Elliot's forcepsElliot, George Thompson (1827-1881)Thoms, Herbert (1885-1972)19th centuryElliot forceps include both types of locking devices credited to Elliot. George Thompson Elliot (1827-1881), an American obstetrician, based the design of his forceps on that of Simpson's long forceps. The main characteristic distinguishing the two types is the locking device. The first device consists of a sliding pivot, which can be moved along a groove in the handle. The second device is a long screw in one handle, which extends into the second blade. These devices allowed the operator to fix the amount of pressure and compression of the fetal head.still image