US2891537A - Equipment for use with mechanical breathing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1,959 E. A. J. TUNNICLIFFE 2,891,537

. EQUIPMENT FOR USE WITH. MECHANICAL BREATHING APPARATUS I Filed Sept. 10, 1956' v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

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United States Patent EQUIPMENT FOR USE WITH MECHANICAL BREATHING APPARATUS Edward Albert James Tulmicliif'e, Kensingtou, London,

England, assignor to Electronic and X-Ray Applications Limited, Eondon, England Application September 10, 1956,,Serial No. 608,725.

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 8, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-30) This invention relates to equipment for use as or with mechanical breathing apparatus which as is well known comprises a fitting of one form or another to define between itself and the person requiring treatment a chamber to which a pulsating pressure air supply is applied. The equipment which is required with such apparatus ineludes an air pump to supply the pulsating 'air.

To protect the apparatus while in store or in transport, it is packed in a container and by the present invention, it is proposed so to form the container that it can not only be used as a container for parts of a mechanical breathing apparatus but also as an air pump for operation by an operator to supply pressure air.

The invention thus provides in itself a completely selfcontai-ned outfit for providing a mechanical breathing action: in addition the container is available as a pump for use with other mechanical breathing apparatus when the pulsating air supply arrangement supplied for that other apparatus cannot for one reason or another be used.

The container can comprise two hollow cylindrical portions one fitting axially separably and telescopically more or less snugly within the other, two parts being closed by end walls. The two parts can be separated from one another to enable the fitting and other parts of the apparatus to be stowed in one part which is then closed by the other part to provide an unobstructed pump chamber serving as a cylindrical container closed at both ends. One of the two parts is provided, usually in its end wall, with a pipe connector for one end of an air pipe (which would normally be stored in the container) the other end of which can be connected to a connector on the chamber-defining fitting.

Thus when the container has been opened by separating the two parts to enable the fitting and other parts to be removed from it, the two parts can be reassembled and, the connections having been made at the two ends of the pipe, a pulsating pressure air supply can be established by moving the two container parts over one another so setting up a pumping action of large capacity.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a container constructed in accordance with this invention and various parts removed from the container ready to be used,

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the container being used as a pump to supply a pulsating air pressure to the mechanical breathing apparatus by the use of the parts which were in the container; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the container.

The container, which is of hollow cylindrical form, comprises two parts 1, 2 of which the part 1 forms so to speak a base which is closed at its lower end while the other part 2 is a more or less snug sliding fit over the cylindrical wall of the base part 1, this part 2 being closed at its upper end by an end wall 3.

The container is dimensioned to receive within its base 2,891,537 Patented June- 23,. 1959 part 1 the various pieces of apparatus which are required to set up a mechanical breathing action: thus this can comprise a fitting 4 to be applied. to the person requiring treatment, this fitting providing between itself and the body'of the person a chamber to which pulsating airpressure has tov be applied to set up the breathing action: the equipment comprises also a length of flexible hose 5 which is formed atone end to be connected to a connector 6 on the fitting 4-and at the other end" is formed to be'connected to a connector- 7 on the container as shown on the end wall 3 of the part 2. The apparatus comprises also straps 8.

The container 1, 2 serves also to hold other parts enabling the container 1, 2 to be operated as a pump to supply the pulsating air pressure from the interior of the container via the hose 5 to the chamber referred to. These other parts comprise in the arrangement illustrated, a length 8 of bar which is arranged at one end to screw into an opening in the base part 1 to provide a foot stand as is shown in Figure 2, and other lengths 9 of bar which can be plugged and pinned together: these other lengths provide firstly a link 10 to be connected at one end to a pivot block 11 screwed into the base part 1 and at the other end a pivotal mounting for an operating lever 12 the outer end of which forms a hand grip: this lever has between its ends a pivoted block 13 which is fitted to a component 14 on the end wall 3 of the upper part 2, a securing pin 15 being provided to connect the block 13 to the stud 14.

The various pieces 8*, 9', 11, 13 having been fitted as shown in Figure 2, the apparatus is ready for use: the lever 12 is operated by an operator to move the upper part 2 of the container on the lower part 1 and so the interior of the container is used as the working space of an air pump. To enable air to be drawn into the interior of the container, the end wall 3 may be fitted with a non-return inlet valve 16: the end wall can also be equipped with a pressure gauge the dial 17 of which is protected by a removable panel 18.

The part 2 of the container can be fitted with hand grips 19 by which that part 2 can be manipulated: in some cases these grips alone can be relied upon to efiect the pumping action in which case the pieces 8 15 would not be required.

The container parts can be of any desired material but it has been found that a very suitable material is that known as fibre-glass: this material is strong, light and is not easily damaged.

The two parts 1, 2 can provide an advantageous form of pump by maleing the cylindrical wall one of a thickness to make it sensibly rigid and by making the wall of the other pant thinner so that it can conform to the shape of the other or rigid wall. It has been found that in this way some air is permitted to pass between the cooperating surfaces of the two walls which will as a result slide over one another with a particularly silky action providing a degree of airtightness which is adequate for the purpose of this invention. It would be preferable to make the outer part 2 with the thicker cylindrical wall so that the outer wall of the container has sufficient mechanical strength to avoid being easily damaged.

Because of its light weight, the container (with the apparatus within it) could, if sealed be dropped from aircratft into the sea or other water in which it would float to be collected by a boat, the container thus being well adapted to provide a complete outfit ready for use in emergency conditions in remote or inaccessible places or as a pump unit for use with other breathing apparatus.

I claim:

1. A mechanical breathing apparatus comprising an 3 outer pump cylinder closed at only one of its ends, an inner pump cylinder closed at only one of its ends and being axially separably telescopically fitted to said outer pump cylinder with the closed ends of the respective pump cylinders being spaced from each other and located respectively at the opposite ends of the telescopic assembly of the outer and inner pump cylinders, one of said cylinders being relatively rigid and the other of said cylinders being relatively flexible to enable the latter to conform to the former, the pump chamber conjointly defined by said outer and inner cylinders being substantially unobstructed and thus adapted to receive and house apparatus appurtenances including a hose and a fitting applicable to the person requiring treatment, operating means outside of and on the closed end of one of said pump cylinders for efiecting relative reciprocatory telescopic movement of said pump cylinders, and a hose receiving connector outside of and on the closed end of one of said pump cylinders and communicating with the interior of the latter.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said outer pump cylinder is the relatively rigid one.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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