US1771366A - Medicating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 22, 1930. A. u. wYss ET AL MEDICATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ill V AVlll/llI/ I/lll/I/ b I 9 I 1 I I 4 V Z I a A 11v mew TORS M QWW July 22. 1930. A. u. WYSS ETAL A 1,771,366

IEDICAT/ING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO Patented July 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED U. WYSS, 01 PORT WASHINGTON, AN D. WERNER R. KERN, F MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOBS TO B. W. CRAMER & COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MEDICATING APPARATUS Application filed October 80, 1926. Serial No. 145,239.

This invention is a novel medicating apparatus, and relates especially to portable medicators adapted for effecting various treatments, for example as an inhalator for the treatment of the respiratory passages, although the principles are applicable to the treatment of other parts, for example the ears, by means of artificially produced currents of the treating medium; and in any case the treatment may be done by means of medicating vapors or gases carried by the medium or air, or may be a mere heat treatment by means of heated gas or air.

The general object of the present invention is to afford a medicator or inhalator,

for natural inhalation by the person treated,

or for forced flow or injection of the heated or medicated gases or vapors, and to permit ready conversion from one use to the other.

. Another object is to provide an improved means of applying electric heat to the air or other medium fiowingthrough the medicator. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be explained in the herein after following description of illustrative embodiments thereof 01 will be. understood to those skilled in the subject.

To the accomplishment of the aforesaid objects and advantages the-present invention consists in the novel medicator, and the novel features of combination, arrangement, construction and detail herein described or illustrated.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a central cross section of a portable medicator embodying the principles of the invention, adapted especially as an inhalator.

Fig. 2 is a right end view of the medicator shown in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a combined central section and side view of the medicator shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the section taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on theline 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a combined apparatus, including the medicator of Fi s. 1-5 in combination, with certain additiona elements extending the operation and utility of the mvention.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation and Fig. 8 a side elevation showing the delivery end of the medicatorcombined with an appliance adapting the same for medication of the nostrils.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation indicating the medicator combined withan appliance for the treatment of the ears.

The drawings show an exterior shell orOuter sleeve 10 having indented or groovedsurface portions 11 to facilitate gripping, and formed with atapered front end 12 havingopposite apertures 13 for purposes to be explained. Theouter shell 11 is protected from interior heat by ventilation and for this purpose an annular space 14 is provided by a system of lugs 15 spacing the shell away from an interior casing orcylinder 16 which may be considered as the body of the apparatus. The front end of thehollow body 16 is apertured with air inlet holes 17 at its opposite sides in line with theapertures 13 of the ventilated shell. Thefront end 18 of the body is thickened so asto present a. tapered inner surface 19 forming a converging passage directed forwardly into arecess 20 enclosed within the forwardly extending portion orrim flange 21.

At the rear end of thebody 16 is, shown a stopper or block 22 preferably fitting snugly within the hollow bod and servingto close tightly that end against escape of air or vapor. The plug 22 has a forwardly extending flange 23 enclosing a cylindrical s we arranged to receive the rear end of the eating tube to be described. The arran ement of lugs 15, thebody 16 and the closing block 22, the securing pin being preferably formed in two parts screw threaded together at an interior point.

An annular space or passage is provided within thebody 16 between the body and an interior tube 26 composed preferably of metal and containing the heating means. The openings 17 in the body constituting the inlets the travel of the air is longitudinally along theannular passage 25 and thence through circumferential openings 27 near the rear end of the tube 26, the travel therefrom continuing forwardly within the heating tube. The front end of the tube is slightly tapered at 28 so that the tube is firmly wedged into position against the tapered surface 19 at the front, the rear end of the tube fitting within the flange 23 of the block 22 closing the rear end of the body.

The heating means hereof is preferably electric and is of a novel and advantageous character, being such that the air passing forwardly through the heating tube is compelled to percolate through amass of fibrous hot material. To secure this end there is employed a resistance 30 consisting preferably of fine metallic wire wound or covered with a fibrous and refractory material such as asbestos which constitutes also an electrical insulation. This heating means may be arranged substantially as shown. A length of several feet of the asbestos covered wire is looped back and forth in loops shortor than the heating tube and thrust loosely into the tube so that the material is self sup-' porting, while at the same time substantially filling the tube and compelling the traveling air to pass in intimate contact with the heated asbestos covering. The ends 31 of the resistance wire 30 are shown passed through holes formed in the block 22 and fastened by winding or otherwise to a pair of spring terminals 32 adapted to be engaged and disengaged by anelectric plug 33 connected with a line wire 3%. By this arrangement, when the terminals are connected up to the line wires, the asbestos covered resistance 30 is highly heated as is also the metal tube surrounding it. The entering air passing rear wardly is first preheated at the exterior of the heating tube and then passing inwardly travels forwardly and becomes highly heated in traveling through the fibrous resistance material. The diameter and length of the resistance wire may be predetermined to avoid giving an excessive or dangerous degree of heat, and regulation may be by interposing a rheostat in the line wire. To the heating element of the apparatus may be connected a thermostat regulating the temperature at a predetermined degree, for example a bimetallic thermostat which opens and closes the circuit as the temperature exceeds or falls below the desired poin While the heating tube 26 has been described as constructed of metal, preferably the other described rigid parts are constructed of a heat resisting and electric insulating character such as bakelite. Thus theshell 10, thebody 16 and the block 22 are preferably constructed of bakelite, while the rigid elements at the delivery end yet to be described are preferably constructed of transparent lass. D Thus thedelivery piece 36 is preferably of glass giving sanitary qualities and inspection of the interior. This is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 as shaped with aconical terminus 37 constituting a, mouthpiece such as conveniently to be applied to the mouth of the patient and permit the patient to inhale the heated or medicated air or gases passing through the apparatus. Inside the mouthpiece is shown a holder orvessel 38 having aconical portion 39 conforming with the tapered exit of themouthpiece 37. Medicating or filtering material may be contained in theholder 38. The body of this holder is shown as fitting snugly within therecess 20 formed by the front flange orrim 21 of the body, while themouthpiece 36 fits snugly upon the outside of thesame flange 21. The material of theholder 38 is shown at its rear end as re curved at 40 into a forwardly extending flange, thus providing an annular space or cup 41 adapted to receive any excess liquid and prevent it'passing from the holder into the body of the medicator. The holder is preferably of glass.

The medicating or filtering of the air or gases passing through the apparatus may be efiected by means of a tampon or small roll ofgauze 42 which may be thrust through the rear opening of theholder 38 and allowed to expand into the condition shown in Fig. l. The gauze may be supplied with vaporizable liquid or other treating substance either be fore or after insertion in the holder. It might be provided with a breakable vial of median tion which will thus keep indefinitely and require only to be broken by exterior pressure before the tampon is inserted in the holder.

The apparatus so far described is well adapted for treatment of bronchitis or other affections of the respiratory passages. It constitutes an inhalator and requires the suction of the breath at themouthpiece to cause the circulation and medication of the treating air as described. It has been explainedthat the apertures 17 constitute the air inlets to theannular heating passage 25 and it will be observed that theapertures 13 in theouter shell 10 are in alinement therewith. The air therefore will pass through theapertures 13 and then the apertures 17 into the interior heating passages. The inward travel of air between theapertures 13 and 17 will tend to induce a lateral current or suction which will draw air forwardly through the ventilating space or passage 14 separating thebody 16 and. theouter shell 10, and t shell and rendering it possible to handle comfortably in spite of the heat developed'in the interior of the apparatus.

When it is desired to use the medicator for other purposes than as an inhalator it is necessary'to provide for a forced draft or passage of the treating air or gases. For this purpose the combined arrangement shown in Figs. 6 to 9 may be employed. It is one of the advantages of the present invention that it may be readily converted from an inhalator to a forced draft apparatus; and the forced draft features are also useful in treating respiratory passages of a child orperson incompetent to employ the appara tus as an inhalator. The additional apparatus for converting the inhalator as explained is shown as comprising a pair ofnipples 44 adapted to be thrust oppositely through theopenings 13 in the shell and into tight engagement with the apertures 17 in the body, as indicated in the broken away portion of Fig. 6. The opposite ni ples 44 are shown connected byseparate exible tubes 45 to a Y-connection 46 which in turn is connected by a flexible tube 47 to a suitable air forcing apparatus. This is preferably a manual ap- I paratus comprisin a pump in the nature of abulb 48 operate by the grip of the hand, preferablycombined with an elastic inflatable bulb .49 containing a' one-way valve 50 at the air inlet. By this arrangement successive pressures upon the operatingbulb 48 will cause the inflation of thebulb 49 and a steady pressure and flow of air throughthepassages 47 and 45 and thence through the apertures 17 into the body of the medicator as already described.

The form of apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is readily adaptable for various uses, for example for treatment of the nose passages by replacing thedelivery piece 36 with an attachment orappliance 52 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 havingterminals 53 fitting the nostrils. Another useful employment of the invention is for the treatment of the passages of the ear and for this purpose theappliance 55 shown in Fig. 9 may be employed, the same having anextension 56 adapted to be inserted exteriorly into the car, while the medicating medium is forced through the same by th manual pumping means 48.

There has thus been described a medicating apparatus adapted for various purposes and embodying the-principles of the present invention. Since various matters of combination, arrangement, construction and detail may be considerably modified without departing from the principles of the invention itis not intended to limit the invention us tending to keep cool the outerto such matters except so far as set forth in the'appended claims.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A portable medicator comprising a tubular-body with a head at the front end of the body, an interior heating tube spaced \from the body and forming between them an annular passage for preheating of air, said head supporting and spacing the front end of the heating tube and having an annular flange extending forwardly beyond such front end of the heating tube, said body havin apertures admitting air to the front end 0 the annularfpassage and said heating. tube having apertures leading from said passage into the rear end of the heating tube, electrical heating means in the heating space bular body, an interior heading tube spaced from the body and forming between them an annular passage for preheating of air, a head spacing the front ends of the tubular body and heating "tube and having an annular flange extendingv forwardly beyond' such front end of the heating tube, said body having apertures admitting air to the front end of the annular passage and said heating tube having apertures leading from said passage into the rear end of the heating tube, heating means within the heating tube, a delivery piece detachably connected to the forward flange of said head to enclose therewith a medicating chamber receiving heated air from the heating tube, and a tubular tampon holder enclosed in said medicating chamber, with its rear end fitted within the flange of said head and cupped, to confine excess liquid against access to the heating space.

3. A portable medicator comprising a tubular body with a head at the front end of the body, an interior heating tube spaced from the body and forming between them an annular passage for preheating of air, said head supporting and spacing the front end of the heating tube and'having an annular flange extending forwardly beyond such front end of the heating ,tube, said body having apertures admitting air to the front end of the annular passage and said heating tube having apertures leading from said passage into the rear end of the heating tube, electrical heating means in the heating space within the heating tube, a delivery plece detachably connected to the forward flange of said head receiving heated air from the heatin tube and adapted to receive a tampon hold er, an exterior shell enclosing the tubular body but spaced outwards thereof leaving a ventilating passage extending longitudinally and open at both ends, and lugs spaced from each other and spacing said body and shell from each other to leave such ventilating passage, and the front end air admitting apertures of said body being arranged to receive outside air direct and to take air from said ventilating passage only by induced draft.

In testimony whereof, we have afiixed our signatures hereto.

ALFRED U. WYSS. WVERNER R. KERN.

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