A NEW AND IMPROVED PAD FOR TRUSSES, ADAPTABLE TO ANY SPRING WAISTBAND."
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Gedge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th January 1877. A communication
from abroad by Cimon Corneille Schoevers, of the Hague, Holland, Doctor of
Medecine.
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WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. A NEW AND IMPROVED PAD FOR TRUSSES, ADAPTABLE
TO ANY SPRING WAISTBAND." A communication from abroad by Cimon Corneille
Schoevers, of the Hague, Holland, Doctor of Medecine.
By the use of the new pad herein-after described all the inconveniences and
dangers attending the use of ordinary trusses disappear.
The most disagreable and most dangerous defect of the pads hitherto generally
used is unquestionably the displacement of the pad itself, and consequent shifting
of the entire truss.
It is evident that directly the pad of a truss or bandage is displaced the effect of
the truss is destroyed, and that the danger which the wearer seeks to avoid by the
aid of the truss, that is to say, strangulated hernia, is imminent; wherefore it may
be said that the ordinary case of the trusses hitherto used is that of complete inutility,
inasmuch that, by their incessant shiftings, they cannot ward off the dangers to
which persons affected with hernia are exposed. Whereas any truss provided with
this new petal pad will be perfectly adherent at the spot to be covered by the pad.
This adhesion is produced by the petals which form the base of the spherical cap or
cup of this pad. Thus prevented from shifting the trusses fulfil the useful purpose
for which they are made, that is to say, that they effectually obstruct the protrusion
of the intestines by the inguinal canal, and consequently prevent the strangulation
of any hernia.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows a pad embodying this Invention..
The actual body of this petal pad is a little more than semispherical in form, of
variable diameter, and made preferably of hardened vulcanized india-rubber. The
part in excess of the semisphere B is cut out denticulated. These denticulations or
cut-out parts d take the form of petals, from whence the name given to this pad
(see Figs. 1 and 2); the number of these petals is optional and according to
requirement.
As shown in Fig. 2, which is a vertical section of the pad, there is in the centre
of the petals d, and resting on the diametrical plane of the semisphere B forming

page_text: the envelope or casing of this pad, another, semisphere B₁ of less diameter than the
first, and connected therewith by two elbowed parts, so that these two semispheres B
and B¹ form but one whole, upon which is the ring or crown of petals d, see Figures
1 and 2.
Figure 2 shows that this pad has within it a helical spring C, one of the ends of
which is soldered or otherwise secured to a screw A of copper, or other suitable
material. This screw carries a plate of copper, which rests on the outer pole of the
hemisphere B, and this plate is itself surmounted by a copper ball intended to
fasten the pad to the circular spring which is to be provided with it. The other
end of the spring C is soldered to a small segment of a sphere a made of copper,
which rests in the cavity formed by the small semisphere B', so that, by the action
of the spring C, the lower sphere. B¹ is made to act upon the intestine as a com-
pressor and resist its tendency to protrude.
The petals d, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, which are arranged in a ring on the circum-
ference of the large semisphere B, and have in their centre the small sphere B¹,
cause the pad to cling to the spot which it is to cover.
Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of this pad; in the centre of this Figure is the
small semisphere B¹ inserted in that B, and on the circumference of this latter is
shown the ring of petals d.
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the pad; in the centre of the semisphere B is
seen the head of the screw A which carries the spring C.