US3734652A — Pneumatically powered device

Claim 1

Independent Claim 263 words

In a pneumatic-powered, hand-held device for rotating a surgical tool at a relatively high speed, the combination comprising: elongated tubular housing means having radially inwardly projecting shoulder means near one end thereof and facing the other end thereof; a cylindrical, self-contained, cartridge-type pneumatic motor unit removably but snugly and slidably positioned in said housing means, one end of said motor unit being disposed in engagement with said shoulder means; said cartridge-type pneumatic motor unit including inlet and outlet passageways formed therein adjacent said other end of said unit for enabling air to be supplied thereto and exhausted therefrom; end cap means removably secured to the other end of said housiNg and disposed in engagement with said other end of said motor unit for maintaining said unit against said shoulder means, said end cap means including inlet and outlet openings therein disposed in communication with said inlet and outlet passageways, respectively; flexible inlet conduit means for supplying air to said inlet opening; coupling means swivelly connected between said end cap means and the adjacent end of said inlet conduit means for permitting said housing means to rotate relative to said inlet conduit means while maintaining said inlet conduit means in flow communication with said inlet opening, said coupling means connecting the adjacent end of said conduit means to said end cap means in substantially coaxial alignment with the longitudinally extending axis of said housing means; whereby removal of said end cap means from said housing means permits said motor unit to be easily slidably removed from said housing means as an assembled one-piece unit.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 263 words

In a pneumatic-powered, hand-held device for rotating a surgical tool at a relatively high speed, the combination comprising: elongated tubular housing means having radially inwardly projecting shoulder means near one end thereof and facing the other end thereof; a cylindrical, self-contained, cartridge-type pneumatic motor unit removably but snugly and slidably positioned in said housing means, one end of said motor unit being disposed in engagement with said shoulder means; said cartridge-type pneumatic motor unit including inlet and outlet passageways formed therein adjacent said other end of said unit for enabling air to be supplied thereto and exhausted therefrom; end cap means removably secured to the other end of said housiNg and disposed in engagement with said other end of said motor unit for maintaining said unit against said shoulder means, said end cap means including inlet and outlet openings therein disposed in communication with said inlet and outlet passageways, respectively; flexible inlet conduit means for supplying air to said inlet opening; coupling means swivelly connected between said end cap means and the adjacent end of said inlet conduit means for permitting said housing means to rotate relative to said inlet conduit means while maintaining said inlet conduit means in flow communication with said inlet opening, said coupling means connecting the adjacent end of said conduit means to said end cap means in substantially coaxial alignment with the longitudinally extending axis of said housing means; whereby removal of said end cap means from said housing means permits said motor unit to be easily slidably removed from said housing means as an assembled one-piece unit.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 86 words

A device according to claim 1, wherein said motor unit includes an axially elongated sleeve-like casing structure having an elongated eccentric bore formed therein, bladed rotor means coaxially rotatably supported within said casing structure and having blades disposed for sliding sealing engagement with the wall of said eccentric bore, and means coacting with the opposite axial end of said rotor means for retaining same within said casing structure, whereby said casing structure and the rotor contained therein is removable from said housing means as a unit.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

bladed rotor means coaxially disposed within said casing means and having fixedly connected shaft means extending through and beyond the said end of said casing means adjacent said shoulder means;

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 30 words

bladed rotor means coaxially disposed within said casing means and having fixedly connected shaft means extending through and beyond the said end of said casing means adjacent said shoulder means;

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 12 words

bearing means rotatably supporting said rotor means coaxially within said casing means;

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 12 words

bearing means rotatably supporting said rotor means coaxially within said casing means;

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 150 words

A device according to claim 1, wherein said end cap means has a hollow pipe member threadedly supported therein and extending therethrough in substantial coaxial alignment with said housing means, said pipe member having a bore therethrough defining said inlet opening and said other end of said motor unit having said inlet passageway terminating in an inlet port located in the axial end of said motor unit substantially on the central longitudinal axis thereof, whereby said inlet port is substantially aligned with and abuttingly sealingly engaged by one end of said pipe member when said end cap means is mounted on said housing means, the threaded mounting of said pipe member on said end cap means permitting same to be axially adjusted relative to said end cap means for causing the end of said pipe member to abuttingly sealingly engage said motor unit in surrounding relationship to said inlet port.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 129 words

sleeve means snugly and removably disposed within said casing means, said sleeve means having an eccentric bore encircling said rotor means and having axially extending, inlet and outlet passageways spaced circumferentially from each other, said sleeve means having radially extending inlet and outlet ports communicating with said inlet and outlet passageways, respectively, and with the bore of said sleeve; and removable end cap means fixedly secured upon the other end of said housing means for urging said casing means snugly against said shoulder means and for fixedly axially retaining said casing means between said shoulder means and said end cap means, said end cap means having inlet and outlet openings therethrough and means for effecting communication of said inlet and outlet openings with said inlet and outlet passageways, respectively.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 129 words

sleeve means snugly and removably disposed within said casing means, said sleeve means having an eccentric bore encircling said rotor means and having axially extending, inlet and outlet passageways spaced circumferentially from each other, said sleeve means having radially extending inlet and outlet ports communicating with said inlet and outlet passageways, respectively, and with the bore of said sleeve; and removable end cap means fixedly secured upon the other end of said housing means for urging said casing means snugly against said shoulder means and for fixedly axially retaining said casing means between said shoulder means and said end cap means, said end cap means having inlet and outlet openings therethrough and means for effecting communication of said inlet and outlet openings with said inlet and outlet passageways, respectively.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 88 words

A device according to claim 1, further including flexible outlet conduit means for discharging air from said outlet opening, said inlet and outlet conduit means being disposed one within the other in substantially concentric relationship to define a flow path therebetween, and said coupling means being swivelly connected between said end cap means and the adjacent end of said outlet conduit means for permitting said housing means to rotate relative to said outlet conduit means while maintaining said outlet conduit means in flow communication with said outlet opening.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 77 words

A device according to claim 4, wherein said coupling means includes a first swivel-type coupling structure connected between said inlet conduit means and said end cap means for permitting relative rotation therebetween, and said coupling means including a second swivel-type coupling structure connected between said outlet conduit means and said end cap means for permitting relative rotation therebetween, whereby said inlet and outlet conduit means can rotate relative to one another and relative to said housing means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 74 words

In a pneumatically powered, hand-held device for rotation a surgical tool at a relatively high speed, the combination comprising: elongated tubular housing means having radially inwardly projecting shoulder means near one end thereof and facing the other end thereof; a cylindrical, self-contained, cartridge-type pneumatic motor unit removable but snugly and slidably positioned in said housing means, one end of said motor unit being disposeD in engagement with said shoulder means, said motor unit including:

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 74 words

In a pneumatically powered, hand-held device for rotation a surgical tool at a relatively high speed, the combination comprising: elongated tubular housing means having radially inwardly projecting shoulder means near one end thereof and facing the other end thereof; a cylindrical, self-contained, cartridge-type pneumatic motor unit removable but snugly and slidably positioned in said housing means, one end of said motor unit being disposeD in engagement with said shoulder means, said motor unit including:

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 93 words

A device according to claim 6 including inlet and outlet conduits, the inlet conduit being loosely disposed within and substantially coextensive with the outlet conduit to provide an outlet passage lengthwise thereof and therebetween; first coupling means swivelly connecting said outlet conduit to said end cap means, whereby said outlet passage communicates with said outlet opening; and second coupling means swivelly connecting said inlet conduit to said cap means for communication with said inlet opening, whereby said conduits are freely rotatable with respect to said tubular housing means and said end cap means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 77 words

A device according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means includes a first swivel-type coupling structure connected between said inlet conduit means and said end cap means for permitting relative rotation therebetween, and said coupling means including a second swivel-type coupling structure connected between said outlet conduit means and said end cap means for permitting relative rotation therebetween whereby said inlet and outlet conduit means can rotate relative to one another and relative to said housing means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 55 words

A device according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical casing means is open at both ends and has a radially inwardly projecting stop means near said one end thereof, and said bearing means including bearings supporting the opposite ends of said rotor means within said casing means, one of said bearings engaging said stop means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 132 words

A device according to claim 9 including second shaft means integral and coaxial with said rotor means at the other end thereof; wherein said bearing means includes a pair of bearings encircling said first mentioned and said second shaft means and a pair of bearing retainers encircling said bearings and snugly embracing the opposite ends of said sleeve means, said bearings and said retainers being disposed in said casing means adjacent the opposite ends thereof; and end plug means disposed and retained within said casing means adjacent said other end thereof and bearing against the adjacent bearing retainer, said end cap means being adapted to engage said plug means whereby said plug means, said bearing retainers and said sleeve means are held under compression between said cap means and said stop means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 74 words

A structure according to claim 10 wherein said casing means extends slightly beyond the exposed end of said plug means, said extended end of said casing means being staked inwardly over said exposed end; coupling means connected to said first mentioned shaft means for releasable connectioN to tool means; and cylindrical shroud means releasably mounted upon the one end of said housing means and projecting beyond the free end of said tool coupling means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-05-21	1976-11-20	1977-05-22	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-05-21	1980-11-20	1981-05-22	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-05-21	1984-11-20	1985-05-22	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Pneumatically powered device

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