US1660794A - Light-therapy appliance - Google Patents

Description

, Feb. 28, 1928. '1,660,794

W. HUDSQN LIGHT THERAPY APPLIANCE Filed April 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l lt l u. MMI in w. HUDSQN LIGHT THERAPY APPLIANCE Filed April 11. 1927 2 sheetssmv- 2 Patented Feb. 2s, 19.28.v

' -UNi'TE-D STATES {PIAATENT WALTER HUDSON, or .MILTN, WIscoNsIN', AssIoNon rro Tian Bunnrcx'conromrIoN, or MILTON, WISCONSIN, A coRronArIoN ori-DELAWARE.

LIGHT- THERAPY APPLIANCE.

Application mea Apr11'1.1, 1a27. serial'No'. 182,598.

age for the applied direct current than do ithe burners or tubes for water cooled lamps.

Heretofore thesizef'and weightof the equlpment employed and its limitations as frto type of current usable therewith '(i. e. dlrect or alternating)" rendered 'it non-portable although it might be moved to some extent locally. Consequently, because. of the non- -portability of the equipment, ultra-.violet light treatments have been often 'unattainable by patients who could not be taken to a hospital. or a doctors oiiice. In. sparselysettled and country communities this condition has been especially prevalent.

'Among the objects of the present invention is the production of a universal, portable light therapy unit.

Another object is thel provision of a therap-eu'tic unit capable of operation with. either alternating'or direct current. Y

A further object is the provision of combination equi ment capable of being employed with elther alternating or direct current and sufciently light 1n weight and compact to be easily carried.

An embodiment of the invention is illusltrated in the accompanying drawing where-- or box in which the current controlling portion of the appliance is housed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevat'onal view ofthe api 4paratus boxshown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrannnatic illustration of the circuit employed.

The equipment herein shown and described Iis particularly adapted to be used in -a small suitcase-like cabinet or box which has an adjustable standard and reflector for the air cooled lamps. However, since the arrangement of apparatus within the box and the lamp support are not essential to my present invention they are 'notl disclosed in detail herein, A `Sultalole arrangement -or the .in bothv circuits. a

Fig, 1 is a plan view of a portable cabinet equipment is set forth in an application of orrlcafi y F ritz-A. Anderson (Case 8) executed March 29, 1927, Serial No. 182,692, and filed Apr. 11,. 1927.

In the current controlling unit of the'ap'- pliance dthe apparatus is mounted'in a box shaped somewhat like a suitcase andv pro- P lvided with a handle similar to the usual suitcase handle. Electrical service inlet connectors are provided for both direct and alternating current and the necessary resistances are used to reduce the voltage to the value required in a given case. The resistance is varied by turning a knob at Pthe top of the box, and the voltage impressed across the terminals of the lamp tube or burner indicated by a suitable instrument also secured to the top of the box and visible from the outside thereof. A main switch'opens or closes both the alternating and direct current circuits and outlet connectors are provided-so that current can be supplied to a water cooled lamp or an air cooledlamp as ployed for the general applicationof ultra violet rays and a com-mon form thereof, asQV a rule, operates at about 7 5'volt's; while the'` water cooled lamp is used/for the local apldesired. The air cooled lampis usually emplication of ultra violetrays and a common form thereof operates at approximately 55 volts: In lthe arrangement of the variable resistance forcontrolling the voltage, one portion of the resistance element '1s co'nanother portion thereof is connected to the arm of the variable resistance being included The cabinet for the control: unit comprises a box-like structure "10' provided with a 95 i carrying handle 11 and having rollers 12-12 `'nected Withlthe directcurrent circuit, while alternating current circuitfthe contacting f which permitthe box to be moved along the yfloor-with ya minimum of friction. vA voltmeter 13 indicates the voltage impressed across either the water cooled lamp circuit or the "air cooled lamp circuit, depending upon which is being used from a power source either director alternating. The manner in which itv is connected in the circuit will be described later.

Sockets 14 and 15 which are illustrated to be or' the slip terliinal type, are adapted to connect the unit with either a source of alternating current or a source of-direct current as required, and plug sockets 16 and; 17I

current.

rangement of the circuits. vnector for the source 'nf alternating current are vprovided forconnection of the air cooled and water cooled lamp respectively. A main switch 18 is designed toopen and close the alternating and direct current circuits simultaneously. Provision of a single switch in this way helps to lighten the weight of the unit and at the same time render .it less complicated to the user thereof. The control rheostat is operated by means of al knob 19 located on ,the top,A of the box and adapted to be turned in a clockwise direction to decrease theresistance in the alternating current line, thereby increasing the voltage applied to the lamp when the source is alternating current; or to increase the resistance in the direct current line 'and thereby decrease the voltage applied to the lamp when the source is direct Turning knob 19 inf a reverse direction has the opposite effect The manner in which this elfect is obtained will be understoodfrom a further` description of the circult.

Fig. 3 diagrammatically shows the ar The inlet conis illustrated at 14, while theinlet connector for direct current is indicated at l5. The main or line switch 18 is provided 'with two 1 knife contacts 21 and 22 which close the direct and alternating currenthcircuits, respectively.

A pair of resistance elements 23 and 24 are formed of a turns of suitab e resistancewire and have at one end a common terminal 25, wh-ileat the other ends thereof, separate terminals 26 and 27 are provided. Across, and contacting with both resistance elements is a "rheostat arml 28 controlled by knob 19. The air cooled lamp outlet connector 16 and' lwater cooled lamp outlet connector 17 are adapted to furnish a connection (either of the screw or slip terminal types) -whereby current -modifed by the current controlling unit may be transmitted to an appropriate mercury arc burner or tube of the air and water cooled types. A ballast is rovided with terminals 31, 32 and 33, each o which may be manually re-located but which have no connection to the outside o f the box to permit adjustment during operation of the unit. These terminals are designed for the purpose of .making semi-permanent adjustments, suchv as may be necessary when the unit is used with sources of alternating current supply at difa ferent voltages.

A relay is'provided in the unit for the control .of-the water cooled lamp,^in a manner :'iii-.therewith a core 36may be provided, if re- Y .Qqu-ired. For the "u1-pose of connecting the to l`be described. The relay comprises an armature 34 and a solenoid 35, and included leadsto the two amp outlet connectors,` a

.65 'terminal 37 `is `employed.

A rectifier, inzg'enerahsimilar to that dis# lurality of convolutions orv -closed in my copending application, Serial ing .41. A fuse 42 maybe inserted in the primary circuit. Two electronic valves of the vacuum'tube type, 43 and 44, are provided with,I cathodes 45 and 46, and the usual anodes 47 and-'48 respectively. The cathodes are heated by induced current from the transformer, exciting windings 51 and 52 being included as secondary windings of the transformer and being electrically connected to the cathodes 45 and 46, respectively. The main secondary winding of the transformer comprises two sections 53 and 53 one end of which is connected to a common conductor 54 .and 4the other ends thereof connected to the heated cathodes 45 and 46. A terminalv for the protection of the rectified current cir-A A reactance 57 for the purpose of cuit.

rectified current,

smoothing out theV iow of is also provided.-

Bymeans of the apparatus described,

either direct or alternating current may be received by the unit and translated into the proper value of direct current for use by `-`either-a water cooled or kan air cooled therapeutic lamp attached to the proper outlet connector 16 or 17.

Assume first that inlet connector 15 1s -connected to a source of direct current and that an aircooled'l'amp is connected to outlet connector A16. The current fiow will then be from inlet 15 through knife switch 21,.

terminal 26, a portion of resistance 23, rheo- Stat arm'28, resistance 24, terminal 27, ter minal 55, fuse 56, reactance 57, terminal 27 to outlet 16, and thenceto the air cooled lamp generator, backv to outlet 16 to terminal 32 on resistance 29 andback to D. C. inlet 15. f

Now assume that the source is direct current and that a water cooled lamp is to be connected with the water c'oled lamp outlet 17. The current will then follow the same path as when the air cooled lamp is used up to the' terminal 37 but from terminal 37 the flow is through outlet 17 to the element of the watery cooled lamp and thence it can follow one of two paths, depending upon the characteristics of the lamp. During the build-up period an excess volume of current is desirable to shorten the building up period. The relay automatically controls the cutting in and out of the portion of resistance 29 between terminals 32 and 33. During the build-up period armature 34 is attractedJ to solenoid 35 thereby making contact with terminal 61. The armature being in electrical contact `with the relay coil current will then, o'w through the relay coil to terminal 62; contact point 61 to terminal 32 and thence to inlet 15'. .When the buildup period has progressed so that the internal resistance of the'water-cooled vlamp is high and the volt-age drop is correspond?L ingly greater, armature 34 will no longer4 be attracted by the relay coil and cont-act with connection 61 will be broken. The

* section of resistance 29 between terminals 32 yterminal of inlet cnnector 14 through the alternating current fuse 42 to primary wind- I ing 41 of the transformer, common terminal 25, a, portion of resistance elements 23 and 24, rheostat arm 28, knife switch 22 and return to the other terminal of the alternating thereto.

'current inlet -connector 14.

v The rectified. current iows lalternately'. from the two sides 4oi? the rectifier inthe manner described in my copending application referred to above, to terminal 55. The left-hand side of the rectifier circuit is' sufficiently illustrative and reference may be had The induced current flo-w is from lsecondary winding '53 to cathode 45 heated by the excitation winding 51. The elec- -tronic flow across the valve is to anode 47 and thencel to terminal 55, the current flow a being only in the one direction. Thence the circuit extends through fuse 5,6, reactance 57 and thence to terminal 37. 'The balance of the circuit is the sameas when a direct current lSource of supply is used with the exceptionof the addition of a portion of re sistance element `29 between terminals 31 and 32. The return of the rectified current is from terminal 31 through connector 54 to the common terminal connecting secondary windings 53 and 53l of the transformer'.

By' arranging the equipment and lcircuit connections so-that much of the apparatus serves whether the source is alternating or direct and the lamp is air cooled or water cooled; the weight of the completed unit is reduced to such an extent that it can readily be carried from place to place after.

the manner of an .ordinary suitcase.

Having thus illustrated and described an embodimentof my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a therapeutic appliance for the puri pose described, an inlet for alternating current, an inlet for direct current, a resistance element comprising a plurality of turns of resistance wire. 'and having one end c onnected to the direct current circuit andthe bther end connectedto the alternating current circuit and a regulator arm engaging said resistance and having a. connection to both the direct current and allgrnating current line, whereby ay portion of the resistance y 'is included in the direct current circuit and another' portion of said resistance in included in the alternating current'circuit.

2. In. a therapeutic appliance for the purpose described, separate inlets for alternating and ldirect current, a common resistance current, analternating current rectifier, an outlet for a water-cooled lamp, an outlet for an air-cooled lamp, and a connection from both the alternating and direct current sources to both of said outlets.

3. In a therapeuticappliance for the purpos described, inlets for both alternating ,having por'ftions thereof for each type ofi .and direct current, a circuit connected to each of said inlets, a compound switchv operating to open or close both of said circuits simultaneously, a rectifier including a transformer, having a primary and secondary winding, the primary winding included in the circuit connected with the alternating currentinlet, a resistance having` terminals at both ends thereof, an adjustable arm for contacting with 'varying portions of the resistance, the arm being connected in both: of said circuits and one of the.. terminals on the resistance connected to eachv of the cir-.

cuits whereby one portion of the resistance vis in'the direct current circuit and another portion of the resistance is in the alternating current circuit, a circuit for rectified current, including the secondary winding of the transformer, outlet for a Water-cooled lamp, outlet for an air cooled lamp, and connections from the direct current circuit and claim 3 in combination with an additional yresistance element, connections through diiferent portions of said element foreach of the circuits through the two outlets, and means for varying the amounto-f the resistance in one of the outlet 'circuits so that the resistance in t-he previously mentioned variable resistance element may be rduced 7. In a therapeutic appliance for the purpose described, inlets for both direct and alternating current, a variable resistance, a semi-fixed resistance, an outlet for a Watercooled lamp, an outlet for an air-cooled lamp, a circuit including the direct current inlet, the two lamp outlets and aportion of both of the resistance-s, an alternating curadjustable to various operating conditions by means of -a controlling knob of .easy access,- and the portion of the-semi-variable resistance in the varionscircuits may be set to suit different current supply conditions.

'9. In a therapeutic appliance for the purpose described,'a direct current circuit including a variable resistance, a reactance,l

an outlet for a water cooled lamp, an outlet for an air cooled'lamp and aseini-ixed resistance,V an alternating currenti circuit including a variable resistance common to the directcurrent circuit and a rectifier, and a rectified current circuit including the same reactance, water-cooled lam outlet,. aircooled lamp outlet, and semi'- ed resistance included in the said direct current circuit.

10. The therapeutic appliance defined in claim 9, including a relay commonto both the direct and rectified current circuits, and desi ed to control the portion of the semifixe resistance included inthe .water-cooled lamp circuit, the resistance being automatically increased when the internal resistance of the lamp has reached its operating value. In witnesswhereoffI hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of March, 1927.

WALTER HUDSON.

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