Improvements in the Hafts or Handles of Surgical Instruments, especially for those used in Aseptic Surgery.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Hafts or Handles of Surgical Instruments,
especially for those used in Aseptic Surgery.
I THOMAS PATON HAWKSLEY, of 357 Oxford Street, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Surgical Instrument Maker do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In substituting for the usual metal, wood, horn or ivory handles of saws,
knives &c. used in surgery, a solid or hollow steel frame of wire or tube of
appropriate shape fitted and attached permanently to the blades of knives,
saws &c., and in such a manner as to offer all the conveniences in use of wooden
or other handles, without the objections of those hitherto made in metal, thereby
affording the delicate grasp and lightness required in such instruments and
meeting all the needs of modern aseptic surgery which necessitates that the instru-
ments (and handles of the same) be immersed or boiled in acids or some anti-
septic fluid, or, subjected to the action of heated air in ovens &c. for varying
periods of time, to render them absolutely free of germs.
Handles of such instruments as hitherto made have been more or less absorbent,
aud difficult to render aseptic, while solid metal handles have proved too heavy.
In the present invention the handles being "skeletal," are nearly as light as those
in wood or ivory, and may be subjected to any aseptic process.
Dated this Third day of January 1891.
THOS. P. HAWKSLEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Hafts or Handles of Surgical Instruments,
especially for those used in Aseptic Surgery.
I, THOMAS PATON HAWKSLEY of 357 Oxford Street, London, in the County
of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention consists in constructing the hafts or handles of saws knives and
other instruments used by surgeons with a solid or hollow wire or tubular frame of*
suitable section made of steel, aluminium or other metal of appropriate shape fitted
and attached permanently or otherwise to the blades of knives saws &c. in such
manner as to preserve all the advantages of a suitable handle without some of the
objections to those hitherto made in metal wood horn ivory &c.
By this means I ensure the delicate grasp and lightness required in such instru-
ments and provide for all the needs of modern aseptic surgery, which necessitates
both the instruments and the handles of same being immersed or boiled in acid or
some antiseptic fluid or subjected to the action of heated air in ovens &c. for varying
periods of time to render them absolutely free from germs &c.
Hitherto the handles of such instruments not made in metal have been more or
less absorbent and consequently difficult to render aseptic, while solid metal handles
have proved too heavy.
In my invention the handles being skeletal are nearly as light as those in wood
or ivory and may be subjected to any aseptic precaution.
The accompanying drawings represent the leading shapes of the skeletal handles
but they may be provided with stays or struts for the purpose of increasing the

page_text: strength without adding materially to the weight, and may consist of two or more
wire or metal bars and may be cast or of any form of cast or wrought metal.
Such handles as I have described I attach to the blades of saws, knives &c. by
means of casting fitting soldering screwing rivetting or other means of permanent
or temporary attachment.
Fig. 1. represents the simplest form of the application of my invention to a surgeons
knife. The wire frame consisting of two or more metal bars of suitable section
according to the size of the knife.
Fig. 2. represents one of the shapes of handles applied to large or small saws,
one or more metal bars being used according to requirement and the same
strengthened by bars or struts.
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―
1st. A. form of haft or handle for various surgical instruments that will allow of
their being made perfectly aseptic by immersion, boiling or by hot air, and possessing
greater durability than wood horn or ivory.
2nd. A haft or handle combining great lightness and rigidity and of such con-
struction as to allow of extreme delicacy of grasp.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of September 1891.
THOMAS PATON HAWKSLEY.