HAND VACUUM PUMP

• US 3,612,722 A
• Filed: 03/03/1969
• Issued: 10/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Theodore C. Neward
• Original Assignee: Theodore C. Neward
• Inventors: Neward, Theodore C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Croyle, Carlton R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vrablik, John J.
• Application Number:
  US04/803,854
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 103/153,178,211 230/172,190,218,219 73/389,396,419 137/557 128/300,352,361 222/473,474 74/102 417/63,306,440,562 92/128
• US Class Current: 417/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/16 in the form of pistons

Abstract

A small and compact vacuum pump which serves as a portable vacuum source. The pump includes a cylinder coupled with one handle and a piston therein coupled with another handle, along with a wafer valve assembly for allowing a vacuum to be drawn at an outlet of the pump. An indicator may be coupled with the outlet and may include a member for releasing the vacuum. The pump and indicator assembly are particularly useful with vacuum extractors used by doctors during childbirth, or any other use that requires a simple, lightweight, compact and portable vacuum source.

Claims

1. A compact vacuum pump comprising a cylinder and piston assembly, the cylinder of the assembly including an elongated body having a cover on a first end thereof, and inlet opening through said cover and an exhaust outlet through said cylinder at first end thereof, and the piston of the assembly comprising a piston head having resilient member coupled therewith and a piston rod, the interior of said body at said first end of said cylinder and said piston head being configured to allow said piston head to move completely to said cover at said first end of said cylinder for creating a minimum void between said piston head and interior of said cylinder at said first end for enabling a good vacuum to be drawn through said inlet by reciprocation of said piston in said cylinder, first valve means coupled with said inlet opening of said cylinder, and second valve means coupled with said exhaust outlet of said cylinder, biasing means coupled with said piston for normally biasing said piston toward said first end of said cylinder, and adapter means coupled with said cylinder and housing said first valve means for enabling a vacuum to be drawn on an external device, said adapter means including manually operable valve means for releasing the vacuum drawn on an external device.

2. A pump as in claim 1 including a first handle coupled with said cylinder, a second handle coupled with said piston rod, and releasable pivot means forming a fulcrum and interconnecting said handles for enabling reciprocation of said piston in said cylinder upon operation of said handles, and cap means lockable with the second end of said cylinder, said piston rod extending through said cap means, and said releasable pivot means enabling said handles to be disengaged for unlocking of said cap means and removal of said piston from said cylinder.

3. A pump device as in claim 1 wherein said exhaust outlet includes an aperture extending through the body of said cylinder at said first end thereof and adjacent said cover, and said biasing means normally biases said piston to close said exhaust outlet.

4. A compact vacuum pump comprising a piston and cylinder assembly including a cylinder with a piston disposed therein and means for reciprocating said piston within said cylinder, said cylinder including a body having a cover at one end thereof, said cylinder having an exhaust opening and said cover having an inlet, an adapter coupled with said cylinder, said adapter having a first end coupled to said cylinder at said inlet and a second end adapted to be coupled to an external device and a passageway communicating between said ends, a valve mounted in said passageway near said first end of said adapter for controlling the flow of fluid from an external device through said adapter and said cylinder to said exhaust opening, and said adapter including an exhaust port between said second end of said adapter and said valve and having valve means for normally closing said exhaust port, and manually operable means coupled with said valve means for enabling the vacuum pulled on an external device to be readily released.

5. A pump as in claim 4 wherein said adapter has indicator means coupled therewith and communicating with said passageway for indicating the vacuum pulled by said pump, said indicator means having a moveable member forming said manually operable means.

6. A compact pump comprising a cylinder having a piston therein and a piston rod coupled with said piston, a first handle formed integral with said cylinder, a second handle coupled with said piston rod, and means releasably and pivotally coupling said handles together to provide a fulcrum to enable reciprocation of said piston in said cylinder upon operation of said handles and for enabling one handle to bE readily released from the other, said cylinder comprising a body having a cover on the first end thereof with a first fluid port in said cover, said cylinder having a second port, cap means coupled with a second end of said cylinder, said cap means having an aperture therein through which said piston rod extends for engagement with said second handle, and locking means intercoupling said cap means and said second end of said cylinder for enabling said cap means to be readily removed from said cylinder for removal of said piston for cleaning of said pump.

7. A pump as in claim 6 wherein said means coupling said handles together includes cooperating protuberances on said first and second handles forming a readily releasable coupling between said first and second handles.

8. A pump as in claim 6 wherein said second port is an exhaust outlet and extends through the body of said cylinder substantially normal to the axis of the cylinder, said piston and cylinder are configured to allow said piston to move substantially completely to the cover on the first end of said cylinder, and said exhaust outlet extends through said body at said first end of said cylinder to allow said piston to close said exhaust outlet when said piston is positioned at said first end of said cylinder.

9. A compact pump device comprising a cylinder having a piston therein and a piston rod coupled with said piston, a first handle coupled with said cylinder, a second handle coupled with said piston rod, and means coupling said handles together so that movement thereof causes said piston to reciprocate in said cylinder, first valve means having an inlet therein coupled at a first end of said cylinder, said first end of said cylinder having an exhaust port therein, biasing means for normally biasing said piston to said first end of said cylinder, second valve means coupled at said exhaust port, movement of said piston away from said first end of said cylinder causing said first valve means to open and movement of said piston toward said end of said cylinder causing said second valve means to open, and indicator means coupled with said first valve means for indicating the pressure provided at said inlet by said pump device, said indicator means including body means having a piston member therein and an indicating member coupled with said piston member extending from said body means, said body means having an outlet coupled with said first valve means and having an inlet, said body means including third valve means adapted to be opened by manual movement of said indicating member.

10. A compact pump device comprising a cylinder having a piston therein and a piston rod coupled with said piston, a first handle coupled with said cylinder, a second handle coupled with said piston rod, and means coupling said handles together so that movement thereof causes said piston to reciprocate in said cylinder, first valve means having an inlet therein coupled at a first end of said cylinder, said first end of said cylinder having an exhaust port therein, biasing means for normally biasing said piston to said first end of said cylinder, second valve means coupled at said exhaust port, movement of said piston away from said first end of said cylinder causing said first valve means to open and movement of said piston toward said end of said cylinder causing said second valve means to open, and indicator means coupled with said first valve means, said indicator means including a body having an outlet coupled with said first valve means, an inlet, and a gauge port, a piston chamber coupled with said gauge port, a piston member in said chamber, said piston member including a rod extending from said chamber, said rod having indicia thereon, and said body including an exhaust outlet, third valve means coupled with said body at said exhaust outlet thereof, said piston member including means for contacting said third valve means upon manual moveMent of said rod.

11. A pump device as in claim 10 wherein said first valve means includes an adapter coupled with said first end of said cylinder and a wafer valve within said adapter, said adapter having said inlet of said first valve means therein and having means biasing said wafer valve to normally close said last named inlet, and said second valve means includes a second wafer valve normally closing said exhaust port at said first end of said cylinder, said exhaust port being normal to the axis of said cylinder, and means normally biasing said wafer valve of said second valve means to close said exhaust port.