Crimping apparatus

A crimping apparatus for attaching a surgical needle to a suture, which comprises:

• a pair of dies operable to crimp therebetween a needle end over a suture received in a hollow in the needle end,
• a reciprocating table means movable to produce a crimping force, and
• a load-adjusting spring means to transmit the crimping force of the reciprocating table means to said dies,
• the arrangement being such that when a responsive force created by the crimping of the dies is smaller than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means move in unison but when the responsive force becomes equal to or greater than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means no more move in unison,
• and further comprising a spring to urge the dies to open and a pressure spring to urge the dies to close, thereby providing a preliminary needle holding mode in which a needle can be checked and corrected for its positioning between the dies, in which the needle can be turned at an angle of 90.degree., and in which a suture after crimping can be tested for its resistance against pulling.

A crimping apparatus for attaching a surgical needle to a suture, which comprises:

• a pair of dies operable to crimp therebetween a needle end over a suture received in a hollow in the needle end,
• a reciprocating table means movable to produce a crimping force, and
• a load-adjusting spring means to transmit the crimping force of the reciprocating table means to said dies,
• the arrangement being such that when a responsive force created by the crimping of the dies is smaller than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means move in unison but when the responsive force becomes equal to or greater than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means no more move in unison,
• wherein the pair of dies comprises a first fixed die and a second movable die, each of the dies having a complementary recess for receiving a needle end, and further comprising a ram means for contacting the movable die and driving the movable die toward the fixed die, pressure means extending from the ram means toward the movable die for contacting the movable die and for urging the movable die toward the fixed die in absence of contact of the ram means with the movable die.

A crimping apparatus for attaching a surgical needle to a suture, which comprises:

• a pair of dies operable to crimp therebetween a needle end over a suture received in a hollow in the needle end,
• a reciprocating table means movable to produce a crimping force, and
• a load-adjusting spring means to transmit the crimping force of the reciprocating table means to said dies,
• the arrangement being such that when a responsive force created by the crimping of the dies is smaller than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means move in unison but when the responsive force becomes equal to or greater than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means no more move in unison,
• and further comprising a cam means connected to drive the reciprocating table means and wherein the load-adjusting spring means comprises a guide spaced from the table, one or more springs connected between the table and the guide, a block normally resting on the table and an adjusting screw connected between the guide and the block for urging the block toward the table and urging the guide away from the table and further comprising means for connecting the block to one of the dies.

A crimping apparatus comprising

• a pair of dies,
• reciprocating table means movable to produce a crimping force, and
• load adjusting spring means to transmit the crimping force of the reciprocating table means to said dies,
• the arrangement being such that when a responsive force created by the crimping of the dies is smaller than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means move in unison, but when the responsive force becomes equal to or greater than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means no more move in unison,
• wherein the pair of dies comprises a first fixed die and a second movable die, ram means for contacting the movable die and driving the movable die toward the fixed die, and pressure means extending from the ram means toward the movable die for contacting the movable die and for urging the movable die toward the fixed die in absence of contact of the ram means with the movable die.

Crimping apparatus comprising

• a pair of dies,
• reciprocating table means movable to produce a crimping force,
• load adjusting spring means to transmit the crimping force of the reciprocating table means to said dies,
• the arrangement being such that when a responsive force created by the crimping of the dies is smaller than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means move in unison, but when the responsive force becomes equal to or greater than the crimping force, said dies and reciprocating table means no more move in unison,
• wherein the load-adjusting spring means comprises a guide spaced from the table, one or more springs connected between the table and the guide, a block normally resting on the table, and means for connecting the block to one of the dies.