US1501120A - Traction apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1,501,120 E. H. KARRER TBACTI ON APPARATUS Filed March 17. 1921 INVI'WTUR.

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Patented July 15, 1924.

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EDUAR/D H. .KARRER, OF 1VLIL-WAUKEE WISCONSIN.

TRACTION APPARATUS.

Application filed March 1'7, 1921. Serial No. 453,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enuano H. :KARIIE-R, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Traction Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traction apparatus for use in setting fractures, orthopedic work, resetting dislocated parts, and similar work.

It is customary in prior machines of this type to make them non-portable and relatively bulky so that they may be used only at hospitals or in surgeons offices. They also have the defect, particularly when operating upon the legs of the patient, of losing their traction as the degree of abduction increases, sometimes, in fact, even producing a compression instead of a tension in extreine angles of abduction.

It is to overcome the above noted defects that the present invention is designed and it is theretore .an object of this invention to provide a traction apparatus which is portable; which does not vary its traction as the degree of abduction is changed; and which allows the patient to be readily placed upon the apparatus by sliding him on to it in place of liftinghi-m up and placing him in position.

Further objects are to provide a traction apparatus in which the pivot points for the traction bars very closely approximate the normal pivot points of the hip joints in which the perineal support folds downwardly out of the way to allow the positioning of the patient thereon; and in which a sliding back rest allows the plaster cast to extend over the waist-line when it is so desired.

Funther objects are to provide a traction apparatus in which removable pins are provided for attaching the .pat'ients foot to the traction bars so as to permit the forming of the plaster cast about the patient while he is in position upon the machine and the subsequent withdrawal of the pins without disturbing such cast; to provide a traction apparatus in which a back rest .and head hest inay be adjusted longitudinally, and in which such rests may be ad.- justed by means of varying thiclmesses of padding; .and to provide an apparatus which may be quickly disassembled and} packed in a relatively small space.

' tion of the upper end of bracket 16.

The device comprises a central portion 1 upon which is carried the seat or hip receiving portion 2. A central standard 3 is loosely socketed in the portion 2 and in the portion 1 and may be removed by lifting it directly upwardly.therefrom. A perineal support 1 is pivotally mounted at 5 upon the portion at a point slightly off the central axis of the central support 3 so that when the standard 3 is removed the support d is folded downwardly in the position indicated in Fig. 3. extends outwardly from the central portion of the support 1 and may conveniently be formed integrally therewith. Upon each of these arms, a traction arm is pivoted as indicated at 8 and may be swung either inwardly or outwardly as illustrated in dotted and full lines in Fig. 1. In order to hold these traction bars in adjusted angular position, a link 9 is provided for each arm. These links are pivotally joined to the central portion 1 by means of the pivot pin 10 which, as may be seen from Fig. 2, passes thru relatively widely spaced ears formed integrally with the link 9 and corresponding ears formed integrally with the central support 1. The outer ends of the links 9 each carry a sleeve or collar 11 which is pivotally joined to the link as indicated at 12. This collar is arranged to slide freely upon the corresponding traction rod and is adapted to be clamped in any desired adjusted position by means of the hand screw 18, thereby setting either or both traction bars at any desired degree of abduction. The collars are each Provided with a downwardly extending pedestal 11 provided with an enlarged foot portion adapted to contact with the surface of the floor or table upon which the device is supported. It is to be noted that the pivot points 8 are substantially at the normal hip pivot point of the body and that the arms 7, therefore, pivot and swing about a point substantially aligning with the normal pivot point of the hip, thereby producing no angular change be- A pair of arms 6* tween the traction bars and the leg of the patient when the machine is in operation and when the bars are moved.

The traction bars '7 are hollow and each telescopically receives a rod 14: which may be moved inwardly or outwardly to secure the desired length and may be locked in ad justed position by means of the hand screw 15. The outer end of the rod has rigidly attached thereto a normally upstanding bracket 16 which, at its upper end, slidably receives a threaded stem 17. It is to be noted that a pin 18 extends downwardly into a keyway 18 formed in the rod 17 so as to prevent rotation of such rod relative to the bracket 16. Any other desired method of securing this splined connection may be employed. A winged lock nut 20 is threaded upon thestem 17 and is adapted to bear against the corresponding face of the upper journaled portion 21 of the bracket to draw the rod real-wardly as desired. The forward end of the steml'? has an enlarged head 22 which bears against the forward surface of a forked bracket 23 and provides a swivel joint therewith. A wing lock nut 24 is threaded upon the stem 17 and is adapted to clamp the bracket 23 in any desired angular adjustment relative to a vertical line. The forked bracket is provided with a pair of cylindrical openings into which loosely slide a pair of normally vertical pins 25 whichlatter may be provided adjacent their 1 upper ends with manipulating handles 26.

with reference to a vertical line.

Pins 25 may therefore be adjusted to and from the central portion of the machine and also their axes may be adjusted angularly The foot of the patient is adapted to be bound to these pins either directly by means of muslin bands passed over the foot of the patient or by bandspassed over the shoe of the patient. It is to be noted in Fig. 2 that the traction bars 7 are set at different relative angles so as to more clearly show the arrangement of pins. and brackets.

A. central standard 3 carries an adjustably mounted collar 27 which may be locked in any desired position by means of a hand screw28. This collar is provided with outwardly projecting arms 29 in which are pivotally mounted a pair of supporting outwardly extending rods 30. These rods 30 may therefore be adjusted vertically with reference to the seat portion 2 and may be readily swung to any desired angular position to correspond with the position of the corresponding traction bar; These rods are adapted to receive and carry slings from which the legs of the patient may be susiended at any desired point along their length.

A back rest 31 is carried by a pair of relatively short vertical standards 32 which socket in a cross member 33. A pair of rods 34E extend rearwardly from the cross member 33 and slide in corresponding openings formed in the body portion 1 of the apparatus so that the relative position of the back rest 31 may be varied. Horizontal rods 35 extend forwardly from the supporting standards 32 and slidably carry an adjustable head rest 36.

The operation of this device is as follows. The central standard 3 is removed and the perineal support 4. folded downwardly as indicated in Fig. 3. \Vhile the apparatus is in this position, the patient is slipped on to the machine either from the side or from the-f0rward portion thereof as there are no upwardly projecting interfering members. Thus, the machine may be placed on a table beside the bed of the patient or beside the wheel carriage and the patient removed sidewise and placed upon the machine with a minimum of handling of the patient. After the patient is in position upon the machine, the perineal support is turned to the position indicated in Fig. 2 and the vertical standard 3 slipped into its socket, thereby locking the perineal support against pivotal action. The legs of the patient are slung from the rods 30 by any suitable means, as for example, fabric bandages. His feet are then strapped to the pins 25 by passing muslin or any suitable flexible material around such pins and around the corresponding foot, his shoulders and head, of course, resting upon the supports 31 and 36 respectively. In this position, the pins 25 are moved until they occupy the desired angle and then looked in such position by means of the lock nut 24. Thereafter the tensioning nuts 20 are operated to place the legs of the patient under the desired tension. It is to be noted that the angle of the patients legs may be varied by swinging the traction bars inwardly or outwardly without fear of varying the tension, as the pivot points 8 align with the pivot points of the hipsof the patient. It will also be noted that the back rest and head rest may be slid forwardly when it is desired to secure freedom for manipulation about the patients hips or waist.

After the operation or setting is complete, a plaster cast may be formed about the patients legs without removing him from the machine. It is to be noted that this cast may extend over the waistline of the patient if desired as the back rest may be moved forwardly as previously stated. After the plaster has set, it is merely necessary to withdraw the pins 26 upwardly out of their sockets to disengage the patients feet from the machine. Thereafter the central standard 3 is withdrawn, the perineal support t folded downwardly, and the patient slid sidewise or endwise off of the machine.

then it is desired to disassemble and pack the apparatus for shipment, the central standard is withdrawn, the rods 30 removed from the collar 27, perineal support folded downwardly, the traction bars collapsed, and

the brackets 16 rocked downwardly. The head rest and shoulder rest are lifted upwardly causing the pins 32 to slide out of their corresponding sockets. The rods 34 and the cross piece 38 thenslid inwardly until the cross piece 33 contacts with the central portion 1. In this condition, the machine will occupy a very small space and may be readily packed and shipped.

It will be seen that a traction apparatus has been provided which is portable; which may be placed upon any desired relatively flat surface, such as the floor or the table, or upon the floor of the ambulance, if necessitated. It will also be seen that an apparatus has been provided in which the degree of abduction may be varied without varying the traction, and in which a plaster cast may be formed while the patient is upon the machine, and may be readily detached from enga 'ement with the machine.

I claim:

1. A traction apparatus comprising a body portion having a base adapted torest upon a support, a seat carried by said base portion, a pair of traction bars pivotally joined to said base portion at spaced points approximately aligning with the hip pivot points of the patient, means for adjusting the angular position of said traction bars and locking them in such adjusted position, means carried by the traction bars adapted to rest upon the support, removable pins adj ustably carried by said traction bars and adapted to be strapped to the feet of a patient, and movable means for retaining the patient against longitudinal motion, said means being movable with respect to said body portion and seat and pivotally attached with respect to said seat, whereby a plaster cast may be formed about the legs of the patient while they are in an extended position and whereby the patient and cast may be readily removed from the machine by removing said pins and moving said retaining means out of the way.

2. A traction apparatus comprising a body portion, a base carried thereby adapted to support a patient, a hingedly mounted perineal support carried by said base, a vertical standard adapted to socket in said base portion and toretain the perineal support in position, rods carried by said standard and adapted to support the weight of the legs of a patient, traction bars pivotally joined at spaced points to said body portion, means for extending said traction bars to a rough approximation of the desired length, means operatively supported from said traction bars and adapted to be strapped to the patients feet, and means for accurately adjusting the position of said last mentioned means to produce the desired tensioning of the legs of the patient.

3. In a traction apparatus, a base, traction bars pivotally joined at spaced points to said base, links, each of said links being pivotally joined at one end to said base and slidably and pivotally connected at the other end to one of the traction bars, and means for securing said links against sliding movement relative to the traction bars, whereby the traction bars may be adjusted angularly relative to the base and secured in such angular adjustment. V

4:. In a traction apparatus; a base; traction bars pivotally o-ined at spaced points to said base; sleeves, each slidably carried by one of the bars; links, each of which is pivotally joined at one end to said base and at the other end to one of the sleeves; and means for locking the sleeves in position upon the traction bars.

EDUARD H. KARRER.

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