Improvements in Stethoscopes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
Improvements in Stethoscopes.
1 HENRY FLY SMITH of 9 Fellows Road Hampstead London N.W. Medical
Practitioner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object, the construction of a stethoscope which shall
sounds more clearly and distinctly than is done by the form of stethoscopes
now in use.
Taking a stethoscope of the simplest pattern (viz. a hollow cylindrical stem with
trumpet-shaped ends) I fix a tympanum within or over the orifice of each of the
trumpet-shaped ends. These tympana may be of stretched animal membrane, or
thin plates of metal or wood or other suitable material. I connect these tympana
with a metal wire or a rod or string of other suitable material stretched between
and connected with the tympana. The vibrations of the one tympanum are thus
conveyed to the other. Each tympanum should be so sunk within the orifice at
each of the stem as to prevent direct contact either with the body of the person
examined or the ear of the examiner respectively.
In an instrument made according to my invention the vibrations of sound from
the body of the person under examination are conveyed from the tympanum nearest
that body to the tympanum nearest to the examiner's car by the wire rod or string
connecting the two tympana, and, not merely by the air within the stethoscope or
the stem of the instrument itselt, as is the case when the forms of stethoscopes
hitherto available are used.
Dated this 11th day of October 1895.
HENRY FLY SMITH.
I, HENRY FLY SMITH, of 9 Fellows Road, Hampstead, London, N.W. Medical
Practitioner, 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 has for its object the construction of a stethoscope which shall
convey sounds more clearly and distinctly than is done by the forms of stethoscopes
now in use.
With this object in view, I fix a tympanum within or over the orifice of each of
the ends of the stethoscope, and 1 connect these tympana by means of a wire or rod
of any suitable material.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will further describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings whereon my said invention is
shewn applied to a stethoscope of simple pattern, the appliance being illustrated in
vertical section at Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a plau view.
According to my invention, take a stethoscope of for example the simplest
pattern, that is, composed of a hollow cylindrical stem A with trumpet shaped
ends B and C, and I fix a tympanum or diaphragm D E within or over the orifice
D

page_text: of each of the trumpet shaped ends B C. These tympnon D E may be formed of
vulcanite, or of stretched animal membrane, or of thin plates of metal or wood or
other suitable material. Connecting the two tympana together is a connecting rod
or wire F the ends of which rod or wire are secured preferably centrally to each
tympanum D E thus forming means of communicating the vibrations of one
tympanum to that of the other. Each of the tympana D E are suak within the
trumpet shaped ends BC, so as to prevent any contact between the tympana and
any body against which the trumpet shaped ends 13 C may be placed, and also to
form air chambers by or through which the sound waves may pass to the tympana.
In an instrument made according to my invention the vibrations of sound from
the body of the person under examination are conveyed from the tympanum
nearest that body to the tympanum nearest to the examiner's ear by the wire, or
red, connecting the two tympana and not merely by the air within the stethoscope
or the stem of the instrument itself, as is the case when the forms of stethoscopes
hitherto available are used.
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. In stethoscopes the combination of a tympanum arranged at each end thereof,
each such tympanum being located below the rim of the trumpet shaped ends, and
a connecting rod connecting the two tympana, all substantially as described.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts composing ny improve
ments in stethoscopes all constructed and acting utantially as described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Datel this 11th day of July 1896
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.