U.S. patent number 3,754,549 [Application Number 05/157,974] was granted by the patent office on 1973-08-28 for truss.
This patent grant is currently assigned to H. G. Enterprises. Invention is credited to Henry G. Nelkin.
United States Patent |
3,754,549 |
Nelkin |
August 28, 1973 |
TRUSS
Abstract
A truss that has a pair of spaced folds at the back of the body
portion with flexible fabric extending across the space between the
folds and adjusting means that are each connected with the body
portion at one of the folds and extends across the other fold.
Adjusting straps are each fastened at one end permanently to the
body portion and each extends through a loop that is part of the
connection for the strap with the back of the body portion. The
adjusting straps and the front of the body portion have Velcro
fasteners that detachably fasten each strap independently in
adjusted position at the front of the truss. The rupture pad is
slidably mounted on a strap that runs up and down on the front side
of the body portion and has one end fastened in fixed position to
the front of the body portion. A Velcro fastener strip runs
lengthwise of the strap and cooperates with a Velcro fastener strip
that runs lengthwise of the front of the body portion and thus
crosswise of the strap. The pad has a ply on the back side having
spaced slots through which the strap slidably extends.
Inventors: |
Nelkin; Henry G. (Kansas City,
MO) |
Assignee: |
H. G. Enterprises (Kansas City,
MO)
|
Family
ID: |
22566153 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/157,974 |
Filed: |
June 29, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
128/100.1;
128/DIG.15; 128/106.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
5/30 (20130101); Y10S 128/15 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
5/30 (20060101); A61F 5/01 (20060101); A61f
005/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/100,99,95,96,106,107,78 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Yasko; J.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A truss comprising a body encircling body portion of strong
flexible inextensible fabric having a rear portion adapted to be
positioned across the back of the body of the wearer and a front
portion adapted to be positioned across the front of the body of
the wearer, said body portion having a transverse fold on each side
of the middle of said rear portion thereof to provide a flexible
portion between said folds, a pair of adjusting straps, means
connecting each of said straps with said body portion at said fold
on one side of the middle of said rear portion, said connecting
means extending across said fold at the other side of the middle of
said rear portion, each of said straps being secured in fixed
position at one end thereof to said body portion adjacent said
front portion thereof, said means connecting said strap with said
fold including a loop, said strap extending slidably through said
loop, means independently longitudinally adjustably connecting the
other end of each of said straps to said front portion, to
independently adjust the effective length of each of said straps,
and a pad adjustably mounted on said front portion.
2. The truss claimed in claim 1 which is provided with means for
permanently connecting the opposite ends of said body portion
together at one of said folds.
3. The truss claimed in claim 1 in which the mounting for said pad
comprises a strap adjustably mounted on said front portion and
means mounting said pad on said strap for guided slidable movement
longitudinally of said strap.
4. The truss claimed in claim 1 in which said means for
independently adjustably connecting said straps to said front
portion each comprises a cooperating pair of strips of contact
bonding material mounted on said strap to extend lengthwise thereof
and on said front portion to extend lengthwise thereof.
5. The truss claimed in claim 1 in which said means for
independently adjustably connecting said straps to said front
portion each comprises a cooperating pair of strips of Velcro
material one of which is mounted lengthwise on said strap and the
other of which is mounted on said front portion to extend
lengthwise thereof, said strips mounted on said front portion
inclining downwardly toward the forward ends thereof.
6. The truss claimed in claim 1 in which the mounting for said pad
comprises a strap fixed to said front portion at one end thereof
and detachably adjustably connected with said front portion in
spaced relation to said end and means mounting said pad on said
strap for slidable movement longitudinally of said strap.
7. Means for adjustably mounting a rupture pad on the body portion
of a truss comprising a rupture pad, a strap fixed to said body
portion at one end thereof and detachably adjustably connected with
said body portion in spaced relation to said end, and means
provided on the back of said pad slidably engaging said strap for
permitting slidable movement of said pad longitudinally of said
strap.
8. The means for adjustably mounting a rupture pad claimed in claim
7 in which said detachable adjustable connection comprises a
cooperating pair of strips of Velcro material one of which is
mounted on said strap to extend lengthwise thereof and the other of
which is mounted on said body portion to extend transversely of the
length of said strap.
9. The means for adjustably mounting a rupture pad claimed in claim
7 in which said pad has a ply on the back thereof provided with a
pair of spaced slots and said strap extends slidably through said
slots.
Description
While trusses have been made for many years, that are provided with
a pair of spaced folds at the back thereof with flexible fabric,
which is a continuation of the body portion, extending between
them, and adjusting means, that is connected each with one of said
folds and extends across the other fold and comprises a loop
through which a strap extends that is fastened to the body portion
at one end thereof at a point between the detachably connected
forward end portions of the truss and one of said folds, the
adjusting straps extended to the front of the body of the wearer
and were adjustably connected together. The adjustment thus
obtained is only of the overall length of the truss. Also, while
various means have been provided for adjustably mounting a rupture
pad on a truss, the adjusting means was not capable of providing
the exact desired position of the pad entirely independent of any
other adjustments of the truss.
It is a purpose of my invention to provide a truss with a
transverse fold on each side of the middle of the rear portion, a
flexible portion between the folds to provide for adjustment of the
overall length of the truss to snugly fit the body of the wearer,
and to provide a pair of adjusting straps each of which is
connected to the body portion at one of the folds at the rear
thereof at one side of the middle of the rear back engaging portion
of the truss, the connection extending across the fold at the other
side of the middle of the rear portion, and means for independently
adjusting the position of each of the folds. The adjusting means
each comprises a strap that extends slidably through a loop
provided on the connection thereof with the fold with which it is
associated, which strap is secured in fixed position to the body
portion of the truss near the front portion thereof and which is
independently adjustably connected with the front portion adjacent
the other end thereof, thus providing two independent means each
for adjusting the position of one of the folds. By providing such
an independent adjustment of the position of each of the folds at
the back of the truss, the forward or front portion of the truss
can be exactly located relative to the body to place the rupture
pad in proper position.
In order to provide for a very accurate location of the pad, which
is comfortable and helpful for the wearer thereof, means is also
provided for adjusting the position of the pad both up and down
relative to the body portion of the truss and lengthwise thereof,
and also at the same time angularly, such means comprising a strap
on which the pad is mounted, the mounting for the pad comprising a
loop which slidably receives the strap for up and down adjustment
of the pad, the strap being permanently connected with the body
portion at its lower end and detachably connected at the upper end
thereof by means of Velcro fastening devices that are so positioned
that the position of the upper end of the strap is adjustable
relative to the body portion of the truss both lengthwise of the
body portion and up and down relative thereto, said Velcro
fastening means comprising cooperating strips one of which extends
lengthwise of the body portion of the truss and the other one
extends lengthwise of the strap. The pad and its mounting is thus
not only adjustable relative to the body portion, but is also
detachably connected therewith, due to the detachable connection
between the fastening elements on the strap and on the body
portion.
Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the
description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it
understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the
particular details shown or described except as defined in the
claims.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a face view partly in prespective of my improved truss,
as viewed from the front thereof.
FIG.2 is a view in elevation thereof, partly in perspective, as
viewed from the rear thereof.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view.
FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 on a slightly
enlarged scale.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5--5 of FIG.
2.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken on the
line 6--6 of FIG. 1 and
FIG. 7 is a similar view taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 1.
Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved truss shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 is made up of a body portion 10, which is made of
strong inextensible fabric. The body portion 10 is provided with a
cushioning lining 11, which is secured thereto by binding strips 12
along the longitudinal edges thereof. The body portion is provided
with a pair of folds 13 and 14 between which extends a flexible
fabric portion 15, which is made up of the body portion 10 and the
inner cushioning ply 11. One of the folds 13 is shown in detail in
FIG. 6. The body portion 10, as well as the lining 11, have the
ends thereof secured together by stitching as at 16, and a pair of
pockets is provided at the fold 13 by means of a cover ply 17 which
is stitched down so as to provide the pair of pockets in which
stays 18 are provided. The other fold 14 is made in the same manner
except that the plys 10 and 11 are continuous at said fold instead
of having ends thereof stitched together. Thus, while a body
portion fixed length, which is inextensible, is provided, the
flexible fabric bridging portion 15, between the folds is provided
for adjustment of the effective length of the truss by movement of
the folds 13 and 14 toward or away from each other.
The stiffened folds 13 and 14 are each provided with means for
adjusting the position thereof, the fold 14 having a central strap
19 secured in fixed position substantially midway between the top
and bottom edges of the body portion at one end thereof and secured
to a loop mounting member 20 at the other end thereof. Another
strap 21 is provided which has diverging portions extending from
the loop mounting member 20 to points near the top and bottom edges
of the body portion where the ends of the strap 21 are secured, the
mid portion thereof being stitched to the loop mounting member 20.
An elongated metal loop 22 is mounted on the mounting member 20.
The loop 22, mounting member 20 and straps 19 and 21 constitute a
connection between the adjusting strap 23 and the fold 14. The
adjusting strap 23 is secured in fixed position, at the one end 24
thereof, to the body portion, the body portion being stiffened at
the connection of the strap therewith by means of a pair of stays
25 which are mounted in pockets formed by means of the cover ply 26
stitched to the body portion, as shown in FIG. 7, the end 24 being
secured by means of one of the rows of stitching 27. Said strap
extends through the loop 22 and has the free end 28 thereof
provided with a strip of Velcro contact bonding material, which is
adapted to engage adjustably with a cooperating strip of Velcro
contact bonding material 29 mounted on the body portion of the
truss and extending substantially lengthwise of said body portion.
Thus, the strap 23 can be adjusted relative to the body portion so
as to adjust the position of the fold 14 in a great variety of
locations thereof due to the fineness of adjustment thereof by
means of the Velcro bonding material. Velcro is a product made by
American Velcro Inc., Manchester, New Hampshire, and consists of
one strip that is provided with a multiplicity of extremely small
loops of thread and a cooperating strip of multiplicity of equally
small hooks of thread that are adapted to engage with said loops
upon said cooperating strips being pressed into engagement with
each other to hold said cooperating strips from relative movement
thereof, in a direction parallel to the surfaces of the strips.
The means for adjusting the position of the fold 13 comprises a
strap 30 which is secured at the midportion thereof to the loop
mounting member 31 which is provided with a loop 32 which is of the
same character as the loop 22 previously described. The midportion
of the strap 30 is secured to the loop mounting member 31 and has
the ends thereof secured to the stiffened fold 13 in a similar
manner to that in which the strap 21 is secured to the stiffened
fold 14, the ends of the strap 30 being secured in spaced relation
to the midportion of the fold 13, but further from the top and
bottom ends thereof than the strap 21, thus providing for the
passage of the strap 30 between the straps 19 and 21 for adjustment
thereof. The loop 32 and the strap 30 constitute a connection
between the adjusting strap 33 and the fold 13. The adjusting strap
33 is secured in fixed position at the one end thereof in a similar
manner to that in which the strap 23 is secured at 24 to the body
portion of the truss, but on the opposite side of the front thereof
from the fixed connection of the strap 23 therewith, the body
portion being stiffened at the connection of the strap therewith in
the same manner to that previously described. The said strap 33
extends through the loop 32 and has its free end 35 provided with a
strip of Velcro contact bonding material 36, which is adapted to
engage adjustably with a cooperating strip of Velcro contact
bonding material 37, provided for the adjustment of the position of
the fold 13 in a great variety of locations thereof due to the
fineness of adjustment thereof by means of the bonding
material.
It will be noted that the strip 36 and the strip of bonding
material on the strap 23 extend lengthwise thereof and that the
strips 37 and 29 extend generally lengthwise of the body portion of
the truss. The body portion of the truss, it will be noted, is cut
so as to curve downwardly toward the center 38 of the front portion
of the truss thus placing the front of the truss at a lower level
on the body of the wearer than the rear portion thereof, and thus
below the abdominal bulge. The two contact bonding material strips
29 and 37 extend at an oblique angle to each other and meet at the
center of the truss, as will be obvious from FIG. 1.
The truss is provided with a downwardly extending tapering
extension 39 from which a leg strap 40 extends. The leg strap is
provided with adjusting means 41 and is secured to the back of the
truss in fixed position at a point spaced widely from the fold 14.
A covering ply of cushioning material 42 may be provided on the leg
strap. The front of the truss may be provided with a finishing ply
43 which extends from the permanently secured end of the strap 23
to the permanently secured end of the strap 33 and extends into the
tapering downward extension 39.
The rupture pad comprises a flat faced body portion 44 of foam
rubber or similar cushioning material, which is of slightly
modified oval shape, having a wider top end and a more gradually
tapering bottom end. A ply of cushioning material 45 and a cover
ply 46 enclose the pad body portion 44 and are secured together by
a binding strip 47 extending around the same, which is stitched to
the cushioning ply 45 and the cover ply 46. The cover ply is
provided with a pair of slots 48 through which a mounting strap 49
passes, the mounting strap and the slots being of such relative
size that the mounting strap will pass slidably through the slots
with a portion thereof located between the body portion 44 of the
pad and the ply 45.
The mounting strap 49 is secured at one end 50 thereof in fixed
position on the tapering downward extension 39 and is adjustably
secured to the body portion of the truss by a strip of Velcro
contact bonding material 51 which extends transversely to the
direction in which the strap 49 extends with which a cooperating
strip of said bonding material 52, that extends lengthwise of the
strap 49, cooperates to provide for the adjustment of the strap 49
relative to the body portion of the truss both angularly and
lengthwise of the strap. In addition to that, because of the
slidable connection between the pad and the strap 49, the pad can
be adjusted lengthwise of the strap 48 to the desired position
thereof. The pad is accordingly shown in FIG. 3 in one position
thereof in full lines and in a different position thereof in dotted
lines.
It will, accordingly, be seen that the location of the pad at the
proper place to benefit the wearer of the truss can be determined
by means of the adjusting straps 23 and 33, and for a finer
adjustment of the location of the pad by means of the slidable
connection between the pad and the strap 49 and the adjustable
connection between the strap 49 and the body portion of the truss
by means of the Velcro fastening devices.
While a pad is shown in the drawings as being on the left side of
the truss, obviously the pad can be similarly mounted on the right
side of a truss that has an extension 39 on the right side of the
body portion or two pads can be similarly mounted for a person
having a double hernia.
* * * * *