Orthopedic apparatus having an improved joint construction

Claim 1

IN AN ORTHOPEDIC APPARATUS WHICH INCLUDES A PAIR OF BRACE MEMBERS LYING IN END TO END RELATION IN A COMMON PLANE AND ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ALONGSIDE OF THE JOINTED PORTIONS OF A PATIENT''S LIMB AND EACH HAVING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE LIMB PORTION THAT IT IS DISPOSED ALONGSIDE OF AND EACH HAVING OPPOSING SIDES AND SAID BRACE MEMBER HAVING ADJOINING ENDS; A JOINT MEANS CONNECTING THE ADJOINING ENDS OF THE BRACE MEMBERS AND ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ALONGSIDE THE ANATOMIC JOINT BETWEEN THE PORTIONS OF THE PATIENT''S LIMB; SAID JOINT MEANS INCLUDING TERMINAL ENDS ON THE ADJOINING END PORTIONS OF THE BRACE MEMBERS, COMPLEMENTAL MEANS ON SAID TERMINAL ENDS TO ACCOMMODATE RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE BRACE MEMBERS, GUIDE PLATES OVERLAPPING THE END PORTIONS OF SAID BRACE MEMBERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BRACE MEMBERS, SAID GUIDE PLATES BEING FIXED TO THE SIDES OF THE END PORTION OF ONE BRACE MEMBER AND PROJECTING THEREFROM, THE ADJOINING END PORTION OF THE OTHER BRACE MEMBER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE PROJECTING PORTIONS OF THE GUIDE PLATES, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE GUIDE PLATES TO THE END PORTION DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN OF THE OTHER BRACE MEMBER, WHEREBY RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE BRACE MEMBERS IS PERMITTED, A CAM HAVING AN END PORTION, PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE CAM ON ONE OF THE SIDES OF THE END PORTION OF ONE OF THE BRACE MEMBERS, SAID END PORTION OF THE CAM HAVING LATERALLY SPACED APART NOTCH MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PIVOT MEANS, THE GUIDE PLATE ON THE CORRESPONDING SIDE OF THE BRACE MEMBERS WITH THE CAM HAVING A PROJECTING TOOTH SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE NOTCH MEANS, ONE OF SAID NOTCH MEANS RECEIVING THE TOOTH TO LOCK THE BRACE MEMBERS IN A STRAIGHT LINE IMMOBILE POSITION, THE OTHER OF SAID NOTCH MEANS RECEIVING THE TOOTH TO PERMIT LIMITED ROTATIONAL PLAY OF THE BRACE MEMBERS ABOUT THE MEANS PIV-