US1644803A - Electrode clamp - Google Patents

Description

R. H. WAPPLER ELECTRODE CLAMP Oct. 11, 1927. f 1,644,803

Filed July 1923 INVENTOR ffE/N/mLo hf W/JPPL 5/? E v I BY .7 WIT/1s? W V fia. 012a; I M

' ATTORNEY Patented Get. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES BEINHOLD n1. WAPPLER,

COMPANY, me, or LONG ISLAND or YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO warrrnn ELECTRIC CITY, NEW YORK, a

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRODE CLAMP.

Application filed July 5, 1923. Serial No. 649,464.

My invention relates to electrode clamps equipped with electrodes of a type suitable for various medical and therapeutical uses, in connection with high frequency currents and with galvanic and taradic currents More particularly stated, my invention contemplates an electrode clamp of the general type just mentioned, but which carries a pair of electrodes so mounted a'ndarranged as to be easily fitted upon various parts of dilierent contour of the human body, and which is so constructed and arranged as to automatically hold itselt and the electrodes in position while in active use, -or 1n other words is self-clinging; and which s so constructed as to enable the operator to adapt it instantly so that its two electrodes may be used as'practica-lly either a single electrode or a pair of electrodes. Thus the device is a convertible bipolar and unipolar electrode clamp.

As is well known in this art, many of the electrodes heretofore used have in pract ce been found rather di'fiicult to apply to v arious portions of the body, so as to remaln in place during the treatment. v For many kinds of medical and therapeutical treatments it is necessaryto use two electrodes and to bring between these trodes the partot thebody to be treated. Electrodes applied in this way must be held in position, however, and it the treatment is to be longcontinued this becomes a difiicult matter. It is desirable that gentle pressure be applied to the electrodes, and that as far as practicable the pressure of the electrodes upon the part to be treated shall be uniformly distributed, no matter what maybe the shape or the part. The pressure applied to the electrodes for holding them in place upon the part to be, treated must not be too great. It bandages or mechanical holdersare employed to maintain the electrodes in place, scrupulous care must be exercised to avoid short circuiting of the current. In some- 1nstances it is difiicult to prevent the electrodes from slippin out of place or from tilting, I

as for instance when theelectrodes are'not correctly fitted in position or when thepart to which they are applied is of such contour that they do not fit upon it accurately. When forany reason the electrodes :tail to fit neatly and accurately upon the part to which they are applied, the electr c current is apt to cause overheating to takeplace at elecsome places and the heat applied to other places is insufficient, and if galvanic or i aradic currents are used, their effects are rendered irregular and dangerous.

The objections above pointed out are over come by means of my invention.

Reference ismade to the accompanying drawing forming a part of my specification, and in which like reference characters indi- Cate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved elect-rode.

. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the device.

Figure l is a section on the line 4- .1: of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

A of plates made of metal or other conducting material suitable for the purpose, are supported upon a pair of arms 7, 8. For this purpose the electrodes 5 and 6 are provided withscrews 9 and 10, which extend into nuts 11 and 12, these nuts being provided with knobs 13 and 14:. The operator by turning these knobs can disengage the screws 9 and and thus enable the electrodes to be removed, replaced or exchanged. V This arrangement facilitates the substitution of one size of plate? for another in instances where this is desirable.

The arm 7 is provided with a portion 15, bent to form afoot, and engaging this toot is a'handle member 16,'held in position by a screw 17. Secured to the handle, member 16 is a yoke 18, of substantially U-form, as may be understood from Figure Extending through this yoke is a bolt 19, which also extends through another yoke 20, also of substantially Uform, as indicated in Figure 3.

Encircling the bolt 19 is a coiled spring 21, provided with straightened portions 22 and 23 extending outwardly from the bolt 19. The end portion 22 engages and presses against the handle member 16, and the portion 23 engages and presses against a handle member 24. This handle member is secured to the yoke and inform is similar to the handle member 16. I

An L-plate 25 is held by means of ascrew 26 in position upon the arm 24: and yoke 20.

A plate 27 of insulating material is by means of a screw 28 securedto the L-plate 25, and is thus held firmly in position. The plate 27 supports the metallic arm 8, which pair of electrodes 5, 6, having the form V held firmly in position thereupon by a screw 29; and for this purpose is provided with a portion 30, bent to form a foot, as indicated more particularly in Figures 1 and 1'.

The arms 7 and 8 are thus practically j0ur naled upon the bolt 19, and thus adapted to rock upon this bolt as a pivot.

The plate 27 and parts carried by it constitute a small switch, as will now be described. The plate 27 carries a screw bolt 31, which extends through a washer 32 and through a switch blade 33. Encircling the bolt 31 is a handle 34 of substantially annular form, as may be understood from Figure 1-. Fitting upon the bolt 31 is a nut 35, provided with a head 36 and aknob 37. A spring 38 engages the head 36 and the switch blade 33, so as to press the switch blade 33 the left according to Figure 4. The handle 34 carries a milled edge 39, to be grasped by the operator for the purpose of turning the handle 3 1.- The switch blade 33 is secured to the handle, so that when the handleis turned the switch blade 33 i is brought into and out of engagement with the L-plate 35 and the foot 30.

For limiting the travel of the switch blade 33 I provide two stop pins 40 and 4:1, as shown more particularly in Figure 3. When the handle 34L is turned in a clockwise direction according to Figure 3 until the switch blade 33 lodges against the stop pin 41 as indicated in Figure 3, the switch blade makes good contact with the L-plate 25 and the foot 30, so as to maintain the arm 8 in metallic contact with the L-plate 25; but when the handle 3 1 is turned in a counterclockwise direction according to Figure 3, until the switch blade 33 lodges against the stop pin 10, metallic communication between the L-plate 25 and the arm 8 is broken, these two parts being thoroughly insulated from each other by the plate 27.

A pair of binding posts 12 and 43 are mounted respectively upon the handle member 16 and the metallic arm 8, for facilitating the connection of electrical conductors, such cords or wires, with these parts.

The coil spring 21 is under tension, so that the operator by pressing the handle members 16 and "24 toward each other can overcome the tension of the spring 21 and thus cause the electrodes 5, 6 to move apart. This done the clamp as a whole is brought into such position that the part of the human body to be treated is located between the electrodes 5, 6. The operator next gently relaxes his pressure upon the handle memhere 16 and 24, whereupon the tension of the spring 21 causes these handle members to move apart and the arms 7 and 8 to move toward each other, thus causing the electrodes 5, 6, to be pressed firmly against the opposite sides of the part to be treated.

Whenever the device is to be used as a unipolar electrode clamp the switch, 1s brought into the position indicated and current is supplied through either of the binding posts 42 or 43. In this event some other electrode is applied to some other part of the body, and the current applied passes in parallel through the two electrodes 5, 6 and through the part to be treated, to the other electrode.

When the device is to be used as a bipolar electrode, this means of course that the currents to be applied are to pass through one of the electrodes say the one numbered 5, thence through a part of the human body to the other electrode plate, say 6. For this purpose the switch handle 34 is turned as above described, so as to disconnect the switch plate 33 from contact with the L-plate 25 and foot 30. This insulates the arm 7 fromthe arm 8, so that if currents now be supplied through the binding posts 42 and 43, the electrode plates 5, 6 are energized in opposite senses, and the device thus acts as a bipolar'electrode.

As may be readily seen from the foregoing description, I use in this instance a hand-operated switch mounted upon and carried by the clamp, for the purposeof short circuiting the two electrodes in order to cause them to serve as a single electrode, or to virtually insulate them from each other so as to cause the two electrode plates to serve as two electrodes. f

However I do not limit myself to the use of the switch or the purpose thus outlined. Neither do I limit myself to the particular form here shown for any of the mechanism, nor to this particular arrangementof parts,

the scope of my invention being commensu- 1 rat-e with my claims.

I claim:

-1. A device of the character described comprising apair of metallic arms insulated from each other, a pairof electrodes carried by said arms, means for applyingelectric currents to said arms, handle members connected' with said arms f0 enabling the open ator'to cause them to move apart, a switch carried by said arms and controllable by the operator for making trical communication between said arms, and

Hi l

and breaking elecspring mechanism connected with saidarms V for forcing them toward each other. 2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of metallic arms insulated from each other, means controllable by. the operator for shifting the position of said arms relativelyto each other, a pairof elec trodes carried by'said arms, and ,a switch carried by said arms for the purpose of making and breaking metallic communication between said arms.

3. A device of the character described 1 comprising a pair of'electrodes, a pair of arms made of conducting material for supporting said electrodes, and a switch mounted upon said arms for the purpose of making and breaking electrical connection between said electrodes.

4. A device of the character described comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected together and thus free to swing upon a common pivotal center, mechanism carried by said arms and controllable by the operator for shifting said arms into different angular position upon said common pivotal center, spring mechanism carried with said arms for maintaining the same always under tension, an electrode mounted upon each of said arms, and means controllable by the operator for making and breaking electrical communication between said arms.

5. A device of the character described comprising a pair of arms insulated from each other, a single pivot common to both of said arms and upon which said arms are supported, said arms being movable angularly in relation to each other upon said pivot, spring mechanism for tensioning said arms, a pair of electrodes each electrode being carried by one of said arms, and means for enabling the operator to move said arms apart.

Signed at 162 Harris Ave, Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, this 23rd day of June, 1923.

REINHOLD H. VVAPPLER.

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