US2308497A - Suction pump - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1943.

W. A. D UNHAM SUCTION PUMP Filed May 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inven'i'or Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNETED STATES PATENT (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

This invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to suction pumps, but more particularly to a valvular system for liquid operated devices for creating a partial vacuum, such as are used by surgeons to effect the drainage of various organs of the human body, and for similar purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the class described by which a continuous substantially uniform vacuum may be obtained which may be controlled and maintained at a degree suitable for the desired purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum creating apparatus of the class described which is automatic in operation, sturdy and economical in construction, and easily operated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described provided with a valvular system in which no mechanical operating parts are used, which might develop defects due to friction and wear, one in which no adjustments are required, and which may be constructed from readily obtainable and economical materials.

Referring to the figures in which like parts are indicated by similar reference characters:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the rotatable frame and an upper portion of the base of 5 the apparatus, partially sectionized to illustrate structural details;

Fig. 3 is a sectionized view showing containers and the communicating drain tube through which water flows by gravity from one jar to the other;

Fig. 4 is a sectionized view showing containers and the communicating suction tube with mercury check valve adapted to prevent intake air from entering the lower container; and

Fig. .5 is a sectionized view showing containers and the communicating vent tube with air vent check valve adapted to prevent escaping air from the lower container from entering the upper container.

Briefly stated, the invention relates to a valvular system of a gravity actuated vacuum apparatus generally termed a Waggensteen by the medical profession. The "Waggensteen consists primarily of two containers provided with communicating tubular conduits. The containers are usually glass jars, one of which is suspended above the other in such a manner that the first upper jar being filled with water, will drain into the lower jar, and both of them together with their tubular connections are so arranged and. rotatably supported that their respective position of one above the other can be reversed at will. The water being drained out of the upper jar creates a partial vacuum therein, which may be used for any suitable purpose. The positions of the two jars may be reversed immediately before the upper jar has completely emptied'into the lower, thereby effecting an almost continuous suction.

The valvular system set forth herein is so constructed and arranged that when the positions of the two jars are reversed the valves will permit the air under pressure in the lower jar, caused by the ingress of water from the upper jar, to escape into the atmosphere and thus prevent it from entering the upper jar, and thus avoid a decrease in the partial vacuum created therein. The valvular system is also arranged so that the suction, of the intake pipe to the vacuum forming bottle or container, will be substantially continuous and uniform.

lhe apparatus comprises a supporting member l8 which is formed with a base I I, a standard [2 mounted on said base having forked upright tubular members l3 and It and a shaft or axle 14 which bridges the upper extremity of said tubular members l3 and I 3'. v

Upon the axle M is rotatably mounted a rectanglar frame 15 comprising two lateral tubular members I6 and it connected at either end to circular baseplates I! and H, which are spaced suiiiciently from two annular cross members l8 and I8 to retain therebetween the containers I9 and I9, as shown in Fig. l. The bottoms of the containers, which are shown as bottles in the illustrations, are placed adjacent the base plates I! and I1 and the necks thereof allowed to protrude through the central openings 29 and 20 within the annular cross members l8 and I8.

The containers or bottles are preferably of the ype used in chemical or clinical laboratories, and are provided with rubber stoppers 2| andZl' which may be punched out for the reception of glass tubes.

To the circular base members are attached lateral retaining members 22 and 22' which hold the containers or bottles more rigidly within the pivotally mounted frame.

The bottles are connected by three tubes 23, 24

and 25, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and illustrated separately in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Referring to the latter figures which more clearly illustrate the construction of each tubular connection it will be noted from Fig. 3 that the tube 23 forms a straight tubular passage between the bottles [9 and [9' which terminates at the inner surfaces of the stoppers 2| and 2 I and is provided at its central portion with a valve 26. This tube is adapted to drain liquid from the bottle which is in an upper position to the bottle which is in a lower position, depending on the position into which the rectangular frame is turned.

The tube 24 illustrated in Fig. 4 is the vacuum tube through which air is drawn into the upper container as the liquid therein drains through tube 23 into the lower container. This tube extends from a location adjacent the bottom 21 of the upper container to a similar location in the other bottle and is provided with a central loop 28, to the center of which is connected a tube 29. The tube 29 is the suction intake tube of the apparatus and may be connected to a receiver or container 39 to which is attached a tube 3| provided with an end piece (not shown) adapted to be applied to the patient. The latter bottle or receiver 30 functions as a trap for any liquid or foreign matter which might pass through the tube 3|.

The central loop 28 is formed with 8 sections 32 and 32' on either side of the central tubular connection 33. Sufiicient mercury 34 is retained within the lower loop 32' to form a seal in order to prevent the passage of air to the lower bottle l9. When the bottles are reversed in position, the mercury will descend to the opposite loop 32 which will then be in a lowermost position.

The tube 25 illustrated in Fig. 5 extends from a point adjacent the inner surface of the stopper 2| of the upper bottle l9 to a similar position with respect to the stopper 2 l of the lower bottle [9' and is formed with a central loop 35 which makes a complete turn in the tube forming U shaped sections 36 and 36' on either side of a centrally connected tube 31 which leads to the stopper 38 of another container 39 which receives air expelled from the lower container I9.

The lower U section 35' of the tube 25 is partially filled with mercury 39 to prevent air expelled from the lower bottle H! from passing to the upper bottle and to thus direct its path through the upper loop 35 and through the centrally attached tube 31 to the container 39. When the jars l9 and l9 are reversed, the mercury in the loop 36' passes into loop 36 which then is in a lower position, and the mercury which is now in loop 36 seals the tube to prevent air being expelled from the lower jar 19 from entering the upper jar IS.

A stop member 4! consisting of a cord or bar extending between the forked tubular members l3 and I3 functions to limit the rotative angle through which the frame !5 and containers i9 and I9 attached thereto may be turned to thereby prevent the mercury in the loop 34 from passing into tube 24 and the mercury in loop 43 from passing into the tubes 25 and 25'.

The frame 15 is held in either of its upright positions so that the upper container may drain into the lower container by a clamp 42 which is attached to the tubular member l3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the operation of the device the upper container I9 is filled with water and-the valve 26 adjusted to allow it to drain at a desired rate of ing air passes through tube 29 fiow through the tube 23 into the lower con tainer l9.

By thus emptying the upper container a regulated negative pressure is created therein which effects the flow of air through the tube 3| to container or trap 30. From container 30 the incomto the upper S shaped section 32 of loop 28, passage through the lower 8 shaped section 32 being prevented by the mercury seal 34. From section 32 the intake air passes to tube 24 from which it enters the upper container l9 to replace outgoing water which is draining into the lower container l9.

As water from the upper container l9 drains into the lower container l9 it expels the air above it through tube 25 and loop 36, passage to the lower loop 36' being prevented by the mercury seal 40. From the loop 36 the expelled air passes to the centrally connected tube 31 and from tube 31 to the container 33, or may be allowed to pass from tube 31 directly into the atmosphere.

With the partial rotation of the frame l5 so that the relative positions of the containers is reversed, the apparatus continues to function in the same manner as explained above,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A vacuum pump comprising a support, a frame pivotally mounted on said support; diametrically opposed containers attached to either end of said frame and adapted to be alternately disposed in upper and lower positions, a liquid in the uppermost container, a drainage tube provided with a regulating valve communicating with the adjacent ends of said containers, adapted to drain the upper container into the lower container, a vacuum tube extending into the interior of each container and provided with two 8 shaped traps on either side of a centrally connected conduit one of said traps being partially filled with a column of mercury adapted to flow to the lower of said traps upon the reversal of the relative positions of the containers whereby a single column of mercury serves to alternately seal said traps as the positions of the containers are reversed, and an air expelling tube extending to the adjacent ends of said containers and provided with two U shaped curves on either side of a centrally connected conduit adapted to form a mercury seal whereby air expelled from the lower container is prevented from passing to the other container and is expelled through the centrally connected conduit.

2. A vacuum pump comprising a support, a frame pivotally mounted on said support and a stop member attached to said support, adapted to limit the pivotal movement of said frame; diametrically opposed containers attached to either end of said frame and adapted to be alternately disposed in upper and lower positions, a liquid in the uppermost container, a drainage tube provided with a regulating valve communicating with the adjacent ends of said containers, adapted to drain the upper container into the lower container, a vacuum tube extending into the interior of each container and provided with two 8 shaped traps on either side of a centrally connected conduit one of said traps being filled with a column of mercury adapted to flow to the lower of said traps upon the reversal of the relative positions of the containers whereby a single column of mercury serves to alternately seal said traps as the positions of the containers are reversed, and an air expelling tube extending to the adjacent ends of said containers and provided with two U shaped curves on either side of a centrally connected conduit adapted to form a mercury seal whereby air expelled from the lower container is prevented from passing to the other container and is expelled through the centrally connected conduit.

3. A vacuum pump comprising a support, a frame pivotally mounted upon said support, opposed containers mounted upon the frame, and having upper and lower positions, said frame being rotatable to effect reversal of the positions of said containers, a liquid in the uppermost container, a drainage tube communicating with the adjacent ends of said containers and adapted to drain the contents of the uppermost into the lowermost container; an intake tube extending into the interior of each container, a pair of complemental S traps each including parallel leg portions and an intermediate curve portion, one

of the legs of each trap communicating with a common suction conduit, the remaining legs of the traps being in communication with the intake tubes of the respective containers, a column of mercury in one of said traps movable under the action of gravity from one trap to the complemental trap when the positions of the containers are reversed whereby to alternately function as a seal for the respective traps, and permit intake air to the uppermost container only; air expelling tubes extending from the adjacent ends of the containers and connected with a loop comprising oppositely disposed U shaped tubes forming traps connected centrally with an exhaust conduit, 2. column of mercury within said tubes movable under the action of gravity from one U tube to the other to alternately function as a seal for the respective traps, and permit air to be expelled from only the lower container.

4. A vacuum pump comprising a support, a frame pivotally mounted upon said support, opposed containers mounted upon the frame, and having upper and lower positions, said frame being rotatable to effect reversal of the positions of said containers, a liquid in the uppermost container, a valve-controlled drainage tube communicating with the adjacent ends of said containers adapted to drain the contents of the uppermost into the lowermost container; an intake tube extending into the interior of each container, a pair of complemental S traps each including parallel leg portions and an intermediate curve portion, one of the legs of each trap being in communication with each other and with the end of a suction conduit, the remaining legs of the traps being in communication with the intake tubes of the respective containers, a column of mercury in one of said traps movable under the action of gravity from one trap to the other when the positions of the containers are reversed whereby to alternately function as a seal for the respective traps, and permit intake air to the uppermost container only; air expelling tubes extending from the adjacent ends of the containers and connected with a loop comprising oppositely disposed U shaped tubes forming traps connected centrally with an exhaust conduit, a column of mercury within said tubes movable under the action of gravity from one U tube to the other to alternately function as a seal for the respective traps, and permit air to be expelled from only the lower container.

WALTER A. DUNHAM.

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