U.S. patent number 3,924,625 [Application Number 05/522,589] was granted by the patent office on 1975-12-09 for powered bovine stomach pump and tube.
Invention is credited to Hans D. D. Peterson.
United States Patent |
3,924,625 |
Peterson |
December 9, 1975 |
Powered bovine stomach pump and tube
Abstract
A bovine stomach tube and pump electrically driven by internal
batteries and/or an external power supply. The device comprises an
elongated flexible tube having an intake opening at one end and an
outlet opening at the other end. The device incorporates an
electrical motor and drive mechanism at one end powering a loop
endless belt internal of the stomach tube for evacuating the rumen
of bovines. An alternative embodiment may employ a flexible
auger-type conveyor mounted for rotation in the stomach tube. The
electrical drive motor may comprise an adaptation of hand-held
drills utilizing rechargeable batteries or an external electrical
power source. The device is designed for rapid evacuation of the
rumen of a bovine.
Inventors: |
Peterson; Hans D. D. (Eagle
Pass, TX) |
Family
ID: |
24081479 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/522,589 |
Filed: |
November 11, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/131; 606/106;
604/151 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61D
1/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61D
1/00 (20060101); A61D 1/12 (20060101); A61M
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/278,223,356
;417/320 ;415/73,72,5,122,163 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Yasko; John D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hodges, Jr.; Willard J.
Claims
I claim:
1. An electric motor driven bovine stomach pump and tube, said tube
having an overall diameter of approximately one inch,
comprising:
a. an elongated flexible outer case having an intake end and a
discharge end adapted to project into the esophagus of an
animal,
b. an intake opening constructed in the outer case adjacent the
intake end,
c. a discharge opening constructed in the outer case adjacent the
discharge end,
d. a conveyor means movably mounted internal of said outer case
extending substantially the length of said outer case, said
conveyor means further comprising:
1. a drive roller rotatably mounted in said outer case adjacent the
said discharge opening,
2. an idle roller rotatably mounted in said outer case adjacent the
said intake opening,
3. an endless flexible looped belt mounted for rotation on said
drive roller and said idle roller, and
4. flexible, flared belt cups secured to said flexible looped belt,
the flexible, flared belt cups being of such a configuration as to
urge a fluid substance from the said intake opening to the said
discharge opening,
e. a bearing means supporting said conveyor means for movement in
said outer case, and
f. a drive means interconnected to said conveyor means for operably
moving said conveyor means internal of said outer case operably
moving the work product of said conveyor means from said intake
opening to said discharge opening.
2. The invention of claim 1 including a belt tube mounted internal
of the said outer case, one side of said looped belt projecting
through said belt tube, said belt tube contracting said flexible,
flared belt cups as they move through said belt tube, and one side
of said looped belt projecting through said outer case external of
said belt tube, said flexible, flared belt cups flaring to an
extended dimension as they move through said outer case.
3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises:
a. an electrical drive means incorporating,
b. a variable speed control mechanism.
4. The invention of claim 1 including a reduction gear intermediate
said electric drive motor and said drive roller.
5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said drive means is:
a. an electrical drive means incorporating,
b. a self-contained power supply.
6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said self-contained power
supply is a rechargeable storage battery.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a veterinary instrument for treating the
stomach of ruminants which have ingested poison or toxic substances
creating a critical digestive condition. The device might also be
used for relieving overloading by ingesting excessive grain in feed
lots. The device of this invention is an improvement on and closely
related to existing flexible plastic or rubber stomach tubes widely
used by veterinarians in treating of bovines and other large
animals.
2. Description of Prior Art
The basic instrument used by veterinarians has been a rubber or
plastic tube approximately one inch in diameter and seven to ten
feet long useful in forceful releasing of gas from or rumens of
bovines or in treating other large animals applying medication to
the stomach to kill parasites or relieve other conditions in the
animal. Examples of devices which have previously been developed
and patented are U.S. Pat. No. 1,508,288, to Nuesch, comprising
principally a tube for deflating the stomach of ruminants.
Eisenhut, U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,274, pertains to a veterinary
evacuation probe for use on cattle designed for removing metal
objects from the rumens of bovines. The later U.S. Pat. No.
3,774,608 to Wohler incorporates a stomach tube and pump for
drenching the stomach of ruminants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The device of this invention varies from the prior art in that it
is primarily designed for evacuating the stomach of ruminants. The
device of this invention incorporates a flexible, rubber or plastic
tube approximately seven to ten feet in length. In one species of
the invention this tube comprises a double wall structure with a
small tube secured to the interior wall of the larger tube. This
embodiment comprises a drive roller at one end of the tube and an
idler roller at the intake end of the tube. A looped endless belt
carrying small buckets project through the device in a miniature
bucket-like conveyor configuration. The empty buckets move through
the small tube around the idle roller and open and flare taking the
substance to be extracted through the larger tube. The drive
mechanism of this device may be a self-contained electric motor
resembling a hand-held drill which may contain a rechargeable
battery for driving the electrical motor or an extension cord might
be incorporated attached to an external power supply. The drive
mechanism must incorporate a very low ratio drive gear to move the
belt slowly or the device should be constructed with an electrical
motor of very low rpm.
The second embodiment of the device is visualized to be constructed
with an elongated tube approximately one inch in diameter which
incorporates an internally mounted auger conveyor. The flexible
drive shaft extending the length of the device propells the auger
conveyor in rotation. Suitable bearing means are secured internal
of the tube to maintain the auger conveyor in a freely rotating
position. This species of the device might be made with the stomach
tube auger conveyor in a detachable configuration permitting the
driving of tubes of various sizes and lengths by a detachable hand
drill-like drive motor incorporating self-contained power supply or
an extension cord. Wide varieties of power requirements might be
incorporated including a 6 or 12 volt DC power supply or the
configuration might be constructed to utilize 110 volt AC house
current.
For a detailed description of the construction of the device of
this invention reference is made to the attached drawings and the
following detailed description wherein identical reference
characters are utilized to refer to identical or equivalent
components throughout the drawings and the detailed
description.
FIG. 1 is a simulated illustration of the utilization of the device
on a bovine.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view partially fragmented of the species of
the device employing a looped endless belt type conveyor.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2 looking in
the direction of the arrows.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 taken on line
4--4 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating
some of the detail of the drive mechanism.
FIG. 5 is an elongated sectional view partially fragmented of the
species of the device employing an auger-type conveyor stomach tube
suitable for utilization in combination with a detachable rotary
drive means.
FIG. 6 is a fragmented view of the auger-type stomach tube secured
to hand drill-type drive mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 7--7 of FIG.
5 looking in the direction of the arrows.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 5 taken on line
8--8 of FIG. 5 illustrating an intermediate bearing support looking
in the direction of the arrows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
For a detailed description of the construction and utilization of
the device, reference is made to the attached drawings. FIG. 1
illustrates a simulated use of the stomach tube 10 in a bovine.
Stomach tube 10 is approximately one inch in diameter and seven to
ten feet long. These dimensions are optional and for utilization on
younger cattle a shorter tube of smaller diameter might well be
employed. The loop belt-type species of the device is illustrated
principally in FIG. 2. This device is constructed with an outer
case 11 comprising a rubber or plastic flexible tube one inch in
diameter. Each species of the device is driven by electrical power
supply means 12 which includes an integral speed control mechanism
13. The speed control 13 is an important element of the device in
that the speed at which the evacuating mechanism is operated must
be adjusted to a satisfactory level while evacuating the stomach of
a bovine to accomplish the desired results and avoid injury to the
animal. Speed control 13 may be of any variety of speed controls
used in conjunction with electric motors. Speed control mechanism
of the type utilized with electrical drills or electrical mixers
might be employed. The stomach tube 10 of the endless belt species
of the device is constructed with an outer case 11 and a small
diameter belt tube 14 secured to the interior surface of the outer
case 11. At the forward or left end of the device as illustrated in
FIG. 2 adjacent the end of belt tube 14 is mounted an idle pulley
15 rotatably mounted on an idle pulley shaft 16 which is secured to
outer case 11. Adjacent the discharge end or right end of the
device as illustrated in FIG. 2 is mounted a drive pulley 17 which
is secured to a drive pulley shaft 18. This drive pulley shaft 18
is interconnected to electrical drive motor 19 through a reduction
drive gear 20. An intake opening 21 is formed in outer case 11
generally adjacent outer pulley 15. The opposite end of the device
in the vicinity of drive pulley 17 is constructed a discharge
opening 22. Belt 23 may be constructed of rubber or other plastics
reinforced with nylon filaments to reduce stretching; mounted on
this belt 23 is a series of belt cups 24 comprising a device
resembling a miniature bucket conveyor. These cups 24 should be of
soft plastic or rubber material having flexible characteristics.
This quality is necessary to permit the moving of belt 23 carrying
cups 24 through belt tube 14 in the direction of the forward end of
the tube. As the belt moves around idle pulley 15 the cups open and
flare conveying liquid and material from intake opening 21 toward
discharge opening 22.
For a description of the construction and operation of the species
of the device employing an auger-type conveyor reference is
specifically made to FIGS. 5-8. With specific reference to FIG. 5
in this embodiment stomach tube 10 is constructed with an outer
case 11 substantially of the diameters and configuration previously
stated. This species of the device is constructed with an intake
opening 21 and a discharge opening 22 in a manner quite similar to
species of the device illustrated in FIG. 2. Mounted for rotation
inside outer case 11 of the species of the device in FIG. 5 is an
auger conveyor 27. This device comprises a spiral-like conveyor
constructed of semi-stable rubber or plastic secured to and
spiralling around an auger conveyor shaft 28. This conveyor shaft
28 is rotatably mounted in a forward bearing 29 adjacent intake
opening 21. To the drive or discharge end 22 of this structure
there is secured a rear bearing 30 in which the auger conveyor
shaft 28 is mounted for rotation. Conveyor shaft 28 projects
through outer case 11 by means of a short rigid drive shaft 31
terminating in a drive member 32. This species of the device might
preferably be constructed with intermediate bearing members 33 at
one or more points intermediate for forward bearing 29 and rear
bearing 30. The purpose of these intermediate bearing members is to
support the auger conveyor shaft 28 at the center of the outer case
11 to minimize the contact by the auger conveyor 27 with the
interior surface of outer case 11. The drive mechanism of the
device of FIG. 5 is substantially as illustrated in fragmented view
of FIG. 6. A hand held detachable drill-like mechanism is employed.
This power supply means 12 might well comprise either a direct
current or alternating current motor. It can be self-contained,
utilizing a rechargeable storage battery as used in portable drills
and lawn clippers. The device is preferably constructed with a very
low ratio reduction drive gear 20 to reduce the rotation of the
output to drive member 32. This device should also be constructed
with an adjustable speed control 13 permitting the revolutions per
minute (rpm) to be varied to accomplish optimum rotation of the
auger conveyor shaft 28 to protect the animal being treated as well
as insure the desired rate of evacuation of the stomach of a
bovine.
OPERATION
In the operation of the device of this invention the primary
veterinary application is to evacuate the stomach of ruminants who
have ingested excessive amounts of food causing a bloated,
distressed condition of the animal. The device of this invention
also is particularly suited for evacuation of the stomach of an
animal having ingested poison or toxic substances. A wide variety
of stomach tubes 10 have been developed and utilized by
veterinarians. The primary advantage of this device is the powered
rapid evacuation of the contents of the stomach of the animal. In
utilization of stomach tube 10 reference is made to FIG. 1. The
animal is forcibly restrained or tranquilized and the tube is
inserted through the esophagus utilizing accepted veterinary
procedures. Pressure is applied to tube 10 projecting the forward
end or intake end 21 into the animal a sufficient distance to
project into the stomach of the animal. When this is accomplished
the activation of power drive means 12 of the species of the
invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and drive pulley 17 rotates belt
23 carrying belt cups 24 moving fluids or grain from the intake
opening 21 and discharging it through discharge opening 22.
A similar result is obtained in utilizing the device of FIG. 5. The
animal is secured or restrained and tube inserted through the
esophagus into the stomach of the animal. A rotation of conveyor
shaft 28 through the drive member 32 will again evacuate the
stomach of the animal being treated. In this regard it is pertinent
to note that after an evacuation of the stomach of the animal
fluids can be injected into the stomach of the animal through
reversing the procedures through discharge opening 22 and intake
opening 21 fluids can be placed in the stomach of the animal and
repeated evacuated to purge or remove toxic substances from the
animal's stomach.
Having described the construction and operation of the device in
detail in two species what is desired to be claimed is all
embodiments or adaptations of the device not departing from the
equivalence of the appended claims.
* * * * *