US3827429A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ambulatory orthopedic traction apparatus
Assignee: Pantec Development Co
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Filing: 1973-06-20
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Granted: 1974-08-06
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Expires: 1993-06-20
Abstract
Abstract This disclosure relates to traction apparatus designed particularly for the treatment of afflictions of the spinal column. It provides a resilient bowed member adapted to be connected between a belt-like harness to be worn about the lower torso of a patient to be treated and another harness which is also worn by the patient in a region upwardly spaced from the other harness element. The second harness may be at various locations and is so located that when the bowed member of resilient form is attached there will be exerted a tractive force between the two harness members thereby continually to maintain the tractive effect on the wearer. The resilient harness holder with its bowed shape pulls the two harness elements in opposite directions and while providing the force essential to maintain the tractive effect nevertheless assures that the wearer may have mobility without any sacrifice of the usefullness of the apparatus or any significant reduction in the curing effect thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 N Heikes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 05:21
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F5/00; A61F5/01; A61F5/04; A61F5/05; A61F5/055
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
Traction apparatus for the treatment of back afflictions and for maintaining the spinal column of the wearer in a state of traction, comprising a lower belt harness member adapted for positioning and fastening about the torso of the wearer, a second harness member adapted for positioning and fastening substantially fixedly to the wearer at a region spaced normally upwardly from the lower belt harness member, a rod-like member of high resilience and elasticity having an undistorted length between its ends which is greater than the spacing of the aforesaid harness members, and means to fasten the said rod-like member with one end connected directly to the lower harness member and the other end adapted for connection through a fixed length connector to the second harness member so that due to the greater normal length of the rod-like member compared to the spacing of the said harness members and said rod-like member is forced into a generally bowed formation approaching a generally U-shaped configuration upon fastening and connecting, and because of the resilience and elasticity of the rod-like member normally tending to restore the rod-like characteristic a high degree of tension is produced along the imaginary straight line path between the connections to the harness members and a substantiallly constant traction force is maintained along the spinal column of the wearer whose normal spinal column approximately parallels the said imaginary line and the spinal column of the wearer is held in tension and free from dependence upon positional changes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
248 words
Traction apparatus for the treatment of back afflictions and for maintaining the spinal column of the wearer in a state of traction, comprising a lower belt harness member adapted for positioning and fastening about the torso of the wearer, a second harness member adapted for positioning and fastening substantially fixedly to the wearer at a region spaced normally upwardly from the lower belt harness member, a rod-like member of high resilience and elasticity having an undistorted length between its ends which is greater than the spacing of the aforesaid harness members, and means to fasten the said rod-like member with one end connected directly to the lower harness member and the other end adapted for connection through a fixed length connector to the second harness member so that due to the greater normal length of the rod-like member compared to the spacing of the said harness members and said rod-like member is forced into a generally bowed formation approaching a generally U-shaped configuration upon fastening and connecting, and because of the resilience and elasticity of the rod-like member normally tending to restore the rod-like characteristic a high degree of tension is produced along the imaginary straight line path between the connections to the harness members and a substantiallly constant traction force is maintained along the spinal column of the wearer whose normal spinal column approximately parallels the said imaginary line and the spinal column of the wearer is held in tension and free from dependence upon positional changes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second harness member is a head-harness member connected to the resilient member and adapted for fitting about the head of the user-patient for providing traction to the upper portion of the spinal column.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the belt-like harness member adapted to be secured about the torso of the user includes means located upon the said belt-like harness member for anchoring the rod-like resilient means pivotally at one end, thereby to hold the end of said resilient means in a fixed location with respect to the belt-like harness member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
234 words
Apparatus for maintaining the spinal column of a wearer in tension, which comprises a lower harness member adapted for securement and support substantially about the pelvic region of the wearer, an upper harness member adapted for fastening and connecting to a portion of the body of the wearer which is spaced upwardly from the lower harness member in the direction of the head of the wearer, a pair of rod-like and elongated highly resilient traction-producing members each having in its unstressed condition a straight line separating distance between its extremities which is greater than the separating distance between the two said harness members, means to connect each of the tension producing resilient members at one end to the lower harness member so that the resilient members normally extend in a direction of and beyond the upper harness member, means to connect the other end of the resilient members transversely together at substantially the same distance from the lower connecting points transversely and thereby form the resilient members into a generally U-shaped formation, and means to connect the upper harness member to the joined rod-like members in such manner as to increase the rod curvature and shorten the straight-line distance between their extremities so that tension is created between the said extremities, thereby producing a substantially constant condition of traction to the spine of the wearer and freedom to move without Affecting the traction force.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
234 words
Apparatus for maintaining the spinal column of a wearer in tension, which comprises a lower harness member adapted for securement and support substantially about the pelvic region of the wearer, an upper harness member adapted for fastening and connecting to a portion of the body of the wearer which is spaced upwardly from the lower harness member in the direction of the head of the wearer, a pair of rod-like and elongated highly resilient traction-producing members each having in its unstressed condition a straight line separating distance between its extremities which is greater than the separating distance between the two said harness members, means to connect each of the tension producing resilient members at one end to the lower harness member so that the resilient members normally extend in a direction of and beyond the upper harness member, means to connect the other end of the resilient members transversely together at substantially the same distance from the lower connecting points transversely and thereby form the resilient members into a generally U-shaped formation, and means to connect the upper harness member to the joined rod-like members in such manner as to increase the rod curvature and shorten the straight-line distance between their extremities so that tension is created between the said extremities, thereby producing a substantially constant condition of traction to the spine of the wearer and freedom to move without Affecting the traction force.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
115 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the highly resilient members are substantially parallel and provide a plurality of spaced legs extending upwardly and outwardly from their connecting points on the lower belt-like harness member about the pelvic region of the wearer-user, hook means to positively secure each of the said spaced rod-like members to the belt harness member when it is positioned about the pelvic region and torso of the wearer, connection element means between the upper and outer ends of the plurality of resilient members to provide a generally U-shaped high resilience tensioning element, and means of adjustable length to attach the connection element means to the second and upper harness member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising, in addition, coiled loop means along the resilient bowed means to supplement the tension control exerted by the said resilient means.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
233 words
A device for applying spinal traction to a wearer, comprising a generally U-shaped structure formed of a pair of substantially uniformly spaced and equally separated highly resilient rod-like side arm members, a lower torso belt-like harness member adapted to be secured and fastened about the torso of the wearer to form a lower harness member, an upper harness member adapted to be secured to the wearer at a region upwardly spaced from the lower harness member in the direction of the head of the wearer, said upper and lower harness meembers being closer together than the undistorted length of the side arm members, means for connecting the lower ends of each of the resilient side arm members of the U-shaped member to the lower harness member, means for attaching the upper harness member to the transverse portion of the U-shaped member which joins the upper ends of the pair of rod-like arms, the said connecting points being spaced apart a distance less than the normal straight-line distance between the extremities of the rod-like members so that the rod-like side members are deliberately bowed to create tension between the connecting points, and means for changing the connecting points of the lower ends of the rod-like side members to provide an adjustment of tensioning force effect which is available between the connecting points to provide a controllable tractive force upon the spine of the wearer.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
233 words
A device for applying spinal traction to a wearer, comprising a generally U-shaped structure formed of a pair of substantially uniformly spaced and equally separated highly resilient rod-like side arm members, a lower torso belt-like harness member adapted to be secured and fastened about the torso of the wearer to form a lower harness member, an upper harness member adapted to be secured to the wearer at a region upwardly spaced from the lower harness member in the direction of the head of the wearer, said upper and lower harness meembers being closer together than the undistorted length of the side arm members, means for connecting the lower ends of each of the resilient side arm members of the U-shaped member to the lower harness member, means for attaching the upper harness member to the transverse portion of the U-shaped member which joins the upper ends of the pair of rod-like arms, the said connecting points being spaced apart a distance less than the normal straight-line distance between the extremities of the rod-like members so that the rod-like side members are deliberately bowed to create tension between the connecting points, and means for changing the connecting points of the lower ends of the rod-like side members to provide an adjustment of tensioning force effect which is available between the connecting points to provide a controllable tractive force upon the spine of the wearer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the upper head-harness is adapted to be fitted beneath the chin and about the head of the wearer and means attached to the connecting portion of the outer end of the rod-like members which form the sides of the U-section for providing traction to the upper part of the spinal column through the head and neck of the wearer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
128 words
Traction apparatus for back treatment of a patient and for maintaining the spinal column of such patient in tension, comprising a lower belt harness member adapted for positioning about the torso of a patient to be treated, a second harness member adapted to be attached to the patient to be treated at a region spaced upwardly from the lower belt harness member, a resilient expansive bowed means of a length at least corresponding to the separation of the harness members connected at its ends to the harness member, and loop structure means between the ends of the bowed means to provide increased resiliency of the bowed means, thereby reducing the variation of the tractive force resulting from variations in the distance between the ends of the bowed means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
128 words
Traction apparatus for back treatment of a patient and for maintaining the spinal column of such patient in tension, comprising a lower belt harness member adapted for positioning about the torso of a patient to be treated, a second harness member adapted to be attached to the patient to be treated at a region spaced upwardly from the lower belt harness member, a resilient expansive bowed means of a length at least corresponding to the separation of the harness members connected at its ends to the harness member, and loop structure means between the ends of the bowed means to provide increased resiliency of the bowed means, thereby reducing the variation of the tractive force resulting from variations in the distance between the ends of the bowed means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-08-05 | 1978-02-04 | 1978-08-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-08-05 | 1982-02-04 | 1982-08-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-08-05 | 1986-02-04 | 1986-08-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |