US4050150A — Medical needle holder assembly and method of and …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 367 words

Apparatus for assembling together a generally tubular needle holder, a filter element composed of a was of a predetermined length of filament yarn and a generally tubular filter retainer adapted to be received in said needle holder with said filter element fitter to the needle holder, comprising (1) an elongated hollow transport tube having a longitudinal passageway which is open at its foremost end and having formed in its intermediate portion an opening which is sized to permit said filament yarn to pass therethrough, (2) first feeding and positioning means for feeding said needle holder in each cycle of operation into a predetermined position longitudinally aligned with said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube and having its rearmost end located at the open foremost end of said longitudinal passageway, (3) second feeding and positioning means for feeding said filter retainer in each cycle of operation into a predetermined postion within said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube, said predetermined position of the filter retainer being longitudinally spaced apart and aligned with said predetermined position of said needle holder across said intermediate portion of said longitudinal passageway, (4) third feeding and positioning means for feeding said filament yarn in each cycle of operation into a predetermined position in said intermediate portion of said longitudinal passageway of said transport tube through said opening formed in the intermediate portion, (5) pneumatic transfer means for producing in said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube a unidirectional stream of air flowing from said intermediate portion toward said predetermined position of said filter retainer for moving said filament yarn from said predetermined position thereof toward said filter retainer in said predetermined position thereof until the filter element is forced in the form of a tangle against the foremost end of the filter retainer, and (6) drive means for moving said filter retainer from said predetermined position thereof toward said needle holder in said predetermined position thereof with said tangle of said filament yarn carried on the foremost end of the filter retainer and forcing the filter retainer into said needle holder in said predetermined position thereof so that the tangle of the filament yarn is compacted into wad form within said needle holder.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 367 words

Apparatus for assembling together a generally tubular needle holder, a filter element composed of a was of a predetermined length of filament yarn and a generally tubular filter retainer adapted to be received in said needle holder with said filter element fitter to the needle holder, comprising (1) an elongated hollow transport tube having a longitudinal passageway which is open at its foremost end and having formed in its intermediate portion an opening which is sized to permit said filament yarn to pass therethrough, (2) first feeding and positioning means for feeding said needle holder in each cycle of operation into a predetermined position longitudinally aligned with said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube and having its rearmost end located at the open foremost end of said longitudinal passageway, (3) second feeding and positioning means for feeding said filter retainer in each cycle of operation into a predetermined postion within said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube, said predetermined position of the filter retainer being longitudinally spaced apart and aligned with said predetermined position of said needle holder across said intermediate portion of said longitudinal passageway, (4) third feeding and positioning means for feeding said filament yarn in each cycle of operation into a predetermined position in said intermediate portion of said longitudinal passageway of said transport tube through said opening formed in the intermediate portion, (5) pneumatic transfer means for producing in said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube a unidirectional stream of air flowing from said intermediate portion toward said predetermined position of said filter retainer for moving said filament yarn from said predetermined position thereof toward said filter retainer in said predetermined position thereof until the filter element is forced in the form of a tangle against the foremost end of the filter retainer, and (6) drive means for moving said filter retainer from said predetermined position thereof toward said needle holder in said predetermined position thereof with said tangle of said filament yarn carried on the foremost end of the filter retainer and forcing the filter retainer into said needle holder in said predetermined position thereof so that the tangle of the filament yarn is compacted into wad form within said needle holder.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said transport tube extends substantially horizontally.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 126 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said first feeding and positioning means comprise a magazine formed with a vertical chamber having a bottom portion contiguous to and in line with the open foremost end of said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube, said magazine being adapted to accommodate within said vertical chamber a stack of needle holders each constituting said needle holder and said bottom portion of said vertical chamber providing said predetermined position of said needle holder, and a mechanism which is operative in predetermined cycles to downwardly convey said needle holders within said vertical chamber for successively positioning said needle holders in said bottom portion of said vertical chamber and to successively withdraw completed needle holder assemblies from said vertical chamber.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 103 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said second feeding and positioning means comprise a magazine formed with a vertical chamber having a bottom end open to a rearmost portion of said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube, said magazine being adapted to accommodate within said vertical chamber a stack of filter retainers each constituting said filter retainer, said rearmost portion of said longitudinal passageway providing said predetermined position of said filter retainer, and a mechanism which is operative in predetermined cycles to downwardly convey said filter retainers successively into said rearmost portion of said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 173 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said opening is formed in a top wall of said intermediate portion of said transport tube and in which said third feeding and positioning means comprise a pair of feed rollers which are in rolling contact with each other above said opening in said intermediate portion of said transport tube, one of said feed rollers being driven from rotation by drive means for passing between the rollers a continuous filament yarn from a supply package, a tensioning roller located between said supply package and the set of said feed rollers for subjecting said continuous filament yarn to a predetermined tensile pull while the continuous filament yarn is being fed from said supply package toward said feed rollers, and cutting means located below said feed rollers for cutting said continuous filament yarn in said predetermined length in each cycle of operation, the predetermined length of filament yarn being admitted into said intermediate portion of said transport tube through said opening formed in said intermediate portion.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 55 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, in which said third feeding and positioning means further comprise a knife-edged member located between said tensioning roller annd said set of feed rollers and having a substantially horizontal sharpened edge for scraping thereagainst the continuous filament yarn being passed from said tensioning roller toward said feed rollers.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, in which said horizontal sharpened edge of said knife-edge member is located over and vertically in alignment with said opening in said intermediate portion of said transport tube.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 68 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, in which said third feeding and positioning means comprise a guide tube projecting upwardly from said top wall of said intermediate portion of said transport tube and formed with a vertical passageway extending from said opening and open at the upper end of said guide tube, said feed rollers being in rolling contact above said upper end of said guide tube.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 94 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said drive means comprise a piston longitudinally movable through said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube between a first position having its foremost end engageable with the rearmost end of said filter retainer in said predetermined position thereof and a second position having said foremost end at the open foremost end of said longitudinal passageway in said transport tube and a mechanical driving mechanism connected to said piston for driving the piston to move between said first and second positions during each cycle of operation.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 40 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, in which said pneumatic transfer means comprise a source of suction, and passage means providing communication between said source of suction and the interior of said filter retainer in said predetermined position thereof.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 86 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, in which said passage means are constituted by a cavity formed in said piston and open at the foremost end of the piston, an aperture formed in the peripheral wall of the piston and open to said cavity, a vent formed in said transport tube and located to be in alignment with said aperture in said piston when said piston is in said first position thereof, and a passageway providing communication between said source of suction and sad vent.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-09-26	1981-03-28	1981-09-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-09-26	1985-03-28	1985-09-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-09-26	1989-03-28	1989-09-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Medical needle holder assembly and method of and apparatus for manufacturing medical needle holding assembly

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