US2062029A

US2062029A - Mounting for amblyoscopes

Info

Publication number: US2062029A
Application number: US17668A
Authority: US
Inventors: Guy A Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-04-22
Filing date: 1935-04-22
Publication date: 1936-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1953-11-24

Description

Nov. 24, 1936. G. A. HUNT MOUNTING FOR AMBLYOSGOPES Filed April 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Nov. 24, 1936.

G. A. HUNT MOUNTING FOR AMBLYOSCOPES Filed April 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORY Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to amblyoscopes and the like, and particularly to mountings or supports therefor.

In amblyoscope structures as commonly built,

5 the tubes are connected to bracket plates of generally segmental form which plates are in turn pivotally connected to one another so that the tubes can be angularly adjusted with respect to one another, the instrument being held in the hands of the patient somewhat after the manner in which binoculars or opera glasses are held, In the case of patients who are being treated for crossed eyes, for example, the tubes have to be very accurately adjusted relative to one another in order to have proper positions with respect to the lines of vision, and as the instruments are of considerable weight, they are too cumbersome, especially for a child, and it is a strain on the patient to hold them and to move them into the exactly correct position.

One object of my invention is to provide a support for instruments of the character referred to, together with means for adjusting the tubes relative to the support, and relatively to one another.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved holder for cards or transparencies employed with instruments of this character.

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of an amblyoscope and showing the application of my invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the structure of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a, view taken on the line VV of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view showing a modification of the structure of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a modification of the structure of Figs. 1 to 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, the amblyoscope itself which may be of a somewhat common type, comprises a pair of sighting tubes each having a distal portion l5 and a proximal portion II. Mirrors or reflecting plates l2 are positioned in the angles formed by the tube portions l and l l so as to receive the projected images or characters. The outer end of each tube carries a bracket l3 that serves to support a lamp casing M, The brackets 13 are provided with vertical grooves l that serve as slideways for transparencies such as celluloid cards it or the like, through which the light is transmitted, so that the images or characters on the card will be shown on the mirrors [2. The patient, by placing his eyes in front of the tube portions H, will view the images on the mirrors I2, as in the case of a stereoscope.

In order to adjust the tubes so that the projected images on the mirrors I2 will match or coincide with one another to a desired degree and in accordance with the angular lines of vision of a cross-eyed person, the tubes are adjustable relative to one another, and this adjustment is effected by means of two plates I1 and I8, the plate I8 being connected to one tube, and the plate I! to the other tube.

Heretofore, the plates have been pivotally connected together near their rear edges by a bolt; Connection between the plate I! and one of the tubes is by means of a pivot 19. An adjusting rod or bolt 20 is pivotally connected to the plate I! and extends through a U-shaped bracket 2| upon which the pivotally-mounted tube is supported. An adjusting nut 22 is rotatably supported in the bracket 2| and has threaded engagement with the rod 20, so that when the extended portion 23 of the nut is turned, the bracket 2| will be raised or lowered, carrying with it the associated tube, whereby the tubes can also be adjusted relative to one another in vertical directions.

The members thus far described are well-known in the art and do not in themselves constitute a part of this invention. One improvement which I have incorporated in the structure shown in the drawings consists of a card ejector 25, which is shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5, and consists of a sheet metal plate angularly bent at its upper edge, so that the reduced ends of its horizontal portion will extend into the vertical slots or guideways 15. The depending wing-like portion 26 of the ejector plate is provided with a slot through which extends a pin 2'! that is usually provided for the purpose of supporting the cards l6 at their lower edges. The plate 25 can therefore be given vertical movement with respect to the frame l3 and the pin 21, and is raised to push the cards It upwardly some distance from the frame, Where it can be conveniently grasped by the operator and removed.

In addition to the usual pin 21, I prefer to provide additional pins 28 that will hold the plate 25 in a horizontal position. The

pins

21 and 28, of course, all extend through the lower portion of the frame it. Since the plate 25 is usually formed of light sheet metal, it may be desired to increase the weight of the same by applying a knob or ball of metal 29 thereto, so that the plate will readily return to its seat upon the pins after it has been raised.

Other features of my invention will now be described, such features consisting of an improved supporting means, and also of means for adjusting the amblyoscope tubes in vertical and horizontal directions. The main support consists of a base plate 3| and a tubular column 32. A post 33 extends into the column 32 and is provided with a longitudinally-extending slot 34 into which the inner end of a set screw 35 extends. The set screw 35 extends through and has threaded engagement with the wall of the column 32. It will be seen that the post 33 can be set at any desired vertical position and retained there by the screw 35. A cushioning spring 36 is placed in the lower portion of the column 32 to prevent excessive jar to the instrument if the screw 35' becomes loosened to such an extent as to allowthe instrument and the post to move down suddenly. While the upper end of the post 33 could be made straight, I prefer to bend the same, has shown more clearly in Fig. 2, so that a'person can more conveniently look into the instrument. The upperbent end of the post 33 extends through the plates l1 and I8, and serves as a pivot pin therefor.

Nuts

31 and 38 have threaded engagement with the upper end of the post, to hold'the' plates H and I8 in place, and in some instances it may be desired to employ the nut 3! as a jam nut.

' In order to adjust the tubes relative to one another about the post 33 as an axis, I provide handles 40 that are of tubular form and have elongable or telescopic engagement with guide rods4l, The guide rods 4| have ball and socket engagement with the base plate 3|. This universal connection is effected by drilling holes through the base, with the upper ends of the holes of reduced'diameter. The rods 4| are then pushed upwardly through the holes and the lower ends of the holes then filled to prevent the enlarged lower ends ofthe rods from falling out of the holes The handles 40' have universal joint connection with clamping yokes or brackets 42 that are clamped around the amblyoscope tubes. The extremities of the clamps 42 are recessed on their inner faces to receive ball-like extensions 43 formed on theupper ends of the handles 40, thereby providing desired flexible or universal joint connection between the

parts

40 and 42.

The apparatus can be placed on a table with the patient seated in front of the same, whereupon the patientmay grasp the handles 40 and while looking into the tubes shift the tubes until the mirrors |2 are so positioned relative to one another that there will be proper conformation of the images in said mirrors.

By supporting the handles 40 at their upper and lower ends, the adjustments referred to can be very conveniently and easily made and without excessive binding of the movable parts upon one another; V 7

It will be seen that if for example, the handles 40 were unsupported at their lower ends, movement of the same for the purpose of adjusting the tubes would sometimes cause a twisting action to be exerted on the tubes thatwould bind them in their supports;

Referring now to Fig. 6, I show another means for ejecting the cards |6 from the holder. Such means consists of a pair of plates 45 that are angularly bent at their upper ends and extend into the'vertical slots 46 in the card holder. At intermediate portions, the plates 45 are pivotally supported on a pin 41 that extends through the card frame. The plates 45 are weighted as indicated at 48, and the lower ends of the slots 46 are closed in any suitable manner to prevent the weighted ends of the plates from moving too far downwardly. In order to eject a card from the slideways 46, the lower ends 49 of the plates 45 are pushed together by the fingers of the operator, thereby raising the extremities of the plates in the slots 46 and pushing the card upwardly.

Referring now to Fig. 7, I show a structure wherein handles of a different form than the handles 40 areemployed but which structure may be otherwise of substantially the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5. In this arrangement, clamping yokes 5| and 52 firmly engage the amblyoscope tubes. Handles 53 and 54 are connected at their upper ends tothe clamps 5| and 52, respectively.

At its lower end, the handle 53 is rigidly connected to a collar 55 that may have anti-friction bearings in its inner surface for engagement with a column 3211, so that the collar 55 may be moved freely on the column not only in a vertical direction but rotatably;

The lower end of the handle 54 is connected through a coil spring 56 with a collar 51 that is rigidly secured to the column 32a. The spring 56- will permit vertical movement of the handle 54' relative to the column, as, for example, when the post 3311 is raised and lowered; and will also permit the upper end of the handle to be swung in a horizontal direction or inclined direction, when adjusting the tubes about the axis of the post 33a; and will also permit the bracket 2| to be raised or lowered for adjustment of the associated tube in vertical directions.

It is not essential that the handles 53 and 54 be connected to the column 32a, and I contemplate also the use of handles extending downwardly from the tubes in convenient positions at opposite sides of the column, where they can be readily grasped by the user and employed to effect adjustments of the tubes.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a support, means for pivotally connecting each tube to the support, a pair of handles each of which is connected at one end to one of the tubes, and elongable connecting means joining the other end of each handle and the support and being pivotally movable on the support, which permits limited movements of the handles relative to the support.

2. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a support, means for pivotally connecting one tube to the support, a handle connected at one end to the last-mentioned tube, and elongable connecting means joining the other end of the handle and the support and being pivotally movable on the support, which permits limited movements of said handle relative to the support.

3. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a support, a post vertically adjustable on the support, means for connecting the tubes to said post for adjustment relative to one another about the post as an axis, a handle connected at one of its ends to one of the tubes, and elongable means joining the other end of said handle and the support and being pivotally movable on the support, which permits limited movements of the handle relative to the support in vertical and horizontal directions.

4. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a support, means for pivotally connecting each tube to the support, a pair of handles each pivotally connected at one of its ends to one of the tubes, and a connecting device between each handle and the support, comprising a member having mm.

scopic engagement with the handle and pivotal connection with the support.

5. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a support, a rod having telescopic connection with the said support, means for pivotally connecting the tubes to the rod, a pair of handles each of which has a universal joint connection at its upper end with one of the tubes, and connecting devices each having universal connection at one end with the support, and at its other end having telescopic connection with one of the said handles.

6. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a vertically-extending support, means for pivotally connecting the inner end of each tube to an upper portion of the support, and an extensible handle device flexibly connected at its ends to the outer end of each tube and to a lower portion of the support.

7. A mounting for amblyoscope tubes, comprising a vertically-extending support, means for pivotally connecting the inner end of each tube to an upper portion of the support, on an inclined axis, and an extensible handle device flexibly connected at its ends to the outer end of each tube and to a lower portion of the support.

GUY A. HUNT.