GB705589A - Improvements in or relating to closure devices - Google Patents

Abstract

705,589. Valve apparatus. AIR-SHIELDS, Inc. Dec. 6, 1950 [Dec. 12, 1949; Nov. 6, 1950], No. 29865/50. Class 137. [Also in Group VI] A closure device for controlling an opening in an enclosed chamber comprises a circular member mounted in the opening and having attached to it one end of a tubular closure member of flexible airtight material, the other end of the closure member being attached to a second circular member, one of the circular members being supported in external annular relationship to the other, the outer member having an outwardly bulging annular groove which is complementary to an inwardly bulging annular groove of the inner member, a bearing element of circular cross-section being located in the grooves to provide rotational support of one member relative to the other. Handholes 10 are arranged in the transparent occupant's compartment 11 of an infant incubator (Fig. 1). The occupant is placed on a box unit 12 beneath the compartment 11, the box unit 12 housing atmosphere circulating and conditioning equipment. An access opening 18 with a door is also provided in the wall of the compartment 11. A metal ring 21 is fixed to the periphery of each handhole 10, an airtight fabric tube 23 being secured, outside the compartment, to the fixed ring 21 by an elastic ring 24. The other end of the tube 23 is attached by another elastic ring 27 to a metal ring 26 which is rotatable outside the fixed ring 21, ball bearings 28 being disposed between the rotatable ring 26 and the fixed ring 21. On rotation of the ring 26 which may be provided with a handle 34, the tube 23 is twisted and folded to close the opening 10. The ball bearings roll within a race formed by annular grooves 29, 30 in the rotatable and fixed rings 21, 26 and are held in spaced relationship by a flat strip bent to form a ring and having holes (not shown) to 'receive the balls 28. In another form of the invention which is applied to an artificial respirator (Fig. 9) the fabric tube 54 projects within the respiration chamber and one end of it is secured to a ring-shaped flange 46 of a plate 44 which is clamped between a plate 42 and a gasket 45 which bears against a wall 40 of the respiration chamber. The other end of the tube 54 is attached to a ring 49 which is rotated within the fixed ring 46 in order to twist and fold the tube 54 for closing the aperture 41. A continuous nylon bearing cord 53 is provided between the fixed and rotatable rings 46, 49. A rubber tube 58 for retaining the rotatable ring 49 in any desired position passes round an annular lip 50 on the exterior portion of the rotatable ring 49 and also round one of the screws 43 securing the plate 42. The length and tension of the rubber tubing 58 may be adjusted by an anchor block (not shown) through which the ends of the tubing pass. To prevent disconnection of the flexible tube 54 from the fixed ring 46 by pressure within the respiration chamber the tube 54 is provided with tabs (not shown) which are clamped between the plate 44 fixing the ring 46 and the gasket 45.