This application is a continuation-in-part of application seria

f no. 07/481,944 filed 02/20/90.

I

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Tattooing is performed by means of a sharp, small diameter needl or cluster of needles which is dipped in a tattooing pigment. Th needle, or needle unit, carrying pigment is vibrated into the skin t be tattooed. The needle is carried as a unit in a housing whic includes means for vibrating the needle.

At the present time, the practice of dipping the needle into a ink or pigment is undesirably time consuming and inefficient. I order to obtain dark, permanent tattoos it is important to us adequate amounts of pigment on the points of the tattoo needle. I the process of dipping the needle into the pigment, if the needle i not dipped sufficiently frequently, a pale, poorly visible tattoo wil result. Frequent dipping is time consuming and there is the ever present danger of the needle striking a hard object and being damage when dipped into the ink supply. In addition to the economic los when the needle is damaged, the damaged needle, if used, will caus pain while tattooing. The damaged point may also macerate the ski tissue and produce local trauma which activates white blood cell (phagocytes) . The phagocytes engulf the pigment particles and carr them away from the tatoo site and this results in fading of the tatto as well as edema, inflammation, swelling and bleeding at the tatto site.

Some tattooing apparatus is known which uses a reservoir or ink or pigment to supply the needle with pigment without dipping. However

such apparatus cannot regulate pigment flow and the pigment constan runs out of the reservoir and covers the entire tattoo site as we as the tattooist. This makes it difficult to see the tattoo site a the excess pigment must be cleaned away, thus wasting time a pigment.

The present invention solves this problem by providing a nov arrangement for coupling a source of tattooing ink directly to t tattoo needle unit whereby ink is constantly and controllab available and present on the needle unit as the tattooing operati is performed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus embodying t invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a needle used with the hold of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of apparatus embodying t invention; and

FIG. 4 is a rear view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The principles of the present invention may be used wit substantially any type of tattooing machine however it is describe herein in connection with a tatoo machine and needle assembl described and claimed in U.S. Patent No. 4,771,660 which is incorpo rated herein by reference. Since all of the features of a workin tattooing apparatus after shown in that patent, they will not all b shown and described herein.

The needle and needle-holder assembly 10 used in practicing th invention and shown in the above-identified patent includes a vibrato made up of a U-shaped housing 20 including an upper leg 30, a lowe

leg 32 and a connecting leg 40. The upper leg is made up of a rig armature bar 44 and a rearwardly projecting spring-like metal str

46 which secures the bar 44 to the side leg 40. Electrical coils are mounted on the housing 20 for use in causing the upper arm 30 vibrate.

The leading end of the upper leg 30 and the front vertica surface of bar 44 carry a projecting pin 54 for coupling a tattooin needle 60 thereto by its ring or eye 92. The leading end of the lowe leg 32 is formed with a horizontally disposed split ring 64 which i adapted to receive a needle holder 70 and carries a threaded wing nu

68 for securing the needle holder therein.

The needle holder 70 comprises a hollow metal tube 73 having longitudinal slot 82 in its wall extending from the upper end 71 o the tube to near the lower end. A tattooing needle 90 is seated i the slot 82 in tube 73 and is accessible at the lower end thereof.

The tattooing apparatus 10 described above is operated i conjunction with a pigment container 100 having a threaded top an suitably positioned. The pigment tube contains the desired pigment medication or other desired substance. A length of flexible tubin

110 is inserted in a tiny hole in the cap 101 and is secured theret by means of polyethylene tape. The tube 110 extends from the pigmen bottle 100, looped through an apertured connector 103 and then lea alongside the needle shaft 60 and its remote end is secured to th tattoo needle near the lower operating end thereof.

The looping os the tubing 110 through the connector 103 prevent the tubing from being accidentally pulled away from the tattooin apparatus and it also keeps the tubing out of the way of the tattooer.

As the tubing is directed from container 100, it may be threade over the wing nut 68 or a suitable bracket may be provided on the win nut shaft holder to guide the tubing.

According to the invention, the flow of pigment from containe

100 is controlled by means of a smaller peristaltic metering pump 16 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The apparatus shown in Figs. 3 an

4 includes a housing 123 which contains the electronics used in th system and pump 163 is a micro-peristaltic pump. The source o pigment or medication 100 which may be sterile is connected by tubin

110 to the pump 163 and to a crimped tube 120 which is secured to th tattooing needle and holds the tubing 110 in place thereat.

The electronic apparatus in the housing 193 includes means fo having a 12 volt power supply 165 connected thereto and with a connection 167 to a foot pedal 171 for turning the pump off and on.

A connection 173 is also provided for coupling power to the tattooing apparatus 10.

The housing 163 also includes, referring to Fig. 8, a rheostat

175 for controlling voltage applied to the pump 163 and a rheostat 177 for controlling voltage applied to the tattooing apparatus 10.

Connections 181 and 183 for the leads to the foot switch and tattooing machine are also provided on the rear of the housing.

With the arrangement described, the rate of feed of pigment or medication is finely and precisely controlled by the rheostat 175.

In addition, the pump rheostat 175 can be used to turn off the power to the pump whereby the tattooing machine can be operated without the pump for a desired period of time.

The system using a pump has the advantage that it approximately doubles tattooing speed and produces darker, easily legible tattoos.

The apparatus also reduces needle damage and it reduces tissue build

up between the needle points. It also permits the operator to provid fresh pigment for each animal and reduces pigment wastage. It als keeps pigment free of contamination.

It is noted that the vibratory motion of the tattooing needle a it is being operated agitates the tubing 110 which carries pigmen thereto and thereby facilitates the movement of pigment toward the ti of the tattoo needle. This motion also constantly mixes the pigmen in the tubing and prevents clogging of the tubing.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET