US1752903A - Needle drier - Google Patents

Description

April I, 1930. P. w FLAGGE NEEDLE DRIER Filed May 3, 1929 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 PATET oFFicE um-TEosTArEs PHILIP WESLEY FLAGGE, OF HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA nnnnrn DRIER Application filed May 3, 1929. Serial No. 360,230..

This invention relates to needle driers and more particularly to driers for hypodermic needles, syringe nozzles or other tubular instruments having sockets for attachment to other parts of surgical devices;

It is well known that in the process of cleaning and sterilizing these instruments, a portion of the water or cleaning. solution is retained in the inner end of the socket behind the shoulder which connects the inner wall of the socket with the bore of the instrument. By the'use of any form of drying device which directs the air or other drying fluid only through the bore of the instrument it is impossible to remove this entrapped moisture.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide means whereby the entire interior of such an instrument may be dried easily and efliciently.

The present invention contemplates. the

provision of a pneumatic drier having a nipple adapted to be inserted in the hub socket of a hypodermic needleor other in strument, said nipple being provided with grooves in its outer surface'. These grooves form channels between the inner walls of the needle socket and the nipple, through which the entrapped moisture may be expelled by the air blast during operation of the drier.

The grooves'may be cut in any desired pattern provided only that they connect the space between the end ofthe nipple and the internal shoulder of the needle'with the outside air. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, some of the grooves are shown parallel to the bore of the instrument and others diagonal, but it is obvious that theuse of curved, s iral or irregularly shaped grooves woul be within the purview of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the drier in the most effective drying position, with a needle applied; v i v Figure 2 is an elongated view of the drier witih a portion of a needle shown in section; an

Figure 3 is, a horizontal, cross sectional view taken on line 83 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the needle drier is designated generally by the numeral 10. This drier comprises the bulb 11, constructed preferably of rubber, and the plug 12, having a nipple 18 formed integrally or otherwise attached at its outer end. The inner end of this plug 12 is adapted to be inserted in the bulb 11, and to prevent too easy removal therefrom is formed with a series of stepped shoulders 14. This plug is also furnished with an enlarged knurled portion 15 which provides a convenient part by. which the drier may be grasped by the fingers of the operator in applying and removing the needle or inserting the plug 12 into or withdrawing it from 70 the bulb 11. The plug 12 has. an axial bore 16 for the passage of air to and from the bulb during the drying operation. The outer surface 17 of the nipple 13 is nearly cylindrical but tapers very slightly from its largest diameter nearest the knurled portion 15 to its smallest diameter at its outer end.

This construction permits a tight wedging fit of the nipple into the socket of the instrument to be dried. This surface 17 of the nipple is provided with grooves 18 cut therein and passing from one end to the other of the nipple. Grooves 18 may be of any desired shape and may be arranged in any desired relation one to the other. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings in Figure 3, the grooves 18 have a semi-cylindrical cross section, and from inspection of Figure 2 it will be seen that they are positioned with two crossed grooves -in'alternation with one straight groove parallel to the axis of the nipple, the ends of the crossed grooves coinciding with the ends of the parallel grooves as at 19.

In the drawing, the instrument to be dried is shown as an ordinary hypodermic needle 20 having a body 21, point 22, bore 23,-and hub 24. Within the hub 24 is the socket 25, the wall 26 of which is slightly tapered and is connected to the bore 23 by the shoulder 27.

It is behind this shoulder 27 that a portion of the water or cleaning solution lodges during the cleaning process and remains during.

nipple from entering the socket as far as the shoulder 27. In this positionithe grooves 18 a form return passageways betweenthe wall 26 of the socket and the nipple 13-for the portion of the stream of air or other drying fluid which impinges against the shoulder27. In this manner all i of. the entrapped moisture in the socket of the needle, especially that .which lodges behind the shoulder 2'? is removed. .It will be seen that in effect the blast of air from the bulb 11 upon its emergence from the bore 16 of the; nipple is divided, one portion passing-through the bore 23 of the needle as in the ordinary drying process, and another portion strikingthe shoulder 27 and being thus directed downwardly through the passages formed by grooves 18 and the wall 26 of the socket, thus thoroughly drying theinterior of. the needle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredtolbe secured by Letters. Patent is: I

luA; drier for tubular instruments,.-con1- prising. means for passing the dryingfluid from the interior of said tubular instruments out through both ends thereof. 1

l 2; l A drier for tubular instruments having an internalshoulder, comprising means, for directing the drying fluid against said shoulder andmeans whereby said fluid may leave said instrument through both ends of said instruinent. p V

f: 3. A drier for tubular surgical instruments, each having a bore, (a: hub and an, internal shoulder, said drier comprising neans for directingva stream of drying ,fluid'through such instrument, and means for dividing said stream so that one part of it is directed through said bore and another part directed against .said shoulder and from; thence throu h said hub.

at. drierfor tubular instruments, comprising a bulb and a nipple, said nipple having a grooved exterior surface.

5. .A' drier for tubular instruments, comprisin g a bulb formedof flexible material and a nipple extending from said bulb and adapted to enter one end of said instrument, said nipple having grooves in its exterior surface.

6. A drier for tubular instruments, having bores of different diameters and a shoulder atthe junctionlof said bores, said drier ineluding a nipple adapted to enter the larger of said bores and to direct a stream of dryingflfluid into said bores and against said shoulder, grooves on the outer surface of said nipple adapted to provide return passageways for the fluid which impinges upon said shoulder, whereby the retention of moisture behind .said shoulder is prevented.

7 ;jrA drier forga hypodermic needle having a hollow hub portion, a narrow bore and a shoulder at the junction of the interior wall of.saidlhublportioniand saidbore, said drier comprising a rubber bulb provided with a nipple,- said nipple adapted to enter the hub portion of said needle and to direct streams of 'air through said bore and against said shoulders,saido nipple mlso Hbeing, provided with grooves ,in; its-.enterion surface ,whereby an exitisprovided for the stream of air which impinges against said shoulder, together with any moisture,entrapped-behind said -shouler. a I

. 8.; ,Aidltier forrtubular instruments com risinganeans entering said instruments for-passing I a drying, fluid therethrongh, and, means providing return; passageways; for, a portion of said fluid; between. ,thewalls of said first mentioned means and. said instrument.

a 9; r A drier for a hypodermic needle having .a. slightly tapered: socket, ,a correspondingly tapered nipple adapted, to ,fit tightly; within said socke'twith its forward end spaced from the inner endiofthesocket,said nipple being providedtwith grooves in it exterior surface, affording vents for, the. space between the inner end of said socketand the'vforward end of said nipple.

10. A [device for directing, a" fluid, current through a hypodermic needle having a socket, a fine bore,.and a shoulder atIthe inner .end

of'saidsocket, which comprisesa bulb and a nipple, saidwnip'ple adapted tofit tightly W hin-said, sock tuwith itsendyspa ed from said shoulder and? being ,prdvi'ded with grooves in its outer surface whereby return passageways are; provided betweenlsaid nipple and. said socket for f the. venting of said fluid currenttoggtherwith. any entrained moisture orother foreign matter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

PHILIP WESLEY FLAGGE.

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