US2539900A

US2539900A - Incubator

Info

Publication number: US2539900A
Application number: US705935A
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthew J Duffy
Original assignee: HANDI PREMATURE CARRIER COMPAN
Current assignee: HANDI PREMATURE CARRIER COMPAN; HANDI-PREMATURE CARRIER Co
Priority date: 1946-10-26
Filing date: 1946-10-26
Publication date: 1951-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-30

Description

Jan 30, 1951 M J, DUFFY 2,539,900

INCUBATOR Filed Oct. 26, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 30, 1951 M. J. DUFFY 2,539,900

M. J. DUFFY Jan. 30, 1951 INCUBATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 26, 1946 M. J. DUFFY Jan. 30, 1951 INCUBATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 26, 1946 O O O mh oobooo VOO patentedA `an. 30,l 1951 ".Matthew J :f1-Duffy; Chicago,l1ll. assi'gnr gto .Han-i dif-'Premature Carrier Company, Ghicago; Ill'ya -feopai'tnership Applicationictober 26, 1946;- SerialNo'."705;935

' This 'invention relates to "incubatorsgl and-more :particularly to incubators off the typeaespecially 'l adaptedto be usedin the Careof-prematurefin- "fanta f As isc0mmonlyknotvnpnew bor-n' infants; and w especially those prematurely born,areioften=so -fral andweak that special caremust'beused to insure Athat proper-temperatures L of 'the Y ainsrri rounding them -beo maintained Y Wthin'i-rela-tively 4narrow limits; and l to insure that vvthe infantbe "protected fromffdrafts. To this-end, hospitals fand like institutions;v have-heretofore employed "specially-'- air-conditioned roo-msiand *incubatore The air-conditioned-rooms have the disadvantage,

of course, among-others,'-'o`f being immovable.from

a fixed location;and-theincubatorsheretofore known,A some -of Which have been-portable or "semi-portable; havey thedisadvantage-bf tbring r.complex in -structureriand-operat-ion. Iteisthe tprimary object of Vmy invention4 to'4 provide an `improvedincubator, especiallyl adapted 'or Jthe care of premature infants, which is-sae"and-"ief cient in use,v andwhich is sim'pleboth inconstruction and operation.

lIt has oftenbeen"found that when infants* have been born in privateY hornesg-orinA other places away "fromalsuitably equippedJ hospital'j'that the fiinfantlmustberushed immediately aiterbirth to f 'a'h'ospital for proper-'care and #treatment This "fis*especially-"trueinithe casebf infants born prematurely. f Un6rtunately,' the "period immedi- 'atelyffollotviing'VVV ithe'lbirth-of 'an-infant andres- -p'ecially "aiepreme-ture'n infant, :is' one ,of thamost f-critical ftimesi-iin ithefiproperprotectiono'the .flample; beingcuinb'ersome to handle `Jr-fuseycom- .cplicatedrn i construction A:andlsoperation; delicate in'construction otlrat they areseasily brkeneor '1 :thrown out. adiustmentorfineilicient aidunstruct an incubators-forfinfants?which:is compact.

Vvlight iin- Weights-easily! hardleda simple to Operate? simpleinconstructionand :eicientlrandireli'ablerinL operation.

`=It1is=afurther objecti of-my inventionitoiprovide an incubator for infants Whichicanibefusediiefa fi'eiently eitherias-v aistationaryl or portable/unit.

1 handledilan'd-fmanually:transported-tlby one:

tendant, while an Ainfant :is inv-inc'ubatingiposition within the incubator.

Another fobject ot'myinvention isT-to 'construct anelectrically!h'eatedfincubatorforfinfantswhich cani be operated: fromfftho f usual 1 `electric 4power 'electric `power source-fin ambulance or. thelike.

ifYet. a" further lfobjectffotV myA 'invention -1- is tomo pla'eed therein; can beadequately protected'fro'm :l draf-ts.

f Another object-'ofmy invention is to-const`ruct anincubator forinfants'Vinil such amanner that,

` if so desired;thelspacewthinfwhich 'anlinfart-lis -placed may -be illuminated by diffusedllilghtefrom the normal operationl-ofi-tn heatingi devices ffor the incubator.

Because offitheir frailty;prematurely4 born inan'ls and sickor ailing infants- Otten-haveniculty in breathing sucient air tosustainlife; and

-breathing-oxygenmust be supplied to themfThe supplying of oxygenfto infants isl often adi-fclt VVproblem, especiallywhenfit is-necessary-toitransport the infant toa hospital and particularly when transporting the infant to an'dfronrthe ambulance.' In this connection-itis anobje'ct of my-invention to prov-ide a-porable'fincubatorefor infants wherein a supply of breathing-GX'Yg'en,

and apparatus'forfeedingthesame totheinf-ant,

may be carrieclas-an` integralpartthereof.

Another-"obj ect of my f'invention is1toJcon'st'ruct n an incubator `for infants Whereinthe-"incu-batbr chamber, the heating Vunit, the temperature controls, asupply of breathing-oxygen, and controls for regulating "the now rorf-breathing-'o X5/gen *into theL incubator chamberA may 4all-be included in, a compact portable unitwhichr is @of ysuch size land weight Ythat fit 1f may lbef relatively easily Ycarried by one man.

. An object ancillarytoltheoregoingis `to pro-- Y videan incubatonof thefafore-mentionedjtype wherein the temperature -`controls,- supplycof breathing-oxygen; and the controls :for regulatwing the flowof oxygenlareireadilyaccessbleWithout subjecting an infant, whiclrJinight-be-'Within the incubator chamber thereof, to the danger of drafts.

A further object of my invention is to construct an incubator of the aforementioned character wherein the incubator chamber can be closed against drafts.

Yet another object of my invention is to associate a compound door with the incubator chamber of an incubator for infants in such a manner that it can quickly and easily be opened to provide a relatively large and unrestrictedy opening through which the infant can be easily placed in, or removed from, the incubator chamber, and wherein, at other times, the door can be quickly and easily closed, either completely or partially, the extent of closing being dictated by the conditions and requirements of each particular case.

Another object of my invention is to construct an incubator which can be quickly and easily cleaned in a thorough manner.

A further object of my invention is to provide an eficient portable incubator for infants which is simple to operate, can be economically and cheaply manufactured, is sturdy in construction, and is reliable in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a practical and efficient incubator for infants which can be constructed of relatively light sheet metal and wherein the walls thereof have a reflective surface, providing relatively good insulative properties.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by Way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig.,1 is an exploded perspective View of an incubator for infants embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the incubator shown in Fig. 1, and with the top covers closed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View of the incubator shown in Fig. l, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the incubator shown in Fig. l with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional View taken substantially along the line 6 6 in Fig.

Fig. '7 is a detail bottom plan View taken substantially along the line 1 7 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 8 8 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a detail Vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 9 9 in Fig. 8;

Fig. l0 is a schematic diagram of the wiring for the heating system used in the incubator shown Vin Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive; and

Fig. 1l is a schematic diagram of the wiring for the heating system used in a modified form of my invention.

For purposes of illustration an incubator 2U, which embodies the principles of my invention, is shown in the accompanying drawings, and which incubator 20 is formed substantially in the shape of a rectangular box or casing having a bottom wall 22, a front wall 24, a rear wall 26,

end walls

28 and 30, two

compound doors

32 and 33 and a longitudinally extending door 35, the three doors `32, 33 and 35 comprising the main portion of the top wall unit of the incubator 28. Runners 36 and 31 are attached to the bottom wall 22 by suitable means such as bolts 38 and act as supports for the incubator 28.

In general, the incubator 20 comprises an incubator chamber 40, into which an infant may be placed and from which an infant may be removed through the top of the incubator 20 when the

doors

32 and 33 are open; a heater chamber 4|, disposed below the incubator chamber 40 and separated therefrom by a baby-supporting panel 43; and an auxiliary chamber 44 extending longitudinally of the incubator 28 and disposed laterally from the incubator chamber 40 and the heater chamber 4I, and separated therefrom by a vertical, longitudinally extending partition 45.

The front edge portion of the

end walls

28 and 38 are bent substantially transversely to form

flanges

41 and 48, respectively, which are secured to the respective adjacent end edge portions of the front Wall 24 by suitable means such as rivets 49. Similar rear flanges 58 and 5l are formed at the rear edge portion'of the end walls 28 and 29, respectively, and are attached to the respective end edge portions of the rear wall 26 by suitable means such as rivets 52.

Likewise, as is best shown in Fig. 4, the lower edge portion of the

end walls

28 and 30 are bent transversely to form

flanges

54 and 55 which are attached to the respective adjacent edge portions of the bottom wall 22 by suitable means such as rivets 56.

The front wall 24, the bottom wall 22 and the rear wall 25 are formed of one piece of material and may be formed by a bending operation in a manner well known to the art.

In the manufacture of my incubator, I prefer to make the front wall 24, the bottom wall 22, the rear wall 26, the

end walls

28 and 30, the

doors

32, 33 and 35, the panel 43 and the partition 45 of my incubator 20 from reflective, relatively light sheet metal such as, for example, sheet aluminum having a thickness of eighty-thousandths of an inch, although other suitable materials, and other thicknesses may be used without departing from the purview of my invention. Forming the incubator 20 from aluminum, as I prefer to do, has the advantage of providing a structure which is light in weight and, also, one which is reectively insulated to a considerable extent.

The baby-supporting panel 43 comprises a top wall 58 and substantially vertically disposed side walls or supporting legs 59 and '68 which depend from the longitudinal edge portion thereof. As is best seen in Fig. 5, when the panel 43 is in position of use within the incubator chamber 40, the supporting legs 59 and 68 rest on the bottom wall 22 of the incubator 20 and support the top wall 58 of the panel 43 in spaced relation thereto. As is best seen in Fig. 8, a wire handle 6| is pivotally attached to the upper surface of the supporting panel 43 by a bracket 62 and can be easily grasped by the operator to remove the panel 43 from the incubator chamber 40 when it is desired to rei'fmovefthel sa-me cleaning'fthe finteriora-ofsthe lsincubatoriimlgor for anyfother" purpose. top 'wall 58 of the infant-supporting.;panelc4 has eperforationsr63 formed therein for purposeswhich 'awill `be presently explained.

:substantially channel-shaped auxiliaryfsupsporting panelf 65, Vhaving 1 a 'top'lwall 61'1and ldependinglside wallsor supporting legsv 59 and' '-'I l, is vmounted in` the Vauxiliary chamber 44 and Seicuredltothe'bottom wall 22'fthereof bylisuitable* 10 means such as Jbolts l2. As willi bef presently de- '"-scribed irr detail the auxiliary panel' 65 provides '\-aconduit"for a substantial portion: of the A'electric V*wi-ring used in the heating of -my novel incubator A '2920 and'falsov provides* a platform?" onl iif'fhiche-arr "15* oxygenl bottle,- or the like, may besuppo-rtedi in *fthe auxiliary `chamber I v44.

`frivets 18. f The flanges |"I4"are"attached-'to thew,

wflolltWall 24, the

Side Walls

28 and 30 and '13116132554 partition^45 in such" a" manner that Y`the hori- """zo'nftally extending legs""'||l project inwardly'toward the center Aof the incubator'lchamb'erfm, l and each of the horizontally'extendinglegs'l,7

"has Van arcuate groove or `channel formed in the/"i305- "ligl 6, and as shown in solid lines in Fig. 7. `The latching member |23 may he released'fr'om latch- *upper surface thereof in which is 'lzzositioned a vv"resilient cord 80 -for weather-stripping purposes.

The doo'rs"32,"33 and V35 are carried by a supporting frame 82 which is adapted Vto'rest 'on A`and be supportedby the uppene'dge portion of"35 the front wall24jthe rear'wallA 26,the 'end walls `12|?. and 3|l`, and the partition 45 Vof the'incubator `"20. Theframe 82'ic`omprises a front member '84,

end members 85 and"'86, a rear member V88 and", f a longitudinally extending partition member 30. The lfront member 84'is attachedto thefr'ont 4end portions 'of the

end'members

85 and 86, and `the rear member 88`is `attachedto"the rear end portions of vthe rear' end members." 85 "and fby suitable formed corner members" 92 'secured Ain'l A"place by 'suitable'means such as 'ri`vets"94,J `the longitudinally Veidendi'ng .partition member" 9|) being securediriplacby suitably attaching the .endV portions thereof to the end members" A85' and 86` by suitable means such as, for example, by

" soldering. l t The front member 84,`the`sde members v35 and and the longitudinal member'fll of the frame '82 are each* Shaped somewhat similarly to the flanges "74' and' have downwardly" extending Y legs I 36 and' horizontally extending' legs- 91, the latter of which are adapted, when the frame' 82'isiin [position on the'incubator 20 to overlie and con- ;"taot the resilient cords' 80. Therear member l"'88 of the frame 82" has a vertically extendingleg" 99 and a curved, substantiallyhorizontally extending leg |55 and'is `adapted to rest on the f upper end portion of the rear wall 25 when the -frame B2 is in assembled "position'on the inj'cubator 20. vSuitable latches |02, adaptedto' hold f1 the frame" 82 in position" on the incubator'20j and '-which are well known `to those skilledin the art," 'are mounted on`the `front wall24 'of the' infcubator 2E) andthe front' member' 8l! 'of the frame l I 82,' and simi-lar latches |54' are'mounted `on thef `rear wall'25 and the rear member'- 88. N he compound 'door32ihas two panelsffo and I 51 vconnected*together by\a hinge. |39 and the door 32 is hingedly` connectedtdthe end'rnemy Eber 85;` of thefframe 82 by a hinge H0 connectedf'75 l imilarly, the compound door'33 has"two:panels ||`2"i`and I"|-3coni1ected togetherby afhinge II5 and is connected to the endmemb'er 86 of Vthe f'frame'BZ by a 'hinger vwhich is attached to lthefo'uter end'p'ortionoi the' door panel H3. The dobri 35"is'of= the single panel type andisconnectedftothe rearmember 88101" the frame 32 by l'a` hinge I |19. l

i1tfwi11rbefn0ted' that fthe compoundwdoors 132 4Ifand'Iiillr'n'ay he completely Vopened so as to allow `si1bstanti'allyunrestricted access to the incubator chamber'fliifby pivoting the

doors

32 and 33 on 'ne'hiiiges lil-and I I'I, respectively, or they 'may e? cpeiiedpartially by pivoting the panels |06 f 5nd` '|l'2 thereof' 1around the hinges |09 and '|`|5, *respectively As' best seen in- Figs. Z and 6,1the "-fr'ee' 7lerici portion |2| of the door 33 extends be- "'y'ndthefcenter'linebetween the end members -'-?lie"'t'h free end "'p'o'rtion' -of the door 32 when `the do`ors"^32 Tand 33 are 'in fully closed position.

doors

32 and 33 in closed position relative to each other when the latching element |32 is turned in such positionf as to underlie the door 32,- as shownin ing engagement with the door 32` by turningthe hnob '|25so as to position the latching element "|132 inthe position shown in dotted lines in Fig.

.7,1therebyreleasi'ng it from'- engagement with the "door 32. members |33 and |3, which are similar tov the ilatchingmember" |23 and are similarly operable to releasably hold the door '35 in latched engage- The door 35 also carriesY two latch'ing ment-with the longitudinal member 53 ofthe frame 82.

lGlass inspection panels |35 and |35, Figs. l,v 2

compound doors

32 and 33, re-

' spectively, 'that when an infant is in position @within the'incubator chamber 14@ and the doors -`32 and33 are'in fully closedposition, the opera- 32 and 33.

As is best seen in Figs. l, 4 and 8, a suitable electric socket |46 which is adapted to receive the lprongs of a connecting plug on the end of an electriccord such as the cord |4511, shown in Fig. 8, is"`mounted in the lower end portion of the end wall 23 of the incubator 2B adjacent to one end ofthe auxiliary chamber le4, and is suitably electrically connected/inparallel, to sockets.` |48 and l'| 43 in which may be mounted light bulbs |`5| Iand |52, respectively. The end portions ofv the VVsockets "|48 and |59 into which the lightbulbs. "I 5I and |52 may be screwed extend through suit- 7 the respective end walls 2s and 30 en suitame flanges |59 and |60, respectively, and are adapted to control the parallel circuits to the bulbs |5| and |52, respectively.

As is best seen in Figs. 8 and 9, insulating members |16 having suitable sheet metal covers |18 and liners |19 are attached to the lower surface of the upper wall 58 of the infant-supporting panel 43 by suitable means such as rivets |8| directly above the light bulbs |5| and |52, respectively. The insulating liners |19 of the insulating panels |16 may be made of any suitable material such as, for example, asbestos. The insulatng panels |16 act both as heat shields and light reflectors so that extremely warm hot spots are not formed on the portions of the infant-supporting panel 43 positioned directly above the light bulbs |5| and |52, respectively, and also so that light does not shine upwardly directly from the light bulbs |5| and |52 through openings 63 formed in the supporting panel 43.

As is best seen in Figs. 3 and 8, an opening |83 is formed in the central lower end portion of the front wall 24 through which light bulbs |5| and |52 may be placed in, and removed from, the sockets |48 and |49, respectively, when it is undesirable to open the

doors

32 and 33 and remove the supporting panel 43 during certain times such as, for example, when an infant is in position within the incubator chamber 40. A removable panel |85 is normally positioned over the opening |83 and secured to the front wall 24 by suitable bolts |81, the panel |85 being removable from the front wall 24 by unscrewing the bolts |81. I prefer to make the opening |83 as small as practicable so that ifa light bulb burns out when an infant is in the incubator chamber 40 and it is necessary to remove and replace the burned out bulb, uncovering the opening 83 by removing the panel |05 will provide as small an opening as possible so that the infant will not be subjected to unnecessary drafts. Therefore in the preferred form of my novel incubator 20 the opening |83 is just large enough to readily pass light bulbs such as the light bulbs |5| and |52 therethrough and this, in some instances, will mean that a normal sized adult hand cannot be extended through the opening |83 to remove and replace light bulbs from the sockets |48 and |49. However, mechanical hands or mechanical fingers, such as the type which are used to Aremove and replace light bulbs from certain inaccessible light fixtures', and which are well known to the art, may be used for this purpose.l

In many instances, new-born infants, and especially those prematurely born, are so frail and weak that it is impossible or difficult for them to breathe a sufficient amount of air to sustain life, and in those instances it is often necessary to supply substantially pure breathing-oxygen to the infant. In the use of my incubator', the supplying of breathing-oxygen to an infant may be easily accomplished by placing an oxygen bottle, such as the oxygen bottle |90, Figs. 2 and 3, in reclining position upon the top of the auxiliary supporting panel 65 within the auxiliary chamber 44, and feeding oxygen from the Vbottle in controlled amounts through suitable mechanism such as a valve |9I, a regulator |92 and a tube |93 into the incubator chamber 40. Suitable pressure gauges |95 and |96 may be provided to indicate both the pressure of the oxygen in the bottle |90 and the pressure of the oxygen as it is fed to the incubator chamber 46. As is best seen in Figs. l and 2, the tube |93 through which the oxygen is supplied from the regulator |92 to the incubator chamber 49 extends through an opening |98 in the longitudinal partition 45 which separates the incubator chamber 40 from the auxiliary chamber 44.

It will be noted that when an infant is in position in the incubator chamber 40 and it is found necessary to operate or change the setting of the oxygen valve |9| or to turn on or turn off the switches |56 or |51, this may be accomplished by opening the door 35 to the auxiliary chamber 44, which operation does not open the incubator chamber 40 and therefore precludes the possibility of thereby subjecting the infant therein to objectionable or dangerous drafts.

Two handles 200 and 20| are attached to the outer surface of the end walls 23 and 30, respectively, by suitable means such as screws 203, and by grasping a handle in each hand one man can easily carry my novel incubator 20 even though an infant is in position within the incubator chamber 40 and a full supply of oxygenjis positioned within the auxiliary chamber 44. In the normal operation of my novel incubator, a suitable pad is placed on the top wall 58 of the infant-supporting panel 43 and the incubator is then pre-heated by connecting the electric plug receptacle |46 to suitable electric power and operating one or more of the bulbs |5| and 52 under the control of the switches |56 and |51, respectively. The

doors

32 and 33 are then opened wide and the infant placed on the pad on the supporting panel 43 and the

doors

32 and 33 are then closed the desired amount. To protect the infant against objectionable drafts, and also to assist in maintaining the proper temperatures within the incubator chamber 40, it normally will be desired, and especially in chilly or cold weather, to keep the

doors

32 and 33 fully closed after the infant has been placed on the panel 43. However, during certain times, and especially during warm weather, it may be desirable to have the doors 32 partly open and this may be easily accomplished by either partly or fully opening the door panels |06 and ||2 as desired. Whether to have the doors fully closed or partially open will depend on the circumstances of each individual case and therefore it will be necessary for the operator of the incubator in each case to determine the procedure to be followed.

It will be noted that if a relatively light pad such fas., for" example` `a blanket, is used :on- .the-1. panel 13,so as to fully coverthe-top wall 58'there---y ofporfif4 a hea-vierpad is -placedon-the top-wall 58 of. 1the-panelw=43 Fin suchf-.a manner-'that all, or .apart of;'the openings "63 nearestf the periph* f 5 eral edge of thetopfwall 58'of the supporting panel 43 are left uncovered, lightfrom'thefbulbs e I5| -and |52 -willbe difusedupwardlythrough.F the lighter, pad, or; ifa a'4 heavier" pad ist-used;

throughY the uncovered openings 63; and provide @lo 1.

diffusedfillumination;within*the incubator cham-'- ber 40.

When f the baby-W has 5 been x placed in: the: incubator Vchamber-|), the tube.. |93 may beposie tio'nedso vas to closely loverhang infront tof the r l5 babys face so that oxygenfsupplied .therethrough will: surroundthe 'head-off the infant: Thefilow 'f of oxygen through-the tube |93 mayfrea'dily vbe regulated by opera-tion offthe Valve |9| which;

as vpreviously mentioned',- maybe adjusted Within 20@` the auxiliary chambenz-llll fwith: only the 'doorfa 'beingopened and-'without opening the incubae A torchamber d0.'

Al'so the temperature-withinthe 'incubator All: may be carefully controlledby :the attendantwor'.- 25 operator by the .proper turning: onand 'turning '1 off-of the switches =|561fand |51 :to thereby se'v lectively turn on and turn.off-therheatingfelements or light bulbs |5| and |52.' This alsomay be accomplished upon .opening the. auxiliary -30 1 chamber illionly, and Without opening the incu-` bator chamber In connectiony with the control of -the temperature withinrfthe Vincubator lliilfit L will be noted that, for l purposes of "illustration, I have shown only two light bulbs |5|;v and`|52 .cone 35 nected to the power. lines'2I6-2vandf-661' How-'-v ever, this is forthe purpose tof illustrating my inventionv only, and not to limit it thereto, and

it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that more bulbs together with suitable individual control means, similar tovv switches |`and |51, may be similarly connectedfn-parallel across the powerflines ISZand H33 andmountedn the heater chamber 4| in a manner similar to that' employed in mounting thelight bulbs |5|f andi Si |52 without departing from the purview of my invention.

In the modied form of my invention, as shown*` in Fig. ll, parts similar to'parts shownin Figs;Y l

to 10,-inclusive,v are indicated by like reference numerals with the suffix m added thereto; Itv Will'be noted that Fig.` 1l isa diagrammatic illustration of the modiiied form of electrical circuit used. in heating;and controlling the heatingfof, the modified form. ofy myincubatorandwj that/the construction of .the incubator, with" the exception of the wiringthereof, is substantiallyl thesame asthat shown in Figs l 'to ,9 inclusive.

The principaldiiference between the form of j my invention. shown in Figsl to k10 andthe inodi.- 60 fled form shown in Fig.. ll 'isthat vintheinodiied form .a rheostat 3Q@ is'l used ,to control the flow of.. electriccurrentto the,..bulbs.j|5m andr im. lThe .rheostat 35i@ .may be of, any, Suitable. formbut I to use onehavin'gaapower ratingtofV ap;-V 5 proximately 10G. watts, .and,.also, I. prefer.; to., mount` the rheostat 335 .inx any .suitable manner, such as, for eXai'npleiby asuitable,bracket,..n.ot. shown, Within the auxiliary chamber of the incubator so` that the, rheostat .-does-.notproject 7G fromgthe incubator casing@v However, it-.willA/beappreciated that lstate theemanner:in,-which I: nrcf'eiztofmcunt the.-.1heosta Seli-fertile :purl-953:1

' inrentioneonly nd, nutty-- kconstan-tI duri-ng,- thisri' timee ,open unp' 1 gthreeichambersatwomlsaid,icbamberslbemsp other `meansorfrnanners-of ymounting the rheo stat-300 may-be used Without departing from the/1y purview of my invention.V

It will'be-noted that the :rheostatdis conh nected infseries with the power lines |62m--and |66m--and simultaneously vcontrols the `flow off" electricity from Ythe plug fMSmto the two bulbs' I5|m-and |52m', which are-connected in-pa-ralle1z1 across the power lines |62mand .ll-35m' by :line-:5 Imm; socket* |48m=and lline 165m, and vline |70m,., socket l|52mf=and line Im, respectively.A

Fromftheforegoingit will be apparent that .I a. have provided. 'a ,-novel;.incubator which may be used either as fa stationary Aorportableincubator;

Afon-infants andis especially adapted `ferr-thee.v

proper incubation-of frailv infants suchas, for ex ample, those prematurelyrbornaduring italie-trip Whenait is found necessary-Ato transport them-to a hospital-.f

Also it will'be noted thatv myvincubator 2U imay'. be connectedto electricv -powersources foundfinff the l-normal private-home, and vmay-also be simi-ei larly connected to a suitable` power source within-n an ambulance 'or the ,like while.transportingf, an:-.

`infant by ambulance to or-from a hospital...

Also it'ivill be-noted-^that-after an infant hase: been--placed-in theincubator.- chamber il and there incubator ZG'heated-to the propertemperatura.= the `4incubator 2-fprov-idesv a .practicalwandfsafe .f meansof-V-transporting the infant to' and from fan@ ambulance,-.V being suiiiciently l light -v and= easily handled for this purposefand--also -beingsuitablyf insulated so that .the -temperature `withinthe in-zcubator chamber-fili) will bemaintained relatively.l Also duri-ng' thea; transporting of :the infant` to and from .the-anitav bulance4 withinthe v incubator fchamb er "lll 'Y iti-.willy be noted that -myl `incubatorprovides afpracticals. andv safe pr0tection. of; the infant ,from fdangerous, draf-ts.

Furtl'ier-more .itVA ,.w-illcbe. noted .that although; the-walls. of my incubator .are comparatively thin; andare made fromlightmaterialso that fthein,. cubator .,mayebe. quickl-yand .easily handled ,by .a nurse` orother. attendant, relatively .good.ref1ec...

tive insulating qualities Vare provided ;therein...by,

forming the.incubator..,Zafromlaluminum or.,. Aif it isA formedfromless ,reflective material, coating. the --inside and.,outside .thereofwith av reflective.. coating such as aluminum-.coloredpaint..

Inaddition-,itwill be noted. that. whenan ine. fant is. withinthe. incubator chamber di! Vand-.the doors V32..and 33.are 4closedfthe infant maybe easily .,viewed. throughv the -inspection panels .l 35. and |3,as.may temperature indicating devices.

5 .which- .may be -placedwithn .the chanflber` 4a.

Also it. will .be noted. that after the l infant vhasn. been. :p1acedintheincubator chamber ,4D andi?. the doorsvw 32 ,and133 ,.thereof. are closed, .the..f1o.w. of oxygen to the infantand tha-temperaturecf 'j vthe incubator. chamber Amayloe regulatedwithe.

out ,openingv the .incubator chamber.v 48 and .thereby usubj ecting: the., infant. .to possibly dangerous., drafts.,

Hencefv ,whilel .have .illustrated anddescrbedg.

, the .preferred embodiments of, my nventiomitis; to beunderstood thatthese. are capable.. of vari:

tion and modification and I .therefore do not wishA to be limitedtolthe precise. ,detailsset forth; but," desire toayailmyselfcf such changesand 'alterar tionsvasiall within the .purview of the.following; claims..

Iclaim;

1...- An..incnbatorpomprisna ,anasinahaving@.r1e

gend,- meansgdividinggsaid .lcasingint sitioned vertically one above the otherand the third chamber being positioned horizontally from the other two, one of said means for dividing said casing comprising a substantially vertically extending partition positioned between sa-id third chamber and said other two chambers, a closure member releasably mounted on said upper end of said casing for closing said upper end, weatherstripping means engageable between said closure member and the upper end portion of said casing and partition, electrically operated members mounted within the lower one of said two chambers for heating the upper one of said two chambers, and means mounted in said third chamber and operatively connected to said electrically operated members for controlling the operation of said electrically operated members.

2. An incubator comprising a closable casing having three chambers defined therein, two of said chambers being positioned vertically one above the other and the third chamber being positioned horizontally from the other two, a supporting member adapted to support an infant within the upper of said two chambers. electrically operated heating means mounted within the lower of said two chambers for heating said upper chamber, said third chamber being adapted to hold a supply of oxygen for feeding oxygen to said upper chamber, and means movably mounted on said casing for selectively opening and closing said upper chamber and said third chamber to the atmosphere.

3. An incubator comprising a closable casing comprising a bottom wall, side walls secured to said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom and a top wall unit removably mounted on said side walls, a partition member extending upwardly from said bottom wall interiorly of said casing and dividing said casing into two parts, means for supporting an infant within one of said parts, and means for heating said one part, said last mentioned means extending through said partition member from the other of said parts to said one part, said top wall unit comprising a frame and door means carried by said frame, said door means being movable to open or close said top wall unit and said casing.

4. An incubator for infants comprising a casing, said casing comprising a bottom wall, side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, and a top wall unit mounted on said side walls operable to be opened and closed in segments to thereby correspondingly open and close said casing, a partition member extending upwardly from said bottom wall and horizontally dividing said casing into two parts, a supportingA member carried by said casing for supporting an infant within one of said parts, an auxiliary supporting member carried by said casing within the other of said parts for holding a supply of oxygen in said other part, an electrically operated heater element positioned within said one part for heating said one part, and means below said auxiliary supporting member and extending through said other part and said partition member for feeding electricity to said heater element, and means comprising a passageway through said partition member for feeding oxygen from such a supply in said other part into said one part, one of said segments of said top wall being movable into open and closed position for selectively opening and closing said other part without opening said one part to thereby aiTordaccess to said electricf ity feeding means and suchv a supply of oxygen without opening said one part.

5. An"incubator forV infants comprising a closable casing, said casing comprising a bottom wall, side walls carried by said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom, and a top wall unit removably mounted on said side walls and operable to be opened and closed in segments to thereby correspondingly open and close said casing, said bottom wall, side walls and top wall unit being made of light-reflective material, a partition member extending upwardly from said bottom wall and horizontally dividing said casing into two compartments, a horizontally extending panel member carried by said bottom wall and adapted to support an infant Within one of said compartments, an auxiliary supporting member carried by said bottom wall within the other of said compartments and adapted to hold a supply of oxygen within said other compartment, electrically operated and parallel-connected heating members positioned in said one compartment between said bottom wall and said horizontally extending panel member, electrically conductive means carried by said casing and extending between said auxiliary supporting member and said bottom wall and extending through said partition member for carrying electricity to said heater members, said electrically conductive means being adapted to be connected to an electric power source positioned exteriorly of said casing, and manually operable control means mounted in said other compartment above said auxiliary supporting panel and connected to said conductive means for controlling the flow of electricity through said conductive means, said top wall being operable during said opening and closing in segments to selectively open and close said one compartment and said other compartment.

6. An incubator for infants comprising a closable casing, said casing comprising a bottom wall, side walls carried by said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom, and a top wall unit removably mounted on said side walls and operable to be opened and closed in segments to thereby correspondingly open and close said casing, said bottom wall, side walls and top wall unit being made of light-reilective material, a partition member extending upwardlly from said bottom wall and horizontally dividing said casing into two compartments each of which is disposed directly under a respective one of said segments of said top wall and in vertical registration therewith when said segments are closed, a horizontally extending panel member carried by said bottom wall and adapted to support an infant within oney of said compartments, electrically operated and parallel-connected heating elements positioned in said one compartment between said bottom wall and said horizontally extending panel member, electrically conductive means carried by said casing and extending through said partition member for carrying electricity to said heater elements, and manually operable switch means connected in parallel to each other for individually controlling said heater elements, said switch means being mounted in the other of said two compartments below said respective segment of said top wall in position whereby said switch means is manually operable through the top of said other compartment when said last mentioned segment is disposed in open position.

7, An incubator for infants comprising a closable casing, said casing comprising a bottom wall, side walls carried by said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom, and a top wall 'unit` removably mounted on said side walls and oper-' able to be opened and closed'in segments to thereby correspondingly open and close said casing, said bottom Wall, side walls and top wall unit being made of light-reflective material, a partition member extending upwardly from said bottom wall and horizontally dividing said casing into two compartments and having an opening therein, a horizontally extending panel member carried by said bottom wall and adapted to support an infant within one of said compartments, an auxiliary supporting member carried by said bottom wall within the other of said compartments for supporting a supply of oxygen in position in said other compartment for feeding oxygen through said opening into said one compartment, electrically operated and parallel-connected heating members positioned in said one compartment between said bottom wall and said horizontally extending panel member, electrically conductive means carried by said casing and connected to said heating members for carrying electricity to said heater members, and a rheostat connected to said electrically conductive means and operable to simultaneously control the ilow of electric current to each ofsaid heating members, said electrically conductive means being adapted to be connected to an electric power source positioned exteriorly of said casing, one of said segments of said top wall being disposed over said other compartment in vertical registration therewith for thereby selectively opening and closing said other compartment for permitting access to such a supply of oxygen without opening said one compartment.

8. An incubator comprising a casing having three chambers defined therein, two of said chambers being positioned one above the other and the third chamber being positioned horizontally from the other two, said casing comprising a bottom wall, side walls secured to said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom, and a o door unit mounted on said side walls and adapted to be actuated to open and close said casing, a partition member extending upwardly from said bottom wall and forming a wall between said two chambers and said third chamber, said partition member having an opening for-med therein, a supporting member mounted on said bottom wall and forming a dividing wall between said two chambers, said supporting member being adapted to support an infant in the upper one of said two chambers, an electrically operated heating member mounted in the lower one of said two chambers, means extending through said third chamber and through said partition wall for feeding electricity to said heating member, and an auxiliary supporting member mounted in said third chamber above the level of said heating member, said auxiliary supporting member being adapted to support a container oi oxygen within said third chamber from which container oxygen may be fed through the opening in said partition member into the upper one of said two chambers.

MATTHEW J. DUFFY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this ipatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,219,185 Hirleman Oct. 22, 1940 2,243,999 Chapple June 3, 1941 2,292,120, Hanby Aug. 4, 1942 2,347,326 Kirschbaum Apr. 25, 1944 2,366,630 Kreiselman Jan. 2, 1945 2,369,396 Higginbotham Feb. 13, 1945 `2,417,962 Armstrong Mar. 25, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Bulletin, Gordon Armstrong Co., Cleveland, Ohio, June 1945, description of an X-4 Portable Baby Incubator-Model 500.