US3814086A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hydrotherapy agitator with provision for rapid disassembly and reassembly
Assignee: FERNO-PENNSYLVANIA Inc A CORP OF OH
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Filing: 1973-05-17
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Granted: 1974-06-04
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Expires: 1993-05-17
Abstract
Abstract A hydrotherapy agitator having a suspension bracket and a motor mounted thereon, a downwardly extending support tube with an impeller housing attached at the bottom thereof, a drive shaft within the support tube connecting the motor shaft with an impeller in the housing, an apertured bottom plate for the housing, and and air tube and a water control rod mounted respectively between the suspension bracket and impeller housing, is provided with means for rapidly disassembling and reassembling the parts normally immersed during use, so that effective sterilization of internal as well as external surfaces of the parts is facilitated.
Inventors
- 👤 J Lemb
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:17
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61H; A61H33/00; A61H33/0087; A61H33/0091
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
270 words
In a hydrotherapy agitator including a suspension bracket and a motor mounted thereon, a downwardly extending support tube attached to said bracket, an impeller housing attached at the bottom of said support tube, a drive shaft within said support tube connected at the top to the motor shaft and at the bottom to an impeller within said impeller housing, said impeller housing including a bearing for rotatably mounting said drive shaft near the lower end thereof, an apertured bottom cover for said impeller housing, an air tube alongside said support tube mounted on said bracket at the top thereof and attached to said impeller housing near the bottom thereof, and a rotatable water control rod alongside said support tube mounted on said bracket at the top thereof and mounted on said impeller housing near the bottom thereof, means for rapidly disassembling and reassembling parts of the agitator normally immersed during use which comprises a. a pair of separable cooperating flanges on said bracket and top of the support tube, b. a pair of separable cooperating flanges on said impeller housing and bottom of the support tube, c. each pair of flanges including means for establishing a predetermined concentric and angular relationship therebetween, d. manually operable quick-acting clamp means for removably holding each pair of said flanges firmly together, e. manually operable means for removably attaching said bottom cover to the impeller housing, f. manually operable means for removably attaching said impeller to the lower end of said drive shaft, g. and manually operable means for removably attaching said air tube and said water control rod to said impeller housing, respectively.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
270 words
In a hydrotherapy agitator including a suspension bracket and a motor mounted thereon, a downwardly extending support tube attached to said bracket, an impeller housing attached at the bottom of said support tube, a drive shaft within said support tube connected at the top to the motor shaft and at the bottom to an impeller within said impeller housing, said impeller housing including a bearing for rotatably mounting said drive shaft near the lower end thereof, an apertured bottom cover for said impeller housing, an air tube alongside said support tube mounted on said bracket at the top thereof and attached to said impeller housing near the bottom thereof, and a rotatable water control rod alongside said support tube mounted on said bracket at the top thereof and mounted on said impeller housing near the bottom thereof, means for rapidly disassembling and reassembling parts of the agitator normally immersed during use which comprises a. a pair of separable cooperating flanges on said bracket and top of the support tube, b. a pair of separable cooperating flanges on said impeller housing and bottom of the support tube, c. each pair of flanges including means for establishing a predetermined concentric and angular relationship therebetween, d. manually operable quick-acting clamp means for removably holding each pair of said flanges firmly together, e. manually operable means for removably attaching said bottom cover to the impeller housing, f. manually operable means for removably attaching said impeller to the lower end of said drive shaft, g. and manually operable means for removably attaching said air tube and said water control rod to said impeller housing, respectively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which each pair of said flangEs has a concentric tongue and mating groove for establishing said concentric relationship, and a locating pin for establishing said angular relationship.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the upper and lower surfaces of each pair of flanges are tapered, and said quick-acting clamp means includes arcuate channeled members substantially mating with said tapered flanges and spring-pressed thereagainst.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including manually operable means for removably attaching the top of said drive shaft to said motor shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means for removably attaching said drive shaft to the motor shaft comprises groove means near the top of said drive shaft, a coupling member attached to the motor shaft, ball means carried by said coupling member for engaging said groove means of the drive shaft, and a spring-pressed collar carried by said coupling member and longitudinally movable thereon for engaging said ball means with said groove means in the spring-pressed position thereof and releasing the ball means when moved to the opposite position thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said air tube and water control rod are each slidable into said suspension bracket, and including respective stop means for longitudinally locating said tube and rod in operative relationship with said bracket and impeller housing when in their respective attached conditions, said means for removably attaching said tube and rod to the impeller housing being respective spring clip means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said impeller housing has respective slotted sections for receiving said tube and said rod, and said respective spring clip means comprise spring-pressed balls mounted in respective slotted sections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for removably attaching said impeller to the drive shaft comprises a spring-retained pin.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-06-03 | 1977-12-03 | 1978-06-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-06-03 | 1981-12-03 | 1982-06-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-06-03 | 1985-12-03 | 1986-06-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |