US404307A - Truss - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. C. RORICK.

l TRUSS. N0. 404,307. Patented May 28, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. RORICK, OF lVAUSEON, OHIO.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 404,307, dated May 28, 1889. Application tiled February 13, 1888- Serial No. 263,775. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. RORICK, a citizen of the United St-ates,residing at Wauseon, Fulton county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates more particularly to hollow elastic rubber truss -pads and the means for attaching the same to their supports. In truss-pads of this class heretofore in use the method of attaching the pad to its plate has been to rivet or stitch the parts together, or to provide the pad-plate with a socket-opening the edge of which embraces the pad in a recess formed on the pad for that purpose. Such pads have also been held in cup-shaped sockets, and have sometimes been molded with broad base-plates, which have been attached to belts, bands, or springs by means of rivets. These pads have also been secured to bands and plates by means of a ring and plate engaging a neck vand ange formed on the pad. The use of rivets and stitches is obviouslyunsatisfactory for the reason that soft rubber is soon cut, torn, or worn thereby, and because such pads lack adjustability. In trusses in which pads rest in cup-shaped sockets or are held in place by the contact of the elastic material with the edge of an opening in the socket-plate, the pads are likely to lose their adjustment by turning or twisting on their axes. In pads in which a neck and flange on the pad are grasped by a ring and plate so much metal must be employed that the pad is heavy, cumbersome, and uncomfortable to the wearer; also, in some instances, solid truss-pads have been formed of rubber vulcanized, (which of course makes it hard and nonelastic,) upon an oblong plate formed integral with another similar plate and connected with the same by a single continuous or two or more necks, and this last-mentioned plate has an extended integral arm by which the pawl is secured to a belt or other holding device; also, in some instances air-pads have been formed with an annular aircushion surrounding and partially forming a socket upon the outer side of the pad adapted to removably receive a button, by means of which the pad is connected to the belt, the button merely loosely and removably fitting in the socket surrounded by the annular air-cushion, and also, in some instances air-pads have been formed of a bag provided with a tube, by which the bag can be inflated when desired, the pad also having a secondary back attached at its edges to the bag and provided with an open center through which a piece of leather is inserted and removably and loosely rests in the socket thus formed, and by means of this leather strip the pad can be secured toa belt; but these old devices are totally diiferent from my invention.

The object of this invention is to obviate the great disadvantages of these old devices and to furnish an exceedingly light, cheap, and durable pad having very pliable and elastic walls, so that should the attachment change its relative position and the pad be moved at the top it will still close the breach and provide an improved, simple, and practical manner of attaching the air-pad to the arm from the belt.

With these ends in view the invention consists in a hollow permanently-inflated rubber 'air-pad cast integral, and having an inner convex face formed by an elastic pliable wall, and a rigid flat rear Wall formed by a double thickness of rubber, and a metal plate centrally located within and of about the same diameter as the wall, the rubber being cast around and completely surrounding said plate, thereby permanently and rigidly securing the same within the rear wall, and one or more screws extending through the outer rubber portion of the rear wall and formed with or secured to the metal plate.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of my pad; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section, Fig. 3 a plan view from the outer side, and Fig. 4 a plan view from the outer side, of a modilication ot my device.

Like letters represent like parts in all the views.

A is a hollow elastic pad ilat on one side and convex or partly spherical on the other. On the flat side a rim or lip, a, extends from the outer edge inwardly nearly or quite to the center. In the space or pocket thus formed,

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between the lip or rim a and the flat side of the pad, plate b is irmly held-that is to say,

between the two Hat Walls of rubber a metallic plate, b, is interposed.

In manufacturing my device the plate b is placed in the mold and the rubber is cast around the plate so as to embrace it closely, as shown. In manufacturing my device a central opening, c, as in Fig. 3, or tWo or more openings, as in Fig. 4, are left in a, through which projects screw or screws d from plate l). By means of screw d the pad is attached to the usual spring plate or band or other support.

It is clearly evident that the old devices before mentioned are different from my construction, Wliich aims at the eXtreme cheap ness and simplicity of the airpad and the peculiar construction whereby it can be so easily, quickly, and rigidly secured to the belt or an arm of the same. One of the old devices mentioned consisted of a solid pad formed by vulcanizing rubber on one of two similar plates connected by a stem. This merely a solid pad belonging to the same class and possessing the same disadvantages of wood and ivory pads, while my article belongs to a totally diilerent and distinct class of trally located Within and of about the same diameter as the Wall, the rubber being cast around and completely surrounding said plate, thereby permanently and rigidly securing the same Within the rear Wall, and one or more screws or lugs extending through the outer rubber portion of the rear wall and secured to or form ed with the plate, as s et forth.

JOHN C. RORICK. lVitnesses:

JAMES S. I'ZRAILEv, XV. l). HAGAR.

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