William T. Kearns worked in a machine shop in Pittsburgh in the early 1900s.
According to an article in the Kansas City (Missouri) Public Library, his arm was caught in a rotating gear and severed two inches above the elbow.
Without his arms, his career as a machinist was over.
Many of the social safety net programs that could have helped Kearns support herself after the accident did not exist at the time.
The accident left Kearns with legitimate concerns about his livelihood.
Kearns secured a prosthetic arm, but only wore it for a short period of time, according to the library’s article. It was more about aesthetics than functionality.
So he made it himself.
“He began an in-depth study of the mechanics and movement of the human arm and hand, investigating the anatomy and experimenting with ways to transfer the movements and abilities of a living arm to the gears, levers, and cranks of a prosthetic arm. did.” Library article details, “It responds to stimulation of the muscles that are still present in the remains of the living arm.”
He wasn’t just trying to make something nice.
He wanted to create something that would help amputation victims regain fine motor skills.
And he built those limbs in Warren, at least at first.
From the library: “Creating the prototype was a difficult and long journey, in no small part because he was doing all the work with one arm and one hand.”
The connection to Kansas City came from Kearns hearing that men in the city needed weapons and could not afford the skilled labor needed to make them in Warren.
“Two years after starting my business in Kansas City.” The library article says: “Kearns prosthetic arms are installed in 32 states and Canada, and the Kearns Prosthetic Arm Company has grown to open offices in Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles.”
And they say they won gold medals at exhibitions sponsored by the Panama-Pacific Expo in San Francisco and the Queen Mary Convalescent Hospital in London.
The Warren Times Mirror appears to have first headlined an article about the Kearns patent in September 1911. “Former Warren’s invention praised” From articles published in New York and Chicago publications.
“If someone loses both of his arms near the shoulder and has not yet found a synthetic replacement, he can shave, feed himself, carry his bag, and pick up coins on the floor. If I said,” The newspaper wrote: “Can you believe it? It can do almost every job a weapon can do.”
“Maybe we will, maybe we won’t. In any case, we didn’t.”
Its authors are professed doctors, scientists, and others. “All agree that Karnes’ prosthetic patent is the most advanced known to the world today.”
It was a demonstration that convinced them – “Before our eyes we saw a merry man who had lost one arm just below the shoulder and the other above the wrist, and who was using with great dexterity a comb, a pen, a razor, a knife and fork, etc. I saw a young man. Everything was done using two Carnes prosthetics.”
They particularly emphasized: “Full finger motion hands and automatic rotation for flexible wrists and elbows.”
A 1919 article in the Warren Evening Times provides further details on how Kearns’ artificial arm worked. “Each finger has three joints, and the thumb has two joints. If you apply enough pressure with your new hand, you can lift an object that weighs 10 pounds and pinch it between your thumb and fingertips. can.
“It is made up of surprisingly few parts, about 60 of them, and is controlled by a single cord. This has resulted in a comfortable harness that resembles the simplest form of a shoulder brace. The hands are carefully patterned to mimic a human’s and are made of aluminum for the most natural look when gloved.
“The unique operation of these attachments is based on subtle, subtle movements of the shoulder, which, with the help of a ratchet mechanism, move the cords that correspond to the direct and reflex muscles and tendons of the arm.”
Even the explanation of how it works was a glowing compliment.
“If you have a handkerchief, you can easily take it out of your pocket.” The Evening Times reported, “Holding the cigar in its natural position and extending it to the mouth, a pen or pencil has been used with admirable success.”
“The results achieved are incredible if you don’t witness them…. These are the best replacements that can be found on the market today for those who have had the misfortune of having an amputation.”
to be continued.