An Improved Apparatus for the Treatment of Fractures of the Vertebral Column, also applicable for other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for the Treatment of Fractures of the
Vertebral Column, also applicable for other purposes.
I, EUGÈNE MARIUS DESPREZ of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of
France, Doctor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object an apparatus which may be employed for many
purposes, but which is principally intended to obtain the reduction of fractures of
the vertebral column, and to serve for their treatment, producing a continuous or
intermittent extension of the body, the latter remaining constantly in a horizontal
reclining position.
My apparatus consists of a frame provided with feet, the inclination of which
may be varied at will; of a platform, partly fixed, partly movable, this latter being
capable of being displaced as regards the former, the whole of the apparatus
being inclined at will to any suitable angle, or maintained in a horizontal position;
also of an arrangement of hinged trap doors suitably arranged, allowing all the
necessary dressings to be done without disturbing the patient.
The apparatus comprises a platform with edges, supported by an arrangement
of hinged legs, suitably stayed, which may be held in a vertical position or
inclined, as may be thought desirable, or which may be folded up completely in
order to render the apparatus more easily portable. The movement and the fixing
of the legs at will are obtained by making use of movable arms to which any
position which may be deemed desirable may be given, and which may be fixed in
the position chosen by means of pins, studs, pegs or the like which fit in openings
or slots provided for the purpose both in these arms and the framing.
At one of its ends, the framework has a movable leaf or flap, which, if desired,
may be folded down to facilitate the removal of the framework, or raised in order
to form an end support for the bolster or pillow, or even for fixing very firmly the
body in position, this flap or leaf being capable, when not in use, of being held in
its place by means of a bolt, which is inserted in a fixed crossbar at the head of
the frame, or in any other suitable manner.
A platform, which is formed of two parts, is arranged in the frame. One of
these parts, which is fixed, is attached to the frame, the other, which is movable,
may travel by means of rollers on a track attached to the frame, this movable part
being able to be displaced in the frame by means, for instance, of an arrangement
of a fixed screw, actuated by means of a hand wheel or a crank handle; the
displacing movement may, however, be produced by means of any other suitable
device.
The two parts aforementioned of the platform are intended to receive the
mattresses on which the patient is laid, and, in order to allow of the part of the
body on which the patient is lying receiving the necessary dressings, I arrange, in
this platform, trap doors or movable flaps at points which may be deemed suitable.
The mattress being also capable of being inclined, the part of the body on which
the dressing is to be done is thus easily uncovered. A bolt allows of the hinged
flaps being fixed firmly when in position.
When the movable door is to serve only for examining the vertebral column, its
effective width may be diminished by means of two slips stretched longitudinally
on the sheet underneath the body of the patient, which they thus serve to sustain
during the dressing or the examination.

page_text: as follows:
The person under treatment baving, been placed on the apparatus, the upper part
of his body is fastened to the fixed part of the platform, or to the movable end
of the frame. The apparatus is then inclined by folding inwards one of the legs at
the foot of the bed, then, the body being in this inclined position, the rear part
of the platform is displaced by means of the screw as before described so as to
produce a certain stretching, which may be regulated and graduated at will. That
being done, the apparatus is either left in this position with the body remaining
inclined, or attached to the movable platform, and the bed may be then returned
to a horizontal position, the stretching continuing to exist none the less. By
progressively graduating the inclination of the apparatus, a progressive extension
of the body is obtained, bringing little by little the vertebræ into a position which
will facilitate their joining in the case of a fracture of the vertebral column..
The apparatus being thus arranged,, its mode of working
With this apparatus, dislocations of the shoulders or of other parts of tlie body
may also be treated.
It is also evident that the traps or doors may be arranged in a greater number if
it be thought desirable, and more particularly they may be combined with a door or
trap for the dorsal region, and a door or trap for the pelvic region, serving to allow
of the part of the body adjacent to the pelvis being attended to.
It must also be understood that all the accessory appliances for the working of
the apparatus may be varied or modified at will without altering the principle of
the invention.
The apparatus may be combined with a "Vaucanson" chain and an arrangement
of movable hooks with compensating springs, allowing of its being made into a
litter, capable of being suspended at any suitable point.
The forms and dimensions may be varied as may be necessary, as well as the
materials of which the apparatus is constructed.
Dated this 17th day of May 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for the Treatment of Fractures of the
Vertebral Column, also applicable for other purposes.
I, EUGENE MARIUS DESPREZ of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of
France, Doctor, 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 :-
My invention has for its object an apparatus which may be employed for many
purposes, but which is principally intended to obtain the reduction of fractures of
the vertebral column, and to serve for their treatment, producing a continuous or
intermittent extension of the body, the latter remaining constantly prostrated or in
a horizontal reclining position.
My apparatus consists of a frame provided with feet, the inclination of which
may be varied at will; of a platform, partly fixed, partly movable, this latter
being capable of being displaced as regards the former, the whole of the apparatus
being inclined at will to any suitable angle, or maintained in a horizontal position ;
also of an arrangement of hinged trap doors suitably arranged, allowing all the
necessary dressings to be done without disturbing the patient.
In order that my invention may be more easily understood reference will be had
to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line 1-2 of Figure 2 of my improved
apparatus when in a horizontal position.

page_text: Figure 2 a plan of the apparatus.;
Figure 3 a side elevation of the apparatus when folded up.
Figure 4 a side elevation of the apparatus when in an inclined position ;
Figure 5 a transverse section of the apparatus on the line 3-4 of Figure 1.
The apparatus comprises a frame A with edges, supported by an arrangement of
hinged legs B, suitably stayed, which may be held in a vertical position as shown
in Figure 1, or inclined, as may be thought desirable, as shown in Figure 4, or
which may be folded up completely in order to render the apparatus more easily
portable, as shown in Figure 3. The movement and the fixing of the said legs at
will are obtained by making use of movable arms C to which any position which
may be deemed desirable may be given, and which may be fixed in the position
chosen by means of pins, studs, pegs or the like c which fit in openings or slots b
provided for the purpose in these arms or in the framing or in both.
At one of its ends, the framework A has a movable leaf or flap D, which, if
desired, may be folded down to facilitate the removal of the framework, see
Figure 3, or raised, see Figures 1 and 5, in order to form an end support for the
bolster or pillow, or even for fixing very firmly the body in position, this flap or
leaf, when not in use, being held in its place by means of a bolt d, which is
inserted in a fixed crossbar at the head of the frame, or in any other suitable
manner.
A platform, which is formed of two parts, is arranged in the frame A. One of
these parts E, which is fixed, is attached to the frame, the other, E', which is
movable, may travel by means of rollers e¹ on a track F attached to the frame A,
this movable part being capable of being displaced in the frame A by means, for
instance, of an arrangement of a fixed screw G, actuated by means of a hand
wheel or a crank handle y, the displacing movement may, however, be produced by
means of any other suitable device.
The two parts E and E' aforementioned of the platform are intended to receive
the mattresses M M on which the patient is laid, and, in order to allow of the
part of the body on which the patient is lying receiving the necessary dressings,
I arrange, in this platform, trap doors or movable flaps at points which may be
deemed suitable, such for instance as H, Figure 1. The mattress being also
capable of being inclined, the part of the body on which the dressing is to be done
is thus easily uncovered. A bolt h allows of the hinged flaps being fixed firmly
when in position.
When the movable door is to serve only for examining the vertebral column, its
effective width may be diminished by means of two slips stretched longitudinally
on the sheet underneath the body of the patient, which they thus serve to sustain
during the dressing or the examination.
The apparatus being thus arranged, its mode of working is as follows:-
The person under treatment having been placed on the apparatus, the upper part
of his body is fastened to the fixed part E of the platform, or to the movable
end D of the frame. The apparatus is then inclined, as shown for instance in
Figure 4, by folding inwards one of the legs at the foot of the bed, then, the body
being in this inclined position, the rear part of the platform is displaced by means
of the screw G as before described so as to produce a certain stretching, which may
be regulated and graduated at will. That being done, the apparatus is either left
in this position with the body remaining inclined, or the body is attached to the
movable platform E' and the bed may be then returned to a horizontal position,
the stretching continuing to exist none the less. By progressively graduating the
inclination of the apparatus, a progressive extension of the body is obtained,
bringing little by little the vertebræ into a position which will facilitate their
joining in the case of a fracture of the vertebral column.
With this apparatus, dislocations of the shoulders or of other parts of the body
may also be treated.
It is also evident that the traps or doors M may be arranged in a greater
number if it be thought desirable, and more particularly they may be combined

page_text: with a door or trap for the dorsal region, and a door or trap for the pelvic
region, serving to allow of the part of the body adjacent to the pelvis being
attended to.
It must also be understood that all the accessory appliances for the working of
the apparatus may be varied or modified at will without altering the principle of
the invention.
The apparatus may be combined with a "Vaucanson" chain and an arrangement
of movable hooks with compensating springs, allowing of its being made into a
litter, capable of being suspended at any suitable point.
The forms and dimensions may be varied as may be necessary, as well as the
materials of which the apparatus is constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. An apparatus for obtaining the reduction or serving for the treatment of
fractures of the vertebral column, by producing a continuous or intermittent
extension of the body, whilst the latter remains constantly in a prostrated
position; characterised by the combination with a frame forming a supporting
arrangement or bedstead, and having legs which may be inclined to such positions
as may be deemed suitable, of a platform made in two parts, one of which is
fixed and serves for receiving the upper part of the body, and the other movable
for receiving the lower part of the body, whereby the extension or elongation of
the lower part relatively to the upper part of the body may be produced at will,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown as an example in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In an apparatus such as described in Claim 1, the application to the platform
of an arrangement of traps or hinged flaps with or without longitudinal slips,
allowing the under parts of the reclining patient to be examined and dressed, said
traps or hinged flaps having bolts or other suitable devices, whereby they may be
fixed in position, substantially as herein before described and shown as an example
in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.