US911528A - Therapeutical apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

A. E. SHOBMAKER. TEBAPBUTIGAL APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOI FILED 1120.30. 1207.

rammed Feb. 2, 1909.

IN VEN TOR.'

A TTORNE Y.

r'ul um mn am. mlm. In c will WITNESSES.- A mi. C i um ALTX HEN LY SHOEUAKER, OF SEATTLE, WASHIXGTOX, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO vWILLIAM I. BWART, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

THIEBAPEUTICAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed December 30, 1907. Serial No. 408,648.

To all "whom "it 4may concern:

Be it known that l, ALVIN Henny Suor.- )Lxnnin a eiti'fzen of the United States. residing at Seattle. in the county of King and State of Ttl'ashinltou. hare invented certain new and useful lmprtwements in Therapeutical Apparatus, of which the following is a specilication. reference heing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This intention relates to therapeutical apparatus: and its object is the. provision of devices of this character through the medium of which the curing of diseases which have hitherto been beyond the skill of the medical practitioner may he accomplished.

The invention consists in means or apparatus in a manner as hereinafter setforth whereby a patient is subjected to external or atmospheric pressure to a predetermined amount reproducing under selected conditions and to greater degrees an approximation to the varying densities of the atmosphere at. ditferent. elevations.

lt further consists in the means ner hereinafte set forth whereby such artiieial conditions, or air pressures, are intermittently varied as to intensity, together with controllable means whereby such results may be regulated as to duration.

In the drawing, I illustrate apparatus embodying my invention in which the parts are shown partly in section and partly in elevation as to best disclose the construction and operation of the same.

The reference numeral 1 designates a receptaele of any suitable size to accommodate a patient to be treated, which receptacle may be made of glass and of any suitable shape. Said receptacle is closed at one end, as at 2, and has an opening furthe opposite end for a door 3 which may be swung on hinges and is adapted to make an air-tight joint with the receptacle casing. as by a asket 4. Said door is desirably arranged to swing downwardly when opening so that convenient access is had to the interior of the receptacle for the admission of a hospit .l litter upon which the patient is introduced. or the removal thereof after treatin l The door may be secured when closed in a bolt 5 which is hinged to lugs 6 provided upm an attachment T of the receptacle and adapted to exi tend between ears provided in the periphery -l of the door and against which a fasteningg nut 8 is brought to hear by manipulating the i same. A djacent. of the door, and in the bottom of the receptacle, is an opening from which leads a pipe 9 to a tank 1()V hereinafter designated as the exhanster. '.lhis pipe has an outlet valve 1l through which the receptacle may be drained of fluid collected while operating the apparatus and also of water used to el anse the interior of the receptacle hetween successive operations.

Leading from an opening in the recept-arie, preferably at the closed end if', is a pipe l2 which communicates with a tank 13, hereinafter designated as a reserroir, in which is a supply of air under pressure somewhat greater than that of the atmosphere and which is maintained from a suitable compressor, not shown. connected by a charging pipe 1l. Said exhauster is evacuated, as much as may he. of its gaseous contents by a suitable air-pump. not shown, through a connecting pipe 15. The pipes 9 and 12, leading respectively to the exhauster and the reservoir from the receptacle, are provided with faires 1G and 1T for controlling the How of gases therethrough. These valves may he of that class known as plug-cocks and are regulated by arms 1G and 1T', but are set in such relation that one of them will he open when the other is closed and vice versa. Said valve arms extend through elongated apertures 1S and 1S in a rod 18 which is mounted for reciprocation in guides 1i) and axially extends through a valve cylinder 20. interiorly of said Valve cylinder 2O is a piston 2l rigidly connected to or formed integral with said rod. Upon the rod aie springs 9.2 and 23 which are regulated by adjustment nuts 9.4 and 25 engaging with screw-threads provided therefor on the rod. Communication is had between one end of the cylinder 2O and the receptacle 1 by a pipe :5G which ma) be connected with the pipe 12 intermediate such receptacle and the valve 1t?. The opposite end of the cylinder is provided with a small leak-hole 27 wherethrough the air is alternately admitted and discharged as the piston rccedes or approaches that end of the. cylinder.

Lithia the receptacle is desirably employed a quantity of foraminoas material 2S, such as cotton gauze and which may be treated to render the same antiseptic. The function of this material is to form a means through which the air from the reservoir percolates to diffuse the same and likewise extract mechanically. and where the material has` been treated chemically. as hereinafter stated. certain foreign substances carried bv the air. '.l`he material is secured in place iii-an)Y suitable or convenient manner. as liv a plate if) through which the end of the pipe l2 extends to receive a :setairing nut 3U for the plate. 'liere .such devices are used the c vrreniitv of pipe 1'. is closed as at l2' and perforations l2 are provided in the pipe to allow of the e-'eape of the. air therefrom and so dispo-cal that the same will be caused to passthrough the interstiees of the material '2S before it can enter the chainber to the other side ot' the plate 2t).

ln the shell of the reservoir is an opening with a removable plug Ill for the introduction of chemicals which would he used in conjunction with the. compressed air in certain eases.

3Q represents a burner which is supplied with fuel gas through a pipe Il-' leadingr from a source of supply. The purpose ot' this burner is to hert the. contents of the reservoir prior to it.- delivery to the receptaclc.A either for overcoming the cooling etlect due to the expansion which would ensue in entering the. receptacle. or to canse the temperature to be raiset'l to any extent appropriate to the ease under treatment.

The operation of the invention is as follows: After the patient is within the receptacle and the latter herniet'icallv sealed by the closing of the door, the apparatus is put in opei'ation by manually moving the rod 1S whereupon the .spring is conipressed and the valve 143 is opened to permit the flow of air from the reservoir to the receptacleand which will occur through the higher pressure prevailing in the reservoir. Then .the pressure in the receptacle is thus built up. or during such operation. the air from the pipe 1Q will enter the cylinder :'20 to canse the piston therein to be actuated to move the rod and against the retarding eflcct` due to the air at the opposite side of the piston which resists compression and can oni)1 escape through the leak-hole, 2T. The spring 29. which was previously compressed asserts itself to assist in this action and overcome the opposingr spring compressing the latter to conserve the force thereof for accomplishing the reverse movement of the rod. B v reason ot' the slots 1S and 16" heing provided in the rod, it is impelled a eertain distance before the valve arms 1G and 1T are engaged to close the valve 16 and open thevalve 1T. 'hen the said valves 1G and 1T have been thus al'ected communication is closed between the receptacle and the reservoir and the compressed air from the receptacle is withdrawn through theA pipe f) into the exhauster 10 where the pressure is considerably than atmospheric. This action is continued while the spring 23 l l l l l is operating first. to move the rod, 1S against the resisting etl'ect ot' the air upon the opposite side ot' the piston 2l and thereafter until the rod operatively engages the valve-arms to close, the vaive 1T against further flow to the exhauster. and the valve lli to rees.'- tablish eoiizniunication with the reservoir. 'lhis completes :i c vcle of operation and fut'- ther c veles -irf` attained through the oltiees ot` the valve` and their controlling means, as above explained.

vllaving described in v invention, what 1 elaini. is-

l. ln apparatus of the class described. the combination with a receptacle. a tank for .storage of compressed air. a tank from which the air is exhausted. and pipe connections between the receptacle and the respective tanks` ot' valves in each of said pipe connect ions. means for controlling the action ot said valves so that the communication through the respective said pipe tonnections are alternately opened and closed. such means serving to retard the valve actions whereby the dni-ation of the tlow of air through each of said pipe connections nia v he regulated.

L). therapeutieal apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, a pair of tanks containing fluid under different pressures and adapted to alternately coinnuinicate with said receptacle, means wliereb)r the fluid troni the tank containing fluid under the higher-pressure will he supplied to the receptacle to increase the pressure in the latter. and means for automatically establishing conin'ninication between the other tank and said receptacle to reduce the pressure in the latter when it reaches a predetermined stage and for shutting oft' communication between the first tank and the receptacle.

3. therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, a tank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe conneet ion between the compressed air tank and the receptacle. a valve in said connection, a valved pipe connection between the vacuum tank and the receptacle, and mechanism for alternately opening said valves for establishing coiniinuiicatioii alternately between the tanks and the receptacle.

-l. A therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, a tank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe connection between the compressed air tank and the receptacle, a valve in said connection, a valved pipe connection between the vacuum tank and the receptacle, a pressure actuated mechanism for openingr the valve in the vacuum tank pipe connection and for closing the valve in the air tank pipe connection whereby the air tank is closed to the receptacle. and the vacuum tank opened to the anisni to close the valve in the vacuum pipe connection and to open the valve of the air to close the valve in the vacuum pipe con-` tank pipe connection when the pressure in the receptacle has been reduced.

A therapeutical apparatus comprising I a receptacle for a patient, a tank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe conf neetiou between the compressed air tank and containing fluid under dllerent pressures the receptacle, a 'valve n1 .said connection, a ralved pipe connection between the vacuum tank and the receptacle,mechanism for alterf nately upenlnjl said \'al\es for establlslung'. i

'f higher pressure will be supplied to the reconnuuniration alternately between the tanks and the receptacle, and means for heating the compressed air.

t. it therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, a tank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe conneetinn between the compressed air tank and the receptacle, a Valve in said connection, a valretl pipe connection between the Yacuum tank and the receptacle, a pressure actuated mechanism for opening' the valve in the vacuum tank pipe connection and for closing the valve in thtl air tank pipe connection whereby the air tank is closed to the receptacle and the vacuum tank opened to the receptacle, means to operate said mechanism nection and to cpen the valve of the air tank pipe connection when the pressure in the receptacle has been reduced, and means for heating the compressed air.

T. A therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, a pair of tanks and adapted to alternately communicate with said receptacle, means whereby the fluid from the tank containing lmd under the ceptacle to increase the pressure in the latter, means for automatically establishing communication between the other tank and said receptacle to reduce the pressure in the latter when it reaches a predetermined stage and for shutting ottl connnunication between the lirst tank and the receptacle, and means for heatingr the fluid prior to the supply thereof to said receptacle.

In testimony whereof l ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN HENRY SllOEllAKllll. Yitnessem HORACE BARNES, ROBERT B. GlLLIEs.

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