Year: 1888

page_text: We, WILLIAM CLARKSON of St. Pauls Road Balsall Heath Chemist and WILLIAM
CROWLEY NICHOLLS of Durham Road Spark Hill Stamper and Piercer both in the
County of Worcester do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in trusses for the human body which
are so constructed in their various parts that they may be worn without chafing or
exerting an injurious pressure on the spine or lumbar region. The pressure upon
the hernial sac is also so well balanced adjusted and sustained that while perfect
freedom of action is allowed to the patient a much better chance of cure is afforded
than with existing trusses. Our trusses are radically different from those hitherto
in use principally because the support is obtained without any solid metal spring
around the loin and hips this in itself avoiding much friction and consequent soreness
of parts.
Our appliance is flexible and soft in every possible part only a sufficient amount of
foundation stiffness being introduced to transfer the necessary pressure to the hernia
and it consists of a spring arm plate secured to an abdominal or foundation plate,
rest or pad which extends across the pelvis the ends of the said spring arm or
arms being so formed as to receive suitably formed pad arms to bear upon the
rupture these being suspended from the said spring or other arms by suitable
adjustable attachments. This compound arrangement of plates and pads are retained
in position by a belt or strap which encircles the hips and back the belt being
narrower where it passes in front of the hip bones the back or sides of the belt
being composed of an elastic material such for instance as an elasting webbing or
india rubber or flat coiled or other springs such as used for garters and braces so as
to allow of free ventilation. The ends may finish with either eyelet holes to fix.
upon studs either on the spring or foundation plates or with a strap or straps or

page_text: the end eyelet holes may be used in conjunction with an intermediate or side
adjustable buckle or buckles. A perineal band or bands may be used with these
trusses when desired but generally they would be unnecessary.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into
practice we have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon which we
have illustrated two examples of our new trusses from which instrument makers or
others acquainted with the subject will easily produce other modifications or forms to
suit the cases of various patients without in any way departing from the essential
principle of the invention.
Figure 1. is a perspective view of a truss belt with an india-rubber or centre spring
back in conjunction with two examples of hernia pads or arms attached thereto the
pads or arms being merely examples in all cases shown as they must always be suited
in size length and shape to the particular case and for this purpose an assortment of
such detachable pads would be kept in stock.
Figure 2 is also a perspective view of a similar truss to Figure 1 but with the
spring parts of the belt made up in the sides instead of the back thereof.
In the case of the truss shown by Figure 2 the plate or pad A becomes the
foundation which is made from any suitable metal or material which will retain a set
and sufficient firmness such for instance as celluloid gutta-percha, leather or other
material upon which the main-spring arm or arms B are secured by any suitable rivet
or screw . Each end of the main-spring in both figures is formed differently to
illustrate some of the various modes of attaching the pad arms E. F. H and K. In
the case of the arm E the top end may have any number of holes e¹ and e² through
either of which the pin may pass to fasten it in either or a slot may be substituted
for the said holes so that the adjustment may be still finer and there may be a
horizontal slot in the end or ends of the main spring B so that lateral adjustment
may be afforded. At the other end we simply show a round pad F fixed to the main
spring but it will be evident that these may vary to any extent and either one or both
may be used that is as a single or double truss. The belt is flexible and is composed
of the spring part C which may be india-rubber, elastic webbing or coiled wire
springs either flat or round finishing at each end with a part D which becomes
narrower at d near the front hip bones. The belt is attached to the plate or spring
by the stud holes d² and besides these an adjustable buckle or strap such for instance
as S may be introduced at any position in the ends D. It will thus be seen that the
foundation plate A rests against the lower part of the abdomen or pubes and is kept
tightly against the part and thus it becomes a solid base upon which to fix the main
spring B to which the arms or pads before mentioned are fixed the whole being firm
yet elastic and adjustable to any extent. In the case of Figure 2 the end of the main
spring to which the pad arm H is attached has a circular slot 68 by which it may
be adjusted to any radial line upon the pivot screw b7 by the supplimental screw 1.
The other pad ari K is provided with a pin to enter any one of the holes of which
there may be any number by this means the centre screw serves to secure the-arm
in position as well as forming a pivot. The belt in this case has a leather or other
firm back piece M and side elastics C1, C2 the ends D finishing as described for the
previous figure. It will be obvious that any of the devices shown for the ends of the
main spring plate B may be used and that the arms or pads may be bent to reach
any desired. position and may be combined with a perineal band or bands when
desired. When required for Scrotal or Congenital hernia a sliding strap or straps
may be placed on the back M of the belt to be carried between the legs of the patient
and secured to the front of the pad. The main spring plate B may be made to any
desired shape and so as to have more or less spring as in some cases there would
be but very little flexibility required as the pivot joint would always give a little
and the elastic band gives great ease though we do not always bind ourselves to
use an elastic band as a more or less stiff band would act fairly well when in
combination with the foundation plate A and main spring plate made fairly flexible.
The arms of the hernia pads may be made from spring metal so as to give an
independent flexible spring action at e¹, h¹, or k¹ as the case may be.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First The improvements in trusses for the human body consisting of the
foundation plate A in combination with the main spring plate B to which any pad
arms E. F. H K are affixed the whole being held in position with a belt substantially
as herein set forth and illustrated upon the drawings.
Second-In trusses for the human body the formation of the bernia pads
mounted upon arms made from spring metal so as to give a flexible spring action
thereto substantially as herein set forth.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicants.