GB736882A - Improvements in or relating to wound clip applicators - Google Patents

Abstract

736,882. Wound-closing appliances. TECHNICAL OIL TOOL CORPORATION. Feb. 19, 1953 [March 24, 1952No. 4671/53. Class 81 (2). A wound clip applicator comprises a elongated housing for receiving a stack of wound clips and having a discharge opening for the clips, a plunger within the housing for urging the clip stack forwardly, holding lugs at the head of the housing which override the leading clip to hold it in position and, at the sides of the housing spring urged forceps arms having inturned jaws which on compression of the arms drive the clip ends inwardly and which have a lateral width less than the spacing of the holding lugs whereby to pass freely between them. The housing 30 is provided with a longitudinal slot 35 on one side and contains a stack of clips 31 held in applying position by a plunger 36 and spring 37. A gate 54 closes the rear end of the housing 30 and a cut back discharge opening 43 surrounded by a collar 40 is provided at the forward end of the housing 30. Laterally spaced lugs 41 on the collar 40 hold the ends of the leading clip 31 in the applicator. Inturned jaws 33 of forceps arms 32 secured to the rear end of the housing 30 are provided with arcuately recessed heads 48 which on compression of the arms 32 slide between the lugs 41 and move the ends of a clip 31 inwardly so that the clip is deformed to a U-shape to hold together the edges of a wound, flesh-engaging prongs being provided on the clip 31. Stop bars 50 formed with the collar 40 limit the outward movement of the forceps arms 32. Clips 31 are stacked on a U-shaped rack (not shown) for insertion into the applicator, the rack being subsequently withdrawn. Indicia 75 showing the number of clips which have been discharged from the applicator are marked along the edge of the slot 35. In a modification (Figs. 8 and 10) the clips are stacked with plunger 36 and spring 37 in a slide 90 provided with an enlarged stop bar 92 at the rear end and holding lugs for the leading clip 31 at the forward end. The slide is inserted in the applicator housing 80 from the rear as far as stop bar 92. A threaded screw 93 in the stop bar 92 supports the rear end of spring 37, the head 94 of the screw providing a bearing for a spring 104 secured to the housing 80 to control the rearward movement of the slide 90 as a clip 31 is applied to the wound. Slides 90 vary in size to accommodate clips of different sizes within one applicator 80. The forceps arms 32 are the same as for the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. Alternatively channelshaped forceps arms 111 (Fig. 15) pivoted on pins 115 secured to the housing may be pro. vided, ribs 110 provided along the sides of the housing serving as stops to limit the outward movement of jaws 118 at the forward end of the arms 111. Springs 119 hold each arm 111 in the outermost position.