Improvements in Instruments for Surgical and Veterinary Purposes:
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Instruments for Surgical and Veterinary
Purposes:
I, JAMES ERNEST ARNOLD, of West Smithfield, in the City of London,
Surgical Instrument Maker; do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as:
follows:-
Heretofore in veterinary instruments it has been common to employ a curved
knife working through a slot in one of the limbs of the forceps one top edge of the
slot being made of chisel shape and the other top edge with a serrated surface the
curved knife also being serrated: I'am also aware that it has been proposed to
apply to the side of the curved knife a serrated ledge having serrations.corre-
sponding with those on the top edge of one of the slotted sides of the forceps, and
it is between these serrations that the cords of the-testicles are intended to be held
and crushed, while the further closing of the forceps cuts them by a somewhat
tearing or dragging action of the knife on the chisel edge which is situate on the
opposite side of the slot, whereas by my invention as hereafter described, I entirely-
dispense with the slot in the limb of the forceps, while 1 obtain a firmer hold or
grip of 'the cords than heretofore, and the knife severs them without any tearing
or dragging action whatever.
According to my invention which is particularly applicable to both surgical and
veterinary instruments for cutting and clamping at one operation (for example for
castrating), I provide one limb of the forceps with a curved concave blade having
a series of longitudinal serrations or ribs running from end to end of the blade.
The other convex limb is made with correspondingly shaped longitudinal serrations
or ribs similarly running from end to end of the blade and of corresponding width
with, the concave limb, the cutting edge on the convex limb being made with
serrations at right angles to the longitudinal serrations and overlapping the concave
limb when the forceps is closed, these serrations at right angles being for holding
or gripping the cords during the action of cutting as the blades come together
before the longitudinal serrations come into operation or come together, and the
latter grip and crimp the parts which have been severed; thus a series of longi-
tudinal serrations or ribs fitting into corresponding serrations or ribs only are used
(as distinguished from the employment of a single longitudinal ridge fitting into a.
slot combined with teeth cut in the contrary or opposite direction) to grip the
cords, thereby crimping them in the contrary direction to that of the flow of the
blood..
In the manufacture of these instruments it is convenient to make, the convex
blade in two parts (viz. the one part having the longitudinal serrations or ribs. on
its concave surface, and that having the serrations on its edge at: right angles to
the longitudinal ribs) and to braze or rivet these two parts together, although they
might be forged in one piece; and in some cases the two parts may be pivotted to
one another centrally, in which latter case when the forceps. is closed the longi-
tudinally ribbed surfaces on the two blades would throughout their length grip
simultaneously, whereas when not pivotted the lower part of the limb begins to
grip, although scarcely appreciable, before the top or end surface, but in any case
when the grip is effected, any slipping of the parts is practically impossiblo
until the handles of the forceps are released!
Dated this 13th day of December 1894.

page_text: Improvements in Instruments for Surgical and Veterinary
Purposes.
I, JAMES ERNEST ARNOLD of West Smithfield in the City of London, Surgical
Instrument Maker, 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:―
Heretofore in veterinary instruments it has been common to employ a curved
knife working through a slot in one of the limbs of the forceps, one top edge of the
slot being made of chisel shape and the other top edge with a serrated surface, the
curved knife being also serrated. I am also aware that it has been proposed to
apply to the side of the curved knife a serrated ledge having serrations corre-
sponding with those on the top edge of one of the slotted sides of the forceps, and
it is between these serrations that the cords of the testicles are intended to be held
and crushed, while the further closing of the forceps cuts them by a somewhat tearing
or dragging action of the knife on the chisel edge which is situate on the opposite
side of the slot; whereas by my invention as hereafter described, I entirely
dispense with the slot in the limb of the forceps, while I obtain a firmer hold or
grip of the cords than heretofore, and the knife severs them without any tearing
or dragging action whatever.
In order that my invention may be readily understood 1 will describe same with
reference to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 being an elevation of a pair of forceps constructed according to my
invention, Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the opposite side of the forceps,
Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections of the jaws taken about the line X Y of
Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a similar cross section of the two jaws drawn to a larger scale than
the previous figures and showing the same closed.
Figure 6 is an inverted interior plan view of the upper jaw of Figure 2 and
Figure 7 is a plan view of the lower jaw, also of Fig. 2.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
According to my invention which is particularly applicable to both surgical and
veterinary instruments for cutting and clamping at one operation (for example for
castrating), I provide one limb such as A of the forceps, with a curved concave
blade A having a series of longitudinal serrations or ribs B, Figs. 3, 5 and 6,
running from end to end of the blade. The other convex limb C is made with
correspondingly shaped longitudinal serrations or ribs D, Figs. 4, 5 and 7 similarly
running from end to end of the blade C and of corresponding width with the
concave limb A', the cutting edge E, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, on the convex limb C being
made with serrations El at right angles to the longitudinal serrations D and over-
lapping the concave limb A', Figs. 2 and 5, when the forceps is closed, these
serrations E' at right angles being for holding or gripping the cords during the
action of cutting as the blades come together before the longitudinal serrations B
and D come into operation or come together as shown at Figure 5, and the latter
grip and crimp the parts which have been severed; thus a series of longitudinal
serrations or ribs fitting into corresponding serrations or ribs only are used (as
distinguished from the employment of a single longitudinal ridge fitting into a slot
combined with teeth cut in the contrary or opposite direction) to grip the cords,
thereby crimping them in the contrary direction to that of the flow of the blood.
In the manufacture of these instruments it is convenient to make the convex
blade in two parts (viz. the one part C having the longitudinal serrations or ribs D

page_text: on its concave surface, and that part E having the serrations E' on its edge at right
angles to the said longitudinal ribs D) and to braze or rivet these two parts
together, although they might be forged in one piece; and in some cases, as shown
in the drawing, the two parts C and E may be pivotted as at F to one another
centrally, or at one end as shown, in which case, when the forceps is closed, the
longitudinally ribbed surfaces B and D on the two blades would throughout their
length grip simultaneously, whereas when not pivotted, the lower part of the limb
begins to grip, although scarcely appreciable, before the top or end surface, but in
any case when the grip is effected, any slipping of the parts is practically impossible
until the handles of the forceps are released.
G is a spring or abutment piece against which a stud Cx on the pivotted part C
takes as the instrument is closed, and it is by aid of this spring that the rear end
of part C is held in pressure contact with the opposing part.
In some cases, and as illustrated in the drawing hereunto annexed, I may employ
an overhanging flange H on the opposite side to the cutting edge E, such flange
being on its interior side surface serrated as at H¹ Figures 2 and 5 oppositely to
the longitudinal serrations B D, while the side edge of the gripping part C may
also be serrated as at C¹ Fig. 1; the two serrated surfaces C₁ and H¹ do not come
into actual contact with each other when the instrument is closed in order that the
cord or other substance may be gripped and squeezed.
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 surgical and veterinary instruments for cutting and clamping at one
operation, the series of longitudinal serrations B D upon the gripping surfaces, in
combination with the cutting edge E having transverse serrations E¹ (at right
angles to the aforesaid longitudinal serrations) for holding the parts operated upon
during the cutting, before or whilst the longitudinal serrations grip and crimp the
said parts substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the cutting edge E having transverse serrations E' and
longitudinally serrated or ribbed gripping parts, of the independent pivotting of
one of the serrated gripping parts to ensure a simultaneous clamping action
throughout the whole length of the jaws substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the construction as claimed by Claim 1, of the over-
hanging flange H transversely serrated on its interior surface, and transverse
serrations upon the adjacent edge of the opposite gripping part substantially as
described.
Dated this 12th day of September 1895.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.