Improvements in Vaginal and other Speculums.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vaginal and other Speculums.
I, OTTO BERNHARDT, of 61 Friedrichsgracht, Berlin Germany, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The present invention consists of improvements in vaginal and other speculums,
and more particularly of a process for providing such instruments with a covering
of celluloid and thereby rendering them almost indestructible.
By means of the present invention many disadvantages of the speculums hitherto
employed are obviated, such for instance as the springing of the instrument during
an operation or inspection. Further the instruments are rendered more durable as
those constructed according to the present invention will not be broken when falling
from, or if knocked off the table.
And in order to render the present invention more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several views :-
Fig. 1 being a vertical section through a speculum made according to the present
invention,
Fig. 2 shows the speculum with the celluloid mantel arranged around it previous
to its being fixed thereon,
Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line x-x of Figure 1,
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an intestinal speculum,
Fig. 5 a cross section through Fig
Fig. 6 a side elevation of a modifieà,
ŉ of speculum,
Fig. 7 a cross section through the spe im of Figure 6,
Fig. 8 a side elevation of a further mot ication.
The speculum itself as shown at Figues 1 to 3 consists of a glass cylinder
having a trumpet like mouth and coated on the exterior with leaf silver or a
galvanic precipitation of silver.
The object of the present invention is to provide this speculum with a coating
of celluloid which must not be too thick, must be capable of resisting acids
and perfectly smooth, said coating being applied in the well known manner by
treating the same in boiling water. In order however to render this process
effective a preliminary treatment of the instrument is necessary, and this
preliminary treatment forms the main part of the present invention.
The principal difficulties hitherto experienced in covering objects with celluloid
mantles are due to the fact that the glass cracks or springs when introduced into
the boiling water, and then again the silver coating breaks when the celluloid is
applied thereto rendering the mirror defect.
The process is carried out in the following manner :-
After the glass has been provided with the above mentioned silver coating the
latter is fixed by a coating of varnish. This is allowed to dry and a coating of
white-lead is then applied on the same. After this has been allowed to dry it is
then ground thoroughly smooth and covered with asphalt the said latter coating
serving to protect the other masses previously applied, when the whole is dipped in
boiling water, as is necessary in carrying out the process.
After the last mentioned coating has been allowed to dry, the speculum is
prepared to receive the coating of celluloid. The glass cylinder will not burst

page_text: during the treatment with boiling water, which was usually the case in connection
with the processes hitherto known, and the mirror coating will not be cracked or
split by the contraction of the celluloid mantle which closes tightly on to the glass
cylinder.
In the drawings a represents the glass cylinder, c the intermediate coatings as
specified and b the celluloid covering. The latter covering is applied to the
cylinder as shown at Figure 2 and shrinks on to the same assuming the form shown
at Figure 1. The remaining figures merely show modified forms of speculums and
require no further explanation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is performed I declare that what I claim is :-
A process for producing vaginal and other speculums having a covering of
celluloid, consisting in first providing the glass cylinder containing the silver
coating, with a varnish coating, allowing the same to dry and applying a coating
of white lead thereto, and finally covering the whole with an asphalt layer after
the coating has been polished and rendered thoroughly smooth, whereupon the
celluloid mantle is applied in the usual manner by treatment with boiling water
substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of December 1895.
J. B. FLEURET,
5 Hatton Garden, London, Agent for the Applicant.
J. B. FLEURET,
5 Hatton Garden, London, Agent for the Applicant.