Truss.

Application filed April 7, 1911. Serial No. 619,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Charles A. Love and James P. Turner, citizens of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of 5 Henry and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable 10 others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this 15 specification.

The invention relates to improvements in trusses, more especially for the treatment of hernia or rupture, as in providing for the effective retention in position of the affected 20 parts and having in view to effect a curative action or provide for the comfort of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are to greatly simplify the forma25 tion or construction of the truss; to serve as a suspensory for the scrotum and testicles; to constitute a support for the entire lower region or portion of the abdomen; to separately otherwise accommodate the penis and 30 scrotum; to provide for additionally padding or stuffing the truss intermediate of the permanent pads, if desired; to effect the holding of the truss tightly when bending the body or stooping; and to carry out the 36 aforesaid ends in.a ready and effective manner.

The invention consists of certain instrumentalities and features designed for carrying out these purposes substantially as here40 inafter fully disclosed and embraced in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of our invention—Figure 1 is a face view of the device 45 or truss. Fig. 2 is an inverse or rear view of the scrotum and testicles sack, detached from the truss. Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the device or truss, disclosing more particularly the retaining or stressing straps, 50 at one side, in buckled or effective position, as when engaging the belt-strap or applied for use upon the body or person. Fig. 4 is a broken front or face view of the truss with the scrotum and testicles sack and its re55 taining or stressing straps removed, showing more fully the subdividing or compart ment forming straps as applied for the conversion, relatively, of the common opening, having reentrant lateral walls or portions, into two compartments for aiding' the sus- go taining or suspending the scrotum or testicles. Fig. 5 is a like view of the truss, with both the scrotum-sack, including its retaining or stressing straps, and said subdividing or compartment forming strap, all θ5 omitted, fully exposing the combined scrotum and penis receiving opening. Fig. 6 is a broken vertical sectional view of the russ more fully disclosing one of the herniapads and the pocket upon the inverse or rear 70 side of the truss.

In carrying out our invention, we form or construct the truss of a body member or portion 1, which is preferably of leather or cloth, although it may be of any other suitable material, and is preferably of the general outline disclosed, tapering downwardly, which outline or contour may, however, be varied to assume any other form desired and which may be practicable. Said body mem- 80 ber or portion 1 has produced therethrough in its vertical center, an elongated or oblong opening 2, formed preferably with, what may be termed, reentrant lateral edge portions, preferably, suitably bound or lined, 85 as at 3; the reentrant or inwardly extended portions 4 of said opening being about midway of said opening, thus dividing said opening into-practically two compartments, the upper one for the passage of the penis, 90 and the lower one for the passage of the scrotum and the depending of the latter outside of the truss.

A suitable subdividing strap or partition 5 is preferably employed or applied trans- 95 versely to the face of the truss, about centrally of the opening 2, to effect separation between the penis and scrotum, especially at the base, for aiding the supporting or suspending the scrotum and testicles. The 100 strap 5 has preferably clasp-connection with the body-member 1, comprising a matrix member 6, and a counter member 6^a secured to the truss-body and strap, respectively.

A pouch 7, preferably of netting, or other 105 non-heating character, is designed to receive the scrotum, after .passage or insertion through the required compartment of the openi.ng 2, to serve as a suspensory therefor, as will be readily appreciated. The upper HO edge of the inner or rear wall of the pouch or suspensory 7, is much below that of the

1,019,601 opposite wall of the· pouch for obvious reasons ; and at the upper corner-edges of both walls are applied the mattress members 8, 9, of clasp-connections which engage coun5 ter-members 10 fixed to the truss-body 1, and corresponding members 11, fixed to the strap 5, for the retention upon the trussbody of said pouch or suspensory in effective position, and whereby said pouch may IQ be easily detached from the body-member for removal or sanitary purposes, as will be readily understood.

Pads 12 are suitably provided upon the inverse or rear side of the truss-body 1, the 15 same extending upwardly and along diago. nal lines from the penis-compartment of the opening 2 and outstanding from said inverse or inner surface to suitably press upon the affected parts or rupture with the re20 quisite force or pressure to hold said parts properly in position and having in view to effect a curative action, or provide for the comfort of the wearer. A pocket 13 is suitably formed or provided upon the same side 25 or surface of the truss-body 1, at its upper portion and intermediate of the pads 12, which may be suitably packed or stuffed to form additional padding at that point, if desired, for the more effective action of the 30 truss.

A suitable belt-strap 14 is applied to the upper part of the truss-body 1, the same being passed or rove through fixed loops or guides 15 thereon and preferably equipped 35 with a buckle-form of connection 16 between its ends, said belt-strap being slidable into position within or through said guides or loops and adapted to encompass, and engage the body of the wearer in an upwardly 40 and rearwardly inclined direction so as to occupy a position above the more prominent parts of the body, thus providing as it is thought will be apparent, for exerting thereby a pull or stress upon the truss as the 45 wearer bends or stoops, to aid in the effective retention of the truss upon the body and the pads in effective contact with the affected parts Under such conditions. Also it will be noted that by means of such ar50 rangement the truss anords a support for the entire lower portion or region of the abdomen as well as forming a support or truss for hernia or rupture. Additional straps, or strap extensions 17 are formed 55 preferably in continuation of the trussbody 1, at its lower end, being initially produced therewith so as to diverge outwardlv toward their free ends from one another, as seen more particularly in Fig. 1, each strapextension 17 also, itself being split and 60 forming supplemental straps or strap-extensions 18, whereby, as disclosed by Fig. 3, two of the supplemental straps are extended rearwardly and connected or buckled, as at 19, to the belt-strap 14, at its back portion. 65 and the other two supplemental straps are' brought forwardly and connected or buckled, as at 20, to the belt-strap at its forward portion, further aiding the effective retention o’f the truss in position upon the 70 body.

It is considered that the objects and advantages of our invention have been fully disclosed and made clearly apparent from the foregoing description of the construction 75 and functions thereof.