A TRUSS FOR THE PREVENTION AND CURE OF RUPTURES ON AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, HAVING A JOINTED. AND SPRING PAD AND ELASTIC UNDERSTRAP AND CIRCULAR BAND, INSTEAD OF THE IRON AND STEEL OR OTHER METALIC CIRCULAR BANDS IN USE, AND WHICH WOULD FIT PERSONS OF DIFFERENT SIZE, AND THAT THE TRUSS WOULD DO EQUALLY WELL FOR RUPTURES ON EITHER SIDE
Year: 1796

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
BOWMAN, of Upper Titchfield Street, in the Parish of Saint Mary-le-bone,
in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Gracious Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the First day of March, in the thirty-sixth year of His reign,
after reciting therein (amongst other things) that I, the said Michael Bowman,
hal, by my Petition, humbly represented unto Him that I had, after much
trouble, labour, and expence, found out and invented "A TRUSS FOR THE
PREVENTION AND CURE OF RUPTURES ON AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, HAVING A JOINTED.
AND SPRING PAD AND ELASTIC UNDERSTRAP AND CIRCULAR BAND, INSTEAD OF THE
IRON AND STEEL OR OTHER METALIC CIRCULAR BANDS IN USE, AND WHICH WOULD
FIT PERSONS OF DIFFERENT SIZE, AND THAT THE TRUSS WOULD DO EQUALLY WELL
FOR RUPTURES ON EITHER SIDE," did grant unto me, the said Michael Bowman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, special licence that I, the said
Michael Bowman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,.
and vend, within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-,
Tweed, my said Invention, within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso that if I, the said Michael Bowman, should not, within one calendar
month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
.1

page_text: in what manner the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the same should determine
and be void.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Bowman (in compliance with
and in persuance of the said proviso in the said in part recited Letters Patent
contained), by this Instrument in writing under my hand and seal, do ascertain
and particularly describe the nature of my said Invention in the said Letters
Patent mentioned, and how the same is to be performed, and declaro the
same to be in the manner and form following (that is to say):
:-
I make my spring pad of three plates of iron, steel, brass, copper, or other
metal, the upper or outer and middle plate of the same length and breadth,
and the under plate, or plate next the cushion, nearly of the same length and
breadth, or I make, or cause to be made, the plates of the same length and
breadth, or oval, or round, of the same dimensions, and vary the plates in size,
as the case inay require. The upper or outer plate I unite, when the plates
are of the description first mentioned, at one end of the middle plate, by a joint
or binge, and on the side of the middle or center plate next the upper or
outer plate, I rivet, or otherwise fix or fasten, at the end next the joint, or
bowed spring, made of steel or iron, with the other end loose to work upon
the opposite side of the upper or outer plate. The under plate, or plate
next the cushion, I unite to the middle plate by a joint or hinge at the reverse
end of that united to the upper or outer plate, as before described; and on
the side of the middle plate, next the under plate, or plate next the cushion,
I rivet, or otherwise fix or fasten, at the end next the joint, a bowed spring,
made of steel or iron, with the other end loose to work upon the opposite
side of tho under plate, or plate near the cushion; or 1 rivet, fix, or fasten
the springs as aforesaid on the upper or outer plate, and the under plate, or
plate next the cushion, with loose ends to work or operate on the reverse
side of the middle or center plate; or I make the same of two or more of
such springs, of less force or strength, fixed and fastened as before
described, on each side of the middle or center plate, or on the upper
or outer plate, or under plate next the cushion; or I make the upper or
outer plate, middle or center plate, and under plate, or plato next the
cushion, oval or round, and united by hinges or Joints at the reverse ends
or sides, and two or more springs fixed or fastened either to the middle or
centro plate, or to the upper or outer plate, and under plate, or plato next
the cushion, with one end of each spring loose to operate on the opposite

page_text: plate; and the pad, made as aforesaid, I line and cover, as after-mentioned
And for the fastening on of such pad, and the circular band and strap belonging
thereto and hercin-after described, I rivet, fix, or fasten five or more iron,
brass, copper, or other metalic studs or screws into the said upper or outer
plate, on the outside of the said plate, each stud or screw having a head or
knob to serve as a button, for the purpose of uniting, fixing, or fastening
the circular band with a buckle and under strap. The buckle I sew to a
piece of girting, belting, tape, leather, or other pliable material, into the end of
which I make one, two, or more holes, through which hole or holes one, two,
or more of the said studs or screws are, when in use, to be passed, or such
hole or holes may be made in the circular belt so as to receive the heads
of the studs or screws without the buckle. I make the circular band of
either girting, belting, tape, linen, cotton, leather, or other binding, or of
two or more of those united, and in one or two parts of which circular band,
at the end thereof, or near to the middle, I unite, fasten in, and inclose and
cover over several rows of metalic clastic wire, or small springs. At one
end of the circular band I make one, two, or moro holes, to receive one,
two, or more of the studs or screws I have before mentioned to be in the
upper or outer plate of the pad as a fastening, and the other end of the said
band I fix or fasten by the buckle before mentioned; or for the more easy
fixing and fastening of the last mentioned end, I join, fix, and fasten, at some
distance from such end, a strap made either of leather, girting, belting, tape, or
some other such material, whereby the said band may be more easily
lengthened or shortned at pleasure. I fix or fasten a number of hooks
or eyes into or upon the circular band, for the purpose of receiving the hooks
or eyes fixed or fastened to the end of the understrap, and uniting the samo
together; I make the understrap either of tape, girting, belting, leather, linen,
cotton, or other material, or of two or more of them united, in part of which
strap I unite, fasten in, and inclose several rows of metalic elastic wire or
small springs, and at one end of the strap I fix one, two, or more hooks
or eyes, and at the other end a strap of either leather, girting, belting, tape,
or other material or substance of like nature. The whole, except the buckle,
studs, or screws, and straps, I line with wool, flanuel, hair, cotton, or any one
or more of such materials, and cover the whole, except the buckle studs
or screws, strap hooks and eyes, with leather, silk, cotton, or other soft
article or thing of like nature, the circular band being fastened and buckled
firmly round the haunches or hips, as the same made as aforesaid will do.
The elastic wires or small springs are brought into action in order to keep
the band equally tight in the various motions of the body when in use;

page_text: the understrap is hooked to the eyes and brought under the thigh and up
the groin of the ruptured side to the single or brass, iron, or other metalic
studs in the lower edge of the upper or outer plate of the pad, by which
means the springs of the pad are brought into action, and the cushion,
attached or fastened to the under plate, is pressed on the abdominal ring
with any required force, so as to prevent the protrusion of any of the abdominal
viscera. And my truss, so made as before described, will suit persons of
different size, and may, from the tho structure thereof, be altered by the person
using the same to suit either side, as need may require, by varying the
fastenings of the pad to the circular band and understrap, without any
additional knobs, holes, or fastenings therein or thereto.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Thirty-
first day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred and ninety-six.
MICHAEL (Ls.) BOWMAN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the samo Thirty-first day of March,
in the year above written, the aforesaid Michael Bowman came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and- acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing - therein contained, in form abovo written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Thirty-first day of March, in the year above written.
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