An Improved Apparatus for Use for Cauterizing and Soldering Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Use for Cauterizing and Soldering
Purposes.
I, JEAN BAPTISTE DECHERY, of Fismes, (Marne) in the Republic of France,
Veterinary Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
follows:-
as
My invention relates to apparatus for use for cauterizing and soldering purposes
such apparatus being heated without the aid of a blow pipe by means of ether,
alcohol, or other suitable spirit or hydrocarbon contained therein.
In carrying out my invention I construct the apparatus of a tubular reservoir
for containing the spirit or other heating medium and which serves as a handle
for the apparatus, a vaporizing chamber screwed on to the said handle and provided
with an opening for the passage of the liquid regulated or controlled by a movable
conically pointed rod or needle, an injector fixed on the said chamber and provided
with a capillary orifice protected by a filter, and a metal case enclosing the injector
and screwed on to the vaporizing chamber the said case having, around it two series of
perforations for the admission of air and the egress of the burnt gases respectively,
and forming the combustion chamber.
When the apparatus is to be used for cauterizing the combustion chamber is
provided with a cauterizing point which in some cases I form of a platinum tube or
cap in which is a platinum tube having small perforations at its upper end, whilst its
lower end directly receives the jet from the injector.
When using my apparatus, the reservoir is filled with ether, alcohol, or the like,
the instrument is held in a horizontal position with the combustion chamber and the
cauterizing point held over the flame of a spirit lamp, the regulator being slightly
opened. A small quantity of ether or the like passes through, becomes vaporized in
the combustion chamber, passes into the injector, gives rise to an ingress of air, and
the combustible mixture ignites, but without bursting into a flame, by coming into
contact with the heated walls of the cauterizing point. The inner platinum tube,
which is excessively thin, is immediately rendered incandescent, and the cauterizing
point becomes red hot; the apparatus can be removed from the spirit-lamp and will
continue to work automatically.
In some cases I make the cauterizing points interchangeable and of some other
netal than platinum but of a metal which melts and corrodes with difficulty and I
ometimes find it advantageous to arrange such points so that they can be projected
rom and drawn into the head of the apparatus by a flexible lever connected with the
andle of the apparatus.
It will be obvious that by using suitably shaped points the apparatus can be used
or soldering purposes.

page_text: An Improved Apparatus for Use for Cauterizing and Soldering
Purposes.
I, JEAN BAPTISTE DECHERY, of Fismes, (Marne) in the Republic of France,
Veterinary Surgeon, 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 :-
.
My invention relates to apparatus or instruments for use for cauterizing and
soldering purposes such apparatus or instruments being heated without the aid of a
blow pipe by means of ether, alcohol, or other suitable spirit or hydrocarbon
contained therein.
The instrument is especially suitable for human surgery, but can, when made
sufficiently large be used in veterinary surgery. If a soldering-bit be applied to the
instrument in place of a cauterizing point, my apparatus is rendered suitable for use
as a soldering instrument by tinmen, plumbers, and the like.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure is an elevation of a straight cauterizing instrument for use in human
surgery and constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail view on a larger scale of the combustion chamber, the
cauterizing point, and the platinum tuyere.
Figure 4 is a detail view also drawn to a larger scale of the vaporizing chamber and
the blow pipe or injector.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of my cauterizing instrument in which a jet of
flame is produced for the burning of bad sores and ulcers.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of my cauterizing instrument having a laterally
projecting cauterizing point.
Figure 7 is an elevation of my cauterizing instrument adapted exclusively for use
in veterinary surgery.
Figure 8 is an underside view of Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of the instrument or
apparatus shewn in Figures 7, 8 and 9.
Figure 11 is a section on the line 1-2 of Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a section on the line 3-4 of Figure 10.
Figures 13 and 14 represent two modified forms of cauterizing points.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a is a cylindrical reservoir, of German silver or other
suitable metal, which serves also as the handle of the apparatus or instrument. The
said handle, which can be heated to a high temperature, is surrounded by a case or
sheath a¹ of ebonite or fibrous material held between a shoulder b and a nut b¹. A
certain amount of space is left between the tube a and the case a¹, and as the latter
is provided with perforations air can circulate in the annular space, whereby the
handle is constantly kept cool.
At the upper end of the tube a is screwed a metal chamber e, which constitutes the
vaporizing chamber, communicating with the reservoir a by means of a small
aperture e¹, which can be more or less closed by the conical end of a needle or
regulator d. The said needle is situated in the centre of the apparatus and is
controlled from the outside by turning it in a nut c through which it is screwed,
which nut closes the tube a at the lower end of the handle.
This nut c contains a stuffing box c³ for the purpose of allowing the passage and
longitudinal movements of the needle d whilst preventing the outlet of the liquid or
vapours contained within the apparatus.

page_text: Moreover, to insure a perfectly tight closing-joint the nut or stopper c is provided
with a circular vertical flange c¹ which presses upon a lead washer located in a
groove c² in the rear or bottom end of the tube a.
At the rear or bottom of the chamber e is a metal tubular extension x which
5 surrounds the needle d to near the back or bottom of the tube, handle or
reservoir a. In the interior of the tube a and near its upper end is soldered a
rimmed sleeve y which serves to retain a certain quantity of liquid when the
instrument is held with its head upwards.
On the chamber e is fixed an injector g provided with a capillary orifice g¹. To
prevent obstruction in the said orifice, I arrange below the injector and in the
chamber e a filter formed of a tube h of platinum, fitted in any, suitable manner to
the duct of the injector, the free end being flattened so as to reduce the cross
section to a simple slit h¹, the width of which is smaller than the diameter of the
aperture of the injector. The said filter does not become choked, or rarely so,
because the impurities settle down in the corners of the chamber.
a fine platinum wire gauże plug in the interior of the platinum tube h so that to
I can also place
clean the filter, it would then be only necessary to burn it or to dip it in an acid such
as sulphuric or nitric acid.
the
Over the outside of the vaporizing chamber e is screwed a metal case f having a
continuation in the form of a chamber f¹ of platinum which forms
combustion chamber or cauterizing point. In the centre of the said metal case f is
screwed a tube having its top part made of platinum with small holes at its
upper end, the lower end of the tube / directly receiving the jet from the injector g.
The metal case f is provided on its periphery with holes m for the admission of
air and holes m¹ for the discharge of the products of combustion.
To make use of my apparatus, the reservoir a must be filled with ether, alcohol,
or a suitable hydrocarbon, and the instrument then held in a horizontal position
with the vaporizing chamber e over the flame of a spirit lamp the regulator d being
slightly opened. The liquid contained in the apparatus will thereby become
vaporized and superheated in the vaporizing chamber e. The vapours pass into the
injector g and owing to the holes m, draw in the air necessary for a complete
combustion and are projected, through the tube into the platinum chamber f¹.
This platinum portion fl must then be placed in the flame of the spirit lamp and
it is almost immediately rendered incandescent.
The instrument is then ready for use and will work as hereinafter explained in an
absolutely automatic manner as long as any combustible liquid remains in the
reservoir.
The platinum portion having been made red hot, the vapours coming through the
injector g and the air carried along with them rush in to the chamber f¹ and keep up
the incandescence of the platinum by virtue of the property peculiar to platinum
of remaining incandescent if a current of carburetted air be projected on to its
surface. The platinum being thereby brought to a high temperature communicates
its heat through the medium of the metal case f, formed integral therewith, to the
vaporizing chamber e on which the case f is screwed, and through it to the
reservoir a. This heat continues to vaporize the liquid contained in the reservoir and
n this manner the instrument automatically works until the liquid is completely
exhausted.
The rimmed sleeve y and the central tube x surrounding the needle d, have for
bject to insure the working of the apparatus in any position. Suppose the point
of the instrument to be upwards, the combustible liquid will fall into the bottom of
he reservoir a and will not be so highly heated, but the liquid contained in the
immed sleeve y continues to become vaporized and the vapours produced exercising
pressure on the liquid situated in the bottom will cause it to flow up into the
aporizing chamber e through the tube x. It is then only necessary to turn the
astrament head downwards from time to time so as to renew the supply of liquid in
he rimmed sleeve y in order to keep up the action of the instrument.
The burnt gases exhaust through the vent-holes m². The heating process is

page_text: regulated at will by means of the needle or regulator d, which also allows of the working
of the apparatus being stopped.
I wish to particularly point out that my cauterizing instrument works without
producing any flame at all owing to the peculiar property of the platinum already
alluded to which is very important in practicing surgical operations.
It is nevertheless sometimes useful to produce a flame in the interior of the instru-
ment for the burning of bad sores and ulcers, for example. In this case the metal
case f instead of terminating in a platinum combustion chamber, is provided with a
head of the same metal as the case of forming a chamber and having a perforation at
its end as shewn in Figure 5. The hereinbefore described internal platinum tube l
forming a continuation of the tube is also dispensed with. In this case a flame is
produced in the interior of the chamber f¹ and issues through the end perforation in
the form of an elongated jet of a violet colour and extremely high temperature.
In
Figure 6 represents a cauterizing apparatus which operates in the same manner as
the one I have just described, but in which the cauterizing point, instead of being
à straight extension of the handle, is placed normally with respect to the latter.
this case the vaporizing chamber e is arranged normally to the axis of the handle;
the said chamber made with a screw threaded shank in which is the passage or
opening e¹ for the admission of the combustible liquid, and this shank is screwed
directly into the upper end of the tube or reservoir a. The injector and also the
tube or tuyere l, occupy a horizontal position, their longitudinal axis being an
extension of the axis of the vaporizing chamber.
The straight cauterizing instrument shewn in Figure 1, is intended for use in
human surgery alone, while that having the laterally projecting cauterizing point may
be used either in human or veterinary surgery by screwing onto the vaporizing
chamber cauterizing points of suitable shape. In view of its possible use in veterinary
surgery, the cauterizing instrument shewn in Figure 6 has a rather long stem
and the lower part, which forms the handle, is of larger diameter than the other
part.
With the cauterizing apparatus illustrated in Figure 6 cauterizing points of other
metals than platinum can be employed such as those used in the apparatuses illus-
trated in Figures 9 and 10 and hereinafter described, but a flame is then produced in
the interior of the combustion chamber the heads being enlarged as pointed out in
the description of the said Figures 9 and 10.
Figures 7 to 9 and Figure 10 represent two modified forms of my cauterizing
instrument for use in veterinary surgery alone. In both cases the cauterizing point
is arranged at a right angle to the handle. In the said figures the same letters refer
to parts which correspond to those of the cauterizing instrument hereinbefore
described.
The operation being performed while holding the handle horizontally, the rimmed
sleevey can be dispensed with since the combustible liquid enters the chamber e
direct. Nevertheless it can be employed if it be desired to have an instrument
capable of working for a long time with the head upwards, for example when
cauterizing an animal in a standing position. Onto the upper end of the tube a is
screwed the vaporizing chamber e above which is the injector g, provided with a
capillary orifice g¹, the direction of which is normal with respect to the handle of
the apparatus.
Onto the vaporizing chamber e of somewhat conical shape on the outside, is fitted
frictionwise a T-shaped head of metal or alloy such as iron, steel, malleable cast-iron,
bronze or the like. The free end of the injector is so located in a recess in the said
head that the capillary orifice g¹ of the injector comes just opposite a passage / made
in one arm of the T-shaped head. This arm formed integral with or screwed. onto
the head n is cylindrically smaller at a certain part of its free end, and has at its base
a threaded shoulder upon which are screwed the hollow pieces f made of any metal
or alloy, such as iron, steel, nickel or bronze, able to support high temperatures and
as little liable as possible to become oxidised under such high temperatures. The
said hollow pieces fare provided with cauterizing points 1 and, as they must be

page_text: somewhat spacious they cannot well be made of platinum as the cost of such metal
would be much too great. The property which platinum has of remaining incan-
descent when once the cauterizing apparatus has been put in working order and which
allows of the latter operating without there being any flame, cannot therefore in this
case be turned to account. Here the combustion chambers are larger so as to allow
of the formation of a flame in them by the combustion of the liquid the said flame
directly heating the hollow piece f and the cauterizing point f¹, made of nickel or
bronze, and maintaining them at the required temperature. The gases of combustion
exhaust through the vent-holes m³, provided around the chambers f, the air drawn in
entering through the aperture m in the cap or stopper p which closes the head n on
that side.
The automatic working is ensured as in the apparatus illustrated in
by the return of the heat of the cauterizing points towards the handle.
is set in action in exactly the same way.
Figures 1 to 4
The apparatus
The chambers or hollow pieces f may form the cauterizing points and are of the
different shapes used in practice; they may be conical as in Figure 14, or in the form
of a knife blade as in Figure 13 or of olive, ball or other shape. The cauterizing
point may be applied and fixed in place in the manner shewn when referring to the
cauterizing point f¹ in Figures 7 and 9. Or the said cauterizing point f¹ may be
movable, as shewn in Figure 10. In this case the point is moved along the axial line
of the chamber f by means of a lever q fixed by a collar 71 to the handle a, and
provided with an eye f2 embracing the turned down end of the point f¹. With this
arrangement the lever q which forms a spring holds the said point fi back in the
chamber f, when not pressed by the hand of the operator; the said point is quickly
heated to the required temperature and, in order to use it, the operator has only to
press on the lever q while holding the handle a in his hand.
A guard r can be fixed to the tube a and bent towards the point f¹ so as to embrace
it without touching the combustion chamber whereby the shoulder 3 of the piece f is
prevented from cauterizing the skin when the apparatus is being used.
By making the piece f of the shape of a knife, as shewn in Figure 13, that is to
say, the shape of a soldering bit the apparatus forms a soldering instrument, which
can be conveniently used by tinmen, plumbers, and the like.
Having now 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 I
claim is:
:
1. An improved cauterizing apparatus or instrument heated without the aid of a blow
pipe by means of ether, alcohol, or other suitable spirit or hydrocarbon contained
therein the said cauterizing instrument comprising a tubular reservoir which serves as
a handle for the apparatus, a vaporizing chamber fixed onto the said handle and
extending by means of a central tube to near the bottom of the reservoir and provided
with an opening into the said tube for the admission of the liquid such opening being
regulated or controlled by a moveable conically pointed rod or needle, an injector
fixed on the said chamber and provided with a capillary orifice protected by a
filter, and a metal case enclosing the injector, fixed on the vaporizing chamber,
the said case having around it two series of perforations for the admission of air and
the discharge of the burnt gases, respectively and forming near the top or front
end the combustion chamber terminated by the cauterizing point, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 adapted for use for human
surgery, and having a cauterizing point of platinum formed by the end of the com-
bustion chamber and placed in a line with the handle, the combustion chamber
having in its axial line a tube or tuyere placed opposite the outlet aperture of the
injector and having also its end made of platinum for ensuring combustion without
the production of flame, the whole in combination with a rimmed sleeve y soldered to
the interior of the tube a and which retains a certain quantity of liquid when the apparatus
is raised into a vertical position and ensures its automatic working in this position

page_text: after having been started, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 adapted for burning bad
sores or ulcers and having a liquid-reservoir in combination with a vaporizing chamber,
an injector, a tube or tuyere and a metal case screwed on to the vaporizing chamber
and provided with an extension forming a space in the interior of which a flame is
produced which issues through the terminal aperture in the form of an elongated
jet, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 having the cauterizing
point placed at a right angle to the handle for adapting the apparatus for use for
veterinary surgery the said cauterizing apparatus being provided with a horizontal
vaporizing chamber, a case screwed on to the vaporizing chamber with two series of
holes for the admission of air and outlet of the burnt gases, an injector arranged
horizontally and a platinum tube or tuyere and cauterizing point, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
5. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 adapted for use in veterinary
surgery, and having the cauterizing point placed at a right angle to the handle and
made of metal other than platinum and producing a flame in the interior in combina-
tion with a short tube or tuyere of suitable metal, a case screwed on to the
vaporizing chamber with two series of holes for the admission of air and outlet of
burnt gases and an injector arranged horizontally, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 designed for use in veterinary
surgery and having a liquid-reservoir in combination with a vertically arranged
vaporizing chamber, an injector and a tube or tuyere made of other metal than
platinum, a horizontal case surrounding the tube and in which the flame is produced
during the operation, in combination with a platinum cauterizing point screwed on
to the end of the said case or combustion chamber, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
7. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 having a vertical vaporizing
chamber, an injector, a tube or tuyere and a combustion chamber or case placed
eccentrically around the said tube and in which the flame is produced in combination
with a horizontal movable cauterizing point placed in the axial line of the combustion
chamber and operated by a flexible lever tube connected to the handle of the
apparatus, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 10 to 12
of the accompanying drawings.
8. Cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 provided with a cauterizing
point having the form of a knife or soldering iron placed at a right angle to the direction
of the handle the whole constituting a soldering apparatus suitable for the use of 4
tinmen, plumbers, etc., substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
9. In cauterizing apparatus such as is claimed in Claim 1 a filter arranged at the
rear of the injector and consisting of a platinum tube h fitted over the admission tube
of the injector and the free end of which is flattened so as to reduce the section to a 4
simple slit the width of which is less than the diameter of the hole of the injector,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 21st day of Inju 1907
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.