US2195554A

US2195554A - Medicament spraying means

Info

Publication number: US2195554A
Application number: US127667A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles S Beardsley
Original assignee: Miles Laboratories Inc
Current assignee: Bayer Corp
Priority date: 1937-02-25
Filing date: 1937-02-25
Publication date: 1940-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1957-04-02

Description

April 2, 1940. c. s. BEARDSLEY 2,195,554

MEDICAMENT SPRAYING MEANS Filed Feb. 25, 1937 Patented Apr. 2, 1940 MEDICAMENT SPRAYING MEANS Charles S. Beardsley, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Miles Laboratories, Inc., Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application February 25, 1937, Serial No. 127,667

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for spraying medicaments, and more particularly is directed to a dispenser or spraying apparatus for spraying medicaments of an effervescent character into the throat of a patient without the use of any manually operable pressure developing means. i

The familiar type of atomizer now in use for the treatment of nasal and throat disorders requires a bulb or the like for developing pressure to force the liquid through the atomizer and spray nozzle. It has also been customary, in the treatment of sore throats, throat infections and the like, to employ a solution for use as a gargle. While gargling is of some aid in such cases, the

throat is necessarily closed during gargling, and

hence the benefits of the treatment to a great extent are lost, since the solution does not contact the actual infection in the throat.

The present invention contemplates a spraying apparatus for spraying ,the throat, or other portions of the anatomy, with an effervescent solution wherein the pressure developed by the effervescence of the solution is employed to discharge the solution in spray form at the desired point. This overcomes the disadvantages of gargling, since the throat can be maintained open, and hence the spray can be applied to all portions of the infected area.

Another feature of the present invention is that the discharge of the spray can be controlled at the point of generation of the effervescing solution, and a slight pressure of the finger will control its discharge, thus eliminating the need of the usual type of bulb for developing the pressure, and also controlling the discharge of the spray. Such bulbs are usually made of rubber and are subject to rapid deterioration.

A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a spraying apparatus which can be held and operated by one hand, thereby eliminating the need for using both hands, which has formerly been necessary in connection with atomizers of the type with which I am familiar.

The invention is particularly applicable to the spraying of solutions of the type known commercially as Alka-Seltzer, in which an effervescible table is dropped into a liquidto produce an effervescing solution, and the invention contemplates the immediate sealing of this solution within a closed chamber controlled by a valve outlet, the valve being under control of the operator, whereby the pressure caused by effervescence will force. the liquid and aspirated'air out through the spray nozzle to the desired point of discharge.

The present invention constitutes a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 80,368, filed May 18, 1936, and is directed particularly to apparatus for carrying out the method claimed therein.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of'an embodiment of my invention; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Referring now in detail to the particular disclosure shown in the drawing, I have provided a bottle 50, which is formed of glass and which has quick detachable threads 52 at its upper end adapted to be engaged by the interiorly threaded flange 53 of a cap member indicated generally at 54., Suitable gasket means 55 is provided for sealing the threaded engagement between the cap member and the bottle.

The cap member 54 has a passageway 56 formed therein which is centered with respect to the flange 53, and which has 9. depending flange portion 51 adapted to receive the stem 58 ex-- tending into the interior of the bottle 50. The lower end of the stem 58 is provided with a screen 59.

Communicating with the upper end of the passageway 56 is a normally extending passageway 60, having an enlarged portion 62 extending outwardly or laterally of the cap member and terminating in an interiorly threaded portion 63 adapted to receive a discharge tip or nozzle member 64 threaded therein and provided with an axial bore 65 terminating in a reduced outlet port 66.

Engaging the shoulder formed between the "

passageways

60 and 62, I provide a ball member 61, which may be a stainless steel ball or the like, and which is normally adapted to close the passageway between the passages 60 and 62.- The ball 61 is normally held in closed position by a spring member 68 biased'at one end against the inner face ofthe nozzle 64, .and engaging the ball member at its opposite end for normally urging the ball member into valve closing position.

ally extending portion 63 of the cap member 54 is a coaxial recess 10, adapted to receive a bushing member 12 threaded into the outer end thereof and serving as a bearing for a valve stem member 13. The valve stem member 13 is provided at its outer end with a threaded nut or button member 14, facilitating its engagement by the thumb of the operator, and intermediate its ends is provided with the collar portion I5 which engages a suitable'shoulder formed on the interior ofthe bushing 12 to limit outward movement of the stem 13. The stem 13 is provided with successively reduced portions 16 and 11, the portion 11 being provided with a concave end surface adapted to engage the external surface of the ball member 61.

Between the passageway 60 and the passageway the cap member is provided with an internal shoulder 18, serving as a partial guide for the stem member 13 and also serving as a retaining shoulder for packing 19 carried in the annular portion of the recess 10 about the valve stem 13 between the inner end of the bushing 12 and the shoulder 18.

This packing serves to seal the valve stem against leakage of pressure therepast outwardly through the bushing 12, the bushing 12 being threaded into the recess I0 to compress the packing about the external surface of the valve stem I3. The shoulder formed between the stem member 13 and the reduced portion 16 is adapted to engage the shoulder 18 for limiting the inward movement of the stem member 13, and consequently limiting the movement of the ball member 61 away from the shoulder between

passages

60 and 62.

It should be noted that the ball member 81 is of smaller diameter than the passageway 62, so

that the solution under pressure being discharged from the interior of the bottle through the stem 58 and past the valve seat will flow past the ball member 61 and into the bore 65 of the discharge tip 64. Adjacent the discharge port. 66, and mounted in the tip in the bore 65, is a spray forming member 80 having a double-threaded opening therepast, whereby the soliuzion passing through the bore 65 is given a whirling action which serves to intermix the solution so that it is discharged from the port 66 in a substantially homogeneous form. A suitable aspirating port 82, is provided for allowing air to contac with the eflervescing solution in order to' asp ate'the same and produce an atomizing spray as the solution leaves the discharge port 66.

As a typical example of the manner in which the apparatus disclosed in the instant application operates, I may provide, in a bottle ofthe size in which Alka-Seltzer tablets are commonly sold, about one and one-half inches of water, into which is dropped one tablet of this efiervescible medicament. The bottle 5. is then immediately sealed to the cap member 54. and with this type of solution a pressure is generated within the bottle of approximately two pounds gauge. This pressure is sumcient to be retained by the bottle, and consequently the solution will only be discharged when the plunger or valve stem 13 is forced inwardly to displace the ball valve 61 from its seat. However, if a greater pressure is developed, the strength of thespring member GI is so calibrated with respect to the area of the ball member 61 exposed in the passageway 80 that the ball member wil be forced from its seat by any pressure above the predetermined 2,195,564 Disposed diametrically opposite from the latermaximum, and consequently constitute a safety valve release for the structure, preventing. the breakage of the bottle in cases where -a glass bottle is used and pressures are developed greater than the bottle is capable of holding.

It is therefore believed apparent that I have provided a construction for carrying out the particular object of the present invention which is made of relatively few parts, which can be easily machined and which can be readily assembled for use. The cap member with its component parts per se can form an attachment for any desired type of medicament dispensing bottle, and can be used over and over again with the same or other bottles of the same type. H

I am aware that various changes may be made in the details of construction and design of the component parts of the present invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown and described, but only insofar as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture for use in spraying medicament solutions comprising a cap member adapted to be detachably secured over the open end of a bottle and having sealing engagement therewith, conduit means carried by said cap member and extending down to a point adjacent the opposite end of the bottle, a valve stem carried by said cap member and extending nor? mal to said conduit means, a ball valve member in said cap member engaged by said valve stem, spring means normally holding said valve member in valve closed position, said ball valve member being so disposed in said cap member as to be urged to the valve open position by pressure within said bottle whereby said pressure is prevented from exceeding a predetermined value, a discharge tip carried by-said cap member and coaxially aligned with said valve stem upon the opposite side of said ball valve member, and means on said stem member engaging said ball valve member for moving the same against the pressure of said spring to open the passageway between said conduit means and said discharge tip.

2. Spraying apparatus comprising, in combination, a glass container for holding the liquid to be sprayed under pressure, a spray head on said glass container, a conduit extending downwardly from said spray head below the level of the liquid in said container, there being a passageway between the space above the liquid and said conduit to permit flow of gas from said space into the liquid flowing out of said conduit, a manually'operable ball valve in said spray head, spray discharge means in said spray head, there being a passageway between said conduit and said spray discharge means controlled by said valve, said valve being arranged and adapted to be urged to the open position by the pressure in said glass container whereby the pressure therein is prevented from reaching a value suflicient to burst the same, and spring means biasing said valve to the closed position.

3. Spraying apparatus comprising,'in combination, a frangible tubular container closed at one end and open at the other for holding under pressure the liquid to be sprayed, a cap member detachably mounted on and sealed to the open end of said container, a conduit carried by said cap member and extending downwardly therefrom below the level of the liquid in said container and opening into a passageway in said cap member extending normally thereto with a shoulder at one end forming a sharp-edged valve seat, a ball valve member at said one end of said passageway adapted to have line contact with said sharpedged valve seat, spring means biasing said ball valve member into line contact engagement with said sharp-edged valve seat, a valve stem carried by said cap member and extending normally to said conduit for engaging said ball valve member to move the same to the open position, and a discharge tip carried by said cap member in a position coaxial with said valve stem and on the opposite side of said valve member, said ball valve member being arranged and adapted to be urged to the open position against the biasing force of said spring means by the pressure in said frangible container whereby the pressure therein is self-limiting.

CHARLES S. BEARDSLEY.