Specification of Thomas Brown : artificial limbs.

  • Brown, Thomas.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Thomas Brown : artificial limbs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    browns Improvements in Artificial Limbs. the head of the said button is so formed and arranged in relation to the rod i that the latter which is kept in contact with the said head by the springy will allow the button h to work freely in the socket i} as the leg moves in either direction. The spring j bears against the shoulder i^ of the rod i, and against ^ the lower end of the interior of the box or tube A;, and keeps the rod i up to the button h with an even pressure while the tube oscillates upon its extremity F, . which rests in the concave bearing e'^. This arrangement of the mechanism allows the knee joint to work freely and pleasantly in walking, but holds it when at rest, and also keeps the lower part e from swinging too loosely from the bearings d. It will be seen that the rod i, button A, and tube k are arranged to operate in such a manner that when the parts of the leg are in the position illustrated in either Figure 1 or Figure 3, the force of the springy tends to keep the parts in such position, and that the leg will not move therefrom spontaneously. 15 The said improvements consist also in forming the wearing parts of the hand and foot partly of soft or-sponge rubber, and partly of hard rubber or wood. The soft rubber is used for the heel and body of the foot, as shewn at m. Figure 1, and for the fingers and body of the hand, and imparts thereto the required degree of elasticity corresponding as‘ near as possible to the natural 20 movements of these members. The hard rubber or wood n is used to give the proper degree of solidity to enable the hand or foot to be secured to the wooden stump attached to the remaining portion of the arm or leg to which the said hand or foot is to be applied. By this means the springs, pivots, joints, and other costly mechanism ordinarily employed in artificial hands and 25 feet may be dispensed with, and the same are rendered more easy to use and more durable. The material known as “ sponge ” rubber, which is preferably employed to form the external portions of the hands and feet, possesses great strength combined with elasticity; these portions are made in proper moulds of any 30 required size and form. The hard or unelastic rubber or wood which serves to connect the hand or foot to the wooden stumps on the arm or leg is enclosed within the soft rubber. A ball-and-socket joint is preferably used with the hand to allow the same to be set and secured in any required position while the foot is directly and permanently attached to the stump, so 35 that the said foot can be controlled absolutely by the movement of the remaining part of the natural leg of the wearer. The natural movement of the foot is more closely imitated by the aid of these improvements than by any other means before known, and a hand constructed as herein described forms an artificial “ show limb which completely conceals the. loss of the real