Improvements in Apparatus for Assisting Parturition.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Assisting Parturition.
I, PETER MCCAHEY, of 219, North Twenty-second Street, Philadelphia,
County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
do hereby solemnly declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING PARTURITION," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In the method now carried out, parturition is either entirely natural, or in many
cases where it is impossible for the child to be delivered naturally instruments of metal
are used, the forceps, which are inserted upon each side of and take hold of the
head or other desired portion of the body of the child. Their use, though
necessary, is often injurious and sometimes fatal.
My invention has for its object to obtain a hold upon the head or other desired
portion of the body of the child without any metallic instruments whatever; and
it is to be employed in those cases where assistance other than nature is necessary
or desirable, and it consists in such cases in creating a vacuum between the head
or other desired part of the child and a receptacle adapted for said purpose,
said receptacle being of such construction that when this vacuum is created the
receptacle will adhere to the head or other desired part of the child and said
receptacle may be grasped by the operator and the child moved and the parturition
assisted.
In the drawings, which illustrate receptacles and modifications thereof for
accomplishing this object and means for exhausting the air so as to create_a
vacuum between said receptacle and the head or other desired portion of the body
of the child,-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of form of cup and attachments.
Figure 2 is a section through the centre of the cup.
Figure 3 is a modified form of cup in which the air is displaced and driven
out by pressing on the vessel and is provided with a handle for operating said cup.
Figure 4 is a modified form of cup in which the main body of the cup is formed
of a rigid substance and is provided with basic curved flaps of a yielding air-tight
substance.
Figure 5 is a section view of modified form of cup provided with a plunger by
depressing which the vacuum is created and which also forms a handle to operate
said cup.
Figure 6 is a section of a modified form of cup similar to Figure 5 provided with
rings made of metal or other substance and an orifice through the plunger or
handle to exhaust the air.
Figure 7 is a section of cup of the same construction as Figure 2, the top being
replaced by a handle and an orifice made through said handle through which the
air is exhausted from the cup.
Figure 8 is a section of the same form of cup as Figure 2, the valve being
removed and the valve in the suction pump being relied on to retain the vacuum.
Figure 9 is a section of a modified form of cup and plunger shown in Figure 5,
the plunger being made concave to conform to the head.
Figure 10 is a form of cup provided with straight sides.
Figure 11 is a form of flat cup.
Figure 12 is a sectional view of cup with plunger and curved base flaps.
Figure 13. same as Figure 12. with attachment for vacuum duMD.

page_text: Figure 14 is a form of cup with plunger partly hollowed out.
Figure 15, same as Figure 14, with attachment for vacuum pump.
Figure 16 is a cup with broad concave base and sides of cup decreasing in thick-
ness and plunger extending into cup.
Figure 17 is a sectional view of receptacle formed of a concave rubber disc
provided with a plunger, the thickness of walls of disc decreasing from base
upwards.
Similar letters denote similar parts.
A is the cup proper, which may be entirely formed of a yielding substance such
as rubber, as in all the illustrations, with the exception of Figure 4. Connected
and entering into the cup is the tube B, which may be provided with a cock, as C,
placed between the tube and the cup, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. D is an
ordinary suction pump having a plunger and an interior valve preventing the air
returning when forcing the plunger in. In Figure 5 E is the plunger, which is of
such construction that it can be used to force the air out of the cup and at the
same time form a handle to operate the cup. In Figure 6 the plunger is pro-
vided with an orifice, and is threaded so as to readily enable a tube to be coupled
through which the air can be exhausted. F, F1 are the reinforcing rings (see
Figure 6) used to cause the whole cup to hold as a unit and not permit one portion
to collapse before the other. In Figure 9 the plunger E is concave at its lowest
end. In Figure 7 G is the handle cut through to enable a hose to be coupled on
to exhaust the air. In Figure 3 the handle is secured to the metal projection f,
and is the rubber valve so that on the projection f being forced down the air can
pass out by shifting the said valve from over the air passage f2. In Figure 4 the
cup A is formed of porcelain, glass or similar substance provided with a rubber
flap a at the lower end of said cup to make a yielding and tight joint between the
cup and the head or other desired part of the child.
The method is as follows:-
When in parturition it would be necessary or desirable to use artificial methods
to facilitate delivery, the cup of one of the forms hereinbefore described, preferably
that shown in Figures 16 and 17 is inserted and placed against the head or other
desired portion of the child and a vacuum created in said cup which will cause the
head or other desired portion of the child, and the cup to adhere closely together;
and if the apparatus shown in Figure 1 be used, where there is a cock, this cock
is turned after the air in the cup has been exhausted, to prevent any air coming
into the cup. The cup is then moved carefully by hand and the child may be
moved and parturition assisted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1st. The hereinbefore described method of assisting parturition, which consists in
applying to the head or other desired part of the child a cup, exhausting the air in
said cup and moving the child by operating said cup.
2nd. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle having a yielding edge, and means substantially as described for
exhausting the air from said cup.
3rd. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of a yielding substance and means substantially as described to
exhaust the air from said cup.
4th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of rubber and means substantially as described to exhaust the
air from said cup.
5th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of a yielding substance and means substantially as described to
exhaust the air from said cup, and a handle secured to said cup.
6th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar

page_text: receptacle having a yielding edge, means substantially as described for exhausting
the air from said cup, and a handle secured to said cup.
7th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of rubber, means substantially as described to exhaust the air
from said cup, and a handle secured to said cup.
8th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
material formed of a yielding substance, means substantially as described to exhaust
the air from said cup, a handle secured to said cup, and an orifice through said
handle.
9th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle having a yielding edge, means substantially as described for exhausting
the air from said cup, and a handle secured to said cup, and an orifice through said
handle.
10th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of rubber, means substantially as described to exhaust the air
from said cup, a handle secured to said cup and an orifice through said
handle.
11th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle having a yielding edge, and means substantially as described for
exhausting the air from said cup and a plunger connected with said cup.
12th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of a yielding substance and means substantially as described to
exhaust the air from said cup, and a plunger connected with said cup.
13th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of rubber and means substantially as described to exhaust
the air from said cup, and a plunger connected with said cup.
14th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, a cup or similar receptacle
formed of a flexible material and provided with a broad concave base or lower
edge.
15th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, a cup, or similar receptacle,
formed of rubber and provided with a plunger and a broad concave base or lower
edge, substantially as described.
16th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, a cup or similar receptacle
formed of a flexible material and provided with a broad concave base or lower
edge, the sides of said cup decreasing in thickness from said base and provided with
a plunger extending into said cup.
17th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, a concave rubber disc provided
with a plunger.
18th. A concave rubber disc, the wall of said disc decreasing in thickness from
the base, said disc being provided with a plunger.
19th. In combination, a cup or similar receptacle provided at its lower end with
flaps of a yielding substance and a plunger adapted to force the air from said cup.
20th. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed of a rigid substance, flaps formed of a yielding substance secured
to the bottom of said cup, an opening in the top of said cup and means substantially
as described to exhaust the air in said cup.
21st. In an apparatus for assisting parturition, in combination, a cup or similar
receptacle formed
a rigid substance, flaps of rubber secured to the bottom of said
cup, an opening in the top of said cup and means substantially as described to
exhaust the air in said cup.
Dated this 10th day of December Å D 1800
PETER MCCAHEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.