US2177341A - Examining table - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. DEMCAK EXAMINING TABLE Filed Sept. 25, 1936 Oct. 24, 1939.

R\1 m MUN N NY @NMi N MN Patented Oct. 24, 1939 EXAMINING TABLE Andrew Demcak, Two Rivers, Wis., assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Company, Two Rivers, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 25, 1936, Serial No. 102,459

Claims.

This invention relates to an examining table or the like more particularly for the use of physicians and surgeons in their consulting ofiices.

A'primary object of the invention is to provide an examining table which has a full range and variety of precision adjustments and which at the same time has its mechanism substantially concealed within an attractive cabinet support. Theicabinet is desirably finished to have the appearance of ornamental wood to enhance its harmony with the environment of a consultation office rather than an operating room.

The invention also provides improved mechanism for affording possible adjustments of the members upon which the patient rests during examination, including not only means for adjusting these rest members angularly with respect to each other and to the cabinet but also means for moving the rest members in a common plane toward and from the cabinet.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent, and the invention will be readily understood, by reference to the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings in which-'- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an examining table embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the table of Fig. 1 on a larger scale and being a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is another cross section taken on the line- '44 of Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view on a still larger scale, being a section taken on the line 5-5 'of Fig. 2; and

Figure 6 is a series of diagrammatic views sho'v'vingseveral possible adjusted positions of the parts. I

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, the cabinet I 0 having legs II provides .a support for the usual rest members I2 and I3 upon which the patient may recline, these rest members being desirably padded in the usual manner as shown at I4 (Fig. 2). One of these rest members, in this instance the member IZ, may be longer than the other, as is customary in devices of this kind. The cabinet I0 also provides a concealing housing for, the mechanism for adjustably supporting the rest members.

In this instance the rest members I2 and I3 are pivoted together at l5. As here shown the side plates I6 and I1 rigid respectively with the rest members I2, I3 are projected from these members at their adjacent edges and overlapped, the screw I8 (Fig. 3) passing through perforations in the pivot ears thus formed and into the bar I9, this bar thus providing a common pivot point for the rest members.

Extension supports are provided for each of the rest members, such extension supports in the case of the rest member I2 including two upright ratchet bars and 2! which are pivoted at 22 to a bracket 23 for each bar, suitably secured adjacent opposite margins of the rest member I2 and on the under side thereof.

Similarly the rest member I3 is adjustably supported by extension members such as the ratchet bar 24 which is pivoted at 25 to the bracket 26 carried on the under side of the rest member I3. It will be understood that there may be two bars such as the bar 24.

The extension members just referred to pass through slots such as slot 21 in the top 28 of the cabinet I0 and down into the interior of the cabinet.

Associated with each of the ratchet bars just referred to, is detent means 29 only one of which need be described, they being substantially the same. These detent means are. mounted within the cabinet on a rock shaft 30 for the rest member I2, and 3| for the rest member I3.

Each of the detent means 29 as here constructed, comprises a rectangular casing having the side walls 32 and 33, and end wall 34, the side walls embracing one of the ratchet bars which passes snugly therethrough being held from lateral movement with respect to the detent means by these walls, and also by rollers 35 carried by the casing Walls 32, 33 between which the guide plates 36, also carried by these walls, the ratchet bar 'may reciprocate as the rest members are moved up or down. Mounted on the rock shaft within the walls 32, 33 is a pawl 3! which is engageable with ratchet teeth 38 on the ratchet bars, these parts being formed so that when the pawl is in engagement with the teeth the ratchet bar is held against downward movement but may be moved upwardly. Handles 39, 40 respectively for the rock shafts 30 and 3I each control the detent means for their respective rest members, by moving the pawls into or out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. It will be noted that as thus constructed and arranged each of the detent means 29 may pivot on its respective rock shaft to accommodate itself tothe position toward or slightly from the vertical, assumed by the ratchet bars as the rest members are raised or lowered.

The rock shaft 30, 3| as the case may be, is resiliently held in rotative position (so that the pawls fixed thereto are in engagement with the ratchet teeth) by expansion springs 4| hooked at one end as at 42 to the rock shaft, and at the other end as at 43 to a wall of the cabinet. Means is provided for releasably retaining the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet bars when the rock shafts are rotated against the force of the springs 4|. As here shown the pawl 31 is extended by a lever arm 44 to which is flexibly connected a link 45 having a notch 46 on its upper edge. This link passes under the lower edge of the wall 34 and its outer end 4! is sup-. parted by an expansion spring 48 which is hooked sat itswpper end as at 49 to the upper edge of the walf'34. Thus when the rock shaft is rotated against the force of the spring 4| to release the pawl as shown in full lines in Fig; 2 (which may be done by rotating the handle 45, for example, manually upwardly) the lower edge of the wall 34 engageswithin the notch 46 and the link 45 is resiliently held therein by the spring '48, preventingthespring 4| from rotating the pawl. Then the rest member may be lowered and to lock the memberin lowered position the handle may be pressed downwardly, which forces the notch '46out of engagement to restore the rock shaft to the influence of the spring 4|. It will be understood that the edge of the notch 46 facing toward the pawl may be so shaped that the spring 4| is not strong enough to cam the notch outaof engagement with the wall 34 against the force of the spring 48, while this may be done by manually applied pressure to the handle 40, cumulative to the force of the spring 4|.

In accordance with the invention the common pivgot point of the rest members |2 and 13 is itself movable toward and from the cabinet. To accomplish this, means are provided for raising and lowering the pivot bar l9. As here shown this bar is supported by upright rack bars 50 and-5|, one at each side of the table and received within the cabinet, as by passing through slots .52 in the upper wall 28 thereof and slots 53 in the lower wall 54 thereof. For supporting and vertically reciprocating the rack bars 56, 5|,=. ;mechanism is provided including the gear wheels 55, one of which is journaled in each of the'casings 56, carried within and at each side of the cabinet II] as by being suspended from the upper wall 28 thereof by bolts 51.

Each of these gear wheels has gear teeth 58 engaging and meshing with the gear teeth 59 on one of 'the rack bars 50 or 5| as the case may be. To rotate the gear wheels simultaneously but in opposite directions each of the casings 56 has journaled therein a stub shaft 5511 which carries a spur pinion 551) which meshes with gear 55. gear 66, which is driven by'a worm 6| in one case, and by a worm 62 in the other case. These worms 6| and 62 have their helicals inclined in opposite directions and are each mounted within one of the casings 56 on a common shaft 63 which passes through these casings and is: keyed to the hub 64 of a crank disc 65 which is snugly but-.rotatively received in a circular opening 66 in the front wall 61 of the cabinet I0 and to be substantially flush with this wall so as to be inconspicuous; 'A handle 68 is attached to the disc 65 for'convenience in rotating the same; and :to render the handle also inconspicuous when The stub shaft 5511 also carries a worm:

not being used, it is adapted to be slid back into the cabinet as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 through a slot 69 in the disc 65. The stop 10 on the inner end of the handle limits its outward position, as suggested in broken lines in Fig. 3, and a head H at the outer end of the handle limits its retracted position and also provides means by which it may be grasped to draw it outwardly when it is desired to use it as a crank.

Similar stops 12 on the lower ends of the ratchet and rack bars may limit their movement upwardly.

The table may also include a foot rest 13 hinged as at 74 to one end of the cabinet. A bail 15 also hingedtothe cabinet as at 16 below the foot rest may engage one of a series of hook formations ll formed in a bracket 18 secured to the under side of the foot rest member 13 to support it in adjusted position, as suggested by broken lines in Fig. 2.

Thus, as suggested in Fig. 6, not only may the rest members l2, l3 be angularly related, as

shown in the middle diagram of Fig. 6, without moving the pivot point l5, but also, as shown in the upper and lower diagrams of Fig. 6, this pivot point |5 may itself be moved upwardly either to place the rest members I2, l3 coplanarly, but at an angle with respect to the cabinet H3, or to angularly relate the rest members l2, l3 with these members sloping downwardly from their pivot point as shown in the lower diagram of Fig. 6.

It will be. understood that to place the rest members in the position, for example, shown in the lower diagram in Fig. 6, the common pivot point of the rest members l2 and I3 is moved upwardly while the outer ends of these rest members, that, is, their ends opposite their ends adjacent at the common pivot point, are free to slide on the cabinet to accommodate these outer ends to the elevation of the central pivot point, It will be understood also that during this sliding movement of the outer :ends of the rest desirably carry rollers 19 upon which the outer edges of the rest members ride.

Although forming no part of the present invention the rest member I3 may be provided'with alternative foot rests such as the conventional extensible stirrups 80.

The platform I!!!) formed in the cabinet at one end thereof adjacent the foot rests, may

afford means for the patient to conveniently mount the table.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a cabinet and rest members carried thereby, of a centralrack b-ar vertically reciprocal in the cabinet, a common pivot bar to which the adjacent rest members are pivoted carried by the upper end of movable vertically therewith toward and from the cabinet while the outer "ends of said rest members are free to slide on said cabinet. gear means including a member accessible on'the outer' face of the cabinet for reciprocating said rack bar, anda ratchet bar extension support on each said rack, bar and side of the central rack bar for angularly relating the rest members with respect to their common pivot point, said extension supports being pivoted both to the rest members and the cabinet so as to adapt themselves to the movement of the outer ends of the rest members.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a cabinet and rest members carried thereby, of a central rack bar vertically reciprocal in the cabinet, a common pivot bar to which the adjacent rest members are pivoted carried by the upper end of said rack bar and movable vertically therewith toward and from the cabinet, a gear train enclosed within the cabinet, means accessible on the exterior of the cabinet for operating the gear train, a pair of ratchet bar extension supports on opposite sides of the central rack bar for angularly relating the rest members with respect to their common pivot point, detent means engageable with each of the ratchet bars and including a rock shaft common to each pair of detent means, a pair of pawls on each rock shaft engageable with each of said ratchet bars respectively, a spring associated with each rock shaft and urging the pawls into engagement with the ratchet bars, and handles accessible on the exterior of the cabinet for rotating the rock shafts to release the pawls.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a cabinet and rest members carried thereby, of a central rack bar vertically reciprocal in the cabinet, a common pivot bar to which the adjacent rest members are pivoted carried by the upper end of said rack bar and movable vertically therewith toward and from the cabinet, a gear train enclosed within the cabinet, a crank handle associated with said gear train and accessible on the exterior of the cabinet, a pair of central ratchet bar extension supports on opposite sides of the central rack bar for angularly relating the rest members with respect to their common pivot point, detent means engageable with each of the ratchet bars and including a rock shaft common to each pair of detent means, a pair of pawls on each rock shaft engageable with each of said ratchet bars respectively, a spring associated with each rock shaft and urging the pawls into engagement with the ratchet bars, handles accessible on the exterior of the cabinet for rotating the rock shafts to release the pawls, and yieldable means stronger than the action of the first mentioned spring associated with each pawl for manually releasably maintaining the pawls temporarily out of engagement with the ratchet bars.

4. In an examining table of the class described, the combination with a hollow cabinet support, of a rest member pivoted thereon for receiving a patient in reclining position thereon, a pair of rack bars hinged to said rest member and depending within the support, a detent mechanism through which each bar passes downwardly and providing a releasable detent against downward movement of the bar while permitting free upward movement of the bar, a spring associated With the detent mechanism, a rock shaft carried by the support for manually controlling said spring, said rock shaft also pivotally carrying said detent mechanism to permit the latter to adapt itself to variations from the vertical assumed by the said bars following pivotal movement of the rest member and said shaft having an end projecting exteriorly of the support, and a handle at said end of the rock shaft for rocking the shaft against the action of said spring to release the bars for downward movement.

5. In an examining table of the class described, the. combination with a hollow cabinet support, of a rest member pivoted thereon for receiving a patient in reclining position thereon, a pair of rack bars hinged to said rest member and depending within the support, a detent mechanism through which each bar passes downwardly and providing a releasable detent against downward movement of the bar while permitting free up- Ward movement of the bar, a spring associated with the detent mechanism, a rock shaft carried by the support for manually controlling said spring, said rock shaft also pivotally carrying said detent mechanism to permit the latter to adapt itself to variations from the vertical assumed by the said shaft having an end projecting exteriorly of the support, a handle at said end of the rock shaft for rocking the shaft against the action of said spring to release the bars for downward movement, and additional means carried by the support for selectively elevating the first-mentioned pivot point of the rest member with or without movement of the said bars, the rest member thereupon pivoting on said bars at said hinge point thereto.

ANDREW DEMCAK.

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