Patient Lifting Apparatus

Abstract

A patient lifting apparatus comprising a mobile undercarriage whose track is adjustable, which undercarriage carries a vertical column to which a lifting apparatus comprising a system of parallel rods is attached, on the free end of which system of parallel rods suspension means for supporting the patient are provided.

Description

The invention relates to a patient lifting apparatus comprising a mobile undercarriage whose track is adjustable, which undercarriage carries a vertical column to which a lifting apparatus comprising a system of parallel rods is attached, on the free end of which system of parallel rods suspension means for supporting the patient are provided. Such apparatus are known, but they do not sufficiently meet all requirements for the mechanical handling of a patient.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved patient lifting apparatus, in particular to provide improvements with respect to the possibility of adjusting the position of the patient from substantially sitting to substantially lying.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for a patient lifting apparatus, in which the patient can be picked up from the seating position on a chair and can be put in a lying position elsewhere and vice versa.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a patient lifting apparatus with which a patient can be picked up from a chair and be put and handled in a bath.

A still further object of the patient lifting apparatus according to the invention is to provide means for a patient lifting chair by which the patient can be swung in all directions.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a patient lifting apparatus with means by which the lowering of the lifting apparatus if loaded by the weight of the patient is effected automatically at substantially the same speed as in the case when the unloaded lifting apparatus is lowered.

In general it may be said that the invention aims at providing a patient lifting apparatus which on the one hand renders handling of the patient by a single, fragile person, such as a young female nurse possible and on the other hand produces a minimum of troubles and pains for the patient handled.

To illustrate the invention, one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawing, while some further features will be explained.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the patient lifting apparatus according to the invention with a patient supported by the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is equal to FIG. 1, except for the absence of the stop support means for the knee, for a patient having an unpliable knee-joint;

FIG. 3 shows a different position of the lifting apparatus with support means for the patient, in which the lifting apparatus has been removed from the mobile undercarriage;

FIG. 4 is a view of the hydraulic power cylinder on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a detail of the swivelling lock;

FIG. 6 is equal to FIG. 5, with the swivelling lock in a different position .

A patient lifting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 comprises two detachable parts, namely the mobile undercarriage 2 and the lifting apparatus 3 removable therefrom, which comprises a system of parallel rods 4, which is driven by a manually operated power cylinder 5 and which carries on its free end a bridge 6, to which the support means for the patient are attached.

These support means comprise a rod 7 attached to the bridge 6 and an arm 9 pivoted to a shaft 8 on the bridge 6. The arm 9 has on its free extremity a bow 11, which is provided on its free extremities with hooks 12. The patient is supported in his back by a belt 13, which suspends from the rod 7 with bails 14. About this rod the bails can make a hingeing movement. A leg belt 16, which supports the upper leg portion adjacent the hollow of the knee of the patient, is suspended from the hooks 12 with clips 17. A third point of support for the patient is formed by the plate 18, which is mounted on a rod 19, which is adapted to adjustably telescope in the hollow arm 9. The rod 19 is kept in its position with an adjusting knob 21, or can be removed entirely by loosening said knob, this in the case that a patient has a unpliable knee-joint, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. The patient now has a seating position, as is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be clear that the patient can be simply lifted from a similar, seating position on a chair in a patient lifting apparatus according to the invention.

The bridge 6 is hingeably suspended from the system of parallel rods 4 under the vertical shaft 22, so that the patient can be turned in all directions. The center of gravity of the patient is, in the seating position illustrated in the drawing, on the left of the longitudinal axis of the hinge 22. By catch means 23 it is prevented that the patient would swing in a more lying position. The catch means 23 consist of a roll 24 and a swivelling lever 25, which is provided with a handle 26 and spring means 30.

If now the patient is to be put on a bed, the apparatus with the undercarriage 2 is placed against the bed, after which the nurse swivels the lever 25, by which it will be positioned beside the roll and loses its contact therewith. The patient now swings automatically in the lying position and can be slowly lowered on the mattress by operation of the hydraulic power cylinder.

FIG. 3 shows a lifting apparatus removed from the undercarriage 2, said lifting apparatus being positioned in a mounting sleeve 27 placed beside a bath in a hospital, which sleeve is freely rotatable in a solid column 28 mounted on the floor. The patient, not shown in this FIG. 3, can now be taken above the bath, and the patient can be put into the bath 29 in the same manner as he can be put into the bed. The undercarriage 2 comprises two longitudinal beams 31, each of which has two follower wheels 32. The undercarriage moreover comprises a central portion 33, which is extended with a downwardly directed sliding rod 34. Each beam 31 is connected via a system of parallel rods 36 with a common sleeve 37, which is passed along the sliding rod 34. The central portion 33 comprises a housing 38, in which a rod 39 can be screwed and unscrewed by the handle 41 by means of a screwed spindle present in the housing 38. By this, the sleeve 37 can be adjusted along the rod 34. A second connection between the beams 31 and the central portion 33 is formed by two girders 42 constructed as a rigid frame, each of which is hingedly connected to a shaft 43 attached to the central portion 33, while their lower end is hingedly connected to each beam 31. It will be clear that by operating the hand crank 41, the sleeve 37 will by its movement urge apart the systems of parallel rods 36, as a result of which the beams 31 can be spaced apart or brought together, in other words the track can be adjusted. This is important, because a large track is desirable for transport of the patient through the corridors of a hospital, whereas the track may only be slight for putting away the apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 4, the hydraulic lifting apparatus 5 comprises a cylinder 44, a piston rod 46 and a socket 47, in which a pump handle 48 can be inserted. The power cylinder 44 is moreover normally provided with an oil return valve 49, which by partly or entirely opening effects a slow or rapid lowering of the lifting apparatus. The oil return valve 49 is operated by lever 51, which is provided with a hand knob 52. The cylinder 44 is supported on resting face 53, which is part of column 10. Lever 51 has pivotally mounted thereon a plate 58 having holes 59 which allow for adjustment of oil return valve 49 by varying the location of bolt member 60 and lever 51 with holes 59. Spring member 61 constantly urges the oil return valve 49 to close by acting on lever 51 causing a clockwise motion. Stop means 62 mounted on cylinder 44 acts against lever 51 to prevent further clockwise movement when lever 51 abuts stop means 62. It will be clear that, if the lifting apparatus is to be lowered at a certain speed when loaded by a patient, the oil return valve should be opened less far than if the non-loaded lifting apparatus is to be lowered at some practical speed. Although this could be controlled by the nurse, according to the invention this is controlled automatically in that the cylinder 44 is spring-mounted or supported on the resting face 53, which is effected by means of the spring 54. An adjustable stop 56 is nearly contacted by the lever 51 if the lifting apparatus is loaded with a patient (FIG. 2). By this, the oil return valve can only be opened temperately upon operation of the lever.

Moreover, the piston rod is connected to the lever 51 with a chain 57. Owing to this, during lifting by pumping with the pump handle 48, the oil return valve is opened automatically by the chain 57 in acting on lever 51 in the upper position of the lifting apparatus.

Claims

I claim:

1. A patient lifting apparatus, comprising a mobile undercarriage whose track is adjustable, which undercarriage carries a vertical column, to which the lifting apparatus comprising a system of parallel rods is attached, to the free end of which system of parallel rods suspension means for supporting the patient are provided, which suspension means comprise a stationary bridge, to which a horizontal rod is attached, from the free ends of which rod a back supporting belt passing under the armpits of the patient can be hingeably suspended, and on which bridge there is also mounted an arm hingeable in a vertical plane, which arm is provided adjacent its free extremity with suspension means for suspension of belt-like supports for the upper leg portions adjacent the hollows the knees of the patient, and with stop support means for the knees of the patient, the arrangement being such that the position of the patient can be adjusted from substantially seating to substantially lying in that the arm hinges about its pivot on the stationary bridge, which lifting apparatus is driven by a vertically disposed hydraulic power cylinder, which with its lower end rests on a spring-loaded resting plane, an oil return valve operated by a lever being mounted on said cylinder, the resting plane, when said lifting apparatus approaches a fixed stop through the weight of a patient supported in the suspension means, in such a manner that the lever, during operation, can only be opened temperately, while when the lifting apparatus is not loaded by a patient, the stop rises as a result of the spring load, so that the lever arrives at a position with respect to the stop in which the oil return valve can be further opened, which lever is provided with a handle with which the oil return valve can be entirely opened except for the operation of said stop, which lever is urged to a position, owing to a spring, by which the oil return valve is entirely closed.

2. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 1, which lever is connected with a fixed point on the piston rod of the power cylinder by means of a drawing element, in such a manner that when the piston rod arrives at a maximal position, the lever is moved in such a manner that the oil return valve is moved.

3. A patient lifting apparatus, comprising a mobile undercarriage whose track is adjustable, which undercarriage carries a vertical column, to which the lifting apparatus comprising a system of parallel rods is attached, to the free end of which system of parallel rods suspension means for supporting the patient are provided, which suspension means comprise a stationary bridge, to which a horizontal rod is attached, from the free ends of which rod a back supporting belt passing under the armpits of the patient can be hingeably suspended, and on which bridge there is also mounted an arm hingeable in a vertical plane, which arm is provided adjacent its free extremity with suspension means for suspension of belt-like supports for the upper leg portions adjacent the hollows of the knees of the patient, and with stop support means for the knees of the patient, the arrangement being such that the position of the patient can be adjusted from substantially seating to substantially lying in that the arm hinges about its pivot on the stationary bridge, which lever can be adjusted with respect to the oil return valve.

4. A patient lifting apparatus comprising an undercarriage, a vertical column and parallel rods associated therewith, adjustable lifting means for moving said parallel rods relative to said vertical column, bridge means connected to said parallel rods, patient suspension means having upper patient support means connected to said bridge, and lower patient support means connected to an arm hinged to said bridge in a vertical plane, and stop and catch means associated with said bridge means and said vertically hinged arm, whereby said catch means automatically pivotally engage when said hinged arm is swung downward and the patient is held in a substantially seated position and whereby when said catch means are pivotally disengaged the patient is placed in a substantially lying position.

5. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, whereby said lifting means comprises a pump which is spring mounted on said undercarriage, an oil return valve associated with said pump operated by a lever, adjustable stop means associated with said lever and said undercarriage, whereby the weight of a patient acts to reduce the distance which the lever may be moved and the oil return valve may be opened and whereby the patient's descent is controlled.

6. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, whereby said lifting means comprises a pump which is spring mounted on said undercarriage, an oil return valve associated with said pump operated by a lever, regulator means associated with said lever and said oil return valve whereby lever movement may be adjusted according to valve opening, adjustable stop means associated with said lever and said undercarriage, whereby the weight of a patient acts to reduce the distance which the lever may be moved and the oil return valve may be opened and whereby the patient's descent is controlled.

7. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, whereby said lifting means has pump travel limit means associated with said lever and said pump to control the maximum travel of the pump lifting means.

8. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, whereby said bridge means are rotatably mounted on the free end of the lifting apparatus.

9. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said hinged arm has adjustable and removable knee supports mounted on the free end thereof.

10. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, in which the vertical column is detachably mounted in the undercarriage.

11. A patient lifting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the undercarriage comprises a pair of beam members, a plurality of swivel wheels mounted thereon, a pair of parallel rod systems located in a plane perpendicular to said beams, central portion means connecting said parallel rod systems and adapted to receive the vertical column mounted on the undercarriage, a sleeve member also adapted to receive said vertical column, adjustment means mounted on said central portion means whereby said sleeve member can be moved relative to said vertical column, and a pair of parallel rod systems connecting said sleeve member to said beam members whereby the distance between the central portion means and the beam members may be varied.

12. A patient lifting apparatus, comprising a mobile undercarriage whose track is adjustable, which undercarriage carries a vertical column, to which the lifting apparatus comprising a system of parallel rods is attached, to the free end of which system of parallel rods suspension means for supporting the patient are provided, which suspension means comprise a stationary bridge, to which a horizontal rod is attached, from the free ends of which rod a back supporting belt passing under the armpits of the patient can be hingeably suspended, and on which bridge there is also mounted an arm hingeable in a vertical plane, which arm is provided adjacent its free extremity with suspension means for suspension of belt-like supports for the upper leg portions adjacent the hollows of the knees of the patient, and with stop support means for the knees of the patient; the arrangement being such that the position of the patient can be adjusted from substantially seating to substantially lying in that the arm hinges about its pivot on the stationary bridge, in which the rod in the utmost hinging position, belonging to a substantially seating position of the patient can be fixed by means of stop and catch means, in which the stop and catch means are provided with a roll attached to the stationary bridge and with a catch hingeably connected to the arm in the hinge plane of the arm, which catch is urged to an utmost position by spring means, in which utmost position the catch rests with its head plane against the roll, which catch is provided with a handle means of which it can be brought out of engagement with the roll, so that the arm can hinge and the patient can move from a seating position to a lying position.

13. A patient lifting apparatus comprising an undercarriage, a vertical column mounted thereon, a system of parallel rods connected to said vertical column, patient suspension means connected to said system of parallel rods, lifting means spring mounted on said undercarriage, adjustable stop means associated with said spring mounting which acts on said lifting means to control the patient's rate of descent, and travel limit means which acts on said lifting means to control the patient's rise.

14. A patient lifting apparatus comprising an undercarriage, a vertical column and parallel rods associated therewith, adjustable pump means for moving said parallel rods relative to said vertical column, bridge means connected to said parallel rods, patient suspension means having upper patient support means connected to said bridge, and lower patient support means connected to an arm hinged to said bridge in a vertical plane, and stop catch means associated with said bridge means and said vertically hinged arm; said stop and catch means having a stop member connected to said bridge means, a catch member hinged to the vertically hinged arm, and a spring member acting between said catch member and said hinged arm, whereby said stop and catch means automatically pivotally engage when said hinged arm is swung downward and the patient is held in a substantially seated position and whereby the patient is placed in a substantially lying position when said stop and catch means are pivotally disengaged.

15. A patient lifting apparatus, comprising a mobile undercarriage whose track is adjustable, which undercarriage carries a vertical column, to which the lifting apparatus comprising a system of parallel rods is attached, to the free end of which system of parallel rods suspension means for supporting the patient are provided, which suspension means comprise a stationary bridge, to which a horizontal rod is attached; from the free ends of which rod a back supporting belt passing under the armpits of the patient can be hingedly suspended, and on which bridge there is also mounted an arm hingeable in a vertical plane, which arm is provided adjacent its free extremity with suspension means for suspension of belt-like supports for the upper leg portions adjacent the hollows of the knees of the patient, and with stop support means for the knees of the patient, the arrangement being such that the position of the patient can be adjusted from substantially seating to substantially lying in that the arm hinges about its pivot on the stationary bridge, in which the vertical column with the lifting apparatus carried by said column is detachably mounted in the undercarriage.