U.S. patent number 3,880,161 [Application Number 05/466,411] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-29 for elastic bandage and fastener therefor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to J. H. Guild Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Spencer M. Fossel.
United States Patent |
3,880,161 |
Fossel |
April 29, 1975 |
ELASTIC BANDAGE AND FASTENER THEREFOR
Abstract
An elastic bandage and fastener combination which includes an
elongated elastic web adapted to be wrapped around a body part and
terminating in an end region to which a substantially
non-stretchable but flexible sheet is fixed. This sheet extends
across the entire width of the web and has fixed thereto an
elongated fastener tape which projects beyond the web and is
capable of being wrapped around the latter after the web is wrapped
around the body part for maintaining the wrapped elastic web around
the body part. The fastener tape is also substantially
non-stretchable so that by pulling on the tape tension force is
transmitted through the flexible but non-elastic sheet across the
entire width of the elastic web for uniformly tensioning the latter
throughout the entire width thereof.
Inventors: |
Fossel; Spencer M. (Rupert,
VT) |
Assignee: |
J. H. Guild Co., Inc. (Rupert,
VT)
|
Family
ID: |
23851650 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/466,411 |
Filed: |
May 2, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
602/60;
128/DIG.15; 602/78 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
13/0273 (20130101); A61F 13/00038 (20130101); A61F
2013/15048 (20130101); A61F 2013/00119 (20130101); A61F
2013/53966 (20130101); A61F 2013/53445 (20130101); A61F
2013/00565 (20130101); Y10S 128/15 (20130101); A61F
13/534 (20130101); A61F 2013/00102 (20130101); A61F
13/622 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
13/00 (20060101); A61F 13/56 (20060101); A61F
13/15 (20060101); A61f 013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/157,165,171,DIG.15,169,170 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Trapp; Lawrence W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Steinberg & Blake
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bandage-fastener combination comprising an elongated web of
elastic sheet material adapted to be wrapped around a body part,
flexible but non-stretchable sheet means fixed to said web at one
end region thereof and extending across the entire width of said
web, and elongated flexible but non-stretchable fastener tape means
fixed to said sheet means midway between opposed side edges of said
web and extending from said sheet means beyond said web along a
line which when extended along said web will be situated
substantially midway between said opposed side edges thereof, so
that after said web is wrapped around a body part starting with an
end of said web distant from said sheet means, said sheet means
will be located at the exterior of the wrapped web and said
fastener tape means can be wrapped around the web for fastening the
latter on the body part, said sheet means transmitting a tension
force to said web uniformly across the entire width thereof.
2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said web has a uniform
width.
3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said sheet means is of a
triangular configuration and has a substantially pointed end
situated at an extremity of said web which is located at the end
region thereof to which said sheet means is fixed, said
substantially pointed end of said sheet means being situated
substantially midway between opposed side edges of said fastener
tape means.
4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said web is of a
substantially triangular configuration, matching the configuration
of said sheet means, at said end region of said web to which said
sheet means is fixed.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said web has at said end
region corner portions folded over said sheet means and situated
between said sheet means and said fastener tape means with the
latter being fastened to said sheet means through said folded over
corner portions of said web.
6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said fastener tape means
has an inner elongated portion next to and extending from said web
and provided with fastener elements on one face of said tape means
and an outer elongated portion fixed to and extending from said
inner elongated portion and having fastener elements on an opposed
face of said tape means, the length of said inner and outer
elongated portions of said tape means being sufficiently great for
the fastener elements on the outer elongated portion to be placed
in engagement with the fastener elements on the inner elongated
portion for releasably fastening said tape means around the wrapped
web.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to bandages.
In particular, the present invention relates to elastic bandages
which are wrapped around a body part in order to protect the
latter.
The present invention is particularly adapted for use on the limbs
of animals such as horses, although the structure of the invention
also is capable of being used with human beings such as
athletes.
As is well known, in order to protect certain body parts elastic
bandages are wrapped around the same. Such elastic bandages are
often known as Ace bandages.
However, one of the problems encountered with bandages of this type
is that when they are wrapped around the body part which is to be
protected it is difficult to provide a uniform tension across the
entire width of the bandage and they are often wrapped with
wrinkles which provide undesired pressure points where undesirable
stresses are generated.
Up to the present time the problem of providing a construction
according to which it becomes possible to apply such an elastic
bandage in a uniform manner and to fasten it when uniformly applied
has not been solved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to
provide a construction which will enable an elastic bandage to be
uniformly applied with a uniform tension around a body part.
Also it is an object of the present invention to provide a bandage
construction which will enable the bandage to be securely fastened
after the bandage has been applied with a uniform tension, with the
bandage being maintained in a wrinkle-free manner around the body
part.
Furthermore it is an object of the present invention to provide a
construction which can accomplish these objects while at the same
time being relatively simple and inexpensive and extremely
convenient to use.
Also it is an object of the present invention to provide a
construction of this type which is very strong enabling the bandage
and the fastener attached thereto to be washed innumerable times
without losing in any way the effectiveness of the bandage
structure of the invention.
According to the invention the bandage-fastener combination
includes an elongated elastic web capable of being wrapped around a
body part which is to be protected, this web having fixed to one
end region thereof a flexible but non-stretchable sheet means which
extends completely across the entire width of the web. An elongated
fastener tape means is fixed to the latter sheet means midway
between opposed side edges of the web, and the fastener tape means
is also non-stretchable and extends freely beyond the web. As the
web is wrapped around the body part which is to be protected
tension is applied through the fastener tape means and the
non-stretchable sheet means to the web across the entire width
thereof in a uniform manner, and upon completion of the wrapping
the fastener tape means is itself wrapped around the web for
holding the latter reliably in position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying
drawings which form part of this application and in which:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective illustration of a known
structure which has drawbacks avoided by the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective illustration of the combination
of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of one stage in the
manufacture of the combination of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation taken
along line 4--4 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 5 shows in elevation the manner in which the combination of
the invention is wrapped around the leg of a horse; and
FIG. 6 is a sectional plan view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5 in
the direction of the arrows and schematically showing the bandage
as it is worn by the animal.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIG. 1 there is illustrated therein an example
of a known bandage and fastener combination. This structure
includes the elongated flexible web 10 of elastic sheet material
which may take the form of a well known Ace Bandage. This elastic
web 10 terminates in a triangular end 12 to which a fastener tape
14 is fixed as illustrated. Another section of fastener tape 16 is
fixed to the web 10 midway between the side edges thereof at the
region of the end 12. The fastener tape portions 14 16 may take the
form of Velcro with the tape portion 16 having fastener elements
distributed over the exposed surface thereof which is visible in
FIG. 1, while the fastener tape 14 is of the same construction and
has fastener elements also distributed thereover at the surface
which is visible in FIG. 1.
With this construction the web 10 is wrapped around the body part
which is to be protected while pulling on the end 12, as by
grasping the tape 14, and at the end of the wrapping of the web 10
the fastener elements of the tape portion are placed in engagement
with the fastener elements of the tape portion 16 to hold the
wrapped bandage in position.
With this known construction because the tension force is
concentrated along the central region of the web 10 between the
opposed side edges thereof there is an unavoidable creation of
wrinkles in the web, particularly because the central region where
the tapes 14 and 16 are located cannot stretch. In addition,
undesirable stretching is concentrated in the space which extends
longitudinally between the tapes 14 and 16. As a result with this
construction even though extreme care is exercised it is impossible
to provide a uniform wrapping of the web 10 around the body part
which is to be protected, and the result is the creation of
undesirable wrinkles and non-uniform distribution of tension across
the width of the web 10 with pressure points where the wrinkles are
located.
These problems inherent in the known structure are avoided with the
structure of the present invention which is illustrated in FIGS.
2-6. Thus, with the present invention there is also an elongated
web 20 of elastic sheet material in the form of an Ace Bandage, for
example. This web 20 also terminates in a triangular end region 22
illustrated in FIG. 2. An elongated fastener tape means 24 is fixed
to the web 20 and projects therefrom as illustrated in FIG. 2.
However, in accordance with the present invention the triangular
end region 22 of the web 20 is fixed with a sheet means 26 (FIG. 3)
which while being flexible is not stretchable. This sheet means 26
may be made of any suitable plastic sheet material.
As may be seen from FIG. 3, the flexible but non-stretchable
stiffening sheet 26 is initially placed on the web 20 so that the
sheet means 26 extends across the entire width of the web 20 with a
pointed end 28 of the sheet 26 situated at the extremity 30 of the
web 20. Then the corner portions 32 of the web 20, which project
beyond the sides of the sheet 26, are folded over against the sheet
26, and in this condition the parts are fastened to each other as
by sewing.
With the non-stretchable but flexible sheet means 26 thus situated,
in effect, in a pocket which is formed at the free end region of
the web 20 which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fastener tape means
24 is fixed to the sheet means 26. Thus, FIG. 2 illustrates how the
fastener tape means 24 extends into overlapping relation with the
web 20 at the end region thereof which is provided with the sheet
means 26. Stitches 34 extend across the web for fastening the sheet
means 26 to the web and for fastening the tape means 24 to the
sheet means 26, this fastening taking place through the folded over
portions 32 of the web 20. It will be noted that the fastener tape
means 24 is situated centrally between the opposed side edges of
the web 20 and extends along a line which when extended along the
web 20 will be situated midway between the opposed side edges
thereof, this web 20 having a uniform width.
The fastener tape means 24 also preferably takes the form of a
Velcro fastener. In the illustrated example the fastener tape means
24 has an inner elongated region 36 provided with fastener elements
38 distributed over one face thereof. An outer elongated portion 40
of the fastener tape means 24 is fixed to and projects from the
inner elongated portion 36, and this fastener portion 40 has the
fastener elements 42 distributed over a face of the portion 40
which is opposed to the fact of the portion 36 along which the
fastener elements 38 are distributed. This construction can be
provided by cutting the tape 24 and turning the portion 40 over
with respect to the portion 36 so that the fastener elements 38 and
42 will be situated at the opposed faces of the fastener tape means
24.
FIG. 4 illustrates the construction in the end region where the
stiffening sheet 26 and fastener tape 24 are located. Thus, it will
be seen from FIG. 4 that the web 20 at the upper part of FIG. 4 is
situated next to a part of the sheet means 26 which is sandwiched
between one part of the web 20 and the folded over corners 32
thereof, with the tape 24 being fixed to the exterior surfaces of
the folded over corners and fastened through these folded over
corners to the sheet means 26 and the web 20 by the stitches
34.
When this construction is to be used as illustrated, for example,
in FIG. 5, the end of the web 20 distant from the end which is
illustrated in FIG. 2 is first placed against a protective cotton
layer 21 which surrounds the body part which is to be protected,
such as the illustrated lower portion of a leg 44 of a horse, so as
to prevent chaffing or pressure points which can damage
circulation. The web 20 is then wrapped along a spiral on layer 21
and around the limb between the hoof and knee through a height of
10 or 12 inches, and tension is uniformly applied. By pulling on
the fastener tape 24, the tension force is uniformly distributed
across the entire width of the web 20 as a result of the
non-stretchable sheet means 26 which serves to prevent any
non-uniformity in the transmission of tension to the elastic web
20. The wrapping is carried out so that the fastener elements 38
will be directed outwardly away from the wrapped web 20. Thus, the
smooth surface of portion 36 which is not visible in FIG. 2 is
located directly next to the outermost wrapping of the web 20, thus
exposing the fastener elements 38. The length of the elongated
portions 36 and 40 is such that the portion 36 will pass at least
once around the wrapped web 20 and then during the next turn of the
portion 40 the fastener elements 42 thereof will engage the
fastener elements 38 so as to achieve a secure connection as
illustrated in FIG. 6.
Experience has shown that this construction is extremely rugged
since it can be readily applied with uniform tension across the
entire width of the elastic web 20 while at the same time the
structure is effective even after many uses and washings. Because
of the presence of the sheet means 26 which serves to distribute
the tension uniformly across the entire width of the elastic web,
creation of undesirable wrinkles are avoided and the bandage is
capable of being applied with a uniform tension throughout.
* * * * *