Blind suturing apparatus

Claim 1

A hand supportable and manipulatable blind suturing apparatus including a housing having front and rear extremities, defining a front to rear extending vertical reference plane and adapted to be moved forwardly along juxtaposed marginal edge portions to be sewn together, said housing including a lower side to be disposed over and astraddle said edge portions, an arcuate needle, first means supporting said needle from said housing and forwardly of said front extremity for oscillation in a transverse plane about a front to rear extending axis generally paralleling said plane and generally coinciding with the center of curvature of said needle, said needle being shiftable, upon its oscillation, between a first retracted limit position with the pointed end of said needle disposed to one side of said plane and above said lower side and a second extended limit position with said pointed end advanced downwardly below said lower side, inwardly toward and through said plane and thereafter outwardly from the other side of said plane and upwardly to said second limit position elevated above said bottom side, a looper structure, second means supporting said looper structure from said housing for oscillation back and forth along a path extending through said vertical plane and above said lower side for coaction with said needle in its limit positions of movement, and drive means carried by said housing for frictional engagement with material upon which said bottom side is engaged and operative to forwardly advance said housing therealong, and driving means operatively connected to said needle, looper structure and drive means for synchronous driving thereof, said drive means including a pair of toothed wheels journaled from said housing on opposite sides of said vertical plane and for rotation about an axis generally normal to said vertical plane, said wheels including lower peripheral portions projecting slightly below said lower side and disposed rearwardly of said transverse plane, said first means including a main shaft extending lengthwise through said housing, journaled from said housing for oscillation about its longitudinal axis and having said arcuate needle mounted on its forward end, the rear portion of said housing including suture supply support means, said main shaft defining a longitudinal passage therethrough for receiving suture material from said suture supply support means and guidingly supporting suture material extending therethrough to the front portion of said housing.