US1272469A - Electrotherapeutic instrument. - Google Patents

Description

T. LIDBERG. ELECTBOTHERAPEUTIG INSTRUMENT.

APPL ICATION FILED MAR. 4. I9I8f Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I T. LlDBE RG.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 4, 1918.

Patented July 16, 1918 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

fiodaf zderg TIODOLF LIDIBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Original application filed December 18, 1916, Serial No. 137,488. Divided and this application filed March 4,

1918. Serial No. 220,129..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIonoLr Lrnnnno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrotherapeutie Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrotherapeutic instruments for orificial application, whereby to maintain constant, any desired temperature, of the operative portions of the instrument, preferably below that required to cauterize or directly destroy the tissues with which it may be brought into contact.

This is a divisional application from my copending application, filed December 18th, 1916 and bearing Serial No. 137,488.

One of the especial objects of my invention is to provide an instrument of this character adapted for medical treatment, and especially for orificial application, whereby to automatically maintain a constant, but regulable temperature, by means contained in the heated zone, or preferably within the applicator of the instrument, near the point of application, and to provide, in such an instrument, a heat-responsive temperature indicator, preferably within the applicator, and having an exterior portion located outside of the applicator, provided with suitable graduations that it may be visible at all times to the operator or at tending physician, whereby the temperature of the applicator is indicated.

Another object of my invention is to provide two or more applicators, capable of being connected together and automatically controllable to' maintain, substantially, constant temperature by a single heat responsive regulator.

Other, and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in eonjunetionwith the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of the instrument, showing parts in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section. taken on line 3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section. of two interconnected instruments controlled by the same heat-responsive regulator.

In all the views the same reference char actors are employed to indicate similar parts.

Briefly, the instrument consists of three major portions, 10 the handle, 11 the applicator, and 12 the intermediate visible indi cating portion. Specifically the handle 13 is made of insulating material, such as hard rubber or fiber and on its outer end it is provided with a cap 14 for the conducting wires 15 and 16. It is bored axially for two substantially parallel, supporting rods 17 and 18, preferably of brass or the like, having on their lower ends wire-clamping screws 19 and 20, for the wires 16 and 15, respectively. The rod- 18 extends to the inner portion of the applicator 11, and is preferably, reduced in size, as at 21, and contains on the reduced end an electric heating element or coil 22. The inner end of the coil 22, is connected by a nut 23 to the rod 18, as at 24. Another nut 25 secures a switch spring 26 to the end of the rod 18 for con nection to a member 27 of the insertible spring jack plug 28. The other rod, 17, is parallel with, but separated from the rod 18 and each of the rods 17 and 18, are covered, preferably, with a relatively thin tube of hard rubber 29 and 30, or like insulating material, respectively. This coating extends throughout the indicating space 12. The upper end of the rod 17 is threaded, as at 31, by which to secure an adjustable spring blade switch member 32, which consists of a spring, bent to form a knee 34, the

laterally extended part being secured to the threaded end of the rod 17, by the threaded end and the nuts 35 and 36. The upper end of the switch member 32 carries a contact point 37, preferably of platinum, or the like. Fixed to the rods 17 and 18, as by screws 39, 39 is an applicator head 38. --"The head 38 is perforated for an axially movable rod 40 that bears against the knee 34, of the switch member 32. The rod 17, and the tubular jacket 29 covering it, are transversely perforated for a tension adjusting screw 41. The end of the screw 41 is pointed, as at 42, which point engages the lower end of the axially movable rod 40, whereby to adjust the lateral posit-ion of the upper end of the switch member 32, thereby to determine the temperature of the applicator. Fixed to the other end, of the adjusting screw 41, is an insulating thumb button 43, by which the adjusting screw may be rotated. When the screw is' rotated in such a direction as to cause it to pass farther through the rod 17,

of the switch member 32, and having 'on its opposite side a blade 48 having a greater temperature expansion coeflicient than the i blade 45, such as bronze, or the like, is secured to a plate 49, as-by screws 50. The plate 49 is in turn connected to rod 18 by means of a screw 51. A switch spring 49 extending to the top of the instrument is fixed to the rod 18, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, by screws 52. The fixed end of the temperature responsive bar is insulated from the plate 49, in the usual manner, as by orcelain, or fiber plates 45'. The metal b ade 45, of the expansion bar, is provided with a clamping screw 53 to which the blade 49' is connected, as by wire 54, the blade being insulated from rod 18' by a fiber or other block 52. The free end 55 of the heating coil 22, is also connected to this binding screw 53, as by wire 55. A

From the foregoing description the electric circuit may be traced from the conductin wire 15 of the duplex cord, through the r0 18, to thewire 24, and from thence to the heating coil 22, and by .wire 55 to the clamping screw 53 and from thence through the plate 45, of the expansion bar, to the contact 47, thereof, and when the temperature within the applicator is not sufficient to warp the expansion bar so as to prevent connection between the contact 47 of the bar, and the contact '37 of the relatively stationary switch member 32, the circuit will be continued through these connected contacts, and the switch member 32, through the rod 17, thence to the wire 16 of the duplex cord. A socket 56 contains a lamp 57, in series with the wires 15 and 16 and is provided with conducting wires 58 and 59, of a duplex cord, for'connection with the source of electric supply. The lamp 57 may be contained in series with the thermo-electri'c device, when the potential of the circuit of the source of electric supply is higher than is demanded by the heating coil of the appara from which the current is to be taken, is

suitable for the heating coil 22 alone, the lamp 57 may be entirely disposed with.

A thermometer tube 60 is passed through and secured in the head 38, and has its re duced end 61, containing the expansive liquid in practical contact with the heating coil 22, and has its graduated end 63, to indicate the higher temperatures within the indicating zone 12, the extreme end 64 of which is passed into and secured in a suitable orifice provided in the handle 13. In the practical operation of the instrument the portion of the thermometer which is contained within the indicating region 12, of the instrument, is that portion of the range of the thermometer that is above normal atmospheric temperature. The outer portion or cover of the applicator consists of a tube 65, preferably of brass, or other similar metal,

which overliesthe operative end of the thermometer, the heating coil, and the temperature regulator, and has its lower end secured to the head 38, by suitable screws, 66. The upper end of the applicator 65, is provided with a removable screw cap 68, which is adapted to be removed from the applicator and another screw cap 69, in many respects similar to the screw cap 68, substituted in its place.

The spring blade 49' constitutes a part of the plate 49, and extends vertically, substantially parallel with the heating coil 22, and has its remote end inturned, as at 70, to provide a means for connection to the terminal 71 of the spring jack switch plug 28. The switch plug terminal 71 is connected to a wire 72, and the switch ring'or terminal 27, is connected to a wire 73, for connection to another applicator of similar character, or to an applicator 74, as shown in Fig. 6.

One form of applicator 74 consists of a two part tube 75 and a curved portion 76, screwed together, as at 77, or otherwise separably united. The curved portion is provided with a heating member or coil 78.

' The upper end of the heating coil 78 is'connected to a rod or wire 7 9, as at 80. The other free end being connected-to a terminal 81, in the insulating head 82. The rod, or wire 79, is connected to a terminal 83. A terminal plug 86 has cotiperating terminals 84 and 85, respectively, so as to be removed from the head 82, to connect and to disconnect the heating coil 7 8. The wires 72 and 73, of a duplex cord, are connected to the terminals 84 and 85, respectively, and are also connected to the terminals 27 and 71 of the spring-jack plug 28. 'When it is deinstrument containing the current-regulator may be hung upon the wall or supported in any other convenient manner adjacent to the position of the applicator 74.

While I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention, for the purpose of clear disclosure, it is manifest to persons skilled in the art that many. changes may be made in the general arrangement and configuration of the parts within the scope-of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 'is: I p

1. An electro-thermic applicator comprising a heating element; a heat-responsive, current-controlling regulator; a graduated temperature indicator, and a tube, or jacket coverin said instrumentalities, the graduations oi said indicator extending outside of said jacket.

2. An electro-thermic instrument comprising a hollow applicator, at one end, and a handle at the other end; a graduated thermometer tube having its liquid-containing bulb within the applicator and its other end secured to the handle, the intermediate graduated portion visible within the open space between said applicator and handle and a heat-responsive currenteregulator within said applicator.

3. An electro-thermic instrument coming element inclosed by by a handle at the other end of the instrument; a graduated thermometer tube, having its liquid-containing bulb within said tube, with its other endextending to and secured in the handle, the intermediate, graduated portion of said thermometer being visible ing an applicator, consisting of a heating element inclosed by a tube, at one end and supported by a handle at the other end of the instrument; a graduated thermometer tube having its liquid-containing bulb within said applicator tube with its other end extending to and secured in the handle, the intermediate, graduated portion, visible within the open space between said tube and handle; a heat-responsive regulator within said tube, and means for adjusting said regulator having an operable part within said open space.

5. An electric applicator comprising a tube closed at one end; a heating element in the closed end of the tube; a closure of insulating material in the open end of said tube and electric conductors extending from said clnosure to said heating element, within said tu e.

6. An electro-thermic applicator comprising a heating element; a heat-responsive, current-controlling regulator directly within the field of said heating element and means to connect another current-heated applicator in circuit with the current controlling element of the first applicator.

7. An electro-thermic-applicator comprising anelongated tube of uniform diameter, closed at one end; a heating element in the closed end of the tube leaving the major portion of the tube unheated so as to remain relatively cool, and an electro-thermic responsive device connected with said element to automatically prevent dangerous increase of current supplied to said element.

8. An electro-thermic applicator comprising an elongated tube closed at one end; a heating element therein localized at said closed end, leaving the major portion of the tube relatively unheated; a current regulator for automatically preventing dangerous increase of current in said heating element and electric conductors, assing through the unheated part of the tu e, connecting said elements to a circuit containing said current regulator.

9. An electro-thermic applicator comprising an operating head; means for supporting said head; means for heating said head; a current controlling apparatus to automatically prevent dangerous increase of current supplied to the heating means; and wires passing through said head supporting means for connecting said heating means with said automatic current regulator.

I 10. An electro-thermic-applicator comprising a tube closed at one end; a heating element in the closed end of the tube leaving the major portion of the tube relatively unheated; electric conductors p a s sin g through the unheated portion of the tube and a terminal head on the open end thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

TIODOLF LIDBERG.

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