Audio exhalation valve for anesthetic nose mask

Claim 1

IN AN ANESTHETIC NOSE MASK HAVING A FITTING DEFINING AN EXHALATION OPENING THEREIN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AN EXHALATION VALVE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR BODY, MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR BODY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FITTING TO SECURE SAID EXHALATION VALVE TO THE NOSE MASK, SAID TUBULAR BODY HAVING AN INTERNAL SHOULDER ADJACENT THE SAID ONE END THEREOF, AN ELONGATED HOLLOW MEMBER INSERTED IN SAID TUBULAR BODY AND OF A SIZE TO FIT THEREIN WITH SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE, SAID HOLLOW MEMBER BEING CLOSED AT ONE END AND HAVING A FLANGE AT ITS OPPOSITE END SEATED AGAINST SAID SHOULDER SO AS TO BE CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER AND THE FITTING ON THE NOSE MASK WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW BODY IN AIR TIGHT COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXHALATION OPENING DEFINED BY SAID FITTING, AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED OPENING IN A WALL OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER, A REED SECURED TO SAID HOLLOW MEMBER AND LYING IN SAID OPENING, A CLOSURE MEANS FOR SAID TUBULAR BODY AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, AND EXHALATION APERTURE IN SAID CLOSURE MEANS, A VALVE RETAINING ELEMENT ON SAID TUBULAR BODY, AND A VALVE MEMBER RETAINED BY SAID RETAINING ELEMENT AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID APERTURE, MEANS SECURED TO SAID RETAINING ELEMENT FOR YIELDABLY URGING SAID VALVE MEMBER AGAINST SAID APERTURE TO CLOSE THE SAME, AND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID RETAINING ELEMENT FOR ADJUSTING THE FORCE WITH WHICH SAID VALVE MEMBER IS URGED AGAINST SAID APERTURE , WHEREBY UPON EXHALATION FROM THE NOSE MASK, THE EXHALED AIR FLOWS PAST SAID REED AND CAUSES THE SAME TO VIBRATE, GIVING AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL, AND ALSO RAISES SAID VALVE MEMBER FROM SAID APERTURE TO PERMIT THE ESCAPE OF EXHALED AIR, SAID URGING MEANS FORCIGN SAID VALVE MEMBER AGAINST SAID APERTURE UPON CESSATION OF EXHALATION.