US1063175A - Artificial leg. - Google Patents

Description

S. R. ANDERSON. ARTIFICIAL LEG. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1912.

Patented May 27, 1913.

SAMUEL n. ANDERSON, or contest, iLLINoIS.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. Annsnson,

a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Quincy, in the county'of Adams and State of Illinois, have'invented certain'new and I useful Improvements in Artificial Legs; and

i do declare the following to be a full, clesir,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and gee the same.

This invention relates to artificial limbs, and more especially to legs; and the ob .ject of the same is to produce improvements in the detailed construction thereof, as hereinafter morefullydcscribed and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein-- Figurel isa side elevation and Fig. 2 a

central vertical section of this improved leg complete; Figs.- 3 and 4 are cross sections on'the lines 3-3 and 44 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the Y-shaped guard hereinafter described.

The foot-member of this improved artithe shape of the'lower half 1 of. the human foot, whose open part is covered over with cloth 2 and whose interior is stuffed as indicated at 3, and therefore it is possible for the user to wear low-quarter shoes or slippers because the yielding upper side 2 i of the. foot simulates the top of the human foot. The ankle joint is made of two memhers whereof the lowermost" is composed of a bottom plate 4 fitting closely within the shell-like foot 1 and secured thereto by counter-sunkscrews 5 andan upper portion 6 hhving a central hole 7 5 and these two members are provided in their meeting faces, ,lwith hemispherical sockets 8 as shown. ,At

\Zfour pointsaround said hole 7, the upper part 6 also carries hooks oreyes 9-. The v upper member of the ankle joint is a ball 10' fitting within the socket, and a shank'll projecting loosely through said hole 7 hnd threaded'to receive nuts 12 and 13 standing respectively aboveand below a plate 14 which is carried by the lower leg-section.

This plate has eyes or hooks 15 connected.

with those on the lower member by means oil short coiled springs '16, and the tens on 'ot these springs is so adjnsteda'nd mamtained thatthe entire 'foot section is normallyheld at its proper or natural angle to the lower legsection/as shown. It is obthatby adwstlng the nuts 12 and 13 Specification of Letters Patent. .i neenen filed December 2,1912. Serial No. 734,612.

ficial leg isstamped from aluminum into respect to the plate 14, and the leg can be shortened or lengthened slightly at this point as desired. By removing the screws which fasten the lower part 4 to the foot 1, the latter can be taken off as for cleansing or repair.

The lower leg-section 20 is a shell of aluminum, by, preference stamped originally Patented May 2'7, 1913.

the shank 11 can be set higher or lower-with from a flat'sheet and brought together along are connected by a bracin strip 22 secured to. outside of the comp eted leg in any suitable way, and this scam and strip are threaded shank 11 as above described. The

back of the shell at its upper end is cut away as at 24 to produce a deep notch, and within the shell below the notch is secured a leather strap 25 which is drawn normallyinto the interior of this member by a contractlle spring 26 connecting the front of the shell with the strap at about the center a the line 21 where the edges of the sheet of the length of the latter as shown. Transversely across the interior of the shell is a;

metallic arch 27 which may be a rod or strapeof. metal constituting a. cross bar to strengthen the shell at this mint and to afford means for; attaching the lower ends of contractile springs 28, whose upper ends are in turn'attached to'a similar cross bar :37 in the upper leg-section as will be de scribed. Finally, thelower leg section carries hinge elements as shownr The upper leg-section is also made from a sheet of aluminum 3O bent into tubular shape and its rear seam 31-cbvered by a strip 32 secured to the outside thereof in fiany suitable manner; and this. section carrice hinge members 39- at its sides overlapping the hinge members 29 on the lower leg- 1 section and pivot-ally connected therewith at the points 40 so that the leg can articulate at the knee joint in the usual and natural manner. The upper end of the strap 25 is connected to the lower end of the thighsection at such point 35 that the leg may not bend in the. wrong way. Internally this thigh section carries a cross bar or strap 3'1 1 with which the: upper ends ot-the contractile springs 28' are connected so that their tendency is to strengthen the leg in theusual ,Qmennlen, A lcature, of the invwtion lies in section carries a guard which will simulate Y the knee-cap, and this guard is by preference harness is not illustrated because it also.

formed front a if-shaped piece of aluminum whose single end or shank 33 1s secured inside'the lower end of the shell 30 at the rear, and its double or forked end 34 is secured inside said shell at the front with the arms .of the fork some distance apart. It follows that when the leg is straight this curved guard depends into the upper end of the lower leg-section, and when the leg is articulated the forked ends'of,the guard 'rise out of the upper end of the lower legsection and 'prevent the trousers or other clothing from falling into the opening thus exposed and becoining caught therein, or at least mortifying the wearer. I have purposely omitted all description and, illustration of the usual strap and buckle employed for connecting the upper end of the thigh-section with the stump of the leg,because the same forms no part of thepresent invention.

A strildng feature of this invention consists in the means for supporting the leg by-a harness which leads upward eitherto the wearers waist or shoulders, and which forms no part of the present invention. To

opposite sides of the, thigh-section are secured pulley casings 41 in each of which is journaled a flat pulley 42 having a grooved periphery, 'and over the latter moves a' fine wire cord orrope 44 whose center engages the pulley and whose arms diverge upward and pass through guides 45 which may themselves be flat aluminum loops secured to the outer side of the shell 30, these arms having. eyes tn other. 'fastenings 46 at their. upperextremities to which the said harness attached.- The construction is muchlike that of a Suspender-end inverted,

' and'with one of these members at the inside and another at the outside of thethighsection, there are four loops or eyes 46 to which the harness can be. attached; hence this artificial limb will beheld in place with great forge, and perhaps the ordinary strap and buckle around the stunip'can be omitted. Yet it will be observed that the legcan swing forward andbackward without drawing onthe harness at the belt line or over the shoulders because the ropes or cords 44fmove under the'pulleys 42 and through the guides 45. I prefer that said pulley casings and guides shall be quite flat and disposed on the exterior of the thigh;

sect-ion, in plain sight and easy case the ropes are :gaught, stretched they can readily I be "replaced. Moreover,

' will come reach, so that in should become broken or it is not usually the case that theclothing into such close contact with an artificial limb at its upper end as it does over the knee or. ankle; andin any event it is necessary for the wearerscomfort that the means for supporting the leg should be reliable and easy, light and accessible, and often. should entirely avoid the use of the stances the stump hasbecome sore or tender from the use thereof. If made of aluminurh, this entire leg will weigh but little, cannot rust, and is exceedingly strong.

.The height to which the thigh-member 1scarried will of course depend on the length of the stump remaining.

What is claimed as new is: I 1. In an artificial limb, thecombination with an outer shell-like member having openings in each side at its outer end, and

a plate secured across the interior of said member opposite said openings and pierced with holes; of another member forming .the extremity of the limb and having an im ternal socket, a ball in said socket, a threadthe central hole in said plate, nuts on said shank at opposite sides of the plate and accessible through said openings, and yielding connections between theextreme member and the remaining holes in the plate of said outer member. v

2. In an artificial leg, the combination ed shank projecting from the ball through thigh-section; of a strap secured within the rear ,of the thigh-section with its body,

spanning, said deep notch of the'lower section and secured insidethe same at th "bottom of such notch, a spring'conn front of the lower section withsaid between the ends of the'latter, and yielding means for normallystraighten ing the leg.- 3; In an artificial leg, the combination with upper and lower leg-sections of shellacting thea like configuration, hinge members attached I respectively thereto and with each other, crossbar-s within said sections, and springs'connecting said-bars; of a strap secured .at its lower end the pivotally connected "upper end of'the lowerileg-section and at;

- its-upper end within the lower end ofthe thighfiction, and a contractile spring con attachment with the front portion of the -low'er leg-sect1on.--

' N an artificial leg, e combination w1t h-'upper and lower leg-sections of shell- 70 strap and buckle because m so many m- 95 Width upper and lower leg-sections ofshell-.

1'25 necting the, strap between said points oflike configuration, hinge members attached wardbeneath the end thereof, and its forked respectively thereto and pivotally connected end secured inside the front of said section, with each other, cross bars within said secsubstantially as described' tions, and springs connecting said bars; of In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set- 6 means for limiting the bending of the lower my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- 1- I leg-section in one direction, and a guard for uesses.

the lower end of the thigh-sectionconsisting SAMUEL R. ANDERSON; of a sheet of metal cut initially into Y-shape Witnesses: with its single arm secured inside the rear CHAs. J. ZIPPRIGH,

\0 of said thigh-section, its body bent down- WM; M. FISHER.

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