L. G.

, CAR ON,
ARTECIAL HAND,
App CATON FLED FEB, 2 98.
Patented Nov. 26, 1918,

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 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
LOUIS G. CARON, OF TORONTO, ONTARIo, CANADA
ARTIFICIA, HAND.

1,285,617. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed February 2, 1918. Serial No. 215,194.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, Lou Is G. CARON, of
the city of Toronto, in the county of York,
Province of Ontario, Canada, a citizen of
the United States of America, have invented
certain new and useful Improvements in
Artificial Hands, of which the following is a
specification.
This invention relates to artificial hands
O of the type in which it is desired that the
digits shall be capable of being flexed sub
stantially to resenble the movements of the
natural hand, and my object is to devise sim
ple means for flexing and extending the
digits and for releasably locking the fingers
in flexed position. - aa sliding connection therewith. Preferably
I attain my object by means of the con
structions hereinafter more specifically de
scribed and illustrated in the accompanying
20 drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in
Section, of a hand constructed in accordance
with my invention;
Fig.2 a side elevation of the same partly
25 in section; and
Fig. 3 a longitudinal section showing
more particularly the hook pivoted in oppo
sition to the fingers. . . thus drawn upon and each second finger 85
In the drawings like numerals of refer
30 ence indicate corresponding parts in the dif
ferent figures.
1 is the hand. The Wrist portion of the
hand is formed as a hollow ball member 2
whereby it may be connected with a wrist
35 member such as shown in my co-pending
application No. 207335 filed December 15th,
1917.
The thumb 3 is pivoted at 4 to swing on
an axis transverse of the palm of the hand
40 whereby the thumb moves in opposition to
the fingers. Its inner end is provided with
a ratchet rack 5, which is engaged by a
spring actuated dog 6 suitably fulcrumed
within the hand and extending out through
45 a suitable opening or slot in the hand. A
coil spring 7 is located on the pivot pin of
the thumb and is provided with arms, one
of which engages the thumb and the other
a suitable stationary part 8. This spring
50 tends to move the thumb away from the
fingers.
The fingers are provided with first, second
and third joints. The first joints or knuckle
members 9 are rigidly connected together
and are piyoted on the hand by means of a
pivot pin 10. The second and third joints
11 and 12 are independently pivoted as
shown. The connected first joints are pro
vided with a worm wheel 13 with which
meshes a worm 14 journaled within the
hand. A coil-spring 15 is located on the jour
nal of the worm and is provided with arms,
One of which engages the worm and the other
a suitable stationary part 16. This spring
tends to rotate the worm to flex the united 65
first finger joints, that is, to bend them
toward the thumb. To operate the second
joints I provide for each finger a bell crank
lever 17 pivoted on each first joint in front
of the pivot pin 10. One arm of the bell 70
crank lever extends into the hand and has
slot 18 is formed in the arm of the bell
crank lever which engages a pin 19 in the
hand. The other end of each bell cranklever 75
extends rearwardly and is pivotally connect
ed with one end of a link 20 pivotally con
nected with the second finger joint in front
- of the pivot thereof. From the construction
described it follows that when the first finger 80
joints are rocked, each of the bell crankle- .
vers 17 is also rocked so that its end moves
closer to the pivot pin 10. The links 20 are
joint is flexed.
If the third finger joints are also pivoted,
as is preferably the case, a rearwardly ex
tending arm 21 is formed on each link 20.
Each of these arms is pivotally connected
with a link 22, the other end of which is 90
connected with the third finger joint at the
front of its pivot. By partially rotating the
worm 14, the fingers may thus be extended
as shown in full lines in Fig. 2 or flexed
as shown in dotted lines. The worm is par 95
tially rotated to extend the fingers through
the medium of a cable 31, which may be
connected with any suitable operating means
as well known in the art.
For my purposes it is desirable that the 00:
ends of the forefinger and thumb should co
operate in grasping an object, while at other
times it may be necessary for the end of the
thumb to pass the forefinger. I therefore
hinge the end 23 of the thumb at 24 on the 05
main part of the thumb. Co-acting shoul
ders 25 are formed on the parts of the
thumb which prevent the end swinging too
far in either direction.
As in the construction shown in the prior 0.
application hereinbefore referred to, pre
fer to employ in the present hand a hook 26
 2 1,285,617
which is located at the opposite side of the
palm of the hand to the thumb. This hook
works through a slot formed in the palm of
the hand. So that it may be either swung up
to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.
3 or, when not required, swung down out of
the way as shown in full lines. This hook is
provided with a ratchet rack 27 concentric
with its pivot or hinge pin 19 and with this
0 rack engages a spring actuated dog 29, which
dog has an arm 30 extending out through a
hole or slot in the hand, by means of which
it may be disengaged from the rack when
necessary.
15 From the above description and drawings
it will be seen that I have devised finger
operating mechanism which is extremely
simple and not liable to get out of order.
It further possesses the advantage that,
20 though moved to the flexed position by a
spring, the fingers will be locked in the
flexed position through the medium of the
worm and worn) wheel until such time as the
worm wheel is actuated to extend them.
25 Ferfect coöperation between the fingers and
thumb and hook will also be obtained so
that any desired objects may be securely
grasped.
What claim as my invention is:-
30 1. in an artificial hand, the combination
of a finger joint pivotally connected thereto:
a bell-crank lever pivoted on the joint in
front of the pivot thereof; a second finger
joint pivoted on the first: a link pivotally
connected at one end to said second joint in
front of its pivot and at its other end to
the adjacent end of the bell crank lever, the
other end of the lever having a sliding con
nection with the hand; and means for rock
40 ing the first joint on its pivot.
2. In an artificial hand, the combination
of a finger joint pivotally connected thereto:
a bell chalk level pivoted on the joint in
front of the pivot thereof: a second finger
45 joint pivoted on the first: a link pivotally
connected at One end to said second joint in
front of its pivot and at its other end to
the adjacent end of the bell crank lever, the
other end of the lever having a sliding con
Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the “Commissioner of Patents,
Washington, D.C.'
nection with the hand; a third joint pivoted 50
on the second; a link pivotally connected at
one end to said joint; a rearwardly extend
ing arm on the first mentioned link to which
the other end of the second mentioned link
is pivotally connected; and means for rock 55
ing the first joint on its pivot.
3. In an artificial hand, the combination
of a finger joint pivotally connected thereto;
a bell crank lever pivoted on the joint in
front of the pivot thereof; a second finger 60
joint pivoted on the first: a link pivotally
connected at one end to said second joint in
front of its pivot and at its other end to
the adjacent end of the bell crank lever, the
other end of the lever having a sliding con 65
nection with the hand; and means for rock
ing the first joint on its pivot comprising a
worn wheel formed on the first finger joint:
a worm journaled in the hand and meshing
with the worm wheel. 70
4. In an artificial hand, the combination
of a finger joint pivotally connected thereto;
a bell crank lever pivoted on the joint in
front of the pivot thereof: a second finger
joint pivoted on the first: a link pivotally
connected at One end to said second joint in
front of its pivot and at its other end to
the adjacent end of the bell crank lever, the
other end of the lever having a sliding con
nection with the hand; and means for rock 80
ing the first joint on its pivot comprising a
worm wheel formed on the first finger joint;
a worm journaled in the hand and meshing
with the worm wheel; and a spring tending 85
to rotate said worm to flex the finger.
5. In an artificial hand, the combination
of a first finger joint pivotally connected
thereto: a worm wheel for actuating said
joint concentric with the pivot thereof: a 90
worm journaled in the hand and meshing
with the worm wheel; a second finger joint
pivoted on the first; and means whereby the
rocking of the first finger joint on its pivot
rocks the second in the same direction.
Signed at Toronto. Canada, this 23rd day 95
of January, 1918.
LOUIS G. CARON.