Improvements in Coin-released Lung Testing Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-released Lung Testing Apparatus.
I, BENJAMIN MCKENZIE, of 633, Cedar Street, St. Paul, in the County of
Ramsey and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Capitalist, 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:
―
This invention relates to improvements in coin released lung testing apparatus,
using bellows, the bellows being provided with à gravity exhaust valve normally
held in open position, so that air blown into the bellows will escape, and consists
particularly in coin controlled means for mechanically closing the valve to allow
the bellows to be inflated by an inlet of air.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification;
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved apparatus;
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same;
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the coin actuating means for closing the
exhaust valve of the bellows;
Fig. 5 is a side view of the same;
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section thereof, with the parts shown in operating
position;
Fig. 7 is a section on line x-x of Fig. 4, and
Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating a signal whistle forming part of this invention.
In the drawings A represents a suitable box or case, made up of the hollow
base 2, and the upper case 3, having a glass front 4. Centrally arranged in the
case 3, and sliding in the metal cylinder 5 is the bellows G, secured to the top 7
of the base 2. The cylinder 5 is formed with a vertical slot 8 in its front and
rear sides for the purposes hereinafter pointed out.
In the top of the bellows is formed an exhaust opening 9 adapted to be closed
by the valve 10, having hinge support 11 with the top of the bellows. Connected
with the forward end of the valve is the cord 12, extending upward and passing
over the pulley 13, thence through the cylinder, and over a pulley 14, its end
being connected with the weight 15 working in a vertical tube 16. The weight 15
counterbalances the weight of the valve 10, so as to hold the same. normally in
open position, as shown in Fig. 2.
The valve 10 is designed to be closed by the following described mechanism:
Secured in the forward wall 17 of the case of the apparatus is the cylinder 18,
which is formed with the exterior flange 27, having screw openings by which it
is attached to the inner side of the wall 17. Within the cylinder is slidably
arranged a second cylinder 19 provided with the actuating handle 20, projecting
through an opening in the front end of the outer cylinder 18, and through the
angle plate 21, secured to the front side of the machine base. The inner cylinder
is provided with a rearwardly extending central rod 22, surrounding which is the
coil spring 23, one end of said spring bearing against the forward closed end of
said cylinder, and the other end abutting against the screw cap 24, which closes

page_text: the inner end of the outer cylinder 18, the rod 22 working through an opening in
said screw cap as shown. The forward end of the inner cylinder 19 is formed with
a transverse slot 25 extending vertically therethrough. The upper side of the
forward end of the outer cylinder is formed with a slot 26 registering with
the slot 28 in the top of the angle plate 21, both of which slots register with the
vertical slot in the inner cylinder when said cylinder is in forward position, as
shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When a coin is dropped through the opening 28 in the
outer plate 21, it will stand in the slot 25 resting upon the bottom of the outer
cylinder. As said cylinder is forced rearwardly by pressing the handle 20, the
coin 29 will be carried with it, and will drop out through the opening 30 in the
lower side of the outer cylinder, as shown in Fig. 6. To prevent the turning of
the inner cylinder it is provided with laterally projecting pins 31 sliding in
slots 32 in the outer cylinder 18.
In order that the exhaust valve 10 may be closed in the operation of the cylinder
just described, a bar 33 is slidably arranged upon the top of the cylinder 18, the
rear end of said bar being connected with one arm of the bell crank 34, having
pivotal support 35 in the top of the base of the machine, the other arm 36 of the
bell crank supporting a vertical rod 37 projecting upwardly at the rear side of
the cylinder containing the bellows, and working in a suitable guide 38, as hest
shown in Fig. 2. The forward end of the bar 33 is bevelled, as shown in Figs. 4
and 6, and slides between the similarly bevelled flanges 39, extending upwardly
from the cylinder 18. Secured to the top of the bar 33 in the rear of the bevelled
portion is the spring 40, having a downwardly projecting pin 41, which projects
through a slot 42 in the top of the cylinder 18, causing the lower end of said
pin to stand in a socket 43 formed in the closed end of the inner cylinder 19 at
the rear of the vertical slot 25. The wall 44 forming the forward side of said
slot 25 is cut away at its top so as to allow said inner cylinder to be forced inward
in the outer cylinder (when there is no coin in place) without interfering with the
downwardly projecting portion 41 of the spring 40.
To actuate the machine a coin of such size will have to be used that when placed
in the slot 25, as shown in Fig. 5, it will abut against the downwardly projecting
portion 41 of the spring 40. As the handle 20 is actuated to carry the inner
cylinder 19 inward against the tension of its spring 23, the rod 33 will be carried
rearwardly by means of the coin 29 abutting against the downwardly projecting
portion 41 of the spring 40. As said bar is forced rearwardly the forward end of
the spring 40 riding upon the bevelled flanges 38 will be gradually raised as it
reaches the top of said flanges, thereby carrying its downwardly projecting
portion 41 above and out of contact with the coin 29, allowing said coin to drop
through the opening 30 in the outer cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5. The actuating
handle then being released, the inner cylinder and the bar 33 will be carried back
to normal position by the spring 23, since the end of the pin 41 will still be in
contact with the front wall of the inner cylinder 19. Suitable guides 45 for the
bar 33 are secured to the top of the cylinder 18. It will thus be evident that as
said bar 33 is carried rearwardly, as above described, the vertical rod 37 will be
raised by means of the bell crank 34, said rod striking the rearwardly projecting
end of the valve 10, raising the same to turn the valve into closed position. The
bellows can then be blown up by the operator by the use of the tube 46 and its
mouth piece 47, and he can then fill the bellows with air and raise the same.
At the front of the upper case is arranged a glass tube 57, and adjacent to said
tube is a graduated scale 48 indicating the measure of capacity of the lungs. A
ball 49 is arranged in the tube 57, and is attached to a cord 50 which passes
upward over the pulley 51, then downward over the pulley 52 at the bottom of the
case, its other end being connected, as shown in Fig. 2, to the bellows. In order
to give a signal to the operator when the bellows has been inflated to the greatest
degree a whistle 53 is arranged in an opening 54 in the top of the bellows. The
lower end of the opening 54 is closed by a valve 55 to which is connected a
vertical rod 56 projecting upwardly through the opening 54, as shown in Fig. 8.

page_text: When the bellows has been raised sufficiently to cause the rod 56 to come in
contact with the top of the case the valve 55 will be forced open, allowing the air
in the bellows to pass through the whistle 53 and sound a signal.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination the bellows,
its gravity exhaust valve, the counterbalancing weight therefor normally holding
said exhaust valve open, the device arranged in position to carry said valve in
closed position when actuated, and the coin controlled means for actuating said
mechanism.
2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination the bellows,
its gravity exhaust valve, and the counterbalancing weight normally holding the
same in open position, the coin controlled means for carrying said valve into closed
position, and the cylinder enclosing said bellows and serving as a guide therefor.
3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination the
expansible air receiver, the means for inflating the same, the exhaust valve, its
counterbalancing weight normally holding it in open position, the arm carried
by said valve, the devices arranged adjacent to said arm and adapted when
operated to engage said arm to close the valve, and the coin controlled means for
actuating said mechanism.
4. A lung testing apparatus comprising in combination the bellows, its gravity
exhaust valve having a projecting arm, the means for normally holding said
exhaust valve open, the devices arranged adjacent to said arm and adapted when
actuated to engage said arm to close the valve, and the coin controlled means for
actuating said mechanism.
5. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination the bellows,
its gravity exhaust valve, means for normally holding said exhaust valve in open
position, the devices arranged adjacent to said valve and adapted when actuated
to engage the same to carry it to closed position, the coin receiving plunger
arranged in connection with said devices, and adapted when supplied with a coin
of predetermined size to be operated to actuate said valve closing devices.
Dated this 17th day of March 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.