US3021838A - Truss - Google Patents

Description

C. C. FINE Feb. 20, 1962 TRUSS Filed July 6, 1959 i Fig.5

Char/es 6. F/he INVENTOR.

3,021,838 TRUSS Charles C. Fine, Rear 287 E. Main St, Nanticoke, Pa. Filed July 6, 1959, Ser. No. 825,336 4 Claims. (Cl. 12896) The present invention generally relates to a truss and more particularly to a truss incorporating a novel structural arrangement in which the truss may be used in combination with truss pads and leg straps for effectively supporting a left or right hernia, a double hernia or a navel hernia by altering the position of the components.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a truss incorporating a belt encircling the waist just above the hips and leg straps detachably connected to the belt together with means on the leg straps for adjustably supporting truss pads for effectively supporting a hernia in the desired manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a truss in which the waist encircling belt and the leg straps are interconnected by a Velcro fastener assembly.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a truss which is simple in construction, easy to assemble, easy to use in various orientations and arrangements and relatively simple to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the truss of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the details of construction of the interconnection between the free ends of the belt, the attachment of one of the leg straps, the construction of the truss pad and a mechanism for adjustably mounting the pad on the leg strap;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation of one of the truss pads illustrating the lateral adjustment feature thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an inside plan view of the belt with the belt extended and with all of the leg straps omitted;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the outer surface of one end of the strap which underlies the other outer end and is detachably connected thereto; and

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of one end of the leg straps illustrating the orientation of the structure for detaching the strap to the waist band or belt.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the truss of the present invention which includes an elongated elastic belt or band 12 which may be constructed of webbing or any similar material suitable for purposes of encircling the waist just above the hips with the free ends of the belt 12 overlapping and being interconnected by a fastener assembly 14 on the outer surface of the inner free end and a fastener assembly 16 on the inner surface of the outer free end. The fastener assemblies are known as Velcro closures and are manufactured by American Velcro Inc., Manchester, New Hampshire, and briefly involve a multiplicity of closely spaced generally hook-shaped fastening elements which interlock when the assemblies 14 and 16 are moved into engagement with each other and pressed toward each other. This type of fastener or closure is extremely secure when tension is placed on the opposite portions of the belt 12 which would occur normally during wear but yet permit ready detachment when the free end of the belt is pulled laterally outwardly. The inner surface of purpose described hereinafter.

Attached to the belt 12 in a detachable manner is a pair of leg straps 26 and 28 which are substantially identical in construction and which may be used together as a pair or which may be used singly for either a left or right hernia. The leg straps 26 and 28 are flexible fabric material and may be elastic webbing and the outer end of the rear portion of each leg strap 26 and 28 is provided with a fastener assembly designated by numeral 30 on the leg strap 26. The forward ends of the leg str- aps 26 and 28 are each attached to a wider extension member 32 which is connected to the strap by a bolt 34 which extends through one of two grommets 36 connected with the strap 28 as shown in FIGURE 2. The bolt 34 is externally threaded and provided with a plurality of nuts 38 which rigidly and adjustably mount the bolt 34 in position and at the same time hold the extension 32 in position by virtue of the several nuts employed on the bolt 34.

The inner end of the bolt 34 is connected with a nut 40 laterally slidable in a horizontal channel-shaped member 42 having a slot 44 in the rear thereof which permits lateral adjustment of the bolt 34 in relation to the chan nel-shaped member 42 which is rigidly afiixed to a reinforcing plate 46 carried by a pad'generally designated by the numeral 48 and which includes an outer covering 50 having a rear member 52 on the rear surface of the plate 46 and secured thereto as by stitching 54 whereby the cover 50 and member 52 completely encompass the plate 46 and also an inflated pneumatic pad member 56 which may be of leather, plastic or any other similar material. By manipulating the nuts 38 on the bolt 34, the relative position of the pad 48 may be changed horizontally and also inwardly and outwardly and,,if necessary, the pad may be mounted in the lower grommet 36. The outer surface of the reinforcing member 32 is pro vided with a fastener assembly 58 and the upper end of the extension 32 is provided with a U-shaped protector 60 whereby the leg straps 26 and 28 may be more easily attached to the belt 12.

The device may be used in conjunction with either a right or a left hand rupture or hernia or both as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The particular construction and the plurality of nuts of the mounting bolt enables inward and outward adjustment of the pads while the grommets 36 provide for vertical adjustment of the pads in relation to the leg straps and inasmuch as the fastener assemblies permit adjustment of the effective length of the leg straps and also permits effective adjustment for positioning the leg straps in the desired position for use to a certain extent.

If desired, the inner free end of the strap may be provided with a grommet for receiving a fastening bolt of a truss pad for use in conjunction with a navel rupture. The truss pads may be of various other constructions rather than the hollow inflated members shown in the drawing. These truss pads may be of foam rubber or any other suitable pads for this purpose.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative'only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A truss comprising an elongated waist encircling belt having overlapping end portions, means releasably retaining the end portions in overlapping relation, a leg strap, means rigidly and detachably connecting the ends of the strap to the belt, a truss pad having a bolt extending outwardly from the surface thereof opposite to the surface adapted to engage the body of a wearer, said bolt extending through the leg strap in spaced relation below the belt and adjustably connected thereto for adjustably mounting the pad in position, said pad including a backingplate, the inner end of said bolt being rigidly afi ixed to the backing plate for the truss pad, said leg strap including a main body and a longitudinal extension, said bolt also forming the sole connection between the main body of the leg strap and the extension of the leg strep.

2.-The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said pad is hollowand provided with an inflated bag for cushion ng the engagement with the skin surface of a wearer.

3. A truss comprising an elongated flexible waist belt, a pair of leg straps detachably connected to the belt, each leg strap having a longitudinal extension longitudinally adjustably, and pivotally connected to the end of the leg strap and extending into overlying relation to the belt and detachably connected thereto, a pad afiixed to each leg strap, each pad having an outwardly extending fastening bolt, each leg strap and extension including a grommet receiving said bolt and forming the sole means for securing the extension to the leg strap, each pad including a rigid reinforcing plate rigid with the'inner end of the bolt together with a hollow inflated member mounted on the plate for cushioning engagement with the skin surface.

4. A truss comprising an elongated flexible belt having overlapping and detachably connected end portions Whereby the belt may be disposed in Waist encircling position, at least one leg strap assembly supported from the belt, said leg strap assembly including an elongated leg strap of flexible material, one end of said leg strap extending across the inner surface of the belt at the rear thereof, means detachably and rigidly securing one end of the leg strap to the interior surface of the rear portion of the belt for adjustable connection of the leg strap to the belt at longitudinally spaced points thereon and for connection of the strap with the belt at vertically spaced points on the strap, a longitudinal extension at the other end of the strap, the other end of said strap having a plurality of longitudinally spaced grommets therein, said extension extending in intersecting relation across the belt along the inner surface thereof, and means interconnecting the extension and the inner surface of the belt for rigidly and detachably attaching the extension to the belt for longitudinal adjustable connection of the extension on the belt and vertical adjustable connection of the extension to the belt, a truss pad having a rigid backing plate, a fastening bolt extending rearwardly from the backing plate, said fastening bolt extending through the extension at point spaced below the belt and extending through one of said longitudinally spaced grommets on the strap whereby the bolt forms the sole means interconnecting the leg strap and extension and also supports the truss pad from the leg strap and extension said fastening bolt pivotally connecting the leg strap to the extension whereby the leg strap may angulate in relation to the longitudinal axis of the extension, said backing plate having longitudinal slot means therein slidably receiving the bolt for enabling lateral adjustment of the truss pad in relation to the fastening bolt, said backing plate also including a pneumatic cushion on the surface thereof opposite from the fastening bolt for engagement with a persons body thereby enabling the truss pad to be disposed in the desired orientation.

'References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,799 Egan Aug. 9, 1887 621,078 Harkinson Mar. 14, 1899 1,244,766 OBrien Oct. 30, 1917 1,573,856 Pease Feb. 23, 1926 1,629,067 Buckner May 17, 1927 2,717,437 Mestral Sept. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,274 Great Britain 1899 12,805 Great Britain 1913

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