US498633A - Speculum - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

5 H. DICKINSON. Jr.

SPEGULUM o; 498,633. Patented May 30, 1893.

WITNESSES:

ffin @AM A TTORNE Y S.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HENRY DICKINSON, JR, or OHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK.

SPECULUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,633, dated May 30, 1893.

\ Application filed JannarylS, 1893. Serial No. 458,745. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY DICKINSON,J1., of Ohappaqua, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Speculum, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to an improvementin speculums, and it has for its object to construct the speculum in such manner that the upper and lower sections thereof will be independent one of the other; and furthermore to provide a means whereby the anterior ends of the members or sections of the speculum may be made to diverge, the upper one to a greater degree than the lower one, or whereby both may be made to diverge to practically the same degree, and whereby also the posterior portion of the speculum, when the speculum is in use in the ordinary manner, will present an opening of sufficient size to conveniently and properly manipulate the instrument.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and conveniently and expeditiously manipulated device for enlarging the anterior portion of the speculum, and of holding the members in their expanded position.

Another important feature of the invention is to provide a means whereby the upper member or section of the speculum may be carried a considerable distance vertically away from the lower member, thus providing a means for increasing the opening at the posterior end as much as may be found necessary or desirable, and also to provide a means for maintaining the upper member or section in whatever position it may be placed.

Another feature of theinvention is to so construct the two sections that when they are in contact their vertical depth will be reduced to a minimum, thus admitting of the speculum being introduced into openings quite small without trouble to the manipulator or pain to the person to be operated upon.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

held in that position.

in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the speculum, illustrating the upper member as being carried some distance from the lower one and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the lower member. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper member; and Fig. 4 is a detail View of the mechanism through the medium of which the two sections aremanipulated.

In carrying out the invention the body of the speculum may be said toconsist of an upper member or section A and a lower member or section B. These sections are given the ordinary contour, the upper one being slightly shorter than the lower one. Both of the sections are made quite flat, but their inner faces are concave, and the outer end of each section is provided with a flange, the flange of the upper section being designated as 10 and that of the lower section as 11. The flange of theupper section extends upward, while that of the lower section extends downward, and the inner faces of the flanges are curved, producing when the two sections or members are brought together somewhat of a bell-shaped mouth. The upper section at one side, the right-hand side preferably, is provided with a socket 12, and this socket has produced in it an opening 13, which extends through from top to bottom, the opening being essentially L- shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3. The socket has likewise formed upon it an ear 14, which stands at right angles to the flange 10, as shown in Fig.1; and upon the outer face of the ear 14 a stud 15, is located, shown best in Fig. 3. The lower section B, is likewise provided with a socket designated in the drawings as 16, and this socket has an opening 17, which extends through it from top to bottom, the opening being preferably made rectangular and produced in direction of the length of the socket.

The mechanism shown in detail in Fig. 4 and in position in Fig. 1, and adapted for manipulating the two members or sections A and B, is of the following construction: Two bars 18 and 19, are connected by ahinge 20; thebar 18 is the upper one and the bar 19 is the lower one. The bar 18, is rectangular in cross section, and at its lower end one knuckle of the hinge 20, is produced, while the opposite knuckle is formed at the upper end of the lower bar 19. The lower bar is also rectangular in cross section at its upper end, and at that point corresponds in formation to the formation of the upper bar, while the lower end of the lower bar 19, is shaped to produce a handle 21. The handle is likewise preferably made rectangular in cross section, but its wider face is presented to the front and rear, while the wider face of the upper portion of the lower bar is presented to the sides, the handle and upper portion of the bar being united by a circular shank section 21*; thus practically the handle stands at an angle to the upper portion of the bar. An angular or L-shaped arm 22, is projected from the knuckle of the lower bar 19; the shorter member of the arm extends outward and stands at a right angle to the knuckle, while the longer member extends downward and forward and is preferably made to terminate in a knob 23. A like arm 24, is formed integral with or is attached tothe knuckle of the upper bar 18, and one of these arms is directly over the other. The longer members of the two arms may be brought together if in dractice it is found desirable, and the said members of the arms may he moved toward or from each other; and in the upper face of the upper arm 24, and in the lower face. of the lower arm 22, corrugations or notches are produced, designated in the drawings as a, and the longer member of the upper arm terminates in a knob 23",or the equivalent thereof, in like manner as the corresponding member of the lower arm; a link 25,is made to travel over both arms and to engage with the entire notched or corrugated surfaces thereof, the knobs 23 and 23 being intended to prevent the link from slipping from the arms. Thus when the link is at the inner end of the arm, as shown in Fig. 4, the two bars 18 and 19 may be in vertical alignment; but when the arms are brought or carried in direction of each other the two bars 18 and. 19 will stand at angles to each other, inclining in an outwardly direction. A lever 26, is pivotally secured to the upper end of the upper bar 18, that portion of the bar upon its outer face being recessed to receive the lever and admit of its movement, as shown in Fig. 1. The narrow edge of this lever, where it connects with the upper bar and some distance from the bar, is uppermost, while the outer end of the lever is twisted so as to bring that portion at right angles to the body and form a handle 27, presenting its wide flat surfaces upward and downward as shown in Fig. 1; and the lever at the rear of the handle is connected with the ear 14 bya link 28,which link is pivotally attached to the lever, and is capable of being slipped over or disengaged from the stud'15 upon said ear.

The parts are assembled in the following manner: The link 28, is carried over upon the body of the lever 26, and the lever is carried upward until it is in vertical alignment with the upper bar 18. The lever 26, is then introduced in the opening 13 in the socket of the upper member or section of the speculum, the narrower portion and the handle of the lever entering the short section of the slot 13, while the body of the lever passes down through the wider section of the said slot. After the socket has been slipped over upon the body or lower portion of the bar 18 the link 28, is sprung over the stud 15,and in this way the lever is brought in direct communication with the upper member or section A, and by operating the lever the said upper section may be raised or lowered upon the bar 18. The upper section having been placed in position, the handle 21 of the lower bar 19 is introduced into the opening 17 in the socket of the lower member or section B, and the said member or section is carried upward until the shank 21 of the bar is reached, whereupon the said lower section is turned and brought beneath the upper section, and when the two sections are in this position, the lower section may be carried up upon the upper rectangular portion of the lower bar, and it remains in that position unless intentionally removed, by frictional contact with the bar.

Thus it will be observed that the various parts of this instrument may be expeditiously and conveniently disconnected and thoroughly washed in antiseptic material; and furthermore the instrument when discon nected maybe packed in a small compass and but little time is consumed in connecting the various parts and placing them in operative position.

In operation, the sections A and B of the speculum are brought together, and the instrument is grasped by the handle 21 of the lower bar. The speculum may then be introduced very readily into the vagina, and by manipulating the arms 22 and 24 the anterior portion of the instrument may be separated as far as desired, and ample room will be provided at the posterior portion for the introduction of any instrument that may need to be employed, as the sections A and B are independent one of the other. If it should become necesseary to increase the opening at the posterior portion of the instrument, the lever 27, is depressed and the upper member is thereby carried upward as far as desired, it being understood that when the instrument is in position for use the upper bar 18, if not the lower one, will stand at an inclination outward; therefore, as pressure is exerted upon the upper face of the upper member A and its socket is located upon the outwardly and upwardly-extending bar, the more pressure exerted upon the upper member the more firmly it will be held upon the bar upon which it is intended to slide.

ITO

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a speculum, the same consisting of a body comprising an upper and a lower member or section, one independent of the other, each body section having a socket formed thereon, a hinged standard the members of which pass through the sockets of the body members, the hinge being located between the sockets of said body members, adjusting arms projected from the members of the standard, and a lever connected with the upper body member or section, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A speculum comprising the upper and lower blades provided at their rear ends at one and the same side thereof with sockets, a hinged bar passed removabiy at opposite sides of its hinge through said sockets; the lower end of the hinged bar forming the handle, ad-

justing arms projecting rearwardly from the respective members of the hinged bar at its hinge and means for adjusting the upper blade along the upper member of said hinged bar, substantially as setforth.

3. A speculum comprising a hinged bar carrying' the blades at opposite sides of its hinge the lower section of which forms the handle,

the two blades having sockets adapted to be passed upon and removed from the bar at opposite sides of its hinge, a stud 15 formed at the rear side of the socket of the upper blade, a lever 26 pivoted to the upper end of the upper member of the bar and adapted to align therewith when the upper blade is to be removed or attached, and a link pivoted to said lever and having an aperture to receive the stud 15, and means for adjusting the hinge bar, substantially as set forth.

' HENRY DICKINSON, J R

Witnesses:

J. FRED. ACKER, O. SEDGWICK.

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