IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
⚫
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL
ARMS." A communication from abroad by Thomas Uren, of the
City of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 15th May 1866, and dated the 4th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on
the 4th December 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature.
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL
ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various improvements upon an Invention for. which
"I obtained Letters Patent, bearing date April 27th, 1865, No. 1185, and has
for its object to construct an artificial arm which is peculiarly adapted to
cases of amputation of the fore arm. The-Invention will also be found useful
for cases in which the elbow joint is paralysed.
The Invention consists, first, in the use of a locking cord or strap for
holding up and supporting the fore arm in a fixed horizontal position when
required. To this end a cord or strap is firmly attached by one end to the
leather or other case which envelopes the upper arm above the elbow. The
other end of this cord passes through a guide on the outside of the artificial
fore arm, and is provided with a hook whereby it may be permanently attached

page_text: to a pin, bar, or other equivalent device situated near the wrist. By raising
up the fore arm and hooking the cord on to the wrist pin the fore arm
may be held up for any length of time without fatiguing the elbow joint.
The next improvement relates to the means of opening and closing the fore-
finger and thumb. These digits are jointed at their junction with the hand,
and are kept closed by the tension of a spring, placed inside the artificial hand.
This spring is connected to a lever, the end of which projects from the inside
of the hand into an opening at the wrist so that a tension cord may be hooked
on to it. This tension cord passes outside the fore and upper arm through
swivel guides, which give it a certain amount of elasticity, and is secured by
its other end to a ring on the shoulder and back strap.
The next improvement consists in the use of a double lifting cord for raising
the fore arm. This cord is secured by both its ends to the sides of the fore
arm, and passes up through swivel guides or straps on each side of the upper
arm. By this arrangement a bow or loop is made in the lifting cord, which
passes through a ring or loop at the end of the shoulder or back strap. It
will therefore be evident that by putting a strain on the lifting cord by raising
the stump of the amputated arm the fore arm will be lifted up. The guides
through which the tension cords pass are made moveable on their centres, to
which end they are either formed of short leather straps, which are sufficiently
flexible for the purpose, or of wires or metal bars mounted on centre pins so
that they can work thereon.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers are jointed to the hand, and are held in place
by a strong spring or springs placed inside the hand, but are capable of being
moved on their centres (in order to open the hand) by means of cords which
are connected by one end to the back of the fingers, and by the other to the
back or shoulder strap or to some convenient part of the artificial upper arm.
The thumb and first finger may be made to act in combination with the other
fingers by means of a cord as already explained, so that the entire hand, or
rather the fingers and thumb thereof; may be opened simultaneously so as to
grasp and take up anything.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 3!
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane; in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Iler. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the sail
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL ARMS,"
being a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Uren, of the City of
New York, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):—
This Invention relates to various improvements upon an Invention for which
I obtained Letters Patent, bearing date April Twenty-seventh, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five, No. 1185, and has for its object to construct an
artificial arm which is peculiarly adapted to cases of amputation of the fore arm.
The Invention will also be found useful for cases in which the elbow joint
is paralysed. The means whereby this object is effected are shewn in the
accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents an external view of the
improved artificial arm with the fore arm and hand hanging down; Fig. 2 is
a similar view with the fore arm and hand held up by braces or cords in the
manner hereafter explained; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a fore arm and
hand detached; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 5 represents
one of the improved arms adapted to the body for use.
The Invention consists, first, in the use of a locking cord or strap for
holding up and supporting the fore arm in a fixed horizontal position when

page_text: required. To this end a cord or strap a is firmly attached by one end
to the leather or other case 6, which envelopes or forms a socket for the upper
arm above the elbow. The other end of this cord a passes through a guide c
on the outside of the artificial fore arm, and is provided with a hook d whereby
it may be permanently attached to a pin, bar, or other equivalent device e
situated near the wrist. By raising up the fore arm f and hooking the cord a
on to the wrist pin e, the fore arm ƒ may be held up in the position shewn at
Fig. 2. for any length of time without fatiguing the elbow joint.
The next improvement relates to the means of opening and closing the fore-
finger and thumb of the hand. These digits are jointed at their junction
with the hand as shewn at 9, 9', Figures 1, 2, and 3, and are kept closed by
the tension of a spring h, Fig. 8, placed inside the artificial hand; this spring h
is connected to a lever i, the end of which projects from the inside of the
hand into an opening j at the wrist, so that a tension cord ke may be hooked
on to it. This tension cord ke passes outside the fore and upper arm through
swivel or other guides 1, Fig. 1, which give it a certain amount of elasticity,
and is secured by its other end to a ring on the shoulder and back strap.
The next improvement consists in the use of a double lifting cord m för
raising the fore arm f; this cord m is secured by both its ends to the sides of
the fore arm f, and passes up through swivel guides or straps m¹ on each side
of the upper arm b; by this arrangement a bow or loop is made in the
lifting cord which passes through a ring or loop n at the end of the shoulder
or back strap. It will therefore be evident that by putting a strain on the
lifting cord m (by raising the stump of the amputated arm), the fore arm f
will be lifted up. The guides and m¹ through which the tension cords pass
are made moveable on their centres, to which end they are either formed of
short leather straps as shewn in the Drawing, and which are sufficiently
flexible for the purpose, or they may be formed of wires or metal bars mounted
.on centre pins so that they can work thereon.
The second, third, and fourth fingers are jointed to the hand, and are held
in place by a strong spring or springs placed inside the hand, but are capable
of being moved on their centres (in order to open the hand) by means of
cords o, Fig. 4, which are connected by one end to the back of the fingers,
and by the other to the back or shoulder strap or to some convenient part of
the artificial upper arm.
The thumb and first finger may be made to act in combination with the
other fingers by means of a cord as already explained, so that the entire hand,
or rather the fingers and thumb thereof, may be opened simultaneously so as
to grasp and take up any object.

page_text: Fig. 6 is an external view of a modification of the artificial arm just
described. Instead of the cords m and k of Figures 1 and 2, one of which
supports the arm and the other serves to open and close the fingers, two
cords m³, k, are employed; these cords are attached to the rings and n¹,
as in the former instance. Fig. 7 shews the mechanism for closing and
opening the fingers. It will be seen that the cords m² and ke are attached to-
the lever o fixed to the four last fingers, and they pass on each side over the
pullies p, p. p. It will now be understood that if tension is put on the cord k³
it will cause the lever o to turn on its centre, and thereby open the fingers:
If, however, tension is put on the cord m the lever will also be made to
move, but in the opposite direction, and thereby close the fingers. Fig. 8
is a sectional view shewing the mechanism for moving the forefinger and
thumb; the forefinger is provided with a lever o¹ with its cord, which passes
over the two pullies p', p¹. The thumb carries a lever o with its cord, which
passes over two other pullies p³, p. The three cords which perform the
operation of opening the thumb, the forefinger, and the four other fingers
are connected together and are united to the cord . The other three cords
which perform the operation of closing the thumb and fingers are also united,
and are attached to the cord m³: It will therefore be seen that there are two
simple cords m³ and k³, one of which is connected to the ring ' and the
other to the ring n³.
Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a inodification of the hands just described;
in this instance the thunib remains always open by the tension of the spring r,
and there is a cord 7 for closing it. In this Figure is also shewn an arrange-
ment for moving the fore joint of the thumb. Two cords sand s¹ are fixed
one to the inside and the other to the outside of this fore part of the thumb,
which is jointed to the lower part of the thumb by the hinge 2; these two
cords s and s' are connected to the rings k¹ and n².
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of an artificial fore arm of a very cheap
construction, and is intended for the use of artisans and persons of limited
means. It will be seen that the the four fingers have no motion, and the thumb
is kept constantly open by means of the spring 7. A cord y' is attached to a
lever o adapted to the thumb, and is connected by one end to another lever u
placed near the wrist of the hand. To the upper end of the lever u is
adapted a cord v connected by its opposite end to one of the rings k or n¹ of
Fig. 6. It will now be understood that if tension is put upon the cord v the
other cord.y' will cause the thumb to close against the forefinger, and when
the cord v is slackened the thumb will be opened again by the force of the
spring r¹

page_text: Fig. 11 represents a modification of the mechanical arm, the band being
shewn in longitudinal section. This arm is attached to the body by an
arrangement of straps, the two extremities of which are connected to two
rings x, x¹, which are fixed to the arm. To the ring is connected the cord,
which is supported upon a pulley z, and is attached to one end of the lever u.
It will now be understood that if the ring is pulled by the shoulder strap
the cord y will cause the arm to turn on the hinget in order to raise the
fore arm; at the same time it will put in motion the lever u, to which are
connected the cords q', 9³, one of which is connected to the lever of the four
fingers, and the other to the lever of the thumb. The fingers are held
always open by the spring rt, which is attached to a cord which connects the
two levers. The cord y³, which is connected by one end to the ring at, and
by the other to some part of the arm, and which slips over the bar of the
hinge t, is intended to open the arm when tension is put on the strap c, which
is attached to the ring. It will be seen in the Drawings that the fingers aro
in their normal position, and that they can only be closed by applying force
to the ring x.
Having now described the Invention of "Improvements in the Construc-
tion of Artificial Arms, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the
mode herein set forth of constructing artificial arn:s, and operating the
several parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
· 66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)