US3383717A - Bed device for moving patients - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1968 R. UNDERWOOD BED DEVICE FOR MOVING PATIENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1967 D, W a/li lz lifll May 21, 1968 R. UNDERWOOD BED DEVICE FOR MOVING PATIENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet :2.

Filed March I5, 1967 United States Patent 3,383,717 BED DEVICE FOR MOVING PATIENTS Raymond Underwood, Cleveland, Tex., assignor of one-half to Opal M. Underwood, Cleveland, Tex. Filed Mar. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 620,393 4 Claims. (Cl. 61)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application describes a bed attachment for care of bedridden persons and is based upon a construction which adjusta'bly secures an angle iron to each of the four corner posts of a bed. Other adjustable tie members and shafts mounted on the angle irons convert the angle irons into a rigid structure which may support the patient independently of the spring and bed frame. Shafts which extend one on each side of the bed are rotatable and can hold bed sheets therebetween on which the bed occupant may be lifted or turned by appropriate rotation of the shafts. A similar head or foot end shaft may move the bed occupant longitudinally.

This invention relates to a bed attachment which facilitates moving, lifting and otherwise caring for bedridden persons like invalids or patients. More particularly this invention relates to an attachment adapted for use with beds having a head-board, or a footboard or both.

It is an object of this invention to provide a patient lifting and moving structure which may be detachably connected to most beds without requiring structural modification of the bed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a bed attachment which permits shifting the patient about in the bed as from one side to the other, or from back to side, and which also permits raising the patient above the mattress level to permit bed linen to be changed readily.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a patient moving and lifting attachment for beds which includes an improved means for securing thereto the sheet on which the patient rests.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means for securing a split sheet to the moving and lifting attachment.

In achievement of these objectives the present patient moving and lifting attachment includes four angle iron members, one for each of the four corner supports of a bed. The angle members are constructed with arcuate cutout recesses which serve to support therein a pair of parallel shafts extending longitudinally, one at each bed side. The opposed longitudinal side edges of the bed sheet are secured to each of the parallel shafts by a rod disposed in a hollowed out slot on the shaft surface. Crank members received in shaped openings at the shaft ends may selectively rotate the shaft members to lift one or both longitudinal side edges of the sheet, causing the patient to be turned or lifted appropriately.

In addition, the angle members at each post have mounted thereon support brackets which receive and rotatably support a shaft transversely extending across the head or foot of the bed. This transversely extending shaft may have secured thereto an auxiliary sheet so that rotation of the transverse shaft may serve to shift the patient longitudinally of the bed.

An important advantage of the present structure is that all the components of the present accessory structure are mounted only on the four angle members, including any bracing elements needed to form a rigid structure. Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent 3,383,717 Patented May 21, 1968 "ice from the more detailed following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bed equipped with the patient moving and lifting attachment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the head of a bed with the device in place but without sheets for moving and lifting a patient shown;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of one of the angular support members with rotating means in place;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentray perspective of one of the support brackets for holding rod rotating means;

FlGURES 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary perspective views of the rods and locking devices for rolling the sheets on; and

FIGURE 10 is a section through FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown a hospital type bed 10 having a head end member 14 and a foot end member 16. At each corner of the bed is mounted an angle iron 18 formed with a plurality of spaced apart cutouts 22 on one flange 20. The other flange 24 of angle 18 is essentially blank, being provided only with some drilled holes for attaching certain component elements onto angle iron 18. As shown in the drawing the angle irons 18 are mounted on the four corner posts with apertured flanges 20 face to face lengthwise of bed 10 and blank flanges 24 face to face across the foot end and head end of bed 10.

Angle irons 18 are secured without damage to the bed structure, by bolting fiat tie pieces 28 to the back face of the apertured flange 20. These tie pieces 28 extend inside head end 14 and foot end 16 of bed 10 as is shown in the drawing. For greater stability a pair of tie pieces 28 are provided at both head and foot of bed 10 with the lower tie pieces resting on side frame member 26. Cooperating with tie pieces 28 are angle pieces 30 each of which is bolted at its slotted leg 32 to the back face of a flange 24-. The other leg 34 of angle 30 extends parallel to tie pieces 28, being spaced therefrom a distance equal to width of the head end member 14 or foot end member 16 as the case may be. The actual distance between tie piece 28 and angle 30 is determined by the adjustment of the angle piece in its slot attachment to flange 24. In consequence head end member 14 and foot end member 16 are securely clamped between the flat faces of angle piece leg 34 and tie piece 28. To avoid marring or disfiguring the headboard and foot-board a plastic bumper 36 may be wrapped around the angle leg 34 and a similar bumper around the tie piece 28. Reinforcing rigidity for the four associated angle irons 18 may be provided by mounting rail 40 on the blank face of flanges 24 across the top of the head end member 14 and foot end member 16 as is shown in the drawings.

Since bed It) and its component parts like headboard 14 and footboard 16 come in varying sizes, an important aspect of the present structure resides in its provision for substantial adjustment to fit different bed sizes. An adjustment is provided for bed width in the length of tie pieces 28 by forming tie pieces 28 as an adjustable composite structure of two tie piece segments 27 and 29. One tie segment e.g. 27 is slotted near its juncture with the other tie segment 29 (suitably by a four inch slot) and the other tie segment 29 is provided with a multiplicity of bolt holes (e.g. two). The variable over-lap provided by the slot-bolt hole connection provides an adjustment of several inches which is adequate for the usual variation in width bed-to-bed. In like fashion rails 40 may be adjustable-length composite members joined e.g. by couplings 42 as is shown in the drawing.

It may be seen in the drawing how flange 24 of angle irons 18 face each other across the foot and the head end of the beds, while flanges 2% face each other longitudinally of the bed with cut-out arcuate slots 22 opposed so that a pair of longitudinally extending shafts 44 may be removably mounted for rotation on angle irons 18 in the arcuate portions of cut-out 22 of flanges 29. Additional flexibility is provided by presence of the multiple cut-outs 22, three being illustrated on each angle iron.

The detailed construction of siaft 44 and its mounting for rotation .in the flange arcuate portion 45 is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. A circular rotatable bearing (e.g. nylon) rests on the flange material at arcuate portion 46. In turn, bearing 5%) is held in predetermined position longitudinally of shaft 44 by a pair of flanged retainer rings 52 whose opposed flanges 5 2- serve to further retain shaft 44 longitudinally in position relative to the flanges 20'. Rings 52 are held onto shaft 44 by set screws or some other fashion which permits releasable engagement and longitudinal movement on the shaft 44. Freedom of movement longitudinally of the shaft is important since it permits the shaft 44 to be relatively oversized so that it might fit varying bed sizes. Adjustment of retaining rings 52 on shaft 44 and therewith bearing 50 permits a perfect lit for each bed.

As may be seen also in the drawing the retainer ring flanges 54 are provided with a plurality of spaced apart circular apertures 56 (FIGURE 3). Apertures 56 are sized to fit a locking pin 58 and with locking pin 53 in place in opposed apertures 56, the shaft assembly as a whole can no longer rotate in arcuate portion 46.

The ends of shaft 44 are each provided with a. square key slot 60 so that a crank 62. may be inserted therein to rotate shaft 44.

As may be seen also from FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and an elongated recess or slot 64 is provided in the outer surface of the shaft 44 and rod 66 is disposed therein. Rod 66 may extend the entire length of shaft 44 or as a preferred alternative is a split rod with two half-sized rods 67 and 69 resting in recess 54. Adjacent each terminal end of shaft 44 is a locking ring 68 containing a threaded opening adapted for a set screw which then serves to lock ring 68 onto shaft 44 and at the same time also to lock rod 66 (or alternatively half rod 67 and 69) in recess 64.

For moving a patient longitudinally of the bed, a transversely disposed shaft 44, constructed like longitudinal shafts 44, is mounted for rotation in bearing supports 70 (shown in FIGURE 6) on the flanges at one end of bed 10, with a rotatable circular bearing 72 resting on the material of supports 70 (shown in FIGURE 7). If desired retainer rings 52 may also be provided to fix the position of bearing 72 on transverse rotatable shaft 44. FIGURE 1 illustrates crank 62 mounted in transverse shaft 44 for rotation thereof causing longitudinal movement of the attached sheet. 76 serves a purpose similar to ring 68.

It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with this invention an attachment for hospital beds and the like which may be easily attached to a hospital bed, and, in fact, to almost any bed having posts at the four corners thereof. The attachment of the invention permits the sheet or the like underlying the patient to be wound onto one of the longitudinal shafts to move the patient from side to side or from his back to his side, and also permits the sheet or other flexible member to be entirely raised above the level of the mattress to permit changing of the underlying linens on the bed. The attachment mechanism also includes means for shifting the patient longitudinally along the bed. It can be seen, therefore, that the structure hereinbefore described has great utility and practical value.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and, therefore, it is aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A patient moving and lifing attachment for a bed comprising separate angle irons adapted to be mounted on each corner support of a bed, means securing each angle iron to its corner support, said securing means comprising a pair of cooperating members mounted on said angle iron serving to clamp the corner support therebetween, each angle iron having a cut-out slot in one flange thereof adapted to receive and support therein the end portion of a shaft; a pair of parallel, longitudinal shafts respectively extending on each side of the bed, rotatably supported above the mattress level in said flange slots, each of said shafts including means for detachably receiving a rotating means in driving relation thereto; and a flexible, sheet-like patient supporting member detachably connected along its opposite longitudinal edges to the two longitudinal shafts on opposite sides of the bed, each longitudinal shaft having a longitudinally extended hollowed out slot in the surface thereof, a rod member disposed in said slot and a releasable locking element adjacent each end of said shaft for locking said rod against rotation in said slot.

2. An attachment as in claim 1 wherein said rod is split at the center thereof and a coupling member is disposed centrally of said shaft, said coupling member having a releasable locking element for each half of said split rod.

3. A patient moving and lifting attachment for a bed comprising separate angle irons adapted to be mounted on each corner support of a bed, means securing each angle iron to its corner support, said securing means comprising a pair of cooperating members mounted on said angle iron serving to clamp the corner support therebetween, each angle iron having a cut-out slot in one flange thereof adapted to receive and support therein the end portion of a shaft; a pair of parallel, longitudinal shafts respectively extending on each side of the bed, rotatably supported above the mattress level in said flange slots, each of said shafts including means for detachably receiving a rotating means in driving relation thereto; and a flexible, sheet-like patient supporting member detachably connected along its opposite longitudinal edges to the two longitudinal shafts on opposite sides of the bed, a bearing and a locking structure removably mounted adjacent each end of the longitudinal shafts, said structure including a rotatable bearing element resting on the cut-out in said flange, retaining means for maintaining said bearing element in fixed position relative to said shaft, and locking means for holding said shaft against undesired rotation.

4. An attachment as in claim 3 wherein the retaining means constitute a flanged sleeve on each side of said bearing element, matched spaced apart apertures in the flanges of said sleeves and a locking pin adapted to be engaged in the apertures and to serve as the locking means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 545,741 9/1895 Shutters 5-88 970,357 9/1910 Segesman et al. 5-89 X 1,487,150 3/1924 Deakins 5-84 X 3,108,290 10/1963 Partridge 5-86 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

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