IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES FOR SURGICAL PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Vaughan Waldron Jones, of No. 1, Hackins Hey, Liver-
pool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRUSSES FOR SURGICAL PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by John
Bailey Brown, of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Vaughan Waldron Jones at
the Office of the Cminissioners of Patents on the 4th January 1878.
VAUGHAN WALDRON JONES, of No. 1, Hackins Hey, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES FOR SURGICAL PURPOSES." [A commu-
nication froin abroad by John Bailey Brown, of Chicago, Illinois, in the United
States of America.]
The present Invention has for its object the construction of a truss of a simple
nature in which the use of springs such as are used in ordinary trusses may be en-
tirely dispensed with, while it is so arranged as to act in the most efficient manner,
and without any liability to get displaced. For this purpose I employ a belt of
flexible, and by preference inelastic material, such as linen, cotton, or silk webbing,
which is passed round the body and secured by any suitable fastening that will not
inconvenience the wearer.
At any desired point of the belt is secured a cup or block of wood or other
suitable solid material having on its inner face a hollow into which is fitted a pad of
cotton, wool, or other suitable elastic or semielastic material which is brought against
the part of the body that the truss is required to act upon or support.
The block is by preference of some thickness, and made to taper somewhat from
the outer end, which is attached to the belt, towards the inner end carrying the pad,
and on its back surface it has one or more studs. A strap of the same material as

page_text: r
the belt is attached to the latter at the back, and is brought forward between the
legs of the wearer up to the back surface of the pressing block, to one or more of
the studs of which it is attached by eyes or loops.
The lower edge of the block is by preference formed with a notch or loop, into or
through which the said strap passes, so that it cannot get displaced relatively to the
block. By this arrangement while the block with its pad is held in position by the
belt, the action of the strap in pressing against the lower edge of the block causes
this to be pressed inwards and upwards in such a nanner as to afford the most
efficient support to the part of the body to which it is applied.
Where the truss is required to act simultaneously upon two parts of the body,
as a double truss, the above-described block with its pad and thigh strap are pro-
vided in duplicate.
The pad of the block is by preference made loose, so that it can be taken out
and renewed when required; it may also be made with a steel spring inside it,
instead of being entirely of elastic or semielastic material, and the block itself may
be made without the hollow, the pad being merely fixed on the face thereof.
The thigh strap is by preference provided with a covering to protect it and to
lessen the friction in walking.
Although, as before stated, I prefer to secure the block and pad in position by a
flexible belt without the use of springs, yet it will be evident that any of the
usual forms of springs might be applied to it, without departing from the essential
feature of this invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Vaughan Waldron Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd July
1878.
"
VAUGHAN WALDRON JONES, of No. 1, Hackins Hey, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster. IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES FOR SURGICAL PURPOSES.." A commu-
nication from abroad by John Bailey Brown, of Chicago, Illinois, in the United
States of America.
The present Invention has for its object the construction of a truss of a simple
nature, in which the use of springs, such as are used in ordinary trusses, may be
entirely dispensed with, while it is so arranged as to act in the most efficient manner
and without any liability to get displaced. For this purpose I employ a belt of
flexible, and by preference inelastic material, such as linen, cotton, or silk webbing,
which is passed round the body, and secured by any suitable fastening that will not
inconvenience the wearer.
At any desired point of the belt is secured a cup or block of wood or other
suitable solid material having on its inner face a hollow, into which is fitted a pad of
cotton, wool, or other suitable elastic material, which is brought against the part of
the body that the truss is required to act upon or support.
The block is by preference of some thickness, and made to taper somewhat
from the outer end, which is attached to the belt, towards the inner end carrying
the pad, and on its back surface it has one or more studs. A strap of the same
material as the belt is attached to the latter at the back, and is brought for-
ward between the legs of the wearer up to the back surface of the pressing
block, to one or more of the studs of which it is attached by eyes or loops.
The lower edge of the block is by preference formed with a notch or loop, into or
through which the said strap passes, so that it cannot get displaced relatively to the
block. By this arrangement, while the block with its pad is held in position by the
belt, the action of the strap in pressing against the lower edge of the block causes
this to be pressed inwards and upwards in such a manner as to afford the most
efficient support to the part of the body to which it is applied.
Where the truss is required to act simultaneously upon two parts of the body as
a double truss, the above-described block with its pad and thigh straps are provided
in duplicate.
The pad of the block is by preference made loose, so that it can be taken out and
renewed when required; it may also be made with a steel spring inside it, instead of
being entirely of elastic or semi-elastic material, and the block itself may be made
without the hollow, the pad being merely fixed on the face thereof.
The thigh strap is by preference provided with a covering to protect it, and to
lessen the friction in walking,
Although, as before stated, I prefer to secure the block and pad in position by a
flexible belt without the use of springs, yet it will be evident that any of the usual
forms of springs might be applied to it without departing from the essential feature
of this Invention.
On the accompanying Drawing is shewn by way of illustration one arrangement
of the before-described improved truss.
Fig. 1 shews a perspective view of the complete truss, and Fig. 2 shews to an
enlarged scale a side view of the block with its attachments.
The flexible belt A is passed round the body, being secured by a buckle or other
suitable fastening at A'; to it is attached by any convenient means (such as by studs
passing through eyelet holes, as shewn) the block B of wood or other suitable solid
material. This block is by preference made of the shape shewn, namely, of eliptic
form, tapering in size from the outer face B' to which the belt A is attached to the
inner face B2 which is pressed against the body of the wearer, indicated by dotted
lines in Fig. 2.

page_text: The inner face of the block is by preference, hollowed out, as indicated by the
dotted line C, so as to receive the removeable pad D of any suitable soft elastic or
semi-elastic material.
A strap E attached to the back part of the belt A is passed between the legs of the
wearer, and is also connected to the block as shewn, being passed through a loop
formed at the lower part of the block by a plate F, and secured to the same studs
to which the belt is attached.
From this arrangement it will be seen that when the truss is adjusted in position
on the body, the strap E in exerting a pull on the lower end of the block in the
direction indicated in Fig. 2 will cause the block to be pressed both inwards and
upwards against the body, as before stated.
It will be evident that other modes may be adopted for attaching the block to the
waist belt, and the thigh straps to the block; also that instead of making the pad
of the block removeable, it may be fixed on the block, which need not necessarily be
made with a hollow to receive it, nor need it be made tapering from the outer end
to the pad, although it is preferred to construct the block and pad as described.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim
First. Constructing trusses with a solid block of some thickness relatively to its
width, which is pressed against the body by a waist belt and by a strap passing
from the back of the belt between the legs, the block being of such a shape and the
thigh straps so attached to the back thereof that by the pull of the strap the block
is pressed in wards and upwards against the body, substantially as herein described.
Second. In trusses constructed as set forth in the first claim, providing the block
with a removeable pad fitting into a recess or hollow in or otherwise secured to the
front face of the block, substantially as herein described.
.
Third. In trusses constructed as set forth in the first claim, the provision of a
loop or plate on the back of the block, through or under which the thigh strap is
passed, so as to prevent it from slipping, substantially as herein described.
. In witness whereof, I, the said Vaughan Waldron Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
VAUGHAN WALDRON JONES. (L.S.)