US3185146A

US3185146A - Neurologist's hammer

Info

Publication number: US3185146A
Application number: US216921A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leopoldi Norbert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-08-14
Filing date: 1962-08-14
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25

Description

May 25, 1965 N. LEOPOLDI NEUROLOGISTS HAMMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1962 jlfvari' Zea 0Z1 2;

3,185,146 NEURQLGGETS HAMMER Norbert Leopoidi, 4181) Marine Drive, Chicago, Ill. Filed Aug. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 216,921 6 tl'liaims. (631. 1232) My invention relates to a neurologists hammer, and more particularly to a compact hammer arrangement embodying the principal tools neded by the neurologist to aid him in his diagnostic work.

Neurologists and physicians in general who are interested in determining the reaction sensitivity of a patients nervous system customarily employs a number of tools as aids in their Work.

Most familiar to the general public is the hammer that is commonly employed at the knee. However, it is frequently desirable to have either a comparatively small hammer head or a comparatively large hammer head for use in connection with tests of this sort, depending upon the relative size of the anatomy of the patient being tested and the location of the test.

Furthermore, other tools commonly employed are a brush and a pointed pin that are employed to determine the patients reactions upon application of these particular tools to the desired parts of the patients anatomy.

Consequently, it will be seen that there are a number of tools that the neurologist must have on hand to perform this test, and since they are all separate tools, the neurologist or physician must necessarily provide for some carrying means to be sure that they are all on hand when desired.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a neurologists hammer which in eiiect provides a testing kit for the neurologist or physician.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a multiple tool neurologists hammer which in its fully assembled and collapsed position has a size on the order of that of a small flashlight or oversized fountain pen.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a multiple purpose hammer that is economical of manufacture, convenient in use, and readily employed by physicians and the like who are concerned with making tests of the nervous system.

Other objects and advantages will become obvious or apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in its collapsed or retracted position;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the hammer structure in its extended operative position;

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrates the tool in a partially collapsed position;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic fragmcntal cross-sectional view approximately along line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view of the hammer structure positioned approximately as shown in FIGURE 3 except that the head is moved to its inoperative position and the hammer structure is shown partially in section with parts removed or displaced from their normal positions;

' FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the hammer structure shown in FIGURE 6 taken from the left hand side of FIGURE 6, with parts broken away, but with the parts that are shown displaced in FIGURE 6 illustrated in their customary positions;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the hammer structure shown in FIGURE 6, but taken from the right handside of FIGURE 6, with parts broken away; and

3,185,146 Patented May 25, 1965 FIGURE 9 is an enlarged elevational view of the end closure structure of the hammer handle, with parts shown in section to expose other parts.

However, the specific embodiment illustrated is pro.- vided primarily to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112, and the invention is susceptible of other specific embodiments that will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Reference numeral 10 generally indicates a preferred embodiment of the invention which comprises a telescoping handle structure 12 provided with a swingably or adjustably mounted double ended hammer head 14.

The handle structure 12 comprises a tubular shell 16 that telescopingly receives a tubular inner or core mem ber 18 to which the hammer head 14 is secured While the

members

16 and 18 may be formed from any suitable materials, seamless brass tubing adequately serves the purpose. Preferably, the external diameter or configuration of the inner or core member 18 should substantially complement the internal diameter or configuration of the shell member 16, and preferably, the end 20 from which the inner or core member 18 is to be withdrawn from Within shell member 16 is proportioned to have a sliding but firm frictional engagement with the exterior surface 21 of the member 18.

The member 16 is also formed with an elongate, longitudinally extending, slot 22 through which a protuberance 24, secured in any suitable manner with respect to the inner or, core member 1%, extends, so that the member 18 moves outwardly and inwardly of the member 16 in guided longitudinally extending relation thereto. Protuberance 24 may take the form of a rivet or the like suitably applied to member 18.

The inner or core member 18 adjacent its outwardly extending end is formed with the relatively short slot 32 and the relatively long slot 34 in the sidewall structure 36 that defines the member 18.

It will be noted that the

slots

32 and 34 are on diametrically opposite sides of the member 18 and define a pair of sidewall projections 38 between which the hammer head 14 is swingably mounted, as by pin 41 applied between the two in any suitable manner.

As indicated in FIGURE 4, the hammer head 14 comprises a body fitl having a relatively large end 52 and a relatively small end 54, with the pin 40 being applied to head 51 closely adjacent the juncture of the relatively large end 52 with the remainder of the body 59.

The relatively large end 52 forms a head portion 56, which is recessed as at 58 to receive the mounting end 61) of a resilient impact member 62 formed of any suitable resilient material, such as rubber or a suitable plastic. Preferably, the impact element 62 includes the generally hemispherical sunface 64.

The smaller end 54 is recessed as at 66 for receiving the mounting end 68 of a smaller impact element 719, which likewise is preferably formed with a hemispherical surface 72.

The hammer head 14 is also provided with a .detent element '74 that is biased outwardly by compression spring 76 for the purpose of engaging one of the side- Wall projections 38 of member 18 to releasably lock or hold the hammer head 14 in the position of FIGURES of the inner or core member 18 is related to the size proportioning of head 14, and this is' one of thefimportant features of my device. Slot 32 is given a length a longitudinally of the member 18 that is adequate to permit the hammer head to be swung from the position of FIGURES 68 to the position of FIGURES 2 and 3, and the slot 32 is given a depth transversely of the member 18 such that the shoulder 80 that is defined by the larger end 52 will abut against the edge 82 of each sidewall projection 38, when the head 14 is swung to its operative position. In this position, the detent 74 emerges from head 14 under the biasing action of spring 76 as its tip 84 passes from underneath the adjacent sidewall projection 38, to lock the hammer head 14 in the position of FIGURES 2 and 3 until the operator decides to return the hammer head to the inoperative position of FIG- URES 68.

The slot 34 is given a length longitudinally of the member 18 which is equivalent to the distance between the central axis 85 of pin 40 and the end of impact member 70 of the smaller end 54 of the hammer head. Slot 34 is given a depth transversely of the member 38 such that the smaller end 54 may be swung between the side edges 77 of slot 34 to alignment with the longitudinal or central axis of the inner or core member 18. Preferably, the radius of the hemispherical surface 72 of the impact member 70 is somewhat greater than the radius of the smaller hammer end 54 so that the impact member 70 forms a resilient-stop for holding the hammer head 14 in the position of FIGURES 68.

As previously indicated, the hammer forms a kit and includes a brush 100 and a pin 102 (see FIG- URE 6).

To carry the brush and pin, preferably the brush and

100 and 102 are secured together to form a subassembly 101 (see FIGURE 9), which is detachably connectable to the shell 16. This may be done, as by internally screw-threading the shell 16 at its end 104, as at 106, to receive a closure member 108 provided with mating threading 110 and a shoulder 112 which serves as a stop for limiting the amount that the closure 108 can be turned into end'104 of shell 16.

The closure 108 may be formed from any suitable substance, such, as brass, and is formed with a central bore 120 that is threaded as at 122 to screw-threadedly engage the threaded portion 124 of pin 102. Pin 102 comprises the pointed shaft 126 which is fixed to a head 128 that is preferably knurled as at 130 for aiding in gripping same.

Also received in the bore 120 of closure member 108 is a transparent tubular member 140 that is proportioned to receive the shaft 126 of pin'102, and is given a somewhat additional length for the purpose of forming a socket for mounting brush bristles 142. This may be done in any suitable manner, but in the illustrated embodiment, a suitable quantity of the brush bristles 142 are applied Within the end 144 of the tubular member 140 and then one or more lengths of wire 146 are tightly wound around the tube 140 to hold the bristles 142 in place. In the illustrated embodiment, the tube 140 is a transparent plastic similar to Celluloid so that when the wire 146 is tightly wound in place, the inner ends of the bristles 142 will be tightly gripped or held in place.

The closure 108 is preferably knurled as at 150.

It will be observed that when the pin 102 is applied to the closure 108, the tubular member 140 serves as the housing for thepointed shaft 126. Likewise, when the brush as assembled to closure 108 is applied to the end 104 of shell 16, the shell 16 forms a housing for the brush. Furthermore, in the collapsed or retracted position of the device shown in FIGURE 1, the inner end 152 of the inner member 18 closely approaches the inner surface 154 of closure 108, and thus seals off the opening defined by slot 22 in the shell 16, thereby completely enclosing brush 100. V

As already indicated, the hammer 10 in its inoperative retracted position takes the relative positioning shown in FIGURE In this position, the, hammer 10 (new;

pics no more space than a small pocket flashlight or an oversized fountain pen.

When it is desired to use the hammer 10, the inner or core member 18 is pulled outwardly of the shell 16 to approximately the position shown in FIGURE 3, and in this connection, it is pointed out that the cut-out area of inner member 18 that is defined by slot 34 permits the member 18 to be freely moved with respect to the shell 16 for the length of the slot 34, as the substantial position of the circumference of member 18 that is eliminated by the forming of slot 34 trees the member 18 from frictional engagement with end 20 of shell member 16 for the length of slot 34.

This will position the hammer at approximately as shown in FIGURES 68, after which the head may be swung to the position of FIGURE 3 and then both ends of the head engaged by the fingers of one hand to pull the member 18 outwardly of the shell member 16 against the binding engagement of the shell member end 20 with the external surface 21 of the inner member 18. This outward movement is continued until the hammer head has the desired ope-rating position with respect to the shell member 16, and this could be at any desired point between the positions of FIGURES 2 and 3.

If it is desired to use the brush 180 or pin 102 during the testing procedure, they may be removed as desired by unthreading either the closure 108 or the needle 102 as the need may dictate.

To retract the hammer head 14, the head 14 is pushed to the position of FIGURE 3 with respect to the shell member 16, after which it is swung to the position of FIGURES 68. The head may then be readily pushed into the shell 16 to the position of FIGURE 1. The inward movement of the head 14 with respect to shell 14 is continued until the shoulder 80 of head 14 contacts the end 20 of shell 16, which thus serves as a stop for properly positioning inner member 18 with respect to brush 100.

The head 14 is held from accidental movement out of V the shell 16 in the position of FIGURE 1 by reason of the fact that the ends 130 of the pin 40 protrude somewhat beyond the sidewall projections 38 (see FIGURE 4), and this forms a locking arrangement when the end 20 is pressed over them.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention and the manner in which it may be performed, and the invention is not to be limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope or" the invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible neurological hammer comprising an extensible handle having outer and inner elongated telescoping members relatively lengthwise slidable between an extended use position and a retracted storage position, interlocking means engaging said telescoping membeta to regulate relative lengthwise sliding movement of said members between said use position and said storage position, said inner member having a free end comprised of endwise extending sidewall portions defining a socket that is open endwise and that has oppositely directed side a face openings, one long and one short, a hammer head having oppositely directed large and small ends each equipped with a resilient impact element, said small end being movable through said long opening to nest within said socket and said large end presenting peripheral shoulder structure as large as the end of said outer member, and pivot means engaged in said sidewall portions and mounting a central region of said hammer head to rotate about a transverse axis through said sidewall portions to permit said hammer head to be rotated between an axial storage position wherein said small end is nested within said socket and said large end projects endwise from said socket and presents said peripheral shoulder structure for engagement with said outer member to limit retraction of said inner member into said outer member, and a transverse use position wherein said large end is adjacent to said short opening and said small end projects through said long opening.

2. A hammer in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said small end has its resilient impact element large enough to establish, when nested in said socket, a friction fit against said inner member and maintain said hammer head against accidental release from said socket.

3. A collapsible neurological hammer comprising an extensible handle having outer and inner elongated telescoping members relatively lengthwise slidable between an extended use position and a retracted storage position, interlocking means engaging said telescoping members to regulate relative lengthwise sliding movement of said members between said use position and said storage position, said inner member having a free end comprised of endwise extending sidewall portions defining a socket that is open endwise and that has oppositely directed side face openings, one long and one short, a hammer head having oppositely directed large and small ends each equipped with a resilient impact element, said small end being nestable within said socket and having its resilient impact element large enough, when nested in said socket, to establish a friction fit against said inner member and maintain said hammer head again-st accidental release from said socket and said large end presenting peripheral shoulder structure as large as the end of said outer member, and pivot means engaged in said sidewall portions and mounting a center region of said hammer head to rotate about a transverse axis through said sidewall portions to permit said hammer head to be rotated between an axial storage position wherein said small end is nested within said socket and said large end projects endwise from said socket and presents said peripheral shoulder structure for engagement with said outer member to limit retraction of said inner member into said outer member, and a transverse use position wherein said large end has said shoulder structure facing said short opening and abutting the sidewall portions thereadjacent and said small end projects through said long opening.

4. A hammer in accordance with claim 3 and wherein said hammer head has detent means carried therein and resiliently biased to project therefrom to cooperate with one of said sidewall portions to fix the hammer head at said transverse use position.

5. The hammer set forth in claim 3 wherein the other end of said outer member detachably carries a closure member, said closure member having secured thereto a brush member proportioned to be received within the bore of said outer member, and wherein the other end of said inner member is open and proportioned to extend adjacent to said closure member when said hammer head one end is moved within said one end of said outer member, whereby when said closure member is applied to said outer member other end, and said hammer head is moved to position said one end thereof, said other end of said inner member forms a housing for said brush member.

6. The hammer set forth in claim 5 wherein said closure member detachably carries a pin member positioned in alignment with said brush member, said brush member being hollow and forming a housing for said pin member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,007,512 10/ 11 Aardahl 287-58 1,215,308 2/17 Johnson 29 1,269,820 6/ 18 Karatsu 128-2 1,515,820 11/24 Adelmann 145--29 2,532,093 11/50 Golub et al. 128-2 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A COLLAPSIBLE NEUROLOGICAL HAMMER COMPRISING AN EXTENSIBLE HANDLE HAVING OUTER AND INNER ELONGATED TELESCOPING MEMBERS RELATIVELY LENGTHWISE SLIDABLE BETWEEN AN EXTENDED USE POSITION AND A RETRACTED STORAGE POSITION, INTERLOCKING MEANS ENGAGING SAID TELESCOPING MEMBERS TO REGULATE RELATIVE LENGTHWISE SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS BETWEEN SAID USE POSITION AND SAID STORAGE POSITION, SAID INNER MEMBER HAVING A FREE END COMPRISED OF ENDWISE EXTENDING SIDEWALL PORTIONS DEFINING A SOCKET THAT IS OPEN ENDWISE AND THAT HAS OPPOSITELY DIRECTED SIDE FACE OPENINGS, ONE LKONG AND ONE SHORT, A HAMMER HEAD HAVING OPPOSITELY DIRECTED LARGE AND SMALL ENDS EACH EQUIPPED WITH A RESILIENT IMPACT ELEMENT, SAID SMALL END BEING MOVABLE THROUGH SAID LONG OPENING TO NEST WITHIN SAID SOCKET AND SAID LARGE END PRESENTING PERIPHERAL SHOULDER STRUCTURE AS LARGE AS THE END OF SAID OUTER MEMBER, AND PIVOT MEANS ENGAGED IN SAID SIDEWALL PORTIONS AND MOUNTING A CENTRAL REGION OF SAID HAMMER HEAD TO ROTATE ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS THROUGH SAID SIDEWALL PORTIONS TO PERMIT SAID HAMMER HEAD TO BE ROTATED BETWEEN AN AXIAL STORAGE POSITION WHEREIN SAID SMALL END IS NESTED WITHIN SAID SOCKET AND SAID LARGE END PROJECTS ENDWISE FROM SAID SOCKET AND PRESENTS SAID PERIPHERAL SHOULDER STRUCTURE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OUTER MEMBER TO LIMIT RETRACTION OF SAID INNER MEMBER INTO SAID OUTER MEMBER, AND A TRANSVERSE USE POSITION WHEREIN SAID LARGE END IS ADJACENT TO SAID SHORT OPENING AND SAID SMALL END PROJECTS THROUGH SAID LONG OPENING.