US3713446A

US3713446A - Self applied pneumatically actuated pressure

Info

Publication number: US3713446A
Application number: US00125207A
Authority: US
Inventors: S Sarnoff
Original assignee: Survival Technology Inc
Current assignee: Meridian Medical Technologies Inc
Priority date: 1971-03-17
Filing date: 1971-03-17
Publication date: 1973-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-30
Also published as: CA981549A; DE2213182A1; BE780661A; JPS5227952B1; CH546067A; SE393292B; BR7201499D0; FR2129632A5; IL38910A; DK127837B; NL7203528A; IT954239B; IL38910A0; GB1353295A

Abstract

A self-applied pneumatically actuated pressure bandage adaptable for use as a compression bandage, tourniquet or cuff wherein the pressure is applied by a manually operated pump, and is controlled by an adjustable regulator.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 Sarnoff 14 1 Jan. 30, 1973 54] SELF-APPLIED PNEUMATICALLY 2,614,565 10/1952 Packer ..12s 327 ACTUATED PRESSURE 2,660,174 11 1953 Saemann ..128 327 2,839,062 6/1958 Jordan ..l28/327 [751 Inventor: sanley 5mm, Belhesdo 3,120,846 2/1964 Fletcher ..128/327 [73] Assignee: Survival Technology, Inc., Bethesda,

Md. Primary ExaminerChanning L. Pace 22 Filed: March 17 1.971 AttorneyWitherspoon and Lane A self-applied pneumatically actuated pressure bandage adaptable for use as a compression banda ge, tour- [58] Field oi SearchmM/w R23 B, 5 5 AL; n1quet or cuff wherem the-pressure 1s applled by a 128/327 manually operated pump, and is controlled by an adjustable regulator.

[56] kferences cued 11 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,045,750 6/1936 Buschenfeld t ..I28/327 FROM THIS PAIENTEUmao 1925 3.713.446

sum 1 or 4 g3? INVENTOR w 7 STANLEY J. SARNOFF ATTORNEY PATENTEDJAN 30 ms 3 7 l 3 446 sum 2 [if 4 F/G.4. FIG. 5.

INVENTOR STA NLEY J. SA RNOFF ATTORNEY PATENTEDJAN 30 I975 SHEET 3 OF 4 INVENTOR STAN LEY J. SARNOFF ATTORNEY PATENTED JAN 3 0 I975 sumu 0F 4 FIG/2.

INVENTOR STANLEY J. SARNOFF ATTORNEY SELF-APPLIED PNEUMATICALLY ACTUATED PRESSURE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pneumatically actuated pressure bandage particularly adapted for application by the wounded person without any assistance. The advantages of this type of bandage are readily apparent and will not be further described at this point.

This is not the first of such bandages to be developed, even so, it is felt that this invention overcomes many of the objections and inadequacies of the earlier bandages.

It is an object of this invention to provide a self useable compression bandage which can be applied with the use of only one hand.

It is another object of this invention to provide a self appliable pressure bandage having a simple and efficient means for securing the bandage over the wound.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pneumatically actuated pressure bandage witha curved resilient member to cause the bandage to tend to encircle the wounded p'ersons limb for such type of use.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide the pneumatically actuated pressure bandage with an adjustable pressure regulator whereby the pressure in the bandage may be controlled by the user.

It is another object of this invention to provide the adjustable pressure regulator with scale or indicia means so that it may be determined at which scale reading sufficient pressure is applied to stop bleeding whereby after exhausting the pressure as periodically required, the desired pressure may be immediately regained by setting the regulator at the prescribed setting.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pneumatically actuated pressure bandage including an inflatable bladder, spring means mounted on one face of the bladder to resiliently retain said bladder in a semi-circular configuration with said spring means being on the outer bladder face, a dressing affixed to the inner face of the bladder, a flap connected to one longitudinal end of the dressing assembly, a draw bar assembly secured to said flap, said draw bar assembly comprising a U-shaped body portion having a pair of generally parallel legs forming an opening transverse to the length of the bandage, a locking wedge adapted to fit down into the draw bar opening and frictionally engage the confronting portions of the two draw bar legs, a band secured to and extending from the other end of the dressing assembly whereby when the dressing assembly is placed around a body portion the band may be passed through the opening in the draw bar so that tension may be applied to the band to tighten the dressing over the body portion and then the locking wedge may be forced into the draw bar opening to lock the band in place, and pressure means connected to the bladder to inflate said bladder and force the dressing into pressure contact with the specific body portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the following detailed description and drawings disclosing by way of example a preferred embodiment of this invention:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the pneumatically actuated pressure bandage of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view illustrating the one-handed application of the bandage to the forearm,

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view showing the complete application of the bandage and use of the pump to apply desired pressure,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1 showing the construction and relationship of the bladder, the dressing and the curved resilient member that causes the dressing assembly to retain a generally semi-circular configuration,

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the locking wedge,

FIG. 8 is an elevational view in section of the adjustable pressure regulator,

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along line 99 of FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along line l010 of FIG. 8,

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the elements of the adjustable regulator, and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the adjusting knob and control indicia on the regulator body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, the self-applied pneumatically actuated pressure bandage of this invention comprises a dressing assembly 20, a securing band 22, a draw bar assembly 24 and a pressure source 26.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the dressing assembly 20 comprises three coextensive plies of

vinyl

28, 30 and 32 heat sealed together along their

longitudinal sides

34 and 36 and at one end 38.

Plies

28 and 30 are also sealed at their other end 40 to form a bladder 42. Since ply 30 is not sealed to ply 32 at end 40 an open ended pocket 44 is formed between these plies with its opening at end 40. Pocket 44 receives a resilient curved retaining member 46 which causes the dressing assembly to assume the semi-circular configuration illustrated. The free end of ply 30 may be inserted into the pocket 44 to assist in holding the retaining member 46 therein.

A gauze pad 50 is affixed to the inner face of ply 28 by any suitable means. As illustrated, heat sealing has been employed whereby the outer edge portion of the vinyl plies 28-32 are heated to cause the fibers of the gauze pad 50 to adhere thereto.

The draw bar assembly 24 is a unitary plastic member and comprises a generally U-shaped body 51 wherein the end portions 54 and 56 of the

body legs

52 and 53 taper inwardly from both edges to form somewhat pointed ends and provide a progressively expanding opening 58 for the body.

End portions 54 and 56 are formed with reversely turned

fingers

60 and 62, respectively. These fingers are spaced from and generally parallel to their adjacent end portions thereby forming slots 64 and 66. The body 51 is provided with a peripheral flange 65 extending completely therearound so as to produce an intermediate body portion 67 of reduced thickness.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the draw bar assembly 24 includes a locking wedge 68 comprising a longitudinal body portion 70 from one end of which extends a wedge shaped head 72 while the other end of the body portion mounts a pivot pin 74. The wedge shaped head portion 76 is sized to closely engage the confronting sides of the

draw bar legs

52 and 53 as shown in FIG. 6. The locking wedge 68 is pivotally mounted in the closed end of the U-shaped body 51 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring again to the shape of the wedge head 72, it will be noted that directly above the wedge shaped portion 76 there is an enlarged head portion 78 which is somewhat wider than the opening between the

legs

52 and 53. This arrangement aids in providing the desired retention action as will be described later.

The securing band 22 is attached to the end portion 80 of vinyl ply 28 which is the innermost ply of the dressing assembly. This band comprises a folded over vinyl strip, one end of which is secured to the end 80 of the ply 28. In other words, in the normal use condition, the securing band consists of a double ply strip of vinyl connected at one free end to ply 28 of the bandage assembly. The other free end 82 may be gripped to peel it away to form a single ply for additional length, the band 22 being connected or folded over at its normal end 84, depending on the construction employedv A light heat seal 86-86 is generally applied to the longitudinal edges of the band 22 to maintain the two plies in close relation when extended length is not required.

The pressure source 26 used to manually inflate the bladder 42 comprises a pump unit 90 connected to an adjustable pressure regulator 92 from which extends a flexible tube 94 leading to inlet member 96 integrally joined to the bladder 42. manually Referring more particularly to FIGS. 8-12, the adjustable pressure regulator 92 comprises a cylindrical body 100 having an annular shoulder 102 extending inwardly from the inner wall 104 of the body 100. The inner periphery defines a centrally positioned circular opening 106. It should be noted that the annular shoulder 102 is located somewhat nearer the pump end 108 of the body than the control end 110 thereof. Four

ribs

112, 114, 116 and 118 extend radially inward from the inner wall 104 of the body 100 in an evenly spaced manner and terminate short of the longitudinal axis of the body 100 to form a central passage 120 connecting with opening 106. The inner ends of these

ribs

112, 114, 116 and 118 bear against the annular shoulder 102 and extend slightly down over the opening 106. Similarly these same ribs extend toward the pump end 108 of the body 100 an amount approximately equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 100. A central recess 122 is formed by cutting away a small rectangular portion of each rib at its inner free end. The inner wall 104 of the body 100 is enlarged at the pump end to form an inner wall portion 126 which then tapers into wall 104.

A flanged insert 130 is fitted into the pump end 108 of the body 100 and it is by this insert that the pump bulb 90 is connected to the body of the adjustable pressure regulator 92. More specifically, the flanged insert 130 comprises a tubular body 132 having a tapered peripheral flange 134 at its outer end. An annular seat 138 extends inwardly from the inner wall 140 of the insert body 132 to form a circular hole 142 connecting the inner end 144 and outer end 146 of the aforesaid tubular insert body. The forward end of the tubular body 132 is provided with a plurality of radially and inwardly extending ribs 148 which extend inwardly to a point coincident with the termination of the annular seat 138. The forward ends of the ribs 148 are tapered inwardly to provide a seat for screen 150 supported thereby in the mouth 152 of the insert 130.

A one-way valve 154 fits in the inner end 144 of the insert in the area defined by the inner wall 140 and the rearward face of the annular seat 138. The valve 154 comprises a circular head 156 having a dished out center portion on one face to form a peripheral lip portion 158 which acts as a seal when fitted against the annular seat 138 thus covering hole 142. The other face of the head is provided with circular projection 160 sized to fit into the opening 122 defined by the

ribs

112, 114, 116 and 118 at their free ends. The circular projection 160 acts as a positioning member to maintain the valve 154 in contact with the annular seat 138 by having its end portion 162 bear against faces 164 of the.

insets on the

ribs

112, 114, 116 and 118.

The control end 110 of the regulator body 100 contains the adjustable valve and indicia means for assisting in proper pressure regulation. Referring to FIG. 9, a pair of guide slots -170 are provided in regulator body 100 and extend from the annular shoulder 102 toward the body end 110. Each of the slots 170 is formed by a pair of spaced guide bars 172-172 which extend inwardly from the inner face 174 of the regulator body 100.

Pressure control is effected by means of valve which comprises a head portion 182 having a dished out portion on one face forming a peripheral lip 184 which seats on shoulder 102 to cover opening 106. A circular projection 186 extends upwardly from the other face of the valve head 182. A washer 188 is fitted down over the projection 186 and rests flush on the face of the valve head 182. A helical spring 190 fits around the projection 186 and rests on the washer 188 while the other end portion of the spring is housed within a spring guide 192. The spring guide 192 comprises a tubular body 194 having a partially closed end 196 with an aperture 198 therein and an open end 200. The outer surface of the tubular body 192 is provided with a pair of guides 202-202 which reciprocally slide in guide slots 170-170. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the helical spring 190 is positioned in compressed contact with the washer 188 and the closed end 196 of the spring guide 192.

The spring guide 192 is reciprocated in the regulator body by means of two semi-circular cams 210-210 provided on the bottom of tubular knob 212. The cam surface 213 of each cam engages the upper edge of its contiguous guide 202 to cause the spring guide 192 to reciprocate within the regulator body100 upon rotation of the knob 212. The knob 212 is provided with a peripheral flange 214 which fits in locking groove 216 in the inner face 174 of the regulator body. The outer end 218 of the tubular knob 212 is partially closed and has a central aperture 220 therein. It should be noted that the spring guide 192 as illustrated in FIG. 8 is at its topmost position with minimum pressure on the spring 190.

As best illustrated in FIG. 12, the knob 212 is provided with a knurled upper portion 230 and mounts a pointer 232 which cooperates with the scale appearing on the upper portion of the regulator body. It should be noted that two scales are applied, the first embodying steps of l-lO while the second'refers to HIGH, MEDI- UM, LOW and EXHAUST settings. A detent 234 is provided adjacent the HIGH setting to assist in retaining the knob in this adjusted position. Likewise a detent 236 is furnishedgfor the EXHAUST position. It should be noted that the maximum travel of the knob 212 is 180 such rotation cooperating with the two 180 carns 210 to control the valve 180.

In order to connect the pressure regulator to the pressure bandage, an opening 240 is found in the regulator body 100 to receive a tapered tubular connector 242. This connector 242 is in turn secured to flexible tube 94. Further the pump bulb 90 is affixed to the regulator body 100 by fitting the open end of the pump bulb 90 over the insert flange 134 as illustrated in FIG. 8. With the regulator assembled as indicated in FIG. 8, the pressure bandage assembly is ready for use.

The operation of the adjustable pressure regulator is simple and completely reliable. Pressure from the pump bulb 90 raises the peripheral lip 158 of one-way valve 154 so as to allow air to enter the regulator and proceed to the bladder 42 by way of connector 242, flexible tubing 94 and connector 96. Pressure being delivered to thebladder 42 is controlled by adjustable valve 180 held down against the seat formed by shoulder 102 by means of adjustable helical spring 190. Clockwise rotation of knob 212 from the EXHAUST position causes cams 210 to engage and force guides 202 downwardly thus compressing spring 190. The range of pressure represented by the entire scale l-lO may be varied depending upon the needs. This change can be brought about by changing the strength of the helical spring 190 since the travel provided by the cams 210 is constant.

The draw bar assembly 24 is secured to the end 38 of the dressing assembly by means of a flap 250 which in this particular instance is made up from an extension of the three vinyl plies 28, and 32. Specifically, an open ended transverse pocket 252 is formed between the heat seal at end 38 wherein all three

plies

28, 30 and 32 are sealed together and a heat seal at transverse line 254 where again all three plies are sealed together. Ply 32 is pulled from ply 30 between the aforesaid transverse heat seals to provide the open ended pocket 252. The free end portions of

plies

28, 30 and 32 extending beyond transverse heat seal 254 form a protective flap portion 256. One end of the open ended pocket 252 has a somewhat constricted opening formed by a slanting heat seal 258 with the material outward of this seal being removed to form a tapered pocket end portion 260. The flap portion 256 has a eutaway portion defined by line 262 so that the open end 58 of the draw bar is not covered by the flap 256 thus allowing easy introduction of the securing band 22 when the bandage is being applied.

The assembling of the self-applied pneumatically actuated pressure bandage of this invention is actually quite simple since in the embodiment disclosed the flap 250 is merely an extension of the three vinyl plies 28, 30 and 32 which form the basic component of the dressing assembly 20 and band 22 is secured to the end of the three ply lamination. The draw bar assembly 24 is mounted in the flap pocket 252 by passing the tapered end portion 56 through the larger pocket opening and out through the tapered end 260 so that the adjacent edge of the flap fits into slot 66, thereby retaining the draw bar in assembled position (see FIGS. 1 and 5). Finally, the pressure source 26 is connected to the bladder 42 by joining flexible tube 94 with bladder inlet 96. As previously set forth, the gauze pad 50 is affixed to the inner face of vinyl ply 28. With the unit so assembled it is ready for use.

One of the most important features of this bandage is that it may be applied by the patient himself. More particularly, in dealing with a wound to the forearm the bandage is applied in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. With the bandage in the general condition shown in FIG. 1 the open dressing portion is placed over the forearm so that the resilient retaining member 46 will tend to cause the dressing assembly 20 to partially encircle and grip the forearm. Next the band 22 is passed into the draw bar opening and pulled therethrough to tighten the dressing assembly on the forearm as shown in FIG. 2. After this, the locking wedge 68 is pivoted into position over the draw bar slot and forced down between the

draw bar legs

52 and 53 in the manner shown in FIG. 6 so that the wedge 76 will engage the band 22 and force it firmly into engagement with the draw bar leg 52 to retain the band 22 in taut condition. With the bandage properly applied as illustrated in FIG. 3, pressure is forced into bladder 42 by manually operating pump after having set the pointer 232 to the HIGH position which allows the maximum pressure to be introduced into the bladder 42. Pumping is continued until the maximum pressure is slightly exceeded after which the knob 232 is turned counter clockwise to reduce the pressure in the bladder 42 until the bleeding is barely stopped. As is well known only minimum pressure should be used to prevent bleeding. It should be noted at what point on the scale this minimum pressure is reached in order that such pressure may be readily regained after the periodic exhausts which are medically and physically required.

It should be noted that a part of flap portion 256 has been cut away along line 262 to make it easier to insert the band 22 into the draw bar opening. This same flap portion 256 is allowed to extend completely over the draw bar opening in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6 so that the adjacent body portion of the patient will not be pinched when tension is applied to the band 22 as it is drawn around draw bar leg 52. The importance of finger 60 on the tapered end 54 of draw bar leg 52 is immediately apparent since the band 22 when tightened will ride down into slot 64 and thus be held in position despite a tendency to slip out from the slot due to the application of tension to the band 22.

The many varied and additional uses to which the bandage assembly of this invention is susceptible are readily obvious and will not be described in detail.

The dressing assembly 20, the draw bar assembly 24 and the securing band 22 in assembled condition are rolled into a compact form and enclosed in a sealed bag after sterilization. The user merely removes the bag and attaches the pump to the bladder inlet whereby the unit is ready for use. It is generally intended that those elements in the sealed bag are of the one-use type. Even so, it would be possible to reuse the assemblage by the changing of the gauze pad 50. There is no reason why the pump and flexible tubing cannot be used innumerable times.

I claim:

1. A Pressure actuated bandage adapted for application around a body portion and fluid pressure applied to a dressing to force it into contact with the specific body location, said bandage comprising a dressing assembly, said dressing assembly including an inflatable bladder, spring means mounted on one face of the bladder to resiliently retain said bladder in a semicircular configuration with said spring means being on the outer bladder face, a dressing affixed to the inner face of the bladder, a flap connected to one longitudinal end of the dressing assembly, a draw bar assembly secured to said flap, said draw bar assembly comprising a U- shaped body portion having a pair of generally parallel legs forming an opening transverse to the length of the bandage, a locking wedge adapted to fit down into the draw bar opening and frictionally engage the confronting portions of the two draw bar legs, a band secured to and extending from the other end of the dressing assembly whereby when the dressing assembly is placed around a body portion the band may be passed through the opening in the draw bar so that tension may be applied to the band to tighten the dressing over the body portion and then the locking wedge may be forced into the draw bar opening to lock the band in place, and pressure means connected to the bladder to inflate said bladder and force the dressing into pressure contact with the specific body portion.

2. The invention as described in claim 1 and wherein the flap comprises an open ended pocket transverse to the length of the dressing assembly for receiving one of the legs of the draw bar to hold the bar in relation to the dressing assembly.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 and wherein a flap portion extends outwardly from the open-ended pocket and is of sufficient length to extend completely across and cover the opening in the draw bar to protect the patients body portion directly therebeneath when the bandage is in use.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 and wherein the flap portion has a cutaway portion immediately adjacent the open end of the draw bar to facilitate introduction of the band into the draw bar opening.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 2 and wherein each of the draw bar legs taper from both sides toward the end to provide an end portion of somewhat pointed shape.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5 and wherein the confronting portions of the tapered ends of the draw bar are each provided with a reversely turned finger which is spaced from the corresponding end portion to form a slot therebetween to receive the edge of the band in one slot and the edge of the draw bar pocket in the other slot whereby both the band and flap are retained in position on the draw bar.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the locking wedge comprises a body portion terminatmount the loclgingwed e thereon.

8. In a securing ban and draw bar assembly wherein a securing band has a loop at one end and a free end at the other extremity and the assembly is adapted for wrapping and securement around a body member, said draw bar comprising a U-shaped body having parallel legs forming an opening therebetween, each of the draw bar legs tapering inwardly from both sides toward the open end to provide end portions of somewhat pointed shape, the confronting portions of the tapered ends each having a reversely turned finger which is spaced from the corresponding tapered end to form a slot therebetween, a locking wedge secured to the body portion and being sized to snugly fit down in between the confronting sides of the two legs whereby when the band loop is passed over one of the legs and the free end of the band encircles the member to be held together thereby, the free end of the band is then passed through the draw bar opening and around the other draw bar leg whereupon tension is applied to the free end and the locking wedge is forced down into the opening to retain the band in fixed position.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the pressure means includes a manually operable pump and an adjustable pressure regulator having control means with cooperating indicia to indicate high pressure, exhaust and intermediate pressures whereby the control means may be set to the minimum pressure for the stopping of bleeding so that when exhausting is done the control means may be returned to the aforesaid minimum pressure setting.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the pressure means includes a manually operable pump and an adjustable pressure regulator comprising a body connected to the pump, a one-way valve in the body controlling flow from the pump, an outlet in the body directing air flow from the body to the bladder, an adjustable valve assembly in the body in communication with the pressure in the bladder, said valve assembly comprising a valve in communication with the pressure in the bladder, a spring biasing the valve to closed position, dual cam means for controlling pressure applied to the valve through said spring to control pressure of air in the bladder.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the adjustable valve assembly comprises a valve in communication with the pressure in the bladder, a helical spring in contact with and biasing the valve to closed position, a spring guide member housing the other end of the spring, dual cam means rotatably mounted in the regulator body, cam engaging means on the spring guide member whereby rotation of the dual cam means will cause the spring guide to reciprocate and thus vary the pressure of the spring on the valve thereby controlling the pressure in the bladder.

l i l

Claims

1. A Pressure actuated bandage adapted for application around a body portion and fluid pressure applied to a dressing to force it into contact with the specific body location, said bandage comprising a dressing assembly, said dressing assembly including an inflatable bladder, spring means mounted on one face of the bladder to resiliently retain said bladder in a semicircular configuration with said spring means being on the outer bladder face, a dressing affixed to the inner face of the bladder, a flap connected to one longitudinal end of the dressing assembly, a draw bar assembly secured to said flap, said draw bar assembly comprising a U-shaped body portion having a pair of generally parallel legs forming an opening transverse to the length of the bandage, a locking wedge adapted to fit down into the draw bar opening and frictionally engage the confronting portions of the two draw bar legs, a band secured to and extending from the other end of the dressing assembly whereby when the dressing assembly is placed around a body portion the band may be passed through the opening in the draw bar so that tension may be applied to the band to tighten the dressing over the body portion and then the locking wedge may be forced into the draw bar opening to lock the band in place, and pressure means connected to the bladder to inflate said bladder and force the dressing into pressure contact with the specific body portion.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 and wherein a flap portion extends outwardly from the open-ended pocket and is of sufficient length to extend completely across and cover the opening in the draw bar to protect the patient''s body portion directly therebeneath when the bandage is in use.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 and wherein the flap portion has a cut away portion immediately adjacent the open end of the draw bar to facilitate introduction of the band into the draw bar opening.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the locking wedge comprises a body portion terminating in a tapered head portion sized to snugly fit down between the confronting faces of the draw bar legs, and means attached to said body and the draw bar body tO mount the locking wedge thereon.

8. In a securing band and draw bar assembly wherein a securing band has a loop at one end and a free end at the other extremity and the assembly is adapted for wrapping and securement around a body member, said draw bar comprising a U-shaped body having parallel legs forming an opening therebetween, each of the draw bar legs tapering inwardly from both sides toward the open end to provide end portions of somewhat pointed shape, the confronting portions of the tapered ends each having a reversely turned finger which is spaced from the corresponding tapered end to form a slot therebetween, a locking wedge secured to the body portion and being sized to snugly fit down in between the confronting sides of the two legs whereby when the band loop is passed over one of the legs and the free end of the band encircles the member to be held together thereby, the free end of the band is then passed through the draw bar opening and around the other draw bar leg whereupon tension is applied to the free end and the locking wedge is forced down into the opening to retain the band in fixed position.