US2804363A - Stirrup arrangements for physicians' examining tables - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 27, 1957 s. s. SPIELBERG 2,

STIRRUP ARRANGEMENTS FOR PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLES Filed Jan. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l IVVENTOR. Sam S.Spielberg Attorney 1957 s. s. SPIELBERG 2,804,363

STIRRUF ARRANGEMENTS FOR PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLES Filed Jan. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

- Sa S, Spielberg BY' .l

United States Patent ()ifiFiee Patented Aug. 27, 1957 STIRRUP ARRANGENIENTS FOR PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLES Sam S. Spielberg, New York, N. Y.

Application January 6, 1956, Serial No. 557,791

1 Claim. (01. 311-11 This invention relates to physicians examining tables, and more particularly to a stirrup and a mounting therefor by means of which the stirrup can be moved to either an operative position or inoperative and concealed posi tion relatively to the table, and particularly while a patient is on the table, without disturbing the patient.

In many types of examining tables, the stirrups used thereon are removable and often become misplaced so that when needed the stirrups are not always at hand. In other instances efforts have been made to provide socalled disappearing stirrups which are adapted to be swung under the rest members above the table top when not in use, and thus concealed from view. One of the primary objections found in the latter construction is that the stirrup cannot be moved to operative position from its position under the table top, without elevating the pivoted rest member located at the foot end of the table. Thus, when a patient is resting on the table and the stirrups are required, it is necessary for the patient to be moved while the end rest is elevated to permit the stirrups to be brought into operative position.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a table construction in which the stirrups are of the so-called disappearing type, and a feature of the present invention resides in the provision of means by which the stirrups can be slidably moved to concealed position under the rest member without requiring elevation orlifting of the foot end or other part of the rest member. Hence, with the use of a construction of this character it is possible to move the stirrups to either operative or inoperative position without requiring movement of a patient then resting on the table.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a rest member provided with a recess in its under face member at its foot end, which recess is of such a size and is open at the front end of the rest member to enable the stirrup to be slidably moved into the recess and positioned below the rest member and thus concealed from view without requiring the pivotal or other movement of the rest member. The invention further contemplates a novel stirrup construction by means of which the stirrup is rotatively mounted on its supporting rod, by which the rod is longitudinally adjustable through a supporting block, and means by which the block is pivotally mounted on a slidable supporting bar, which bar is longitudinally adjustable in the table to enable the stirrup to be moved either toward or away from the foot end of the table.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing a corner portion of an examining table provided with the improved stirrup mounting and showing the stirrup in its lowered and concealed position, the rest member of the table being elevated to disclose the position of the stirrup;

Fig. 2 is a side elevatiton of the structure of Fig. 1, including a vertical sectional view through the rest member showing the recess formed therein to accommodate the stirrup;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, consisting of a sectional view through the stirrup-supporting block;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a corner portion of the table, showing the stirrup-bar extended and the stirrup in an operative position;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 4, but with the stirrup folded down and in concealed position in the recess in the rest member, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sleeve portion of the stirrup showing how the same is rotatively mounted on its supporting stern.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, wherein one corner of a physicians examining table is disclosed. This corner is at the foot end of the table, and the opposite corner at said end is similarly constructed and is provided with the stirrup mounting to be presently described. The body of the table is generally indicated at 1 and the same is provided with the conventional top 39 on which are supported in the known manner, the conventionally padded rest members indicated respectively at 3 and 5. In many such tables the lower rest member, or that designated at 5, is pivotal by means of the hinge 4, and supported in raised position by the prop-rod 8, but such a movable rest member is not essential to the present invention, since the improved stirrup mounting does not require elevation or pivotal movement of the lower rest member 5 to enable the stirrups to be brought to either the operative or to the inoperative, concealed position.

The rest member 5, pivotal or stationary, is provided at each of its lower corners with an undercut recess 7, which is open at its forward end as indicated at 21, and can also be open at its side edge, and such recess is of a depth sufiicient to enable the stirrup 15 to be accommodated in it and positioned between the rest member 5 and the top 30 of the table, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, when the stirrup is in its lowered position of Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

Each of the stirrups 15 is formed with an integral sleeve or socket portion 16 which rotatively fits on the end of a rod 13. The mounting for the stirrup 15 on the rod 13 is disclosed in Fig. 6, wherein it will be noted that the rod 13 is formed near one end with an annular groove 24, and a set screw 17, threaded through the wall of the sleeve 16, engages in the groove, thus coupling the stirrup to the rod 13 and preventing its displacement therefrom while permitting free rotative movement of the stirrup on the rod.

The rod 13, carrying the stirrup in the manner just described, is adjustably mounted in a block 10, having a bore 19 (Fig. 3) extending through it and through which the rod 13 can be slidably adjusted to thereby position the stirrup at the required height for the individual patient. The knobbed set screw 11, threadable in the block 10, holds the rod 13 at any desired position of adjustment.

The block 10 is formed with a square notch 20 and a lengthy square, slidable bar 19 has one end pivoted at 12 between the walls of the notch, thereby pivotally coupling the end of the square bar to the block 10. The shape of the notch 20 and the pivotal mounting of the end of the bar 9 therein is such as to enable the block to be either positioned as shown in Fig. l, at which time the stirrup is horizontally disposed, or else positioned at right angles as shown in Fig. 4, at which time the stirrup is disposed in its vertical or operative position. The

movement ofthe stirrup from its lowered, or horizontal,

position to its vertical or operative position is thus merely a matter of swinging the block about its pivot 12.

The guide bar 9 is slidably movable through the table top, or through suitable guiding elements provided within the top, in a manner to extend the bar to any extent required, such as shown in Fig. 4, or to retract it Within the table top substantially as shown in 'Figs. 1 and 2. 'The the rest member 5. When it is desired to 'bring Jthe'stirrup'to an erect and operative position, the hand screw 22 is loosened sufiicien'tly to enable the bar 9 to'be slid 'freely out of the table top to the extent desired to locate the stirrup at the required distance from theend of the rest member 5. This outward sliding movement of the stirrup will move it out through the, forward open end 21 of the recess 7 without requiring elevating movement ofthe rest member and thus without disturbing a patient who might at this time be occupying the table. After the stirrup has been slid outwardly to the required position, the block is rotated on its pivot 12 to'bring the rod 13 and attached stirrup 15 to vertical position, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. The height of the stirrup is easily regulated by sliding rod 13 through the block 10 4 thestirrup to be moved to either its concealed or its operative position without requirement of displacement of parts of the table and particularly without requiring movement of therest members on which the patient might be lying; without requiring movement of a patient occupying the table, and without requiring detachment of the stirrup or its mounting. At the same time, full adjustment for the stirrup is possible with a minimum of eflort on the part ofithe physician or nurse.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention,

it is obvious that the-same is not to be restricted thereto,

but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexedclaim.

What I claim is:

In a physicians examining table, a rest member located adjacent tothe foot end of the table, said rest member having a free end and being pivoted at a point remote from said end, the rest member having a stirrup-receiving recess .inits bottom, saidrecess being open along the side of the rest member and being also open at the free end of the rest member to permit a stirrup to be moved through said open end of the recess and .to be housed to the required extent and then tightening the set screw 11 to maintain the adjustment. The return of the stirrup to its concealed position is merely a matter of swinging the stirrup down as indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 4, to bring it to its lowered position, and then sliding bar 9 inwardly until the block 10 contacts the foot end of the table. This telescopic movement of the rod 9 within the table top will bring in the stirrup under the-recess 7 and through the forward open end 21 of the same and again without requiring elevating or other movement of the rest member 5. A friction plate 23 may be attached to the table top below the recess 7 to receive the stirrup and protect, the table top.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a disappearing stirrup construction is provided which enables References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,024 Adams Oct. 15, 1895 2,223,784 Froelich Dec. 3, 1940 2,308,747 Froelich Jan. 19, 1943 2,391,717 Lawrence Dec. 25, 1945 7 2,473,947 Hamstorm June 21, 1949 2,526,793 Alfred Oct. 24, 1950 2,679,445 Roehm May 25, 1954 2,712,484 Adolphson July 5, 1955 Reichert et a1 Aug. 2, 1955

Images