An Improved Navel-rupture Belt.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Navel-rupture Belt.
I, ADOLF HELM of Brieg District of Breslau, in the Empire of Germany, Belt and
Bandage Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
Experience in surgical operations has shewn that the navel-rupture belts now in
use do not fully answer all requirements, as they are apt to change their position with
the gentlest movements of the body, and similarly with sudden movements, they
sometimes uncover the rupture aperture and thereby cause pain to the injured part.
My improved navel-rupture belt is designed to remove these defects and also to
yield the necessary support with precision. The most favourable results have been
obtained from this bandage in practical application.
My new rupture belt consists essentially of a curved shield or plate formed of
sheet zinc, or other suitable material and which underneath is slightly concave and
has a smooth surface, while outside it has a flat and straight bar of metal to receive
the straps which secure it in position.
Nearly in the middle of this shield there projects a small circular pad on the inside
and this projection is covered with chamois-leather, velvet, or moleskin, and contains
a suitable soft padding.
The waist band consists of a back strap formed of strong leather so lined with
chamois velvet, or moleskin, and softly padded that its edges do not irritate the skin.
The ends of this leather strap are connected to other pieces of strong leather which are
shaped and inclined to suit the conformation of the hips.
The connection between the shield and pad and the waist band is formed by means
of several strips of india-rubber which carry at their ends leather straps which fasten
on studs outside the shield. The india-rubber strips are attached to the leather by
means of small rivets or in some other suitable way and the joint is also protected by
means of linen bands which prevent the india-rubber from being over-stretched.
This arrangement ensures the special advantage that owing to the waist band
resting upon the hips, and the front part sloping downwards towards the navel, the fit
of the belt on the body is perfect. In the case of stout persons whose navel lies
deeper than usual, it is especially observable that owing to the combination of parts
before described and especially the curved form of the front of the waist-band and the
elastic straps all necessary support is yielded in every position of the body and
respiration is not interfered with.
Dated this 15th day of January 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Navel-rupture Belt.
I ADOLF HEIM, Practical Trussmaker of Brieg, Breslau, Silesia in the Empire of
Germany 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 a new umbilical truss and consists essentially in the
covering and devices illustrated in the annexed drawings in which A is the covering
(Figs. 1 and 2). This covering is of sheet metal shaped broad and bent at its lower
part, flat and small at its upper part and from about the middle of it springs forth a
ball B¹ Fig. 2; of soft caoutchouc.

page_text: The whole is covered with doeskin, velvet, or moleskin.
The waistbelt (Figs. 3 and 4) consists of the back piece C and the fore part D.
The first named piece is made of strong leather provided with wadding and covered
with doeskin velvet or moleskin with an overlapping soft edge whereby undue
pressure by the edge of the leather is prevented.
The leather on the upper side is hindered from rolling together by the supports a
of the parts for the hips which parts are equally of strong leather.
The fore part D is cut out according to the hips and bent obliquely inward and
downward.
The connections with the covering of the ball are made by means of oblique bands
of caoutchouc 6 which are provided at their ends with leather strips with button
holes. The connection of the leather with the parts of caoutchouc is strengthened so
that the bands of caoutchouc contain bands of linen for controlling the extension of
the caoutchouc.
The improved device offers the advantage of a faultless application to the body as
the waistbelt reposes on the hips and it's forepart D is situated obliquely so that an
oblique pressure towards the body is caused upon the ball Figs. 5 and 6. This is
particularly the case in stout persons whose navel is ordinarily lower than their hips
caused by the fact that the oblique direction of the navel is due to a force which
works from behind and upward, which however the covering of the ball cannot follow
because it is bent according to the form of the body and finding the necessary
resistance any pushing downward is quite impossible. In forced respiration or great
movements of the body the truss is prevented from changing its place by the
caoutchouc bands, which yield without yielding too much.
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. An umbilical truss consisting in the covering A in connection with the ball B¹
of soft caoutchouc arranged a little above the middle of the covering, the waist belt
provided with supports a formed in straight line to these supports and from there
bent downward according to the shape of the hips.
2. The combination of above truss with caoutchouc bands 6 provided with per-
forated leather strips, and linen bands for controlling the extension of the caoutchouc
all essentially as described and illustrated and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 12th day of September 1890.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., Agents to Applicant.