METHOD AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING A BODY APPENDAGE

• US 3,565,073 A
• Filed: 04/15/1968
• Issued: 02/23/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerry D. Giesy
• Original Assignee: Jerry D. Giesy
• Inventors: Giesy, Jerry D.
• Application Number:
  US04/721,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• US Class Current: 604/343
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/009 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/449 Body securing means, e.g. belts, garments

Abstract

Means attaching an appendage to an animal body comprising a stiff backing element embedded beneath the skin with a backing surface that faces outwardly, and an exteriorly carried complementing element held against the skin presenting a bearing surface that conforms to and is backed up by the backing surface of the embedded backing element.

Claims

1. Method of attaching an appendage against the outer skin of an animal comprising placing a backing element within the soft parts of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body adjacent a region of its skin with a backing surface of the backing element facing outwardly on the animal, said backing element being stiff relative to said soft parts including said skin and is unanchored to any rigid part of the body so the backing element is free to shift laterally with said skin, providing an appendage including a complementing element with an exposed bearing surface which is adapted to confront the backing surface of the backing element, and affixing the appendage on the animal with the bearing surface of said complementing element snugly against the animal'"'"''"'"'s skin and opposite and facing the backing surface of the backing element to leave the skin where it extends in front of the bAcking element sandwiched between the complementing element and the backing element, the said complementing element being unattached to said backing element so it is free to shift laterally with respect thereto.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said appendage is a material receiving means for receiving materials passing through a passageway of the animal to the outside thereof, said backing element comprises an annulus surrounding said passage so the passageway channels such waste matter through the annulus to said material receiving means.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said material receiving means is a self-contained receptacle and said complementing element also is an annulus, the complementing element surrounds said passageway so said material in the animal is channeled through the complementing element and the annular complementing element forms an annular seal on said skin for said receptacle surrounding the terminals of said passageway so said material will not leak to the exterior of said receptacle.

4. The method of claim 1 which further comprises drawing the complementing element and the backing element together by magnetic attraction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said elements presents a cushion forming layer facing said skin.

6. Means attaching an appendage to an animal body comprising, in operative position, a backing element positioned in the soft parts of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body adjacent a region of its outside epidermis so as to be free to shift in position laterally with the epidermis, said backing element having a backing surface which faces outwardly on the animal, and a complementing element forming part of said appendage and having a bearing surface which generally conforms to the backing surface of the backing element, said bearing surface including means for securing the same to the outside of said epidermis where it faces and is opposite the backing surface of the backing element so said region of the animal'"'"''"'"'s epidermis is sandwiched between the complementing element and the backing element, said backing and complementing elements being unconnected so they can shift laterally with respect to one another.

7. The means claimed in claim 6, wherein said backing element includes a body of material which is stiff relative to said epidermis to provide a stiff backing surface, and at least one of said elements has on the side thereof facing said epidermis a relatively thin layer of cushion forming material, and said elements include means for forcing said elements together to hold the complementing element and the appendage of which it forms a part in position on said epidermis despite some limited relative lateral shifting movement between said elements.

8. The means claimed in claim 6, wherein said backing element has an aperture which receives a duct in the animal'"'"''"'"'s body channeling material to the surface of its body, said exteriorly carried complementing element forms part of a receptacle for receiving said material and has an aperture opening onto said duct, and the exteriorly carried complementing element is sealed to the epidermis of the animal around said duct to prevent leakage of said material from said receptacle.

9. The means claimed in claim 6, wherein said backing element and exteriorly carried complementing element are each at least partly comprised of a magnetic-susceptible material, at least one of said elements is a magnet, and the exteriorly carried element is held against the epidermis by magnetic attraction between the two elements.

10. The means claimed in claim 6, wherein said exteriorly carried complementing element includes a cushion and said bearing surface is presented by said cushion.

11. The means claimed in claim 6, wherein at least a portion of said backing element is stiff relative to said epidermis so it presents a stiff backing surface for said epidermis.

12. Means attaching an appendage to an animal body comprising, in operative position, a backing elemEnt positioned in the soft parts of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body adjacent a region of its outside epidermis, said backing element having a backing surface which faces outwardly on the animal, and an exteriorly carried complementing element in the appendage having a bearing surface which is substantially complementary to and confronts the backing surface of the backing element, said bearing surface facing and being opposite the backing surface of the backing element whereby said region of the animal'"'"''"'"'s epidermis is sandwiched between the complementing element and the buried backing element, and said backing element and exteriorly carried complementing element are each at least partly comprised of a magnetic-susceptible material, at least one of said elements is a magnet, and the exteriorly carried complementing element being held against the epidermis by magnetic attraction between the two elements.

13. The means claimed in claim 12 which further includes a receptacle to receive material passing to the outside of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body through a passageway extending thereto, and sealing means forming a seal between the exteriorly carried complementing element and the epidermis of the animal to prevent leakage of material from said receptacle, each of said elements comprises a member with an opening through which said passageway extends or terminates so said material passes to said receptacle held on the skin by said magnetic attraction.

14. The means claimed in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said backing element is stiff relative to said epidermis so it presents a stiff backing surface for said epidermis.

15. The means of claim 12, wherein said backing and complementing elements are laterally shiftable with respect to each other and are of a size and shape and are positioned to provide balanced forces keeping the same in parallel relation.

16. The means claimed in claim 14 wherein at least one of said elements has on the face thereof facing said epidermis a layer of cushion forming material.

17. The means claimed in claim 16 wherein both of said elements present confronting backing and bearing surfaces which are stiff relative to said epidermis and have applied to said surfaces a relatively thin layer of cushion forming material.

18. The means of claim 13, wherein said passageway is a waste discharging duct opening into a flat or flattened portion of said epidermis, and said complementing and backing elements are flat members extending generally parallel to the flat or flattened portion of said epidermis.

19. Means attaching an appendage to an animal body comprising, in operative position, a backing element positioned in the soft parts of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body, said backing element having a backing surface which faces outwardly on the animal, and an exteriorly carried complementing element in the appendage having a bearing surface which is substantially complementary to and confronts the backing surface of the backing element, said backing and complementing elements being unconnected so they can shift laterally with respect to one another, said bearing surface of said complementing element facing and being opposite the backing surface of the backing element whereby said region of the animal'"'"''"'"'s epidermis is sandwiched between the complementing element and the buried backing element, and at least said backing element including a body of material which is stiff relative to said epidermis to provide a stiff backing surface, and at least one of said elements presenting on the side thereof facing said epidermis a layer of cushion material, and said elements include means for forcing said elements together to hold the complementing element in position on said epidermis.

20. A method of attaching a material receiving appendage to the outer skin of an animal to receive material passing to the outside of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body through a passageway extending thereto, said method comprising embedding a backing element surrounding said passageway in the soft parts of the animal'"'"''"'"'s body adjacent a region of its skin so the backing element is isolated from the exterior of the skin, the backing element having a backing surface facing outwardly on the animal, providing said material receiving means with a complementing element having an exposed bearing surface which is adapted to confront the backing surface of the backing element, and placing the appendage on the animal with the bearing surface of said complementing element snugly against the animal'"'"''"'"'s skin and confronting the backing surface of the backing element to leave the skin where it extends in front of the backing element sandwiched between the complementing element and the backing element.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said material receiving means is a self-contained receptacle and said complementing element also is an annulus, the complementing element surrounding said passageway so said material in the animal is channeled through the complementing element, and the annulus complementing element forming an annular seal on said skin for said receptacle surrounding the terminals of said passageway so said material will not leak to the exterior of said receptacle.