US1477070A - Orthopedic appliance - Google Patents

Description

Dem-11 1923.

c. H. MARTIN ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed March 28 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Christian Hubert TPtn INVENTOR 'ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

ORTEOPEDIC AP'LIANGE Application filed March 28, 1922. Serial No; 547,536. I

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN HUBERT MARTIN, a citizen of the German Republic,

Appliances, of which the following isa' specification.

This invention relates to orthopedic appliances and particularly to an improved connection between an orthopedic joint and a brace bar.

An object of the invention is to provide such a connection as will allow an exact fitting of a. leg or arm brace to any "individual, and ready replacement of a. brace with another of greater length, as when the wearer outgrows the original appliance. There are various other objects which will become apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein are shown preferred embodiments of the invention by way of illustration,

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a human limb provided with an orthopedic appliance made in accordance with my invention; l

Figure 2is a fragmentary view of a leg brace showing the joint in elevation and one of the bars removed from the joint;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the parts of Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows one of the bar ends in perspective;

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Figure 2 but on a larger scale.;

Figure 6 is a-transverse section through a connection between a modified form of bar and a joint, the view being similar lto..l

Figure 5; v

Figures 7 to 14 are views of various joints adapted for different uses but all emblodying the improved construction of my invention. i

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to the illustrative embodiments of the invention there shown, a jointmember 15 is connected in vanypreferred way/,as by a rivet, screw, or bolt 16, orby brazing, to a bar 17 at each end. It is preferred that the bar 17 be transversely curved as seen in Figure 4, and that .the longitudinal edge portions of the bar be flat, so that the bar 17 presents a longitudinal lconcave channel. Such a construction is strong and yet light 56 in weight. It is absolutely necessary, however, `that these bars, whatever their shape, be uniform in cross section to realize fully the advantages of this invention.

The joint member 15 is slotted at each end to receive the ends of `two bars 17, and vthe slots 18 are shaped to makea nicefit for the barends. The slots 18 extend longitudinally of the joint members so that the ends of said members are bifurcated, one of the furcations 19 preferably being in the form of a tongue narrower than vthe joint member 15, and

adapted to fit within and againstthe concave side of bar 17. The otherl furcation 20 is preferably concavo-convex, and has the full width of the' joint, with edges 21 adapted to fit the flat edge portions of bar 17 as shown in Figure 5. The slots 18 extend but a relatively short distance along the bar ends and are curved to correspond with the bar.

The face of the furc'ation 19 opposite the curved face is fiat, and when the joint is fitted to the bar end, the said flatv face is flush with the 'flat edge portions of said'bar (Figure 5)'. Near one end of each bar 17 a hole 22 is drilled so that the fastening element 16 maybe passed throughsaid hole andl registering holes 23 in the'furcations 19 and 20, as shown in Figures 2, Sand 5. Because of the nice fit between the joint'member 15 and thefbar end,'which is due to the conformity of the slotsv 18 to the exact cross section of bar 17, ya single fastening element 16 serves to hold the'bars to the joint member without any wobbling or loose motion. The connection is such that for all practical purposes the bars '17 are ofone piece with the joint members; yet the parts may be separated when desired.

Figure 6 showsa transverse cross section of a modified bar 17 which is concavolconvex without any longitudinal fiat edge portions as in Figurei. The slot 18a, tongue 19aand furcation 20a correspond to the slot 18, tongue 19 and furcation 20, there being slight alterations in the form of each to make an exact fit with bar 17".

In Figures 7 and 8, I'have shown respectivelyan'elevation and alon'gitudinal section of a joint member allowing limited motion of an ankle, knee, etc. Figures 9 and show in elevation joints constructed to stop ankle motion at a certain position. Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of a knee joint which allows free. bending at the knee. -Y Y. pzpensive. .=.My inventionlpermil'sf'the substitution of one joint for another, using the V11i eacliuorm the bar'17. vvfits exactly the recess provided by slot 18.

v Figures 12, 13 and 14 show a lock joint, intended primarilyfor knees.v Figure '12' is an elevation illustrating .the jointlocked.

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectionv ofthe braz-ing.; kLwhave not attempted to illustrate parts in the position iof Figure 12. The joint is shown unlocked in Figure 14:. In .oi-der. to lock thegpivotedparts ofthe joint yfmember, aslip ringfZ is provided.'A When". ithe ring-.25 is moved `down soriasf to enclose' 'the two .pivotedrparts' ofthe joint member,

.these partsmayfnolonger swing, so that the leg is heldrigid-,fas Afor walking. YIf the ...wearer'desires tov sitffdown, ring. is moved i .up aboutf; tov .thegpositionf 'shown .i in dotted ,-lines linY Figure 12,1.f-iivhereupon .the .joint f, -members` mayzbegturned3-.fand the ring' will then lfall. to the position-shown.infFigurel14.

will ybe ,'ljighter' and-1more comfortable.-

y lormerly thefbraces had i to ybel made on f By utilizing ,thevpresent,` invention, a .manufacturerof-orthopedic devicesmay economicallythanbefore; and these braces separate orders to fit l each' individual, and

Vit' often happened that througha mistake `in measurement -.they bar ,wouldf be tool long` or too short,and would` have to be discarded.

If. such a vbar werek used .it would .always .bringdiscomfort-A. to the fwearei and would l make .the jointgfmove harder-than it-shOuld.

Again, with fold .style-fv appliances, when..

the limb grows thefappliance'mustbe dis- As. the *wearer i. clearance ,Sideways, .causingI Valengthening -or shortening of the bar, thereby bringing l .thejoint outzofahorizontal bearing line,

.50i length maybe substitutedfor a shorter bary causing hardship tothe wearer. But with the present invention, vthebars 17 Vcan be removed if toolong and cuttofany length desired, if necessary, while the lamewearerl waits.v Alon'gerzbar of exactly tlieright in a few miniitesfandthe longer Aappliance Y may be .adjusted accurately. The .bars 17 Awill be. standardized..sozthatH one which has been used but discardedv becausetoo short,

...for example, can'be littedintojoint mem= ,one may. be cut'downasmuch as necessary bersltofformf another; appliance. ABecause of the uniform crosssectionofthe bars, any

and still make. a niceelit'.witli.thefjointniern-I ber.

in; many, cases. of, infaaniegparaiysis the,

vpatient uses "stopljnints: atlthe anklesand a i kneesf alnldhips. l ,rob'ably after.; one, 4or two f lowing claims lowed more freedom of his limbs. old style apparatus it was necessary to make new bars or braces with differently constructedjoints, which of course was eX- same brace-bars as before, if desired.

Instead f Vusing rivets, bolts or screws as Vfastening means between the joints and the bais,"`the parts may be fitted together by stood that changesdnvolving alteration,

omission; reversal 'and substitution ofz parts may be made without departingfrom my invention, which s-bestl defined in the .fol-

What l isf4 claimed .is

1. In an orthopedic applianceythe! combi- .fnation ,of ajointfmember andaa brace bar,

said j oint..rnfeinber1 beingfslottedA at t one end -in a longitudinal direction to receive ione fend' ofthe bracefbarfwhich is .inserted in and its. length. Y

2./In an orthopedic appliance, .a joint L...member lliaving I a# slot; extending.y longitudinally froinfone-end; sa idslot bifurcat-ing the end of the memberf sof-.as to; provide -a tongue Aof less width.-.tlian themember-,aand a fur- .'cation- :of lthe'ffullwidth' `thereof, fthe slot Abeing shaped tofreceivefandv make a nice fit with acbrace-bar. l

. 3. In anvorthop'edic appliance, a joint member-having. a transverselycurved slot .extending inwardly in a longitudinal direction from one end,,said slot bifurcating saidiend so as to provideia tongue'of less width than the member, and a-furcation of substantiallyl the full.widtli thereof.

lj...ln.an orthopedic f appliance, they combination with a bar-substantially ofuniform Aconcavo-conver crossfsection throughout its length, ofajointmember slotted at one end longitudinally to receive an endy of said' bar, .saidslotbifurcating the membervend so as toprovide .av tongueadapted' to vlit within the concavesideof the bar, andvv also providing a furcation adapted to itthe-conveX l,sideof=.tl1e mbar, -and .means passing through holesin the ibanend and joint JmemvJoer...transversely tohold ythe two .parts to- "gether.,andfyet'gpermit..detaehnfient 5,-1111 .1an orthopedic e appliance, the. combination a;;bar substantially offuniform concavo-convex` crosssection throughout its flelglllfvitli'l thelflongitUdinal edge portions .',tlat,f;of; .a-,jiiintiinemberi' Slotted at f one end By the p longitudinally to receive an end of said bar.I vex side of the bar with its edges engaging said slot being transversely curved and bifurthe fiat longitudinal edges of the bar, and eating the end of the member so as to promeans for uniting the bar and joint mem- 10 vide a tongue adapted to fit substantially ber.

5 Hush Within theconcave side of the bar, the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as outer face of the tongue being fiat, and also my own, I have hereto aHiXed my signature. providing va urcati'on adapted t0 it the co-n- CHRISTIAN HUBERT MARTIN.

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