US2900481A - Electrical device for forming holes in nursing nipples - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18, 1959 D. L- MARCANTONIO 2,900,481

ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR FORMING HOLES IN NURSING NIPPLES Filed Feb. 14, 1956 INVENTOR ATTORNEY5 United States Patent ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR FORMING HOLES IN NURSING NIPPLES Daniel L. Marcantonio, Westport, Conn. Application February 14, 1956, Serial No. 565,446

2 Claims. (Cl. 219-29) needle in the flame of a match and then pierce the nipple with the heated needle.

This ruins the needle, and also it is a rather diflicult and delicate operation, as Well as unreliable, as it is difficult to get the hole just the proper size, and especially is this an unsatisfactory way of treating the nipple. when the baby is to be fed during the night, as it is not always easy to locate a needle or perform the heating operation, and subsequent piercing of the nipple.

2' It istherefore an object of the present device to pro- Vide a simple and effective means for forming the opening or'cle'aring the opening already formed, easily and quickly with a very simple operation and one in which the opening is always formed of the proper and uniform size. 2 a

Withtheforegoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a nursing bottle with a nipple applied thereto, and a device involving this invention for forming or clearing the opening in the outer free end of the nipple, showing the method of use;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device of Fig. 1 on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation and partial longitudinal section of a modified form of device for performing this operation, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing another modified form of the device.

The upper end portion of a nursing bottle or any usual or suitable type is shown at 10, to which is applied a usual form of nursing nipple 11 in the free end of which the usual small discharge opening is formed. This improved device for forming or clearing the opening in the free end of this nipple comprises a wire preferably in the form of a loop provided by folding a fine wire upon itself to form a relatively sharp pointed end at the fold and the sides lying closely together to form a loop of the proper size or diameter to produce an opening of the proper diameter in the nipple. This looped wire is mounted in a suitable support, preferably one forming a suitable handle for manipulating it to form the hole in the nipple, with means in this holder or handle whereby the wire may be properly heated to form the opening in the nipple.

In the form of Figs. 1 and 2, it is shown in a form similar to a small flashlight comprising a metal tubular casing 12 in which may be one or more standard type of batteries 13, and at one end is a flanged shell 14 with its peripheral flange 15 seating against an internal shoulder or head 16 in the casing and clamped against it by a protective head or cap 17 threaded into the end of the casing 12 at 18, and at its inner end clamping the flange 15 against the bead or shoulder 16. This also establishes electrical connection between the shell 14 and the casing. This shell 14 has at its free end an inwardly extending inclined head 19 into which may be screwed the threaded metal shell 20, similar to a lamp bulb shell, carrying a central contact 21 at its inner end and having an insulating filling or support 22 at its outer end in which are mounted connecting wires 23 and 24, the Wire 23 being connected to the shell 14 at 25, and the wire 24 being connected to the central contact 21. The protective cap or head 17 may be of any suitable material such, for example, as porcelain or glass-coated metal, and has an open free or outer end 26 through which projects a closed loop of fine wire filament 27. This is preferably a fine wire filament folded upon itself to form a relatively sharp outer end 28 and the sides soldered or welded to the wires 23 and 24 at their inner ends, the sides being close together to form a loop of the proper size to produce the desired size of opening in the nursing nipple 11 of the nursing bottle. It is preferably of about .010 in diameter and positioned to project about of an inch beyond the open end 26 of the protective cap 17. When the element comprising the threaded shell 20, the conductor wires 23, 24 and this filament 27 are mounted in the casing 12, its central contact 21 engages the central contact 29 of the battery 13. At its lower end a spring 30 engages the end of the metal shell 31 of the battery and rests on the top of the conductor plate 32 carried by an insulating plate 33 connected to a stem 34 projecting from the lower end of the casing, so arranged that pressing inwardly on the stem 34 will force the conductor plate 32 inwardly to engage inwardly projecting lugs 35 in the casing, thus closing the circuit from the battery through the spring 30 and plate 32 to the casing, from this casing through the shell 14 through the threaded member 20 and the filament 27 back to the central contact 29 of the battery, thus heating the filament 27. When heated its pointed end may be pressed against the end of the nipple 11, as indicated in Fig. 1, and quickly and eifectively form the proper sized opening in the end of the nipple 11. This automatically sterilizes the filament 27 and it quickly and effectively forms a proper sized opening in the nipple, with a simple operation, as the whole device may be easily held in one hand while depressing the stem 34 to heat the filament.

In Fig. 3 is shown a form of device which is designed to be used where a large number of nipples are to be treated, as, for example, in a hospital, although of course it may be adapted for use in a private home as well as the form of device of Figs. 1 and 2. It comprises a suitable holder or handle 36 in one end of which is mounted an insulating support 37 carrying a central contact 38 and a conductor Wire 39 connected to shell 14 similar to that used in the form of Fig. 2, with another conductor 40 connected to the central contact 38. Mounted in the shell 14 is the threaded member 20 and the other elements the same as in the form of Fig. 2, with the central contact 21 engaging the contact 38. The lead wires 39 and 40 are connected at 41 and 42 to a control rheostat 43 having contact blades 44 by which it may be plugged into the standard type of electrical receptacle 45 in a house or hospital wiring system, with a rotatable head forming a finger grip '46 by which the rheostat may be adjusted to control the current supplied through the leads 39 and 40 to the filament 27 to heat it. After this is once set to heat the filament to the proper temperature it will be seen it may be effectively and easily used to form the openings in any number of nursing nipples. The heat of the filament automatically sterilizes it.

It will be seen that in the form of Figs. 1 to 3 the filament 27 is heated by passing an electric current through it, it thus being heated by using the wire itself as a resistance wire, but it may be heated indirectly by another heating element. Such a device is shown by way of example in Fig. 4, in which a handle or support 47 carries in one end a metal shell 48 enclosing an electrical heating resistance element 49 carried by any suitable insulating support 50 and to which lead wires may be connected, such, for example, as the lead wires 39 and 40 of the device of Fig. 3, or any suitable battery set-up. At its other end is mounted a fine wire filament 551 corresponding to the filament 27 of the other forms and projecting from the open end 52 of the protective cap 53, which may be of the same material as the cap 17 of the prior forms, and the wire of this filament 51 is secured at its inner ends to the metal shell 48 so that it is heated by the heat from the heating element 49, which heats the shell 48 which conducts the heat to the filament 51. Other wise'this device is the same as the other forms and it is used in the same way to form the opening in the nursing nipple, as previously described.

It will be clear from the above that this provides a very simple and effective device for quickly and easily forming the proper sized opening, or properly clearing the opening in the nursing nipple; that it automatically sterilizes itself, it is easily and quickly prepared for the nipple-piercing operation, and that it always forms the proper size opening in the nipple.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a tubular handle member, a fine wire bent upon itself to form a loop with a relatively sharp point at the bend, means removably mounting the wire in the handle member with said point projecting a short distance therefrom comprising a conductor socket mounted in the handle adjacent one end, a metal shell removably mounted in said socket in contact therewith and including a central contact at its inner end, means mounting said loop in the shell including conductor wires to which the loop is fastened and which wires are connected with the shell and central contact, and means for supplying an electric current connected with said socket and central contact for supplying a current to the loop for heating the wire and pointed end to form a discharge opening in a nursing nipple by placing the projecting heated pointed end of the wire against the nipple.

2. In a device of the character described, a tubular handle member, a fine wire bent upon itself to form a loop with a relatively sharp point at the bend, means removably mounting the wire in the handle member with said point projecting a short distance from one end thereof comprising a metal socket mounted in the handle adjacent said end, a support for the wire loop comprising a metal shell removably mounted in the socket including a central contact at its inner end and conductor wires connecting the loop with the shell and central contact, a battery in the handle having electrical connection with the socket and central contact, and switch means for controlling supply of current from the battery to the loop for heating the wire and pointed end to form a discharge opening in a nursing nipple by placing the projecting heated pointed end of the Wire against the nipple.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,363,897 Morgans Dec. 28, 1920 1,474,912 Raiche Nov. 20, 1923 1,744,720 Blackburn Jan. 28, 1930 1,948,075 Miyaoka Feb. 20, 1934 2,620,428 De Green Dec. 2, 1952 2,669,644 Wetzel Feb. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 852,667 France Nov. 9, 1939

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