IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES FOR HERNIA
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bailey, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES FOR
HERNIA." A communication from abroad by Edward Hickman, of
the Township of Albion in the Dominion of Canada
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bailey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th March 1871.
I, WILLIAM BAILEY, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRUSSES FOR HERNIA," a communication to me from abroad by Edward
Hickman, of the Township of Albion, in the Dominion of Canada, to be
as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
trusses for hernia, the object being to enable people to wear them with
case without displacement under the various motions of the body un-
fettered by straps, to cause them to remain clean and durable, and in
recent cases of hernia to promote a radical cure.

page_text: The first improvement consists in the construction of the bearing pad
applied to the spine, and forming the fulcrum of the spring, I make
this somewhat of a saddle form with two bearers and an intervening
arch, so that when applied to the spine the pressure is transferred to a
point on each side of the bone, thus affording ease to the patient, and
preventing the pad from slipping. The spring is adjusted to the pad
by means of a screw passing through a slot or one of a series of holes,
according to the required position of the pad over the hernial sac.
The next improvement consists in the construction of the hernial pad
covering the hernia. I divide the convex surface of this with four
separate curvilinear surfaces by means of two grooves or indentations,
which crossing each other in the centre form a small concavity, and four
bosses or inequalities which pressing separately on the parts covering
and surrounding the hernial sac render it fixed in its position, and keep
up an undisturbed and unintermittent pressure which is conducive to
cure.
These parts I connect by the usual spring and screws common to
what are called opposite sided trusses, but instead of leather I coat the
steel and metal of which the pads and spring are made with vulcanite
or varnish. I make the double truss with the same pads, only attaching
the springs in the same manner as has been common heretofore. The
hernial pad may be secured by a screw passing through the spring, and
it may be made of a solid piece of vulcanite, but the compound or
duplicate pad which bears on the sides of the spine shouid be dished or
hollowed out, presenting concave external surfaces, and the screw will
then take its bearing on the arch.
By these improvements all extraneous fastenings, such as straps,
bands, or buckles are dispensed with, the truss being self-fastening
when once adjusted in position; it is comfortable in wear, incapable of
being soiled, and will last for a much longer period than the ordinary
truss.
In order to form the double truss, I propose to fasten the backs of the
springs on the saddle back, but, by preference, I make each of the
duplicate back pads with a flat surface in lieu of the convexity, and I
screw each spring into the side pads on their flat surfaces. Thus each
hernial pad takes the same fulcrum from the spinal pad.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Bailey in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BAILEY, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Bailey, Her special licence that
I, the said William Bailey, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Bailey, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES
FOR HERNIA," a communication to me from abroad by Edward Hickman,
of the Township of Albion, in the Dominion of Canada, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bailey, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE,. that I, the said Willlam. Bailey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction
of trusses for hernia, the object being, to enable persons to wear them.
with ease, and without the risk of displacement, under the various
motions of the body, with or without straps, to cause them to remain
clean and durable, and in recent cases of hernia. to. promote. a. radical,
cure.

page_text: The first improvement consists in the construction of the bearing
I
pad applied to the spine, and forming the fulcrum of the spring.
make this somewhat of a saddle form with two bearers and an inter-
vening arch, so that when applied to the spine the pressure is trans-
ferred to a point on each side of the bone, thus affording ease to the
patient and preventing the pad from slipping. The spring is adjusted
to the pad by means of a screw passing through a slot, or one of a
series of holes, according to the required position of the pad over the
hernial sac.
The next improvement consists in the construction of the hernial pad
covering the hernia. I divide the convex surface of this with four
separate curvilinear surfaces by means of two grooves or indentations,
which, crossing each other in the centre, form a small concavity and
four bosses or inequalities of projecting surface, which pressing separately
on the parts covering and surrounding the hernial sac render it fixed in
its position, and keep up an undisturbed and unintermittent pressure
which is conducive to cure.
These parts I connect by the usual spring and screws common to what
are called opposite sided trusses, but instead of leather I coat the steel
and metal of which the pads and spring are made with vulcanite or
varnish. I make the double truss with the same pads, only attaching
the springs in the same manner as heretofore. The hernial pad may be
secured by a screw passing through the spring, and it may be made of
a solid piece of vulcanite, but the compound or duplicate pad which
bears on the sides of the spine should be dished or hollowed out,
presenting concave external surfaces, and the screw will then take its
bearing on the arch.
By these improvements all extraneous fastenings, such as straps,
bands, or buckles are dispensed with, except in certain cases, and
especially with double trusses straps may be used, the truss being
self-fastening when once adjusted in position; it is comfortable in wear,
incapable of being soiled, and will last for a much longer period than
the ordinary truss.
In order to form the double truss I propose to fasten the backs of the
springs on the saddle back, but, by preference, I make each of the
duplicate back pads with a flat surface in lieu of the convexity, and I
screw each spring into the side pads on their flat surfaces. Thus, each
hernial pad takes the same fulcrum from the spinal pad.

page_text: From the foregoing description the nature of the said Invention will
be clearly understood by those conversant with the trusses referred to;
but it must be stated that these trusses may be made with india-rubber
bearings, or with tin plate or other metal foundation with a coating of
varnish or vulcanite and soft india-rubber, or of tin plate or metal and
vulcanite only. So also vulcanite alone may be used (in all these cases)
without metal, or tin, or india-rubber for the pads. The foundation or
base of the pad or pads of vulcanite will receive the binding screw; then
the soft india-rubber bearing surface will serve for the saddle bearing
and the hernial pad. The back of the foundation or base being of
vulcanite or of metal may be made with a flush surface, but with any
curve, so that the spring may bear along the outline of the curve
secured by the screw,
I annex the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a
plan view of a double truss with a continuous spring connection between
the hernial pads and the saddle back. This saddle back or bearing is
shewn at a, and the hernial pads are shewn by b, b. In Fig. 2 the
truss is shown in two parts, each connected to the saddle as described;
Fig. 3 shews a back view of the saddle for the single truss; Fig. 4, a
view for the double truss; Fig. 5 shews a view of a single truss with
the saddle back; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a vulcanite or compound pad,
as described.
Of course the Drawing may be greatly varied so that the object of
the Invention is met, that is to say, by corrugating or channelling the
convex surface of the hernial pad to cause it to find a seating without
the necessity of fastenings.
Fig. 7 shews a section of the hernial pad; and Fig. 8, a similar
section; but in Fig. 7 the india-rubber is shewn by c, c¹, in case the
pad should be cut in two by the line x, y; but in Fig. 8 the whole space
divided by x, y, and shewn by c, c', may be india-rubber, but in
all cases the construction of the truss will be on the principle first
described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark that I
do not limit myself to the precise details or configuration of parts
described and shewn, as the same may obviously be varied or modified;
but what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent are, the general and specified improvements in the
construction of trusses for hernia, substantially as herein described and
shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bailey, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the 5
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
THOMAS JEFFERY.
WILLIAM BAILEY. (L.S.)