Improvements in Apparatus for Inducing Full Respiration.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Inducing Full Respiration.
I, CHARLES CASSAT DAVIS of 12, Allen Block, Los Angeles, in the County of
Los Angeles, and State of California, United States of America, Attorney-at-
Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
The purpose of my invention is to induce full natural expansion of the lungs at
proper intervals.
My invention briefly stated consists in the combination of a chest compressor
brace adapted to wholly or partially encircle the chest and suitable speed-regulated
take-up mechanism connected therewith and arranged to autematically contract the
brace and cause a compression of the chest at regulated intervals so that unless the
wearer respires fully the compression of the chest by the contraction of the brace
will cause greater and greater discomfort until relief is gained by a full inspiration.
Various take-up devices will suggest themselves to those skilled in mechanics,
but I will describe the mechanism which I deem especially adapted to carry out
my invention in a practical manner.
The compressor-brace consists of a light inelastic strap or cord attached by one
end to a case which contains the take up mechanism and attached by the other end
(preferably through the medium of a small cord or chain which is substantially a
part thereof) to a spring barrel around which it is wound reverse to the contained
spring so that when the barrel is turned by the unwinding of such cord the tension
of the spring is increased. When in use, the continuous belt formed by the strap
or cord, the cord or chain, and the case containing the take-up mechanism, encircles
the chest under the arms and is supported in place by cords or straps attached to
the case on the breast, thence carried over the shoulders, and attached at the back
to the compressor brace. The take-up spring is attached to a fixed arbor and to
the inside of the barrel which is geared with a slip or sliding pinion loosely mounted
on an arbor and provided at its end with ratchet teeth caused by a spring to engage
with the notched face of a spur wheel to rotate such wheel when the pinion is driven
by the spring; when the pinion is driven in the opposite direction the sloping faces
of the teeth slip over the sloping faces of the notches. The spur wheel is controlled
by suitable escapement mechanism. The rotation of said wheel is obstructed by the
escapement mechanism comprising the train of wheels and their escapement so that
during an inspiration the ratchet mechanism slips and the wheel remains stationary.
When the inspiration is complete and the cord slackens, the spring-driven pinion
rotates the wheel and its train, the escapement wheel working against its pallet which
checks the speed of the train and retards and regulates the recovery of the spring.
Adjustable lugs, each having a large head placed eccentric to its axis, are fixed to
the frame of the take-up mechanism one on each side of the fan of the pallet to
regulate the length of its swing. By turning the lugs the space between their heads
in which the fan on the pallet works may be increased or diminished as desired.
As the space within which it works is increased or diminished the speed of the
escapement and of the train of wheels is correspondingly retarded or accelerated.
Instead of a slip pinion with end teeth the pinion and wheel may be connected by
a ratchet wheel and pawls so that when the pinion is driven by the spring the wheel
will be rotated and when the pinion is driven in the opposite direction the pawls
will slip and the wheel remains stationary.
The mechanism last referred to differs noticeably in its practical working from
that first described, as in the mechanism employing the ratchet wheel, the force
required to wind or work the take-up mechanism need be only slightly in excess of
the resistance offered by the spring, the frictional resistance being inappreciable.

page_text: With the slip pinion, a marked initial resistance is offered in addition to that caused
by the spring at the commencement of inhalation, in consequence of which ordinary
breathing is less likely to wind the mechanism than it is when the ratchet wheel is
used. Immediately the chest relaxes the mechanism resumes its gathering up of
cord or chain, compelling the wearer to make a full expansion of the lungs to gain
relief from the pressure.
Instead of the brace being made flexible and continuous, it may be made of two
stiff J-shaped pieces, the curved parts of the "J" being adapted to clasp the chest
under each arm and the two ends of the straight part of the "J" being attached
respectively to the take-up mechanism and small cord in the same manner as in the
flexible compressor brace before described, the whole being supported by small
straps carried over the shoulders, substantially as above described. The use of this
form of compressor leaves the back of the person free from the belt and its pressure.
In adjusting the mechanism for use, the cord or small chain is drawn out its full
length thus coiling the spring, by means of a buckle the compressor belt is then
adjusted around the chest to be comfortably tight when the lungs are expanded.
The operation is as follows :--On expelling the air from the lungs in the ordinary
course of breathing, the circumference of the chest is lessened, the compressor belt
is loosened, and the spring in coiling immediately begins to take up the cord or
chain. As this cord is taken up the belt is tightened gradually until it finally
produces a pressure about the chest which increases until the attention is attracted
and the person for relief inhales deeply, thus expanding the chest. On expanding
the chest the movement of the brace withdraws the cord or chain from the barrel,
this revolves the barrel and coils the spring. On exhaling, the chest relieved
from the pressure of the brace and remains free from it for an interval, during
which the person indulges in his usual respirations. The mechanism immediately
engages in taking up the slack of the cord or chain which has been drawn out by
the full respiration. When the slack is taken up the pressure begins again and
continues and increases until another deep inhalation is taken. In practice, a full
inspiration withdraws such a length of cord that it remains slack and produces no
pressure to obstruct the ordinary breathing until the take-up mechanism has taken
up all the slack. Then the pressure begins, as before described. The intervals
between the successive pressures of the brace may be regulated at pleasure by
turning the lugs to control the movement of the pallet.
Although the slip pinion form has an advantage over the pawl and ratchet form,
the latter form is simpler and is preferable where it is not necessary to employ
specially-obtrusive means for attracting the attention. I do not wish to be
limited strictly to either form.
Dated this 8th day of December 1890
C. C. DAVIS.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53. Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Inducing Full Respiration.
I CHARLES CASSAT DAVIS, of 12 Allen Block, Los Angeles, in the County of
Los Angeles and State of California, United States of America, Attorney-at-Law
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :--
The purpose of my invention is to induce full, natural expansion of the lungs
at proper intervals.
My invention briefly stated consists in the combination of a chest compressor
brace adapted to wholly or partially encircle the chest and suitable speed-regulated
take-up mechanism connected therewith, and arranged to automatically contract

page_text: the brace and cause a compression of the chest at regulated intervals so that unless
the wearer respires fully, the compression of the chest by the contraction of the
brace will cause greater and greater discomfort until relief is gained by a full
inspiration. Various take-up devices will suggest themselves to those skilled in
mechanics, but the accompanying drawings illustrate mechanism which I deem
especially adapted to carry out my invention in a practical manner.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 is a view of a device embodying my invention, one face of the case
being removed to expose the take-up mechanism;
Figure 2 illustrates the slip pinion and its connections, whereby greater resistance
to the expansion of the compressor belt or brace is given at the beginning of the
expansion than is given by its continued expansion. In this view the parts are
shown separated from each other for more convenient illustration ;
Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the take-up mechanism shown in Figures 1
and 2, a ratchet wheel and pawls being substituted for the slip pinion. In this
figure the mechanism is viewed from the reverse side to that of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a sectional detail of the arbor L and its connections;
Figure 5 illustrates a modification in which the compressor brace is formed of
two rigid J-shaped pieces.
In the form shown in Figures 1 and 3 the compressor brace consists of a light
unelastic strap or cord A, attached by one end to the case B, which contains the
take-up mechanism and attached by the other end (preferably through the medium
of a small cord or chain a, which is substantially a part thereof) to the barrel F,
around which it is wound reverse to spring E, which actuates the barrel, so that
when the barrel is turned by the unwinding of such cord, the tension of the spring
is increased. When in use the continuous belt formed by the strap or cord A,
the cord or chain a, and the case containing the take-up mechanism, encircles the
chest under the arms, and is supported in place by cords or straps D, D, attached
to the case on the breast, thence carried over the shoulders, and attached at the
back to the compressor brace.
The take-up spring E, is coiled within a barrel F, which is fixed solidly upon
and co-axial with its spur wheel H, one end of the spring being attached to the
fixed arbor or spindle G, the other to the inside of the barrel F which is geared
with a slip or sliding pinion J, whose teeth mesh with those of the wheel H,
loosely mounted on an arbor or spindle L. The slip pinion J is provided on its
lower end with one or more ratchet teeth W, arranged to engage with the notched
face of a spur wheel M, which is co-axial with pinion J, to rotate such wheel
when the pinion is driven by the action of spring E; when the pinion is driven
in the opposite direction the sloping faces w, of the teeth slip over the sloping
faces Z, of the notches X, in the face of wheel M, whereby the pinion is elevated
and the teeth withdrawn from the notches, thereby allowing the pinion to revolve
without revolving wheel M.
A small spring V, is arranged to engage the pinion J to hold it in operative
contact with the notched face of the spur wheel M. The spur wheel M engages
with and is controlled by suitable escapement mechanism. In the drawings, the
teeth of spur wheel M mesh with those of the pinion of spur wheel N, which
wheel in turn meshes with the pinion of spur wheel O, which wheel meshes with
the pinion of escapement wheel P, which is controlled by pallet Q.
It will be observed that the rotation of wheel M is obstructed by the escape-
ment mechanism comprising the train of wheels and their escapement; so that
when on the withdrawal of the cord by reason of an inspiration, pinion Jis
revolved by wheel H in the direction opposite to that shown by the arrow, the
ratchet mechanism slips and the wheel M remains stationary. When the inspira-
tion is complete and the cord slackens, the spring-driven pinion rotates in the
direction of the arrow, and by the action of spring V, the teeth are pressed into

page_text: the notches X, and wheel M and its train are thereby driven in the direction of
the arrows: the escapement wheel P working against its pallet Q which checks
the speed of the train, and retards and regulates the recovery of the spring E.
Adjustable lugs S, S, each having a large head placed eccentric to its axis, are
fixed to the frame of the take-up mechanism, one on each side of the fan of the
pallet Q, to regulate the length of its swing. By turning the lugs the space
between their heads in which the fan on the pallet works, may be increased or
diminished as desired. As the space within which it works is increased or
diminished, the speed of the escapement and of the train of wheels is corre-
spondingly retarded or accelerated.
In the modification shown in Figure 3, the pinion J1 (Figure 4) instead of
being loose on the arbor L', is fixed thereon, and wheel M¹ is loose instead of
being fixed, and the pinion and wheel are connected by a ratchet wheel K and
pawls R, so arranged that when the pinion is driven by the spring E, the
wheel M¹ will be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows, and when the
pinion is driven in the opposite direction, the pawls will slip and the wheel M¹
remains stationary.
I consider the most convenient means for connecting the pinion and wheel M¹
to be that illustrated in Figure 4, in which the pinion and ratchet wheel are fixed to
the arbor L', and the pawls are pivoted to the face of the loose wheel M¹, and
are held in engagement with the ratchet wheel by spring r.
The mechanism last described, differs noticeably in its practical working from
that first described. In the mechanism employing the ratchet wheel, the force
required to wind or work the take-up mechanism need be only slightly in excess
of the resistance offered by spring E, the frictional resistance being inappreciable.
With the slip pinion, when force is applied to coil spring E, the slip pinion J is
compelled to revolve; in order to revolve, its teeth W must be withdrawn from
the notches X in wheel M, which is held stationary by the escapement; to with-
draw the teeth W the pinion is compelled to rise against the pressure of
spring V; the friction occasioned by the sliding of the face of teeth W against
the surfaces of slots X, the sliding of pinion J on arbor L, the slipping of the
teeth of the pinion on the teeth of wheel H, all occur simultaneously with the
first movement in coiling the spring by the withdrawal of cord a, and thereby
create a marked resistance in addition to that offered by the spring. This
frictional resistance, however, is exhausted by the first part of the movement of
withdrawing the cord. After the teeth W have withdrawn from notches X, the
spring E offers the only noticeable resistance to the withdrawal. In consequence
of the increased initial resistance offered by this form of the apparatus, ordinary
breathing is less likely to wind the mechanism than it is when the ratchet wheel
is used. Immediately the chest relaxes, the mechanism resumes its gathering up
of cord or chain a, compelling the wearer to make a full expansion of the lungs to
gain relief from the pressure.
Instead of the brace being made flexible and continuous it may be made of two
stiff J-shaped pieces P, as shown in Figure 5, the curved parts of the "J" being
adapted to clasp the chest under each arm, and the two ends of the straight part
of the "J" being attached respectively to the take-up mechanism and small
cord a, in the same manner as is the flexible compressor brace before described;
the whole being supported by small straps carried over the shoulders substantially
as above described. The use of this form of compressor leaves the back of the
person free from the belt and its pressure.
In adjusting the mechanism for use, the cord or small chain a is drawn out its
full length, thus coiling spring E; by means of a buckle U, the compressor
belt is then adjusted around the chest, to be comfortably tight when the lungs are
expanded.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
On expelling the air from the lungs, in the ordinary course of breathing, the
circumference of the chest is lessened, the compressor belt is loosened, and the

page_text: spring E in coiling immediately begins to take up the cord or chain a. As this
cord is taken up, the belt is tightened gradually until it finally produces a pressure
about the chest, which increases until the attention is attracted and the person,
for relief, inhales deeply, thus expanding the chest. On expanding the chest, the
movement of the brace withdraws the cord or chain a from the barrel F; this
revolves the barrel, and coils the spring E. On exhaling, the chest is relieved
from the pressure of the brace and remains free from it for an interval, during
which the person indulges in his usual respirations. The mechanism immediately
engages in taking up the slack of the cord or chain a, which has been drawn out
by the full respiration. When the slack is taken up, the pressure begins again
and continues and increases until another deep inhalation is taken.
In practice, a full inspiration withdraws such a length of cord that it remains
slack and produces no pressure to obstruct the ordinary breathing until the take-up
mechanism has taken up all the slack. Then the pressure begins as before
described. The intervals between the successive pressures of the brace may
be regulated at pleasure by turning the lugs S, S, to control the movement of the
pallet.
Although the slip pinion form has an advantage over the pawl and ratchet
form, the latter form is simpler and is preferable where it is not necessary to
employ specially obtrusive means for attracting the attention. I do not wish to
be limited strictly to either form.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
1. A device for inducing full respiration, comprising the combination, of a
chest compressor brace, and speed-regulated take-up mechanism adapted to contract
such brace.
2. The combination, of a case, a take-up mechanism in said case, and a chest
compressor brace secured by one end to the case and by the other end to the
take-up mechanism.
3. The combination, of a case, a spring, a spring-actuated barrel, a train of
wheels and escapement pallet in said case, and a compressor brace attached by one
end to the case and attached by its other end to the spring-actuated barrel reverse
to the spring.
4. The combination, of a case, a spring-actuated barrel, a spring, a spur wheel
fixed upon said barrel, escapement mechanism, and ratchet mechanism connecting
the spur wheel with the escapement mechanism.
5. The combination, of the spur wheel of the take-up barrel, a slip pinion
meshing therewith and provided on its lower end with ratchet teeth, a spur wheel
co-axial with the slip pinion and having a notched face arranged to engage said
ratchet teeth, a spring arranged to hold the slip pinion in operative contact with
its spur wheel, and escapement mechanism engaging with said spur wheel.
Dated this 5th day of September 1891.
Dated this on day of September 1931.
C. DAVID,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.