US1041135A - Casing for clinical thermometers. - Google Patents

Description

F. MOINTYRE.

CASING FOR CLINICAL THERMOMETERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1911.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

14H il I 'III l. al 1 w/TNESSES 2./ MWW ATTORNEYS FRANK IVICINTYRE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES J. TAGLIABUE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CASING FOR CLINICAL THERMOMETERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MCINTYRE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of the Bronx, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casings for Clinical Thermometers, of which the, following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to devices for returning the mercury to the bulb of a clinical thermometer and has for its object to provide a device of this kind Y which may be easily and quickly operated to secure the desired results with a minimum of danger' to the thermometer.

In the preferred form of my invention the device is incorporated in and preferably forms part of the customary casing used for carrying and protecting a clinical thermometer when not in use.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a thermometer casing used as a protecting and carrying medium and with 'my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the thermometer in position to have the mercury returned to the bulb; Fig. 3 is an elevation of my particular device separated from the thermometer casing and Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the specific illustration of my invention shown in the drawings the casing comprises a tubular member 5, having opposite open ends, one of which is screw-threaded, as indicated at 6 to receive the screwthreaded neck 7 of a cap 8 in which the one end of the thermometer 9 is rigidly secured. When the screw-threaded elements 6 and 7 are connected together as shown in Fig. 1 the thermometer extends axially within the casing, which thus serves as a protecting and carrying medium for said thermometer when not in use.

In the preferred form of my invention myparticular device extends into the opposite open end of the tubular member 5, and serves to close the same so as to form a bottom for said tubular member. The device comprises a casing 10, having a frietional engagement with the inner surface of said tubular member 5, and preferably held against movement relatively to said member 5, by means of roughened portions 11, shown best in Figs. 2 and 3. The interior end of the casing 10 is preferably closed and is provided with an axial opening 12, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter. A sleeve 13 projects into the outer open end of the casing 10, so as to be rotatable relatively thereto, an annular flange 14, being provided on said sleeve for engagement with the end of the casing 10.

`This flange 14, in addition to limiting the inward movement of the sleeve 13 relatively to the easing 10, together' with said casing end, also serves as a bearing during any rotative movement of said sleeve. The free end of the sleeve 13, is closed and provided with an angular' slot 15, through' which passes the angular shank of a stem 16 formed at one end with a head 17 arranged to abut against the closed end of the sleeve and having its opposite end passing through and rotatable in the opening 12 of the casing 10. This last named end of said stem after passing through the opening 12 is turned over or spread as indicated at 18, and with the head 17 serves to prevent separation of the casing and sleeve in an axial direction. Vith this construction the sleeve 13 is secured against rotative movement relatively to said stem, and with said stem is rotatable relatively to the easing. If desired, a washer 19 to take up wear may be located between the turned over or spread end 14, and the closed end of the casing 10, although this is not absolutely necessary. The head 17 is provided with a thermometer holding means of any kind, as for instance an aperture 20, so that with this construction the sleeve 13 and stem 1G form what might be termed a thermometer carrying section. A coil spring 21 is located within the casing 10 and sleeve 13, and has its one end 22 secured to said casing and its other end 23 secured to the sleeve 13.

In operation after the thermometer has been used in the customary manner and reading has been had, and it is desired to return the mercury to the bulb of the thermometer the said thermometer 9 is first projected through the opening 20 of the head 17, with its axis extending at substantially right angles to the axis of the casing. The tubularmember 5 is now grasped in one hand, preferably with its axis extending in a horizontal direction and the thermometer tube depending from the head 17, the neck 7 in this position of the parts preventing the thermometer from slipping entirely through said opening 20. With the other hand the thermometer is now moved in a circular path to cause the stem 16 and the sleeve 13, or in other words the thermometer carrying section to rotate about their common axis and relatively to the casing 10, which is rigidly held against rotation in the tubular section 5. This operation will cause the spring 21 to be torsionally wound or twisted and thus cause it to exert a torsional stress upon the said sleeve 13 and stem 16. After a few turns the thermometer tube is released from the restraining influence of the hand of the user, whereupon the spring 21 will immediately tend to unwind itself or in other words resume its normal condition. This unwinding of the said spring will cause said sleeve 13 to rapidly rotate about its own axis in a direction opposite to that in which said sleeve was rotated to wind the spring and will rapidly whirl or swing said thermometer in a reverse circular path. The centrifugal force generated during this rapid circular movement of said thermometer will cause the mercury to iy toward the tube or back to normal position, the neck 7 serving to prevent the thremometer from leaving the opening 20 during this operation. If the device is operated as described it will be found that at the termination of the whirling movement just described the thermometer will again depend from the head 17, and will thus be prevented from accidentally dropping from the opening 2O after the operation of returning the mercury to the bulb has been completed.

It will thus be seen that I provide a simple and easily operated device for returning the mercury to the thermometer bulb, which may be readily used by inexperienced persons with the rdanger of injury to the thermometer reduced to a minimum, and which may be also used to great advantage by persons such as doctors, nurses, etc., who are experienced in the use of a clinical thermometer.

My improved device is very rapid in action and brings the mercury back to a position to permit of the successive use of the thermometer in a very small period of time, thus making it possible to use the thermometer a great deal oftener in a given space of time than has been possible with the old method of shaking back the mercury.

While l have described my improved device as rigidly secured in a thermometer casing, the said device may be removably secured therein and removed each time it is desired to return the mercury to the thermometer bulb. In addition to this, the device instead of being inserted into the tubular member 5, may be inserted into the cap 8 which in this case would be provided with a recess for removably receiving said device. Furthermore, the said device might be made as a separate article and used as an auxiliary tothe ordinary thermometer case in which instance itwould look like the illustration shown in Fig. 3. If used in this manner, the casing l0 would be held in the one hand of the user during the winding of the spring and the whirling or swinging of the thermometer.

The spring 21 in addition to its other functions also serves to maintain the sleeve in position in the casing and the flange 14 in contact with the end of said casing, both during the operation of the device and while the parts are at rest.

Various changes may be made in the specific forms shown and described within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:-

1. A device for returning the mercury to the bulb of a thermometer, comprising aV tubular member, a casing extending into the one end of said member, a thermometer carrying section rotatably mounted in said casing and having means for removably connecting a thermometer therewith, and means connected with said casing and said thermometer carrying sect-ion respectively for rotating said section relatively to said casing.

2. A device for returning the mercury to the bulb of a thermometer comprising a tubular member, a casing extending into the one end of said member, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said casing, a stem ri fidly connected with said sleeve and provided with means for holding a thermometer, said stem being rotatably secured to said casing and means connected with said casing and said sleeve for rotating said sleeve and stem relatively to said casing.

3. A .device for returning the mercury to the bulb of a thermometer comprisingl a tubular member, a casing extending into the one end of said member to close the same, a

sleeve and rotatably secured to the casing,

the one end of said stem being provided with In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set an aperture for holding a thermometer and my hand in the presence of two subscribing a spring connected with said casing and said Witnesses. Y

sleeve and arranged to be Wound to exert a FRANK MCINTYRE. torsional stress on said sleeve and said oas- Witnesses:

ing md to rotate said sleeve and stem rela- JOHN A. KEHLENBECK,

tively to the casing When released. M. H. LooKWooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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