and preferably swelled and milled or roughened on the outer
circumference to form a support for the fingers in inserting or withdrawing the
pessary.
Through this straight end of this curved stem works a short screwed nut having
an orifice through it.
Through this orifice a curved rod passes having a shouldered end to rest on the
top of the screwed nut and with a nut at its bottom to abut on the bottom of the
screwed nut.
The curved rod passing through the nut and the curved stem of the pessary has
an eye or hole at its top and the top of the curved stem carries opposite lugs with
oppositely inclined slots in the same.
Through the eye or hole in the curved rod passes the pivot pin of the wings of
the pessary and each wing has a pin passing through it working in the oppositely
inclined alots in the top of the curved stem.
On revolving the screwed nut in one direction the curved rod passing through it
is drawn down and the wings of the pessary collapse. The instrument can now be
inserted and on turning the nut the other way the wings are expanded.
1

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN BROWN, of Holyhead House, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
and at the office for Patents, 17 and 18, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "AN
IMPROVED PESSARY "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 improvements in pessaries used in the surgical
treatment of "prolapsus uteri " and is designed to produce a pessary of lesser size
than those commonly in use and so cause less discomfort to the patient in the entry
and withdrawal of the same.
Pessaries as at present constructed have the vulcanite or other wings opened by
vulcanite or other links operated by a screw working in a stem.
These links necessarily work in slots in the stem and matters from the body
may leak into the same and stop or render difficult the working of the screw
besides injuring the patient internally and externally.
The object of my invention is to open the wings in a simpler and more
effective manner and to dispense with the aforesaid links and slots in the sides of
the stem.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the figures and letters
of reference marked thereon,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my pessary, the wings being closed.
Fig. 2 the same view, the wings being open.
Fig. 3 a side elevation of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5, respectively enlarged vertical sections of the upper and lower
portions of the pessary.
I form a hollow curved metallic stem A screwed internally at its lower end which
is formed straight and preferably swelled and milled or roughened on the outer
circumference B to form a support for the fingers in inserting or withdrawing the
pessary. The part A of the stem may be covered with rubber or like soft or
elastic material so as to cause less discomfort to the patient.
Through this straight end B of this curved stem A works a short screwed
hollow plug C having an orifice D through it.
Through this orifice D a curved rod or stem E passes having a shouldered end F
to rest on the top of the screwed hollow plug C and with a nut G at its bottom to
abut on the bottom of the screwed hollow plug C.
The curved rod E passing through the screwed hollow plug and the curved stem A
of the pessary has an eye or holo H at its top, and the top of the curved stem
carries opposite lugs I, 11 with oppositely inclined-slots J, J in the same.
Through the eye or hole H in the curved rod or stem E passes the pivot pin K
of the wings L, L' of the pessary and each wing has a pin M, M¹ passing through
it working in the oppositely inclined slots J, 'J' in the top of the curved stem.
On revolving the screwed hollow plug C in one direction the curved rod E
passing through it is drawn down and the wings L, L' of the pessary collapse.
The instrument can now be inserted and on turning the nut the other way the
wings are expanded.

page_text: It will be seen that my invention permits me to use a curved stem or handle to
the pessary
which admits of the more facile entry and withdrawal of the same.
The stem or handle might be straight but I prefer the curved form.
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
1st A pessary provided at the end of the stem or handle with oppositely
inclined slots for the travel of guide pins in the wings in combination with a
central rod or stem to which the wings are pivotted, passing through the main
stem or handle, and operated by or through a travelling nut or plug engaging there-
with, substantially as described."
2nd The general arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved
pessary substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 9th day of July 1885.
E. GARDNER COLTON,
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
Of the firm of Popplewell, Colton & Co.,
Of 17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.