Specification of Alfred Vincent Newton : artificial legs.

  • Newton, A. V. (Alfred Vincent), 1820-1900.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Alfred Vincent Newton : artificial legs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A.D. 1867.—N° 63. Specification. Newtons Improvements in Artificial Legs. times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “Im¬ provements in Artificial Legs,” being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 5 my executors or administrators, by an instrument in wiiting under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer¬ tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said 10 Letters Patent. NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, 15 and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :— The object of this Invention is to produce an artificial leg approximating to the skeleton of the human leg, but capable of being lengthened or shortened, and expanded or contracted in the direction ot the circumference, at pleasure, so as to suit any ordinary sized person, and which may be applied to any amputation 20 of the thigh, leg, or foot, and may be used for right or left, as required. In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents the artificial leg, partly in section, and suitable for an amputation at or above the knee ; Fig. 2 is a front view of the knee joint and leg tube detached \ Fig. 3 is a view of the artificial leg, partly in section, as adapted to an amputation below the knee ; 25 and Fig. 4 is a partial front view of the same. The same letters indicate like parts in all the Figures. a represents the artificial foot, which is made, by preference, of wood in the form of a last cut in two in a longitudinal vertical plane, and hollowed out to receive the attaching mechanism, care being taken to leave sufficient thickness 30 of wood for ensuring the required strength. The toe part b is made separate and connected by a hinge joint c, so that the toe end b may yield in walking, whilst at the same time a spring, to be presently described, tends to carry it back to a natural position. The foot formed, as above described, oi in any analogous manner, is connected with the leg piece gl by a fulcrum bolt d, 35 which passes horizontally through the foot to which it is firmly secured, and through a metallic segment e, the lower part of the periphery of which is fitted to turn in a socket formed in the inside of the foot, so that the fulcrum bolt need not sustain the whole weight. The hole in this metal segment e is