AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRINCIPLE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MANUFACTURING OR MAKING OF TRUSSES FOR THE CURE OF RUPTURES OR HERNIA IN WHATSOEVER PART OR PARTS OF THE BODY IT MAY BE SITUATED
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OWEN
GRIFFITH, of Trifan, in the County of Carnarvon, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighteenth day of October, in the second year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said Owen Griffith, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, His. especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Owen Griffith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
PRINCIPLE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MANUFACTURING OR MAKING OF TRUSSES FOR THE
CURE OF RUPTURES OR HERNIA IN WHATSOEVER PART OR PARTS OF THE BODY IT MAY
BE SITUATED;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that
if I, the said Owen Griffith, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same
to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by
the same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Owen Griffith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :—
My improved trusses for the cure of ruptures are made in the form of a
hoop or band, and consist of one or more pieces of elastic steel or other proper
material of sufficient elasticity and tenacity. They entirely surround the
body, the ends being united either upon the pad or pads, or any other con-
venient part, in such a manner as to cause the strength lengthwise of the steel
or other material employed to be brought into action, so as to assist its
elasticity in retaining the rupture as soon as the body, by inhaling the breath,
or otherwise expanding, fills the truss, and the power which a very slight
band has when its two properties of longitudinal strength and elasticity are
brought into action is very great indeed, and, but for its side curvatures,
would be equal to that of a hoop surrounding a cask or other similar vessel;
the side curvatures of the band upon the hips raise it above the front pad or
pads, so that does not interfere with the motions of the thighs, but as it
passes to the back it descends, so as to be nearly level with the center of the
pad or pads. These curvatures will, however, be better understood by a
reference to the Figures in the annexed Drawing, in all of which Figures the
same letters apply to the same parts of the trusses and machines.
In Fig. 1, A, B, is the band for a single truss viewed in front. Fig. 2, a
plan, and Fig. 3 a side view thereof. C, C, are the highest parts of the side
curvatures, and D the lowest depression at the back. At E, E, &c. are
adjusting holes, and at F, F, holes to rivet or secure the front pad plate to the
band. G, the hole through which a bolt or screw passes to connect the ends
of the band together. H, the plate of the back pad, made of elastic steel,
and having two slits cut in it, dividing it's upper part into three. The band is
inserted between the middle part or tongue I and the two outer parts, and is
secured fast by means of the moveable tongue J, which is rivetted to the
plate, being turned down between the two outside parts of the plate H and
the tongue I, as shewn in Fig. 3.
Fig. 4 is the band of a double truss. This differs from Fig. 1, in both of
it's ends B, B, being turned down, similarly to the end B in Fig. 1; in having
also a second connecting band K fitted to it, with adjusting holes E, E, &c. at
each end of it, and two back pad plates H, H. To this band are also affixed
the two spring fastenings L, L, by means of the two screws M, M, &c.,
which pass through the holes F, F, &c., and also secure the band to the front
pads. These spring fastenings L, L, have pins or studs N, N, affixed to them,
which pass through the holes G, E, E, &c., and unite the parts of the band
together when the springs are depressed, as is shewn on a larger scale in

page_text: Fig. 9.
These springs can, however, be raised up and the pins withdrawn,
and be kept in that situation in order to adjust the bands by means of the
lifters O, O, being raised up to a right angle, and as shewn in Figures 7
and 8. Fig. 10 represents one of the lifters O shewn separately.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the double truss, Fig. 4, which, as well as the back pads,
are represented as covered or padded with the usual materials, and having
also the two front pads P, P, &c. affixed to it; and Fig. 6 is a front view of
the same.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 represent on a large scale another method of uniting
the bands by means of a pin or stud Q affixed to an internal spring R, screwed
or rivetted to the pad plates, as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13, and by dotted lines
in Fig. 11. The moveable end of the spring R rests upon the face of a
circular inclined plane S, which is fixed upon the axis T turning in the pad
plate, and is secured fast upon that axis by means of a pin passing through
both, as is shewn at U in Fig. 12. The axis is turned round by means of a
ring V passed through it's head, as shewn in Figures 11 and 13. When the
end of the spring R rests upon the top of the circular inclined plane S, the
pin or stud Q is withdrawn, and the parts of the band can be taken asunder
or adjusted at pleasure.
But when the axis T is turned round a little more,
the spring R falls off the top of the inclined plane, and the pin or stud is
replaced in the holes E and G by the action of the spring, and the parts of the
band locked together.
In Fig. 13 a section of one of the front pads is shewn as rivetted to the
pad plate and covered as usual.
Fig. 16 is a front view of an umbelical truss, and Fig. 17 a plan of the
same padded as usual. The band A is flat, having no side curvatures, as in
the former ones described, and each end of it is furnished with adjusting
holes E, E, &c. There is also a staple W affixed to the pad plate for the
ends of the band A to pass through, and the spring L is bent to fit over it, as
shewn in Fig. 18. Back pads and side curvatures may be added to this truss
if required. The other trusses already described may also be worn with or
without back pads at pleasure. The front pad or pads may be made of any
required sizes or shapes as the cases may require, and they may be made
either solid or hollow. In the double trusses both ends of the bands are
fastened to their front pads by means of rivets, &c.; but in the single trusses
one end only is made fast to the front pad, the other end being connected in
such a manner as to be easily loosened for the purpose of putting on or taking
The end to be
off the truss, or of lengthening or shortening the band.
loosened is secured by passing between the end which is firmly secured to the

page_text: front pad and the pad, until any one of the adjusting holes in it are brought
opposite to the pin or stud affixed to the spring fastening, which, being let go,
thus secures it, allowing the band, however, to ply or follow the various
muscular movements of the body, thighs, or other parts upon which it rests,
without disturbing the pad. In the double truss the connecting band between
the front pads may also be made by lengthening the band which surrounds the
body, or of an additional piece fastened upon each pad as the single one is,
and be allowed the same freedom of motion on each side of it.
I do not intend hereby to confine myself, however, to these two methods
only of securing the ends of the bands, but to avail myself of any other method
by which the same effect can be accomplished. The back pad or pads may
also be made of one piece with the band, or of a separate piece or pieces
rivetted or screwed to the band instead of making and fixing them to it
moveable, as shewn in the Drawings, and as already described. The use of
these back pads is to cause a counter pressure to the front pads, and by their
extended surfaces upwards and downwards they materially assist in keeping
the front pads in their proper places without the use of any under straps or
other galling bandages. The trusses are prevented from pressing upon the
spine of the back by curving them outwards in the manner shewn at D, in
Figs. 2, 5, and 17.
I shall next describe two machines invented by me for the better giving the
requisite curvatures to the trusses.
Fig. 19 is a side view, and Fig. 20 a top view, of a machine for curving
the steel bands for the trusses edgeways, and in some degree sideways also.
It consists of a cast or wrought iron block X, X, having a rebate formed
along it from Y to Y, each end of which is rounded, as shewn in Fig. 19. It
has also two or more ears Z, Z, affixed to it, with screwed holes in each for
the screws a, a, to act in, and also two or more holes b, b, for bolts to pass.
through, to fix it firmly to the block or wrork-bench. It has also a loose
bar c, c, which is curved, as shewn in Fig. 19, and lies in the rebate above
described. There is also a hook d affixed to the block, under which hook,
and between the bar c, c, and side of the rebate Y, Y, one end of the steel
band, previously heated to a proper degree, is placed, and the screw a, next
the hook d, is turned by means of it's lever until it drives all the parts into
contact and retains that end of the band firmly, which is then bent by ham-
mering until it assumes the curvature of the block, when the second screw a
may be turned to retain it, and also give it a slight degree of curvature side-
ways. It is then released, and if for a double truss the other end of the band
undergoes a similar operation; if for a single one it is not bent quite so much.

page_text: It is now ready to be subjected to the operation of another machine, consisting
of two cast-iron blocks e, e, &c., shewn in plan in Figures 21 and 22, and in
front in Figures 23 and 24, and forming together a figure resembling that
part of the body around which the truss is to be worn. e, e, &c. are the
parts around which the band, after being again heated, is to be coiled.
ff, are hooks affixed to the blocks, under one of which one of the previously
curved ends of the band is to be placed. g, g, &c. are six or more screws
acting in screwed holes made in the ears h, h, &c. affixed to the blocks. The
screw g, next to the hook f, is to be turned by its handle until it binds the end
of the band fast, which is then to be bent round the block until it reaches the
next screw 9, which is also to be turned to bind it fast, and so on till it reaches
the last screw on that side of the block or machine. A similar operation
performed on the other side completes it. i, i, are holes for bolts to pass
through, to secure the blocks firmly to the work-bench. Previously to using
either of those machines they must be heated a little, in order to prevent
them from cooling or hardening the bands.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention the use of elastic
steel bands for trusses, such being already in use; but I do hereby claim as my
Invention the particular curvatures given thereto, the steel band going
entirely round the body, and the manner of uniting and securing the ends of
it so as to allow of the necessary movements of the body, &c., without disturbing
the pad or pads; the manner of forming and affixing the back pads to the band,
and, lastly, the machines whereby I give the requisite curvatures to the bands.
In witness whereof, I, the said Owen Griffith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.
Inrolled the same Eighteenth day of April, in the year above written.