US3857390A

US3857390A - Fracture box

Info

Publication number: US3857390A
Application number: US00407869A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Harrison
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-10-19
Filing date: 1973-10-19
Publication date: 1974-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-31
Also published as: FR2248016B1; CA1009133A; BE821224A; JPS5066990A; DE2447703A1; BR7408617D0; AU7354974A; CH584544A5; JPS5248435B2; ZA745896B; FR2248016A1

Abstract

A fracture box which may be constructed from a single sheet of such sheet material as card board, paper board, fiber board or the like. Such sheet is given a configuration by cutting and scoring so that it may be folded into a fracture box having an upper panel to support the lower leg of a patient and a lower panel forming an obtuse angle therewith to support the upper leg of the patient. Side walls project above the upper panel to provide a leg supporting channel and project below the upper panel to the base plane of the fracture box. The front edge of each side wall is at a predetermined angle with respect to said base plane and said lower panel has side wing panels which overlie the side walls and are secured so as to keep the lower panel in contact with said front edges. A back wall panel is folded back from the upper panel and has side wings which also overlie said side walls and are secured in place to give rigidity to the assembled structure. The scorings provide hinged connections whereby the fracture box may be assembled into its use configuration and collapsed into a form for easy transportation. An air inflatable cushion may be placed on the leg supporting panels for increased comfort as well as to modify the angle at which the upper and lower leg portions of the patient''s leg is supported. An alternative embodiment provides a single inclined leg supporting panel, while the desired angle, at which the leg is maintained, is obtained by placing a triangular prism shaped inflated cushion on the panel.

Description

United States Patent [191 Harrison 8 [ll] 3,857,390 [451 Dec. 31, 1974 [22] Filed:

[ 1 QFRAICTURE BOX [76 Inventor: Howard D. Harrison, 16 Pine St.,

Lowell,,Mass. 01851 on. 19,1973 211 App]. No.: 407,869

52 user. l28/93,5/327R [51] Int.Cl. ..'.L .......A61f5/04 [58] Field of Search.... 128/93, 88, 87, 83, DIG. 20,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,776 9/1906 Flagg, 5/327 R 1,118,973 l2/'l914 Troesch 5/327 R 2,581,110 1/1952 Kenworthy 5/327 R X 3,496,934 2/1970 Anderson 128/88 3,786,805 l/l974 Tourin 128/87 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 9,485 12/1904 Great Britain 128/88 1,350,754 4/1902 France l28/D1G. 20

Primary E.raminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yaslto Y Attorney, Agent, or Firm -Elmer J. Gorn 57 1 ABSTRACT A fracture box which may be constructed from a single sheet of such sheet material as card board, paper board, fiber board or the like. Such sheet is given a configuration by cutting and scoring so that it may be folded into a fracture box having an upper panel to support the lower leg of a patient and a lower panel forming an obtuse angle therewith to support the upper leg of the patient. Side walls project above the upper. panel to provide a leg supporting channel and project below the upper panel to the base plane of the fracture box. The front edge of each side wall is at a predetermined angle with respect to said base plane and said lower panel has side wing panels which overlie the side walls and are secured so as to keep the lower panel in contact with said front edges. A back wall panel is folded back from the upper panel and has side wings which also overlie said sidewalls and are secured in place to give rigidity to the assembled structure. The scorings provide hinged connections whereby the fracture box may be assembled into its use configuration and collapsed into a form for easy transportation. An air inflatable cushion 'may i be placed on the leg supporting panels for increased comfort as well as to modify the angle at which the upper and lower leg portions of the patients leg is supported. An alternative embodiment provides a single inclined leg supporting panel, while the desired angle, at which the legis maintained, is obtained by placing a triangular prism shaped inflated cushion on the panel.

9 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3,857, 390

SHEET 3 OF 4 BASE PLAN E PATENTEDBEBM I974 3.857. 390

sneer u or 4 FRACTURE BOX In the treatment of fractures of the human leg, fracture boxes have been devised to provide one surface for the support of the lower thigh and another surface, angularly disposed thereto for the support of the leg below the knee. Such fracture boxes are designed and intended for use primarily in hospitals during the early recuperative period of the patient. They are heavy, expensive pieces of equipment, sometimes equipped with complicated tension devices to exert tension on the leg. Due to their rigidity and weight, they usually involve some discomfort by the patient in their use. Also they are not easily transportable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in the configuration given to a sheet oflight material which is sufficiently strong to support the leg of a patient recuperating from a fracture. Such materials are, for example, card board, paper board, fiber board and the like. The configuration consists basically of a leg supporting panel, preferably having an upper panel section which, with side wall members, provides a lower leg supporting channel, and a lower panel section forming an obtuse angle with the upper panel section. A particular arrangement of wings and flapsis provided whereby the sheet may be assembled into the desired configuration or collapsed into a form which may be readily carried to the patients home. Scoring'of the sheet at the appropriate locations provides hinges about which the various parts may be unfolded and folded to provide the desired assembly and disassembly. For greater comfort and adjustment of the angle between the upper and lower leg, an inflatable cushion may be placed on the panel sectrons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the sheet from which the fracture box may be formed;

FIG. la is a diagram showing the angle formed by a projection of

sides

8 and 14 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a view of a preferred type of material from which the fracture box may be made;

FIG. 3 is a view of the fracture box in its assembled state;

FIG. 3a is a view showing an air inflatable cushion which is to be placed on the leg supporting surfaces of the fracture box of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is an enlargement of a tying detail of the fracture box;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the fracture box in its folded state;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a step in the folding of the fracture box into its collapsed state;

FIG. 7 isa diagram illustrating the limits within which the angular relationships of the leg supporting surface of the fracture box may lie;-

FIG. 8 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 1, of a sheet for making a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a view of such modified form in its assembled state;

FIG. 10 is an end view of the assembly of FIG. 9-; and

FIG. 11 is a view of such modification in its folded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, the fracture box of the invention is constructed from a flat pliant sheet 1 of such commonly available sheet material as card board, paper board, fiber board or the like. The term fiber board will be used in the specification and claims herein as a generic term to include all such materials. Preferably sheet I is made of the type of corrugated card board shown in FIG. 2, consisting of an inner corrugated sheet 2, secured between two outer sheets 3 and 4. Such material should be of sufficient thickness and strength to support the weight of a human leg and yet of sufficient pliability to be bent or folded along scored lines to enable it to be folded into the desired shape. The orientation of the corrugations is preferably in the direction of the lines 2a in FIG. 1.

The sheet 1 is provided with a rectangular panel 5 which, as will be pointed out below, is adapted to support the lower thigh of the patients leg. Connected to one end of the panel 5, along a score or furrow 6, is a panel 7 which, as will also be pointed out below is adapted to support that portion of the patients leg below the knee. It will be understood that the score or furrow, as well as the various other scores to be described, is of a kind which produces a sufficient weakening of the sheet 1 to permit the sheet 1 to act as a hinge along such score. Along each side of panel 7 and connected thereto by

scores

8 and 9 are relatively short side panels 10 and 11. The

scores

8 and 9 are located substantially at right angles to the score 6.

A longer side wall member 12 is connected to the outer edge of side panel 10 by a score 13 substantially parallel to the score 8. The outer edge 14 of side wall member 12 predetermines the location of the base plane of the fracture box and is disposed at an angle with respect to the score 8 which predeterminesthe angle at which the panel 7 will be disposed with respect to such base plane. Such angle is shown at B in FIG. la in which the edge 14 and score 8 have been projected to intersect. The upper edge 15 of side wall member 12 is disposedat an angle A with respect to the edge 14. In the discussion of FIG. 1, the terms upper" and lower will refer to the orientation of the sheet 1 in FIG. 1. Angle A predetermines the angle at which the panel 5 will be disposed with respect to said base plane. Upper edge 15 extends from the upper end of edge 14 to the upper end of score 13. The upper edge 16 of panel 10 extends from the upper end of score 13 to the upper end of score 8 and forms an angle with edge 15 symmetrically disposed with respect to score 13 so that, when folded along score 13, edge 15 will be substantially coincident with edge 16. The lower edge 17 of wall member 12 is preferably disposed substantially perpendicular to edge 14 and predetermines the location of the plane of the back of the fracture box. The lower edge 18 of panel 10, extends from the lower end of score 13 to the lower end of score 8 and forms an angle with edge 17 symmetrically disposed with respect to score 13 so that, when 10 and 14 are folded along score 13, edges 17 and 18 will be coincident.

A second side wall member 19 is connected to the outer edge of side panel 11 by a score 20 substantially parallel to score 9. Side wall member 19 is a mirror imageof side wall member 11 and is provided with

edges

21, 22 and 23 corresponding respectively to

edges

14, 15 and 17 of side wall member 12. Likewise,

side panel 11 is a mirror image of side panel 10, and is provided with

edges

24 and 25 corresponding respectively to

edges

16 and 18 of side panel 10.

Wing panels

90 and 91 are connected to opposite sides of panel by

scores

26 and 27 substantially in line with

scores

8 and 9 respectively and are provided with

lower edges

29 and 30 and

upper edges

32 and 33 preferably parallel with respect to

edges

29 and 30.

A back wall panel 34 is connected to panel 7 along a score 35 substantially parallel with score 6.

Side wing panels

36 and 37 are connected to wall panel 34 along

scores

38 and 39 substantially in line respectively with

scores

8 and 9.

In the side wall member 12 is cut a rectangular flap 40 leaving one side connected to said side wall 12 along a score 41. The score 41 is perpendicular to edge 14 and the inner side edge 42 is parallel with edge 14. The upper corner 42a of edge 42 is spaced from score 13 by a distance substantially equal to the distance between

scores

8 and 13. A similar flap 43 is cut in the side wall member 22 and is connected thereto by a score 44. The score 44, the inner side edge 45 and the upper corner 45a bear the same relationship to edge 21 and score 20 as the score 41, the inner side edge 42 and the upper corner 42a bear to edge 14 and score 13.

A flap 46 is cut in the panel 5 with its upper side left connected to said panel by a score 47.

Studs or

buttons

48 and 51 are secured respectively to

wing panels

24 and 37 and

eyelets

49 and 50 are secured respectively to

panels

25 and 36. The details of these buttons and eyelets are shown in enlarged form in FIG. 4. The purpose of the buttons and eyelets is that, for example, a string or cord 52 may be looped through eyelet 50 and wound around button 48 to tie

panels

36 and 90 together in the assembled state of the fracture box. Likewise, as will become apparent, such eyelets, buttons and cords serve to bind the parts of the fracture box together in its folded state.

When the sheet 1 has been cut and scored in the manner described, panel and side wall member 12 are folded along score 13 and permanently stapled or otherwise secured together to form a unitary side member hinged intermediate its ends to panel 7 by score 8. This relationship may be more readily seen in FIG. 3. Likewise, panel 11 and side wall member 19 are folded along score 20 and permanently cemented or otherwise secured together to form a second unitary side member hinged intermediateits end to panel 7 by score 9.

In order to be put into use by a patient the sheet 1 is assembled into the configuration shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose, the two hinged side members 12-10 and 11-19 are rotated about

scores

8 and 9 into positions substantially perpendicular to panel 7.

Flaps

40 and 43 are pushed inwardly so that their

edges

42 and 45 contact the lower face of panel 7 and serve as supplementary supports for the panel 7 against the pressure exerted by the patients leg. FIG. 3 shows the flap 43 and edge 45 in such assembled state. Back wall panel 34 is folded down along score 35 and

side wing panels

36 and 37 are folded inwardly along

scores

38 and 39 so that the

side wing panels

36 and 37 overlie the

side wall members

12 and 19. The panel 5 is folded down along score 6 and the

side wing panels

90 and 91 are folded inwardly so as to overlie the

side wall members

12 and 19. Cords 52 which have been looped through

eyelets

49 and 50 are then twisted about

studs

48 and 51 and tied so as to retain the inner side of panel 5 snugly against the

edges

15 and 22 and to retain the inner side of back wall panel 34 snugly against the

edges

17 and 23. The fracture box, assembled as shown in FIG. 3, is light and easily moved and yet sufficiently rigid to support a patients leg in comfort with the necessary firmness.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 7, the angle A, formed between the horizontal base plane of the fracture box and panel 5, may have any value between about 30 and while the angle C, betweenpanel 5 and panel 7, may have any value between and v provided that in any case angle B is not less than about 15 above the horizontal. These angular relationships insure a medically sound and physically comfortable position for the patients leg.

In order to increase the comfort of the patient and stimulate the healing process an air inflatable cushion, such as that shown at 53 in FIG. 3a may be superposed on the

panels

7 and 5 of FIG. 3. Air cushion 53 is preferably made of plastic sheet material such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride. It is formed of two sections; an upper section 54 to be placed on panel 7 and a lower section 55 to be placed on panel 5. These sections are hollow so that they may be inflated through an injection air tube 56 at one end of the cushion section 54 and an air injection tube 57 at one end of section 55. In order that the

sections

54 and 55 may bend around the corner provided by score 6, they are hinged together by a hinge section 58.

When it is desired to transfer the patient from a location such as a hospital, to another location, such as the patients home, the cushion 53 is removed from the fracture box and is deflated through

tubes

56 and 57. Then the fracture box may be folded into the compact form as shown in FIG. 5. In order to do so the cords 52 are untied and the assembly is placed on a flat surface as shown in FIG. 6 with the unitary side members l0, l2 and 11, 19 folded out flat with the panels 10 and 11 beneath the panel 7. The panel 5 is flattened onto the flat surface with the

wing panels

90 and 91 tucked under the

side walls

12 and 19. The back wall panel 34 with its

side wing panels

36 and 37 are also flattened onto the flat surface. Next, the

side wing panels

36 and 37 are folded back into the panel 34 which is folded up against the surface of panel 7. The

side walls

12 and 19 are folded back over the panel 34 onto the panel 7 and the

wing panels

90 and 91 are folded back onto the

side walls

12 and 19. The assembly is now in the configuration of FIG. 5 and the cord 52, which has been looped through eyelet 49, is tied around the stud 48 to keep the resultant configuration in place. Flap 46 is then folded back along score 47 to provide a hand hold aperture 58 whereby the package may be readily hand carried. The deflated cushion 53 may be folded and placed inside such package, or may be carried separately.

A modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11. FIGS. 8, 9 and 11 correspond, in general, to FIGS. 1, 3 and '5 of the previously described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, a flat pliant sheet 59 is formed from a flat sheet of fiber board such as that described above. Sheet 59 is provided with a single rectangular panel 60 adapted to support both portions of the patients leg. Along each side of panel 60, and connected thereto by

scores

61 and 62, are relatively

short side panels

63 and 64. Larger

side wall members

65 and 66 are connected to the outer edges of

panels

63 and 64 by

scores

67 and 68, respectively, substantially parallel to

scores

61 and 62. The outer edges, 69 and 70 of

side wall members

65 and 66 are disposed at an angle with respect to

scores

67 and 68 so as to determine the angle at which panel 60 will be disposed with respect to the base plane of the fracture box in its assembled state.

A back wall panel 71 is connected to the upper end of panel 60 along a score 72.

Tabs

73 and 74 are provided on opposite sides of panel 71 adjacent its upper edge. Panel 71 is also provided with a centrally located vertical slot 75.

End wall panels

76 and 77 are connected to the upper outer ends of

side wall members

65 and 66 along

scores

78 and 79. The outer ends of

panels

76 and 77 are provided with

tabs

80 and 81 which are connected to said panels by

scores

82 and 83.

Slots

84 and 85 are provided at locations along

scores

78 and 79 at which such slots may receive

tabs

73 and 74.

In use, the sheet 59 is assembled into the configuration as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. For this purpose, panel 63 and side wall 65 are folded along score 67 and permanently secured together. Likewise, panel 64 and side wall 66 are folded along score 68 and permanently secured together. Back wall 71 is folded down along score 72 and

panels

76 and 77 are folded inwardly along

scores

78 and 79 to overlie back wall 71.

Tabs

80 and 81 are foldedinwardly along

scores

82 and 83 and are then tucked into slot 75. Likewise,

tabs

73 and 74 are pushed through

slots

84 and 85 respectively. The reception of the several tabs in their respective slots securely holds the fracture box in the assembled state as shown in FIG. 9.

In order to provide the requisite angular relationship for supporting the upper and lower portions of the patients leg and to increase the comfort of the patient, an inflated cushion 86 is placed on the flat panel 60. This cushion is in the shape of a triangular prism, the'two

top parallelogram sides

87 and 88 being angularly related to each other within the limits as described above with respect to FIG. 7. The

sides

87 and 88 are adapted to support the upper and lower portions of the patients leg. The cushion may be inflated and deflated through a suitable air injection tube 89.

This embodiment also may be folded into a compact form as shown in FIG. 11 in which the

panels

76 and 77 are folded inside the package and the back wall 71 folded over them. The package may be tied together by an eyelet 90, a stud 91 and a cord 92 of the same nature as the corresponding elements of the first described embodiment. Similarly, the cushion 86 may be deflated and easily carried with the folded fracture box.

While the fracture box of this invention is intended primarily for the treatment of fractures, it may be used for other medical applications involving the improvement of venous circulation. Various other uses will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A fracture box comprising:

a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular planar panel,

b. a pair of planar side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel by a pair of hinged connections, each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said side wall members;

0. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the base plane of said fracture box;

d. each of said hinged connections being disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane;

e. said side wall members being rotatable about said hinged connections from a collapsed position, in which the plane of each of said side wall members and the plane of said panel are superposed, to an assembled position in which the plane of each of said side wall members is substantially perpendicular to the plane of said panel with the plane of said panel also being disposed at said predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane;

f. and means for maintaining said side wall members in said assembled position.

2. A fracture box as in claim 1 in which said panel is provided with a lower edge extending transversely between said pair of hinged connections and being located at a substantial distance above the bottom edges of said side wall members, said leg supporting section also comprising:

a. a second substantially rectangular planar panel hingedly connected to said lower edge of said first panel and of a sufficient length to have its outer edge lie substantially adjacent said base plane in said assembled position with said second panel lying in a second predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane and at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to the plane of said first panel.

3. A fracture box as in claim 2 in which:

a. each of said side wall members is provided with a .front edge disposed at said second predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane, said fracture box also comprising b. means for holding said second panel in contact I with said front edges in said assembled position.

4. A fracture box as in claim 2 in which said second predetermined acute angle, between said second panel and said base plane, has a value between substantially 30 and and said obtuse angle between said first and second panels has a value between substantially and said first predetermined acute angle, betweensaid first panel and said base plane, in any case, not being less than substantially 15.

5. A fracture box comprising:

a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel;

b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said wall members;

0. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the bottom plane of said fracture box;

d. means for maintaining said side wall members substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane;

e. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said surfaces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane;

f. said panel and side wall members being comprised of a single sheet of fiber board and said hinged connections being comprised of scores formed in said single sheet.

6. A fracture box comprising:

a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel;

b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided be tween said panel and the upper portions of said wall members;

c. each of said side wall members having a bottom d. means for maintaining said side wall members substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane;

c. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said surfaces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane;

f. a second panel hingedly connected to the front edge of said first named panel;

g. means for maintaining said second panel at a first of said predetermined acute angles with respect to said bottom plane;

h. said hinged connections between said first named panel and said side wall members being disposed at a second of said predetermined acute angles with respect to said base plane;

i. whereby the surfaces of said first and second panels comprise said leg supporting surfaces;

j. a back wall panel hingedly connected to the back edge of said first panel;

k. said back wall panel being provided with side wing panels hingedly connected to opposite sides of said back wall panel and overlying the outer surface of said side wall members;

1. said second panel being provided with side wing panels hingedly connected to opposite sides of said second panel, and overlying the outer surfaces of said side wall members; and

m. securing means interconnecting the two side wing panels on each side of said side wall members, said securing means comprising said means for maintaining said side walls substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane and also comprising said means for holding said second panel in contact with said front edges.

7. A fracture box comprising:

a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel;

b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said wall members; 7

c. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the bottom plane of said fracture box;

f. said panel and side wall members being comprised ofa single sheet of fiber board and said hinged connections being comprised of scores formed in said single sheet;

g. each side wall members being provided with a flap cut into said side wall members and hingedly connected thereto at a location at which said flap engages the lower side of said first panel whereby additional support for said first panel is provided.

8. A fracture box comprising:

a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel;

e. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said sur faces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane;

f. said panel and side wall members being comprised of a single sheet of fiber board and said hinged connections being comprised of scores formed in said single sheet;

g. said hinged connections comprising means whereby said fracture box may be collapsed into a compact flat package in which said wing panels of said second panel overlie one side of said flat package, said wing panels being provided with means to secure said wing panels together to maintain said flat package.

9. A fracture box as in claim 8 in which said second panel is provided with a flap cut into it and hingedly connected to it adjacent the lower edge of said second panel to provide a carrying hand hole for said package. l

Claims

1. A fracture box comprising: a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular planar panel, b. a pair of planar side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel by a pair of hinged connections, each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said side wall members; c. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the base plane of said fracture box; d. each of said hinged connections being disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane; e. said side wall members being rotatable about said hinged connections from a collapsed position, in which the plane of each of said side wall members and the plane of said panel are superposed, to an assembled position in which the plane of each of said side wall members is substantially perpendicular to the plane of said panel with the plane of said panel also being disposed at said predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane; f. and means for maintaining said side wall members in said assembled position.

2. A fracture box as in claim 1 in which said panel is provided with a lower edge extending transversely between said pair of hinged connections and being located at a substantial distance above the bottom edges of said side wall members, said leg supporting section also comprising: a. a second substantially rectangular planar panel hingedly connected to said lower edge of said first panel and of a sufficient length to have its outer edge lie substantially adjacent said base plane in said assembled position with said second panel lying in a second predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane and at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to the plane of said first panel.

3. A fracture box as in claim 2 in which: a. each of said side wall members is provided with a front edge disposed at said second predetermined acute angle with respect to said base plane, said fracture box also comprising b. means for holding said second panel in contact with said front edges in said assembled position.

4. A fracture box as in claim 2 in which said second predetermined acute angle, between said second panel and said base plane, has a value between substantially 30* and 70*, and said obtuse angle between said first and second panels has a value between substantially 120* and 170*, said first predetermined acute angle, between said first panel and said base plane, in any case, not being less than substantially 15*.

5. A fracture box comprising: a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel; b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said wall members; c. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the bottom plane of said fracture box; d. means for maintaining said side wall members substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane; e. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said surfaces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane; f. said panel and side wall members being comprised of a single sheet of fiber board and said hinged connections being comprised of scores formed in said single sheet.

6. A fracture box comprising: a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel; b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said wall members; c. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the bottom plane of said fracture box; d. means for maintaining said side wall members substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane; e. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said surfaces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane; f. a second panel hingedly connected to the front edge of said first named panel; g. means for maintaining said second panel at a first of said predetermined acute angles with respect to said bottom plane; h. said hinged connections between said first named panel and said side wall members being disposed at a second of said predetermined acute angles with respect to said base plane; i. whereby the surfaces of said first and second panels comprise said leg supporting surfaces; j. a back wall pAnel hingedly connected to the back edge of said first panel; k. said back wall panel being provided with side wing panels hingedly connected to opposite sides of said back wall panel and overlying the outer surface of said side wall members;

7. A fracture box comprising: a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel; b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said wall members; c. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the bottom plane of said fracture box; d. means for maintaining said side wall members substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane; e. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said surfaces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane; f. said panel and side wall members being comprised of a single sheet of fiber board and said hinged connections being comprised of scores formed in said single sheet; g. each side wall members being provided with a flap cut into said side wall members and hingedly connected thereto at a location at which said flap engages the lower side of said first panel whereby additional support for said first panel is provided.

8. A fracture box comprising: a. a leg supporting section including a substantially rectangular panel; b. a pair of side wall members hingedly connected to opposite sides of said panel, the location of each of said hinged connections being displaced from the upper edge of each of said side wall members whereby a leg-receiving channel is provided between said panel and the upper portions of said wall members; c. each of said side wall members having a bottom edge, said bottom edges defining the bottom plane of said fracture box; d. means for maintaining said side wall members substantially perpendicular to said bottom plane; e. said leg supporting section being provided with upper and lower leg supporting surfaces, said surfaces being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other, said surfaces also being each disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said bottom plane; f. said panel and side wall members being comprised of a single sheet of fiber board and said hinged connections being comprised of scores formed in said single sheet; g. said hinged connections comprising means whereby said fracture box may be collapsed into a compact flat package in which said wing panels of said second panel overlie one side of said flat package, said wing panels being provided with means to secure said wing panels together to maintain said flat package.

9. A fracture box as in claim 8 in which said second panel is provided with a flap cut into it and hingedly connected to it adjacent the lower edge of said second panel to provide a carrying hand hole for said package.