Untitled record

L.B. , 'Frzznn.

FBeBedJToT. 6, /000. / _t

JT°30,80/.

<img file="US30601A_D0001.tif" />

AM. PHOTO-LITHO. CO. N.Y. (OSBORNE'S PROCESS)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

L. B. WRIGHT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPINAL BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

30,601, dated November 6, 1860.

To dll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lucian B. Weight, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented, made, and ap5 plied to use a new and improved apparatus for the treatment and cure of curvature of the spine and other diseases of the spinal column, which I term a “ spinal brace; ” and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, 10 and correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which—

Figure I is a perspective view of my in15 vention, showing the head-piece attached to the same; Fig. II, a view of the head piece detached; Fig. Ill, a view of upper springclasp employed detached, showing the mode of adjusting the same; Fig. IV, a view of 20 the sliding cross-bar employed in connection with the head-rest, and serving to attach the same when desired to the spinal brace; Fig. V, a view of the spring provided with a pin, by which the head piece is held to the 25 sliding cross-bar; Fig. VI, front section of lower spring clasp, showing metallic or galvanic plate attached to the same; Fig. VII, detached view of strap used for attaching brace to body of the patients.

In the drawings, like parts of the invention are designated by similar letters of reference.

The nature of the invention made by me, consists in the construction and operation of 35 a “ spinal brace ” as hereinafter described.

Cases of diseases of the spine or curvatures of the spinal column are very numerous. The supposed cause of this disease is some defect in the cartilaginous structure between 40 the vertebrae, as also disease of the bone itself. The difficulty in relieving this trouble is supposed (and doubtless correctly) to be the weight of the spinal column above the diseased part; in consequence of which fact 45 the patient instead of improving, is continually doubling down, the spine becoming more and more curved, till at last the cartilage is completely absorbed and ancylosis is established. The patient rarely grows 50 much in height as he continues to settle clown from the doubling and settling together of the vertebral. This evil can only be prevented or cured by removing the pressure from the diseased part and this must 55 be done by extension and counter extension, which is the design of my invention. To the best of my knowledge no apparatus has yet been constructed except on the principle of lateral or transverse pressure.

In the drawings accompanying this speci- 60 fication, A shows a lower spring clasp and B an upper one. These clasps may be made of steel, brass, copper or any other metal best suited to the purpose and after beingmade in the desired shape are covered with 65 buckskin, leather or any suitable material.

C' C' show two uprights, attached directly to the upper spring clasp B, and having a series of teeth a, a, cut upon their sides, forming racks. 70

D D are two plates of metal, attached directly to the lower spring clasp A, in any desired manner, and provided with staples, b, b, b, through which the uprights C, C pass, and which are held in position by means of 75 the pawl c, fitting into the teeth a upon the upright G; this also forms a mode of adjusting the upper spring clasp B.

d, shows a spring bearing against the pawl c and holding the same against the 80 teeth a, on the upright C.

E shows an upright piece of metal, to which is attached at its upper end, a spring clasp F, intended to pass around the back portion of the head of the party using the 85 spinal brace. This upright E is provided with a series of openings e, e, e, e, serving in connection with the cross-brace G and spring H hereinafter described to adjust the same.

G is a cross-brace provided at its center 90 with an opening /, into which the upright (E) of the head rest is inserted. This crossbrace G is slotted on either side to enable it. to move freely up and down upon the uprights C', O', which serve to support the 95 same.

H shows a spring provided with a pin I attached directly to cross-brace G, and serving to hold the head rest in position where adjusted, the pin I passing through an open- 100 ing K and any desired opening (e) in the upright E for this purpose.

L is a spring constructed in the same manner as spring H, attached to one of the uprights C, C, and serving to hold the upright 105 E in position, the pin on the under side of the same, passing into any desired opening e, on the upright E for this purpose.

Μ, N, and O show straps attached to the lower spring clasp A, the upper spring clasp 110 B, and the spring clasp F of the head-rest, either by sewing to the buckskin, leather or β 30,601 other material used in covering the same or by cutting slots in the same, and passing the same over button P, (Fig. VI), attached directly to the same clasps A, B, and F.

Q and E, are two plates, the one Q, of zinc, the other E of platinized copper, or of any other metals suited for the purpose, attached to the spinal brace, by means of slots cut in these plates and passing the same over the 10 button P, (Fig. VI) by which means the instrument may when desired be connected with a galvanic battery, which in some cases will be found highly advantageous.

The operation of my spinal brace may be 15 thus described: The lower spring clasp A is fastened at the top of the pelvis and rests on the crest of the ilium; the other B.is fastened around the chest immediately beneath the arms. The head rest, which con20 sists as previously stated of the upright piece E, spring clasp F and strap O having been adjusted, the clasp F, passes around the back portion of the head of the wearer and the. strap rests upon the forehead. The brace' 25 having been thus fitted to the patient, by means of a gradual extension and counter extension of the parts of the same, any degree of weight. required may be removed from the part of the spinal column diseased, 30 and this may be followed up as the patient increases in height, by lengthening the brace..

Whenever the curvature of the spine is lateral, the side of the instrument toward which the patient bends can be raised above the other to any convenient height, necessary to 35 bring the subject into a straight line.

I do not desire to confine my invention in its application to diseases of the spine alone, as it may also be successfully used in treating round shoulders, weaknesses of the loins, 40 and chest.

_ When desired as previously stated, a galvanic battery may be connected as shown by means of the plates Q and E.

The head rest is so constructed, that, as 45 circumstances may require, the spinal brace may be used with or without it.