Improvements in and relating to Trusses.
Year: 1893

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 13th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Trusses.
I, ELI ELLERMOOD BOOмHOWER, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Morrisville, in the County of Lamoille and State of Vermont, one of
the United States of America, Grentleman, 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 :-
My invention consists in a new and improved truss, in which are embodied several
valuable and highly important novel features; and my invention will be hereinafter
fully described and claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view
illustrating my truss., Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same.
perspective detail view on an enlarged scale.
J
Figure 3 is a
The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring to the several parts by their designating numerals, 1 indicates the belt
To this belt, at
used in my truss, which buckles around the body of the wearer.
the point indicated, a thin, slightly-curved metal plate, 2, which may be made of
steel or brass, is securely riveted, the plate which carries the lever and pad being
secured to this main plate, 2, as hereinafter described.
The lever and pad carrying plate, 3, is formed of metal in two parts, the short
upper section, 4 and the longer lower section, 5, the two parts being hinged
together, as shown. The upper section, 4, of the plate is secured to the main
plate and belt by a central rivet, 6, which serves as a pivot on which the plate may
turn for the purpose of side adjustment, as hereinafter specified. The lower end of
the plate-section, 5, is formed with a longitudinal slot, 7, and the pad 8 is secured
on the inner side of this end, adjustably, by means of a screw, 9, passing through
the slot into the centre of the pad, so that by loosening the screw the pad may be
moved up and down to adjust its distance from the belt.
To exert a perfect pressure on the pad, which can be adjusted and regulated
with the utmost accuracy, I employ a lever, this small lever, 10, being formed of
metal and centrally pivoted in a bearing 11 on the outer side of the hinged plate 5,
as shown, so that its lower end (the lever being curved, as shown, preferably,
although it may be made perfectly straight) will come in contact with the head of
the screw in the centre of the pad, and the central part of the lever is formed with
a series of apertures, 12, through which its removable pivot-pin passes, so that the
lever can be adjusted in its bearing when the pad is adjusted, and so that its lower
end will always come in contact with the centre of the pad. The upper end of the
lever is formed with a threaded aperture, 13, through which works an adjusting
screw, 14, the end or point of which bears on the upper plate, 4, preferably turning
in a recess, 6ª, formed in the end of the pivot, 6. The upper end of the pivoted
plate, 4, is formed with a curved slot, 15, through which a set-screw, 16, passes into
the main plate, and it will be seen that by this construction when the screw 16 is

page_text: loosened the pad can be adjusted to either the right or left, turning the plates 4, 5,
on the pivot 6.
From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings, the construction, manner of adjustment and operation, and decided
advantages of my truss will be readily perceived. It will be seen that by the use
of the pivoted lever and screw power that I obtain a means for holding the pad
pressed to its place in use with a constant and perfect pressure, which it is utterly
impossible to obtain by the use of cams, &c.
The pad and lever, as before stated, can be adjusted to fit the exact spot desired,
and the pad can further be adjusted to the right or left, as described. I do not
confine myself to the screw for operating the pivoted lever, as other equivalent
means could be employed for moving the upper end of the lever in and out without
departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a truss, the combination of a plate hinged or pivotally connected to a belt
and carrying a pad at its lower end, a lever centrally pivoted in a bearing on the
hinged plate with its lower end extending over said pad, and means for adjusting
the upper end of said lever, substantially as set forth.
2. In a truss, the combination, with a belt, of an adjustable plate pivotally
secured thereto, a downwardly-extending plate hinged to said adjustable plate at
its upper end and carrying a pad at its lower end, and a lever centrally pivoted in
a bearing on the lower hinged plate with its lower end extending over the centre
of the pad and having an adjusting-screw working through its upper end against a
fixed bearing on the belt, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of February 1893
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.