Instrument for removing exchangeable blades from surgical scalpes

The instrument for removing exchangeable blades from surgical scalpes consists of two arms /1 and 2/ connected with each other and forming approximately the shape of the letter "U" or "V". The end of the arm /1/ is provided with two protrusions /3 and 4/ and with the catch disposed at a distance therefrom /5/, the end of the arm /2/ being provided with two similar protrusions /6 and 7/. The protrusions /3 and 4, and 6 and 7/ of both arms /1 and 2/ are displaced against each other by such a distance that under the influence of the arms /1 and 2/ by means of the protrusions /3, 4, 6, 7/ onto the blade /11/ mounted on the scalped /10/ it follows a bending of the dull-edged end of the blade /11/ above the upper plane of the lock /9/ of the scalpel /10/, and catching against the catch /5/. The blade /11/ bent in this way acts onto the instrument with a tangential force and gets put out from the lock /9/ of the scalpel /10/.

This invention relates to an instrument for removing exchangeable blades 
from surgical scalpels. 
Instruments known from the British Pat. No. 1,423,345, published on Feb. 4, 
1976, show a construction approximating to that of scissors the tips of 
arms whereof are provided with a grip for removing the blades. The closed 
grip shows in its section a rectangular opening having the dimensions 
matched to the dimensions of the scalpel lock. The contact surfaces of two 
halves of the grip, constituting the working surfaces adhering to the 
surface of the blade shows such a curvature that under the influence of a 
pressure onto the blade the end of the blade gets deflected above the 
plane of the scalpel lock. 
The object of the invention is to provide an instrument having a 
considerably simplier structure, and operating on quite different 
principle. 
The instrument according to the invention is featured therewith that it 
composes of two arms connected with each other and forming approximately 
the shape of the letter "U" or "V", whereby the end of one arm is from the 
inner side provided with two protrusions having the height larger than the 
height of the upper part of the scalpel lock and a spacing larger than the 
width of the lock, and with a catch disposed at a distance from the 
protrusions having the length equal to or larger than the thickness of the 
blade, being inclined to the longitudinal axis of the arms under an acute 
angle approximately equal to the inclination angle of the bevel of the 
scalpel lock, and the end of the other arm is from its inner side provided 
with two similar protrusions having the length larger than the whole 
length of the lock and with the spacing larger than the width of the 
length, and moreover the protrusions of the arms are displaced in relation 
to each other by such a distance that under the action of the pressure of 
the arms onto the blade mounted on the scalpel the dull-edged end of the 
blade gets bent above the upper plane of the scalpel lock. 
In the instrument constructed in this way the bending of the dull-edged end 
of the blade is performed by means of protrusions, and putting-out of the 
blade from the lock is performed by means of the catch.

The instrument according to the invention has two arms: the upper arm 1 and 
the lower arm 2, connected with each other, and formin approximately the 
form of the letter "U". At the end of the upper arm 1, at edges thereof, 
two protrusions 3 and 4 and the catch 5 are disposed, and at the end of 
the lower arm 2 two protrusion 6 an 7. The elements 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are made 
of the same material as the arms 1 and 2. 
The protrusions 3 and 4 have the height larger than the typical height of 
the upper part 8 of the lock 9 of the scalpel 10, and the spacing larger 
than the typical width of the lock 9. The catch 5 has the height equal to 
or larger than the thickness of the blade 11 of the scalpel 10 and is 
inclined to the longitudinal axis of the arms 1 and 2 under an acute 
angle, approximately equal to the angle of inclination of the bevel 12 of 
the lock 9 of the scalpel 10. The height of the protrusions 6 and 7 is 
however larger than the whole height of the lock 9, and the spacing--from 
the width of the lock 9. 
The instrument constructed in this way is placed onto the lock 9 of the 
scalpel 10 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and under pressing with hand onto the arms 1 
and 2 the protrusions 3 and 4 press onto the blade 11 of the scalpel 10 
from above, and the protrusions 6 and 7 from below in result whereof the 
dull-edged end of the blade 11 is bent and comes under the catch 5. Then 
using a force tangential to the longitudinal axis of the scalpel 10 its 
blade 11 is put out from the grooves of the lock 9, not shown in the 
drawing. 
The described exemplary embodiment of the invention does not excerpt all 
the constructional possibilities resulting from the scope of the patent 
claim. Another form of the instrument according to the invention can be a 
design consisting in connection of the arms 1 and 2 in the shape of the 
letter "V".