An Improved Pessary.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Pessary.
We, ANNA MARY LONGSHORE-POTTS, Doctor of Medicine of the Woman's:
Medical College of Philadelphia, United States of America, and GEORGE.
EDWARD HARRISON, Manager, both of 32, Dorset Square, Regent's Park,
London, N.W., 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 relates to an improved pessary of the kind known as a spring-
stem pessary and has for its object to remedy the defects to which such instruments,
as now made, are subject.
Heretofore the spring stem of the pessary has sometimes been slotted and
traversed by a cross pin to limit its motion, but such construction is not effectual to
prevent a certain amount of prejudicial displacement of the cup or body portion of
the instrument from its proper position and has prevented the taking of the
instrument to pieces for cleaning. In other forms of the same instrument which
do admit of being taken to pieces the defect of liability to displacement of the cup.
or body portion in consequence of the movements of the body, is much greater and
the component parts being eutirely separable are liable to be lost when the
instrument is taken to pieces for cleaning.
The object of the improvement is to enable the parts to be easily separated so as.
to give sufficient access to the interior for the purpose of cleaning, without liability
of loss by the multiplicity of loose parts and at same time to prevent any relative
motion of the cup or body portion and of the spring stem, which would permit of
the displacement of the instrument from its proper position, or other than a true
sliding motion of the stem necessary to bring the elasticity of the spring into play
Bo as to enable the yielding pressure to be maintained which is requisite for the due
support of the uterus. This object is effected by forming the stem with a head of
square or other angular form sliding in the manner of a piston within a bore of
corresponding form within the neck of the body portion the spring being
permanently attached to the inner end of the stem, and the screw cap by which the
piston-like portion of the stem is retained within the bore, being confined between
the piston-like head and the outer head of the stem through which the elastic
supporting cords pass so that by unscrewing the cap the spring and stem may be.
wholly withdrawn and the interior portions of the instrument may be thoroughly
cleaned without further separation of the parts.
This improved construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming
part of this specification wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 an
external view, and Figure 3 a top view of the instrument, whilst Figure 4 shews
the spring stem separately.
a is the cup by which the uterus is received and supported, perforated with the
usual apertures and formed with a curved neck or body portion 6 adapted to the
shape of the cavity in which it is received. c is the spring stem provided at
the inner end with a head d of square section fitting accurately in a bore e of
corresponding form in the body portion b, the stem c and bore e being curved in the
direction of their length to correspond to the curvature of the portion b. f is the
spring confined between the inner end of the stem and of the bore e and passed

page_text: through a hole or otherwise attached to an inner prolongation of the stem. The
stem c is of round section and slides through a cap g which is threaded to screw
upon the correspondingly screwed end of the body portion 6 so as to retain the
piston head d of the stem in the bore. At the outer end the stem terminates in the
usual crosshead h provided with holes through which pass the usual supporting
cords i connected to the waistbelt or other body attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The herein described improved spring-stem pessary wherein the spring stem is
provided with a piston-like body portion fitted to slide in a corresponding bore so
as to prevent turning of the one part relatively to the other, and wherein the
spring is attached to the stem and the screw cap is confined upon the stem so as
to avoid separation and loss of the parts all as described and illustrated in the
drawings.
Dated this 12th day. of November 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.