Improvements in Surgical Trusses.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1899-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Surgical Trusses.
A communication to me from FRIEDRICH KAISER, of Bahnhofstrasse 38, St.
Johann Saar, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer,
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Chartered Patent
Agents and Engineers, of 65 & 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and accompanying drawings, that is to say:-
The trusses used for hernia have heretofore had the disadvantage that they
have been made only approximately correct, that is to say, the pads which are
applied to the rupture have generally been made after one pattern, or their
proper shape guessed at by superficial examination, the parts by which the
rupture is covered or pressed back being made of greater or less thickness.
This result could be only partially effective, and only when the body remains
As soon as the position
in the same position as it was when the truss was put on.
of the body was changed (by rough exercise, coughing, etc.) the pad would be
pushed out of its former position and the bowels would protrude. This was
generally the case when, after a long application of the truss, the fatty part
was pressed away by the pad. The result was an increase of the trouble and of
the complaint.
The present invention has for its object to manufacture truss-pads which are
made to fit the body anatomically in the following manner:
A cast-iron mould is used provided with a spring which is constructed exactly
like the spring of a truss. The mould can be of any shape and make, according
to the kind of rupture, age of the patient, and the like, and of a suitable size.
The pads and the mould are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in
which:
'
Figures 1 and 2 represent two views of the pad,
Figure 3 is a side view of the mould.
Figure 4 a view of that side of the mould which has to be applied to the
rupture.
The apparatus consists principally of the mould a which is hollow and open
on both sides; the moveable cover c provided with the thumb-screw b, and the
hook d which secures the cover to the knobs f on the mould; the spring g is
for the purpose of fitting the mould closely to the body.
In order to make an exact impression or copy of the rupture, from which the
pads are then prepared, it is necessary first to get the patient in an easy position,
the rupture being pressed back, and the mould a with its side h being then
applied to the rupture, and fitted as closely as possible by means of the spring g.
The mould is subsequently filled with a plastic mass which is pressed to the
body in a suitable manner; this operation is performed by means of the cover c
The plastic mass is
and the thumbscrew a, or in any other convenient way.
made of plaster-of-Paris mixed with a quickly-evaporating fluid so that the

page_text: plaster may set without delay, thus saving annoyance to the patient. In order
to get the plaster easily out of the mould, that is, to avoid its sticking to the
mould or to the body, the plaster may be packed in a rubber bag or isinglass.
The mass contains, after settting, the exact anatomical impression of the
rupture and its surrounding. The mould is then removed from the body, the
plastic mass taken out of the mould and the rubber or isinglass, if any, removed,
and the pad is made exactly according to the anatomical impression thus obtained.
Instead of plaster-of-Paris any other plastic mass can be used to make the said
impression, for instance: artificial rubber, or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The method and arrangement for the manufacture of truss-pads, consisting
in making an exact impression of the rupture by means of a suitable mould
and a spring (g) which presses the mould against the body.
2. For carrying out the method described in Claim 1, the hollow mould (a)
in which a plastic mass is pressed against the rupture through the plate (c),
so as to get an exact impression; the plate (c) being operated and kept in
position by the thumb-screw (b) held in its place by a shackle or removable
hook (d), lever, or the like.
3. Pads manufactured and used as described in Claim 1, and made exactly
to the anatomical shape of the rupture, substantially in the manner described
and illustrated.
Dated this 28th day of June 1899
EDWARDS AND Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.