Mechanical tourniquet apparatus and method of use

A tourniquet comprising:

• a tourniquet body having a length sufficient to encircle a limb;
• a carriage engaged with the tourniquet body;
• and
• a tightening strap attached to the tourniquet body at each of opposed first and second ends of the tightening strap,
• wherein the tourniquet is moveable from an unconstricted configuration towards a constricted configuration,
• wherein the carriage is formed at least partially from a first material, the first material being a rigid or semi-rigid material,
• wherein the carriage comprises a base plate and a first bridge with a horizontal portion displaced radially outboard from the base plate,
• wherein moving the tourniquet from the unconstricted configuration to the constricted configuration comprises pulling the first and second ends of the tightening strap towards each other such that a first portion of the tourniquet body bunches together while a second portion of the tourniquet body is caused to constrict around the limb,
• wherein the first portion of the tourniquet body extends over exterior side of the base plate, and
• wherein the base plate of the carriage has an interior side positioned facing toward the limb and the exterior side positioned facing away from the limb, the tourniquet body extending over the exterior side of the base plate.

A tourniquet comprising:

• a tourniquet body having a length sufficient to encircle a limb;
• and
• a carriage engaged with the tourniquet body,
• wherein the tourniquet is moveable from an unconstricted configuration towards a constricted configuration,
• wherein the carriage is formed at least partially from a first material, the first material being a rigid or semi-rigid material,
• wherein the carriage comprises a base plate and a first bridge with a horizontal portion displaced radially outboard from the base plate, and
• wherein the first bridge is positioned at a first end of the carriage, the first bridge further comprising opposed vertical portions extending between the base plate and the horizontal portion of the bridge, thereby defining a first niche.