U.S. patent number 3,688,319 [Application Number 05/081,655] was granted by the patent office on 1972-09-05 for hospital bed.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Joerns Furniture Company, Stevens Point, WI. Invention is credited to Barron J. Gulliver.
United States Patent |
3,688,319 |
|
September 5, 1972 |
HOSPITAL BED
Abstract
Hospital bed with two actuating screws, one for Hi-Low and the
other for spring head section, with selectively operable control
for interconnecting thigh section for operation with head section
by interengagement of slotted link with pin head operating
mechanism. Spring connects control member to link to prevent
disengagement of link from pin by control member unless head
section is in horizontal position.
Inventors: |
Barron J. Gulliver (Stevens
Point, WI) |
Assignee: |
Joerns Furniture Company, Stevens
Point, WI (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
22165536 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/081,655 |
Filed: |
October 19, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/618 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G
7/015 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61G
7/015 (20060101); A61G 7/002 (20060101); A61g
007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;5/67,66,69,68 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Paul R. Gilliam
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Davis, Lucas, Brewer &
Brugman
Claims
I claim:
1. In a hospital bed having a main frame, Hi-Low means for raising
and lowering said frame, and an articulated spring, comprising a
seat section secured to said main frame, a head section pivotally
connected at its inner end to said seat section, a thigh section
pivotally connected at its inner end to said seat section, and a
foot section pivotally connected at its inner end to the outer end
of said thigh section and freely slidably supported at its outer
end on said frame; head elevating mechanism, comprising arm means
pivotally secured at a lower end to said frame and at an upper end
freely slidably engaging said head section, and screw-actuated
means for pivotally swinging said arm means to raise and lower said
head section; thigh elevating mechanism, comprising a thigh arm
secured to said thigh section, and a link pivotally connected
thereto; and selectively operable control means for releasably
interconnecting said link and said arm means to effect optional
actuation of said thigh elevating mechanism in response to raising
and lowering of said head section by said head elevating mechanism,
whereby said head, thigh and foot sections may be freely raised
manually at any time for cleaning purposes, said control means
comprising a selectively operable control member, and resilient
means connecting said control member to said link.
2. A hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein said resilient
means is a spring, and movement of said control member from an
inoperative to an operative position causes said spring to
resiliently urge said link into operative engagement with said arm
means.
3. In a hospital bed according to claim 2, restraining means
mounted on said frame for receiving and releasably retaining said
control member selectively in operative or inoperative
positions.
4. A hospital bed according to claim 2, wherein said link and said
arm means are formed for interengagement in response to movement of
said control member into operative position when said head and
thigh sections are horizontal, said interengagement is rendered
positive in response to subsequent raising of said head section,
and release of said interengagement in response to movement of said
control member to inoperative position is effective only when said
head section is horizontal.
5. A hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein said arm means
includes a pin, and said link is provided with an edge notch
normally disengaged from said pin and engageable therewith in
response to movement of said control member from an inoperative to
an operative position.
6. A hospital bed according to claim 5, wherein said resilient
means engages said notch with said pin when said control member is
moved to operative position and said head section is horizontal,
and said notch is hook-shaped at one end to positively engage said
pin in response to subsequent raising of said arm means to prevent
disengagement of said link from said pin by said control member
until said head section is returned to horizontal position.
7. A hospital bed according to claim 6, wherein the other end of
said notch is formed as a cam surface operable to disengage said
link from said pin against the action of said resilient means when
said thigh section is raised manually with said control member in
operative position.
Description
This invention relates generally to hospital beds, and more
particularly to means for raising and lowering the head and thigh
sections of an articulated spring.
Most prior art hospital beds having an articulated spring require
separate actuating means for raising and lowering the bed, the head
section of the spring and the spring thigh section. U.S. Pat. No.
3,436,769 simplifies such an arrangement by employing only two
operating screws, one for Hi-Low and the other for the spring head
section, with a linkage interconnected between the head and thigh
sections which may be selectively rendered operable to effect
contemporaneous movement of the thigh section with the head
section. However, with this prior construction, the head section
cannot conveniently be raised manually for cleaning purposes, and
operation of the thigh section control means from operative to
inoperative position when the head and thigh sections are in a
raised position will result in unrestrained dropping of the thigh
section back to normal horizontal position which could cause
discomfort or injury to a patient in the bed or damage to the
bed.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by interposing
a link between the head and thigh spring sections which is
selectively engageable with and disengageable from a pin on the
head section elevating mechanism only when the head section is
horizontal by a manually operable control member and resilient
means interconnecting the latter and the link. The head section has
only free sliding engagement with its elevating mechanism, and one
end of a pin-engaging notch in the link defines a cam surface so
that the head and thigh sections may be raised manually at any time
for cleaning purposes. The other end of the pin-engaging notch in
the link is hook-shaped to be engaged by the pin with the link in
operative position in response to any lifting movement of the head
elevating mechanism, so that disconnection of the link cannot be
effected unless the head section is in horizontal position, except
in response to manual raising of the thigh section, and the
resilient means will return the link to the position previously set
by the control member when the thigh section thereafter is lowered
manually.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a hospital bed incorporating the features
of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a detail vertical elevation, as viewed from the line 2--2
of FIG. 1, showing the link for interconnecting the head and thigh
sections in its lowermost or inoperative position;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the interconnecting link
retained in operative position by the control member with the
spring frame sections horizontal; and
FIG. 4 is a detail perspective view from the interior of the frame,
as in FIGS. 2 and 3, of the control member restraining means.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, a main bed frame of
well-known construction is shown as being made up of side frame
angles 11, a head end angle 12 and a foot end angle 13, and also
includes head end trunnion plates or pivot tube holders 14 (FIG. 2)
secured in any suitable manner to and depending from the side frame
angles 11.
The foot end angle 13 has two pairs of brackets 15 depending
therefrom (FIG. 1) for supporting Hi-Low and head mechanical tube
assemblies 16 and 17, respectively, in well-known manner. The
Hi-Low tube assembly 16 incorporates the usual screw shaft
rotatable by a manual crank 18 and threadingly engaging a nut
disposed interiorly and secured to the outer end of a torque arm 19
thereby movable longitudinally of the bed in response to rotation
of the crank 18. A cable anchoring bracket 21 suitably mounted on
the torque arm 19 for longitudinal movement therewith is secured in
well-known manner to the ends of a pair of head end cables 22 and a
pair of foot end cables 23 disposed therebelow. The cables 22 and
23 are strung around suitable sheaves rotatably mounted on the bed
frame in well-known manner, with their other ends connected to the
foot and head support leg members (not shown) to effect raising and
lowering of the main bed frame in response to rotations of the
Hi-Low crank 18 as is understood in the art. In similar manner, the
head tube assembly 17 includes a crank 24 and a torque tube 25
movable longitudinally of the bed frame in response to rotation of
that head crank 24.
The bed also includes the usual articulated spring comprising a
seat section 26 extending across and secured at its ends in any
suitable manner to the side frame angles 11 and including end
panels to which are pivoted a head section 27 and a thigh section
28 at their inner ends. A foot section 29 is pivotally connected in
similar manner at its inner end to the outer end of the thigh
section 28 and, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1, is provided
with rollers 31 adjacent its outer end for engagement with and
movement along the upper surfaces of the side frame angles 11.
The inner or head end of the torque tube 25 is pivotally connected
to the upper end of an arm 32, the lower end of which is welded or
otherwise secured to one of a pair of head lift arms 33
intermediate the ends thereof. The inner or lower ends of these
lift arms 33 are rigidly secured in any suitable manner to a
transversely extending pivot tube 34 which is pivotally mounted
adjacent its ends in the depending trunnion plates or holders 14.
At their outer or upper ends, each of the head lift arms 33 is
provided with a roller 35 pivotally mounted thereon for engagement
with the undersurface of the associated side rail of the head
section 27. Consequently, rotation of the head crank 24 will effect
longitudinal movement of the torque tube 25 to swing the arms 33 to
raise and lower the head section 27 as desired. It also will be
noted, especially from FIGS. 2 and 3, that the head section 27 of
the articulated spring is free to be swung upwardly manually at any
time.
Means are provided for selectively raising and lowering the thigh
section 28 in response to raising and lowering of the head section
27 by means of crank 24 whenever the nurse or attendant desires. To
this end, the thigh section 28 is provided with a pair of cross
tubes 36 which are secured in any desired manner at their upwardly
disposed ends to the side frame angles of the thigh section. A
vertically disposed arm 37 is rigidly secured at its upper end to
the innermost cross tube 36 and at its lower end to the lower end
of a brace 38, the upper end of which likewise is secured to the
outer cross tube 36. The lower ends of the arm 37 and brace 38 are
similarly secured to the outer end of a pivot arm 39, the inner end
of which is pivotally connected to the inner end of a knee or thigh
link 41. This link 41 extends toward the head section 27 between a
pair of parallel brackets 42 upstanding from and secured at their
lower ends to the pivot tube 34. The upper ends of these parallel
brackets 42 are joined by a clevis pin 43 which is adapted to
cooperate with a notch 44 in the upper surface of the link 41. As
best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner end of this notch 44 (the
left end as seen therein) is hook-shaped for positive engagement
with the clevis pin 43 under circumstances later to be described,
and its outer end is formed as an outwardly sloping cam surface.
The outer end of the link 41 may be provided with a laterally
extending pin 45 to insure against accidental inward displacement
or movement of the link toward the foot of the bed beyond, and from
its position between, the parallel brackets 42.
Selectively operable control means for moving the thigh link 41
between operative and inoperative positions is provided which
comprises a control member or shaft 46 having a suitable manually
engageable knob at its outer end and connected at its inner end by
resilient means in the form of a spring 47 to the link 41
intermediate the ends thereof. As shown in FIG. 4, a plate 48 is
provided with a circular aperture 49 slightly larger in diameter
than the shaft 46 through which the latter extends, the plate being
secured at its lower edge in any suitable manner to the inner edge
of the right-hand side frame angle 11. The adjacent end panel of
the seat section 26 is provided with a J-shaped slot or aperture 51
extending therethrough, and the shaft or control member 46 also is
disposed in or extends through that slot. With this arrangement,
the shaft or control member 46 may be moved pivotally on the plate
48 from its normal inoperative position of FIG. 2, in which it is
disposed in the longer vertical portion of the J-slot 51,
downwardly into the bottom of that slot, toward the head end of the
bed and upwardly into the shorter vertical portion of slot 51 into
its operative position of FIG. 3. Such shifting of the control
member 46, which comprises downward, lateral and slightly upward
movement of the outer end thereof, reversely moves its inner end to
extend the spring 47 and apply a lifting force to the upper end
thereof. So long as there is nothing to block movement of the thigh
link 41, such force is transmitted from the control shaft 46
through the spring 47 to move the link 41 pivotally upward into its
operative position of FIG. 3. Rotation of the head section crank 24
to pull the torque tube 25 toward the foot of the bed (to the left
in FIG. 3) thereafter will swing the brackets 42 and the clevis pin
43 in that same direction to engage pin 43 in the hook-shaped end
of the notch 44. Continued head section lifting movement of the
arms 33 will cause the clevis pin 43 to move the link 41 toward the
foot end of the bed (to the left in FIG. 3) to correspondingly
swing the thigh section 28 upwardly about its pivotal connections
to the seat section 26.
When the parts have been so operated to raise the head and thigh
sections, although there is nothing to prevent return of the
control member from its operative position of FIG. 3 to its
inoperative position of FIG. 2, such movement of that control
member will not disengage the thigh link 41 from operative
engagement with the clevis pin 43. Consequently, accidental
dropping of the thigh and foot sections back to horizontal position
in response to such return of the control member 46 to inoperative
position cannot occur, so that injury or damage to a patient in the
bed or to the bed will be prevented.
It will be appreciated that the resilient means or spring 47 will
function with the apertures 49, 51 as restraining means for
retaining the control member in either of its operative or
inoperative positions of FIGS. 3 and 2 to which it is moved. When
the spring sections are horizontal as illustrated in those figures,
return of the control member 46 from its operative position of FIG.
3 to its inoperative position of FIG. 2 will so reduce the tension
on the spring 47 that the thigh link 41 will drop to its
inoperative position of FIG. 2. In that normal position of the link
41, swinging of the clevis pin 43 in response to raising of the
head lift arms 33 will carry the pin past the notch 44 so that the
thigh section 28 will remain horizontal. Thereafter, movement of
the control member 46 to its operative position of FIG. 3 will
merely raise the link 41 to engage its upper edge at some point
toward the foot of the bed from the notch 44 with the clevis pin
43. It will be understood, of course, if the control member 46
remains in such operative position, subsequent lowering of the head
section lift arms 33 will result in automatic engagement of the
notch 44 with pin 43 as the head section returns to horizontal
position.
It also will be appreciated in view of the above description that
the thigh and foot sections 28 and 29 of the articulated spring may
be swung upwardly or raised manually at any time for cleaning
purposes, or the like. Such raising of the thigh section 28 will
not be prevented even if the clevis pin 43 is engaged in the notch
44, because the resulting pulling of the thigh link 41 toward the
foot of the bed (to the left in FIG. 3) will cause the free end of
the link to be depressed when the end cam surface of notch 44 is
moved into engagement with the pin 43. Thereafter, if the control
member 46 is left in its operative position of FIG. 3, manual
lowering of the thigh section to its normal horizontal position
will result in automatic reengagement of the notch 44 and pin 43 in
response to the continuing lifting force then being applied to the
link 41 by the spring 47.
It is thought that the invention and many of the attendant
advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and
it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,
construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its
material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a
preferred embodiment thereof.
* * * * *