US816866A - Artificial limb. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

H. LEONARD.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

AYPLIOATION FILED mm: 26. 1905 INVENTOILY. 7 2mm WCLWMOL P ENT- ()FFICE.

NTE il no. s1 aeee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application filed June 26, 1905- Serial No. 266,912.

To 0071/ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IJALMAR LEONARD, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention has .reference to artificial limbs; and the invention consists in an improvement in the means for cushioning the socket of an artificial limb, all substantially as shown and" described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of an artificial limb embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of elastic or spring carrier, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of another form thereof with. the elastic or spring shown in both views. Fig. 4 is a perspective inside view of a portion of the leg member at its top, showing a recess therein adapted to receive one of the said spring-cariiers. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line as a',

In the device as thus shown a construction and arrangement of parts is provided for attachment to legs which have been amputated below the knee-joint, thus leaving a stub of the leg or limb beneath said joint, which is socketed in the device and sprin -cushioned in said socket. To these ends the device is provided with a jacket or corset A, usually and preferably of leather, with eyelets and lacin s at the front and adapted to be fastenetI upon the natural leg above the knee, as is now commonly known. This forms an anchorage for the device upon the natural leg or body of the wearer.

B is the artificial-leg part or member, carryin a su1tably-jointed foot C thereon, as usua and the said parts are united by metallic straps a, fixed firmly in the sides of jacket A, and like straps b, fixed firmly to or upon leg-section B, and said straps jointed together at a point coinciding with thenatural joint of the knee and so arranged as not to interfere with the natural action of the kneejoint.

E represents a stub-socket or socket member adapted to receive the natural stub of the leg below the knee and to sustain the proportion of Weight which comes directly upon necessary, and to this end is adapted to yieldwithin. limits under spring cushioning or yielding supports or suspenders of its own, housed in the wall of leg-section B, as will now be seen. Thus the said stub-socket E is slidably confined between and by the straps I) and has guideways or grooves 2 in its sides adapted to receive the said straps, which preferably come about flush with the outer surface of the said socket, and a lower annularly-reduced extremity or portion 3 on said part itself extends down into the leg-section B, thus providing an annular shoulder 4 on the said socket member adapted to extend over and rest down upon the immediate upper edge of said leg-section as the possible limit of its movement, as will be seen further along. An annular band F is fixed about the top of leg-section B, which overlaps the socket member above its shoulder 4 and serves in part as a guide for said member as well as providing a smooth exterior at the joint or union of said parts. Now in order to provide a suitable spring-supporting medium for the stub-socket which will afford perfect comfort and ease to the wearer and act harmoniously with the other parts I provide recesses 5, two or more, in the top of leg section or member B, which have shoulders 6 at their top and sides beneath the immediate top edge of the said member, and these are closed on theirinside by shields or casings 7, of light sheet metal, and engaged by their inner flanges over shoulders 6, thus providing pockets to receive the cushioning or spring mechanism and providing a smooth interior over said recesses. The said mechanism comprises a rectangular carrier or frame H, open between its sides and ends to receive the elastic or flexible webbing L, which is supported in said carrier and removable therewith from the leg. Different ways may be employed for fixing the webbing in said frame and supporting the same and the frame or carrier in suspended o erating position-as, for example, the'web ing is looped around a cross rod or piece 8 in the lower portion of the frame and secured at its ends between clamps 9, which extend laterally at both ends beyond the outside of the frame and are adapted to rest on shoulders 6 of the recesseswhereby said frames or carriers and springs are suspended from said shoulders with room to be depressed, and the upper ends or portions of the frames extend above the top of the leg member relatively, as shown in Fig. 1, in their normal state, thereby providing a rest for the socket or socket member E through its shoulder 4.

In Fig. 3 the frame or carrier H is pro-.

vided with slots 10 longitudinally at its sides and to through which projects a supporting-r0 12, having the elastic strip engaged thereover and projecting at its ends outside the carrier to rest on shoulder 6, as do the ends of pieces 9, Fig. 2. Thus in either and all cases the spring or yielding cushion is housed in the leg member, while the casing or carrier therefor extends permanently above the upper edge thereof, so as to provide a spring-rest of the requisite resistance or strength to carry the weight that may come thereon, and which may be measured according to the weight of the person who is to wear the limb.

What I claim is 1. In artificial limbs, the combination of a leg member and a stump-socket thereon, re-

cesses in the to of said member and socketcarriers in sai recesses having elastic supporting-strips, and supports for said strips and carriers provided with lateral projections at their outer ends resting on said leg member at the top of said recesses.

2. In artificial limbs, a leg member having a plurality of recesses in its top, in combination with a stump-socket seated over said recesses, independent carriers therefor removably located in said recesses, and means to yieldingly suspend said carriers in said recesses with their upper ends above the top of said leg member.

3. In artificial limbs, a leg member having a square-shouldered top, in combination with a stump-socket having a reduced inner portion entering said leg member and an annular shoulder outside said reduced inner portion, recesses in the top of said leg member, rectangular carriers in said recesses and spring-supports in said carriers, and a crosspiece for each carrier having one end of said spring-support engaged therewith.

In testlmony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

HJALMAR LEONARD. Witnesses R. B. MosER, H. T. FISHER.

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