US2975435A - Invalid transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1961 E. E. FORREST 2,975,435

INVALID TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L H. I: -I /3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I /0 I I "I 39 II I [CI if I I 36 H I I I 36 I I I IHIII I I I I I: 0 :fl|::|| -50 I ,III, I I I I I II A -55 I IT I I 41/ I ;)'I

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fFFfE E. Fozisf Uniw t t Patent INVALID TRANSFER APPARATUS Eifee E. Forrest, 209 E. Oppenheimer, Uvalde, Tex. Filed Jan. 25, 1960, S21. N0. 4,461 3 Claims. (Cl; -317) This invention relates to an invalid transfer apparatus and more particularly to that type of apparatus by means of which a disabled person may be transferred from bed to a chair, a walker, a commode, or vice versa, without the necessity of the invalid moving about under his own power.

'The main object of this invention is that of providing a transfer apparatus including a foot base having a hydraulic lift to provide a means where a patient who has impaired powers of bodily movement may be lifted from the floor to a bed in a standing position and may then sit directly on the bed without the necessity of the patients hips being manually elevated, so that the patient can sit i on the bed in a similar fashion, also in lifting a patient in a doctors office or hospital directly to an examining or operating table.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of this invention, it may be pointed out that most hospital beds of the type in which most cripples are maintained, are considerably higher than conventional beds. If a patient were in a standing position and desired to get into a conventional bed, it would be a simple matter to sit directly down on the bed and then be moved into a reclining position. However, with the usual hospital bed being considerably higher, if a patient is standing on the floor his hips are about level with the mattress and the patient must be raised up, or the hips lifted, or the patient bodily manipulated in such a manner as to enable him to get on the bed. This often requires the help of more than one person, particularly if the patient is heavy. By the use of this invention one person can, with the hydraulic lift, elevate the entire body of the patient sufliciently high that they can simply sit directly on the bed, without a lot of manipulation, and then lie down without any great physical force being exerted by the attendant and without undue strain on the patient. All hospitals provide a hospital bed stool which is usually about six to eight inches high, and patients customarily can stand on this stool to get into bed. If a patient is very badly crippled it is often very difiicult to get them on this stool where they can get into bed. The hydraulic lift on the invention eliminates the difficulty encountered in this fashion.

Another object of this invention is the provision of such a device which may be readily, moved from place to place with a minimum of effort and difliculty, and which maybe rotated to accommodate the needs of the patient.

Still other objects of the invention reside in the arrangements of parts, details of construction, and combinations of elements, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one form of device embodying the elements of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the construction of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the construction of Figure 1 shown in a different position of adjustment;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 1, parts thereof beingbroken away, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the device of the instant invention, generally indicated at 10, includes a base plate 11 having a pair of laterally spaced ears 11A, upon which are mounted a pair of upwardly extending hollow tubular support members 12. A second pair of similar support members 13 are mounted centrally of the rear of base 11. Pairs of U-shaped patientsupporting members 14 and 15 are mounted adjacent the top and the middle portion of the device, respectively, and extend horizontally from the members 12 rearwardly about the members 13.

Vertical members 16 and 17 are telescopically mounted in the standards 12 and 13, respectively, to accommodate exceptionally tall patients, and are connected at their upper ends by a U-shaped horizontal connecting bar 18, to which is secured a handle member 19 to facilitate the movement of the device from place to place.

Set screws 20 are provided in upright standards 13 for securing the uprights 17 in suitably adjusted position.

Fixedly secured to the underside of base 11 is a circular disc or plate 21 provided with an annular reverted flange 22, which overlies the outer edge of a second plate 23, the latter being provided with an annular groove or race 24 for the reception of a series of ball bearings 25. The plate 23 is fixedly secured to a bottom plate, or support member 26, and a pivot 27 extends through base 11, plates 21 and 23, and base member 26, so that the base 11 is rotatably mounted relative to the fixed base member 26. Plate 11 includes a rearwardly extending portion 30 on the opposite sides of which are provided a pair of upstanding ears 31, upon which wheels 33 are mounted by means of stub axles 32, the wheels 33 being normally raised above the ground level but adapted to engage the ground when the device is slightly tilted in order to facilitate movement of the assembly and a patient supported therein from place to place.

A reservoir 35 for hydraulic fluid is mounted on base plate 11 adjacent the rear extension 30 thereof, and has vertically extending upwardly therefrom a hydraulic cylinder 36, in which is positioned a piston 37 and a piston rod 38. A crosshead 39 is attached to the upper end of piston rod 38 exteriorly of the cylinder, and has secured to the laterally extending end portions thereof a pair of parallel vertical members 40, which comprise extensions of an arcuate back member 41. Back member 41 has secured thereto a rigid foot base plate 42, which is substantially coextensive with the front of base plate 11, and which carries foot base 43.

Side plates 44 connected together by bolts 45 are connected to the lower extremities of vertical members 40 and are positioned slidably about uprights 13 to serve as guides for the foot base when it is vertically raised and lowered in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

A hydraulic pump 46 is mounted on top of reservoir 35 and includes a pump piston 47 which is pivotally secured as by means of a pivot 48 to the offset end 49 of an operating handle 50, the latter extending upwardly to a point intermediate members 14 and 15 and terminating in a hand grip 51. Handle 50 is pivotally mounted as by a pivot 52 to a lug or bracket 53 which is fixedly secured to a point adjacent the lower extremity of hydraulic cylinder 36, the arrangement being such that reciprocation of the handle 50 will actuate the pump 46 to elevate the piston 37 and cylinder 36 and hence elevate base member 43. A control rod 54 having an operating button 55 extends into hydraulic reservoir 35 and controls, through a valve (not shown), the direction of fluid fiow into the hydraulic cylinder 36 in order to elevate or lower the base member 42.

The apparatus is provided with a friction brake for locking the plate 11 against rotation relative to the base member 26, the braketaking the form of an operating rod 56 having a grip member 57 mounted in brackets 58 secured to one of members 15, and extending through a suitable opening in the rear portion 30 of plate 11. The lower portion of rod 56 is provided with a friction disc 59 which engages base member 26 to hold the related parts against rotation.

From the foregoing, the use and operation of the device should now be readily understandable. The apparatus is first wheeled to a position adjacent the patient whom it is desired to move, lowered so that the base portion 26 is in contact with the ground, and the brake set. The base 11 and the mechanism carried thereby is then rotated to the position to be most accessible to the patient. He may then step on the foot base 43, if the base is in its lowermost position, and grasping the uprights 16 or the horizontal member 18, may be transported in a standing position to a desired location and then be transferred to a bed or a commode or the like, as desired.

From the foregoing it will now be seen there is herein provided a device which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of greatpractical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An invalid transfer apparatus comprising, in combination, a base member, a base plate rotatable on said base member, uprights carried by said base plate, a hydraulic cylinder mounted vertically on said base plate, a piston rod in said cylinder, a cross-head on the projecting upper end of said piston rod, vertical members, one being fixed to each end of said cross-head and the lower ends thereof being fixed to and supporting a foot base frame, a foot base carried by Said frame, means connected to said frameand engageable With'said certain uprights for guiding said foot base, and means for actuating said hydraulic cylinder and piston to raise and lower said foot base.

2. An invalid transfer apparatus comprising, in combination, a base member, a'base plate rotatable on said base member, uprights carried by said base plate, a hydraulic cylinder mounted vertically on said base plate, a piston rod in said cylinder, a cross-head on the projecting upper end of said-piston rod, vertical members, one being fixed to each end of said cross-head and the lower'ends thereof being-fixed to'anintermediate portion ofa vertically disposed rigid arcuate back member, the upper edge of said bac-kmember being tapered downwardly toward the front portion thereof, a foot base secured to and-supported by said arcuate back member, means'connected to said foot base and 'engageable with said certain uprights for guiding said foot base,-and means for actuating said hydraulic cylinder andpistonto raise and lower said foot base, said means'including a manually operable lever.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said rotatable base plate includes an extension rearwardly of said arcuate back member and said actuating'mea-ns for said hydraulic cylinder and piston is mounted thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,432,037 Russell Oct. 17, 1922 2,242,071 Hoffman May 13, 1941 2,439,163 Farmer Aprfi6, 1948 2,757,388 Chisholm -Aug. 7,19% 2,819,485 'Sparklin Jan. 14,1958

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