US3602929A

US3602929A - Adjustable bed rail unit

Info

Publication number: US3602929A
Application number: US15586A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Murcott; Arthur Salerno
Original assignee: Lumex Inc
Current assignee: Lumex Inc
Priority date: 1970-03-02
Filing date: 1970-03-02
Publication date: 1971-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-07

Abstract

A guardrail unit for hospital beds or the like including an adjustable spring-loaded frame assembly for mounting on differently sized bed frames. The frame assembly includes a guide and clamping device for quick assembly and release from the bed. The frame assembly has two telescoped axially movable tubular members arranged so that they must first be rotated angularly with respect to each other in order to slide them inwardly of each other.

Description

United States Patent References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS M t l l r U n e n u w m.m a m m m We mam @Ma cCCR m rfr. m uuu MMM n M 33 H 366 r 999 u UH ni O75 mmw 1 d mxE 002 E 075 Wm e 279 m O98 m m "St 333 PAA o N X a N M n n d M l a o m m b WW m Po 0 .m 09, 6 V. r 8 8 B T m 3 u m. m m 99 m e n 62 7 x hn .m nL YnO H58 802 AlM&LBC8 0. de mm g P i p mmw AFPA 11]] 253 2247 [[[l ABSTRACT: A guardrail unit for hospital beds or the like in cluding an adjustable spring-loaded frame assembly for mounting on differently sized bed frames. The frame assembly includes a guide and clamping device for quick assembly and release from the bed. The frame assembly has two telescoped axially movable tubular members arran 5 T .l u N u U m m Aw. m R g m mm m 8m E m L B8 a D 5 Am U M H h. 6.

ged so that they must first be rotated angularly with respect to each other in order to slide them inwardly of each other.

[5|] [50] Field of ATENTED SEP 7192:

SHEEI 1 0F 2 FIGI FIG.5

INVENTORS CHARLES E. MURCOTT ARTHUR SALERNO ATTORNEY ,"ATENTED SEP 7 1921 SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVENTORS CHARLES E. MURCOTT ARTHUR vSALERNO ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE BED RAIL UNIT present invention relates to guardrails of the character 1 described including a telescoping frame construction adapted to secure the guardrails and frame to the mattress support frame of a bed in an adjustable and readily releasable manner.

Adjustable guardrails and frames for securing the rails to hospital beds or the like are widely known and used in hospitals, nursing and private homes. For example, in US. Pat. No. 3,089,152, the guardrail and frame units consist of a pair of telescoping guardrails which are adapted to be adjustably positioned along the edges of the bed. The guardrails are connected or fastened to crossheads which form part of telescoping frame structural members adapted to secure the guardrails to the bed or mattress supporting frame. The telescoping frame structural members are longitudinally adjustable through the use of a plurality of spaced apertures in one of the members, which are selectively engaged by a spring-actuated button or pin located in the other telescoping member. The telescoping members incorporate suitable clamping devices in order to secure the guardrail and frame unit to the bed or mattress support frame.

Although the aforementioned guardrail constructions have been proven to be generally satisfactory, they aresubject to limitations and disadvantages, which to a considerable extent, affect their use in their intended field of application. Thus, for example, the prior art guardrail units are generally difficult to adjust when mounted on different width or size bed frames. That is, the guardrail units of the type described in US. Pat. No. 3,089,152 do not readily clamp onto the bed or mattress supporting frames without extensive manipulation of the guar drail frames, and in addition, require cumbersome fastener devices to retain them inmounted position on the bed frames. In essence, the presently used guardrail units are relatively difficult to adjust, mount and dismount from variously dimens ioned bed frames without extensive movement or manipulation.

In the above-mentioned patent application is disclosed a new guardrail unit whichobviates the disadvantages and drawbacks encountered in .the prior art by providing a guardrail and telescoping frame assembly adapted to be installed on and secured in a simple manner to a bed frame or mattress support frame. Essentially, that invention contemplates the use of telescoping tubular frame members which incorporate a ten sion spring adapted to exert a continuous longitudinal expansive force on the frame members. The telescoping members also include guide plates and clamping plates adjacent to their spaced ends which, under the urging of the tension spring, will readily clamp and secure the frame and guardrail unit onto a bedor mattress-supporting frame by means of a simple manipulation, and without the need for extensive adjustment of the frame. The frame also includes a pin arrangement for mounting the tension spring, whereby one of the guide plates, during dismounting of the frame members from a bed, is adapted to contact one of the pins so as to exert a compressive force on the spring and on the frame members. Another feature of that invention lies in that the telescoping frame members, and the guard rail supporting crossheads at their ends, are rotatable relative to one another so as to facilitate adjustment of the guardrail installation.

In the telescoping frame assembly above-mentioned, it has been noted that sometimes the telescoped members will become disengaged from the bed frame with which they are engaged due to inadvertent inward movement of the telescoped members against tension in the spring while a guard rail isvmounted on the frame assembly. The present invention is intended to obviate this difficulty by providing a slot with a camming edge in the outer one of the tubular members and a guide pin projecting radially from the inner one of the tubular members in such a way that the tubular members cannot be fully telescoped inwardly of each other unless the bed rails which they support are first removed, and then tubular members are turned angularly with respect to each other about 30. By this arrangement, the frame assembly cannot accidentally be compressed and disengaged from the bed frame. Another improvement in the present frame assembly is in the use of just two telescoped tubular members with a bushing on the smaller one of the tubular members instead of three tubular members employed in the frame assembly previously disclosed.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved bed guardrail and frame assembly having an'adjustable frame including a pair of telescoped tubular members arranged so that they must be turned angularly with respect to each other in order to remove them from a bed frame, with crossheads so arranged that the bed rails they support must be removed before the tubular members can be turned with respect to each other.

Another object is to provide a guardrail unit having just two telescoped larger and smaller tubular members with a bushing on the smaller tubular member for properly aligning clamp brackets adapted to engage on rails of a bed frame.

These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a hospital bed, illustrating the mounting of a guardrail unit according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the guardrail frame according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view similar to FIG. 2, but with parts broken away showing the connections of the frame members with guardrails and the clamping engagement with a bed mattress-supporting frame;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the tension spring and loop of the frame.

FIG. 7 is a further enlarged side view of a portion of the frame taken on line 7 --7 of FIG. 4, to show the camming slot and guide pin more fully, the tubular members being in fully extended position.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, showing the tubular members in more fully telescoped position with the guide pin engaged in the camming slot.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is illustrated a bed guardrail assembly, shown mounted on a hospital bed 11', having a folding bed frame 15, supporting mattress 17. The bed guardrail assembly, which includes a pair of side rails 10, 10'. Each rail has a telescoping

small diameter end

12, 12 and a large diameter end l4, 14 which are formed, respectively into depending apertured

posts

16,16 and 18, 18'.

The

rails

10, 10 are adapted to be supported by a pair of frames 20, 20'. The frames 20, 20' each comprise, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings,

frame members

22 and 24 which have at their ends

tubular crossheads

26 and 28 respectively, which are normally axially parallel and coplanar. Adjustably positioned within the

crossheads

26 and 28 are the parallel apertured

posts

16, 16' and 18, 18 of the guardrail. All of the crossheads may have the usual standard pullout spring-pin key members 30 adapted to selectively engage the longitudinally spaced apertures in the

posts

16, 18 and 16', 18. The frames 20, 20' may be substantially identical except that the crossheads of one frame may be dimensioned smaller to receive snugly the smaller diameter posts 16, and the other frame crossheads will be dimensioned larger to snugly receive the larger diameter posts 18, 18'.

One frame member 24 is comprised of a tubular member 23 carrying a radially outward extending pin 46 which also acts as a stop in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described. The tubular member 23 telescopes over tubular member 25 of frame member 22. Tubular member 25 is longer in length but smaller in diameter than member 23. A pin 32 extends diametrally through member 25 and extends outwardly of member 25 at both sides. Pin 32 is spaced from crosshead 26. A bushing 33 surrounds member 22 and is disposed between pin 32 and crosshead. The diameter of the bushing is the same as the diameter of tubular member 23. Pin 46 also extends diametrally through member 23 and is spaced from crosshead 28. Pin 46 extends axially outward of member 23 at both sides; see FIG. 5.

A tension spring assembly 36 extends longitudinally through the

members

22, 23 between pin 46 and another diametral pin 66 in member 25; see FIG. 4. The tension spring assembly 36, as illustrated in FIG. 6, includes an elongate closed loop 38 having one end looped about pin 66 and the other end looped about pin 46. This in effect, will limit the axial expansion of the frames 20. 20' to the extent defined by the maximum distance between

pins

32, 46 in the loop 38. A coiled tension spring 40 is positioned about loop 38 for substantially its full longitudinal length so as to exert a continuous separating force on

pins

32, 46 and thereby maintain the

frames

20, 20 in their widest extended position.

The pin 32 in frame member 22 extends radially outwardly of the frame member so as to form a stop or limiting contact 42 for a guide assembly 44 mounted on bushing 33 between pin 32 and crosshead 26. Pin 46 on member 23 has a stop 45 for guide assembly 44' disposed between 46 and crosshead 28.

As shown, each of the guide assemblies 44 or 44' includes a U-shaped clamp or bracket 48 adapted to loosely slide on the member (33 or 23) between the pin and crosshead. A flat guide plate 50 is welded or suitably fastened, to the leg portions of bracket 48. A bent clamp-plate 52 is fastened to the plate 50 so as to form essentially a wedge-shaped clevis or clamping fixture between

plates

50 and 52.

An axially extending slot 60 is formed in the inner end portion of tubular member 23. This slot has a widened end portion formed with a curved camming edge 62 extending obliquely from the straight portion of the slot at the inner end of member 23. The pin 66 is fixed diametrally in tubular member 25 and is located normally at the inner end of slot 60 of tubular member 23 to limit relative rotation movement of

members

23, 25 to the width of the end of the slot; see FIGS. 2, 3 and 7. Pin 66 has a head 68 which extends radially outward of member 25 and is normally disposed in alignment with an intermediate point on the camming edge 62. The pin is so located that relative inward axial movement of the two

telescopic members

23, 25 will be stopped when head 68 reaches edge 62

ifthe crossheads

26 and 28 are held in coplanar parallel alignment by bed guardrails 10, However, if the crossheads are free to turn angularly with respect to each other, the

telescopic members

23, 25 will turn angularly with respect to each other through an angle A (FIG. 4) as they are forced inwardly, so that head 68 is caused to slide along the narrow portion of slot 60 up to its blind end 60 as shown in FIG. 8. This is the inner limit of compression of the

frame assembly

20 and 20 shown in FIG. 1.

When it is desired to position

frame

20 or 20 on a typical bed II as shown in FIG. 1, the guide assembly 44 may first be installed on the mattress-supporting frame 15. The flange 54 of frame rail will be wedged between

plates

50 and 52 of guide assembly 44. The frame or 20 will then be longitudinally compressed while the members 23, turn angularly with respect to each other through angle A, until flange 54 of bed frame rail l5" can be wedged between plates 50', 52' of the guide assembly 44'. At this time the lower surface ofguide plate 50, 50', of each of the

guide assemblies

44, 44 is permitted to rest upon the bed frame 15. As the compressive pressure on

telescoping members

23, 25 is released, the force of tension spring 40 will cause the

frame members

22, 24 to expand relative to each other and restore

crossheads

26, 28 to coplanar position. The

pins

32, 46 will now contact the brackets 48 on guide assemblies 44, 44' and push them apart as the

frame members

22, 24 expand. This in effect will cause the bed frame 54 on each side of the bed to be firmly clamped between guide plate 50 and clamp plate 52, since the spring 40 will maintain a continuous expanding force on the guide assemblies 44, 44'. From the foregoing, it becomes evident that the

frame

20, 20 and the guiderails may be assembled on a bed frame and locked thereto by means ofa simple sliding motion.

In order to readjust or dismount the

frame

20, 20 from the bed frame 15, it is only necessary to impart a force to the

crossheads

26, 28 in opposition to the force of tension spring 40. This will cause the

frame members

22, 24 to telescope. The crosshead will then contact the end of guide plate 50 (which is prevented from moving longitudinally by the bracket 48 contacting the respective stop pin 32 or 46) and slide the latter off the bed frame 54, thereby dismounting the frame from the bed.

It will be understood that if someone should lean on the bed rails 10 or 10 to tend to compress frame 20 or 20' the frame will not accidentally become disengaged from the bed rails l5, 15''. This is because the frames 20 and 20' cannot be compressed sufficiently to disengage

guide assemblies

44 and 44 from the bed rails unless the

crossheads

26, 28 are free to turn; and this cannot happen unless the bed rails 10, 10 are removed from the crossheads. Once the rails are removed the crossheads and

tubular members

22, 24 are free to turn rela tive to each other. This rotation is possible because the frame members are interconnected only by the flexible loop 38. Thus the present invention has a build-in safety feature which is highly desirable.

Many modifications may be devised by those skilled in the art in order to meet different user requirements. Thus, for example, the tension loop assembly may be made shorter in length than the preferred embodiment hereinabove described such that one end is looped about pin 46 and the other end looped about a pin (not shown) which would be located closer to crosshead 28 than the pin 66.

The foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A frame member for an adjustable bed guardrail apparatus of the type having depending posts at opposite ends and adapted to be mounted on a frame ofa bed having a pair of side rails, comprising in combination:

a pair of tubular members axially telescoped into each other and turnable circumferentially with respect to each other,

cylindrical crossheads secured at outer ends of the tubular members respectively for receiving respective depending parallel posts of a guardrail, said crossheads being normally disposed in axially parallel and coplanar position;

connecting means coupled between the tubular members and adapted to exert an axially expansive force therebetween;

guide-clamping means moveably mounted on each end of the tubular members adjacent one of the crossheads and responsive to said axially expansive force to engage the side rails of the bed frame;

guide-clamping stop means positioned on each tubular member to provide a stop for axial movement of said guide-clamping means;

and safety means for preventing axial movement of one tubular member into the other tubular member while the tubular crossheads are axially parallel and coplanar with each other and for permitting such inward axial movement only when the tubular membersare rotated with respect to each other to dispose the crossheads out of their normal axially parallel coplanar position, whereby the guide-clamping means can be disengaged from the side rails of the bed frame only when the posts of the guardrail are removed from the crossheads to permit relative rotation of the tubular members.

2. A frame member as defined in claim 1, wherein said safety means comprises a pin extending radially outward of one of the tubular members, and a slot extending axially outward toward one crosshead from an inner end of the other tubular member, said slot having a straight portion and a circumferentially offset end portion which is normally aligned with said pin to stop axially inward movement of the tubular members, whereby the pin can slide in the straight portion of the slot only when the crossheads and tubular members are turned angular with respect to each other to align the pin with the straight portion of the slot.

3. A frame member as defined in claim 2, wherein said offset portion of the slot has an oblique camming portion to guide the pin into the straight portion of the slot while the crossheads and tubular members are rotated with respect to each other.

4. A frame member as defined in claim 3, wherein said pin is normally disposed in said slot at the inner end of said other tubular member to limit circumferential rotation of the tubular members with respect to each other to an angle determined by the width of said offset end portion of the slot.

5. A frame member as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the tubular members is smaller in diameter than the other tubular member, and further comprising a bushing on said one tubular member adjacent the crosshead thereon and supporting the guide-clamping means thereon, said bushing having a diameter equal to that of the other tubular member so that the guide-clamping means are disposed in axial alignment on both tubular members.

6. A frame member as defined in claim 2, wherein said guide-clamping stop means on the other tubular member comprises another pin extending radially outward of the other tubular member, said connecting means comprising biasing means interconnecting both pins and thereby exerting said axially expansive force on the telescoped tubular members.

7. A frame member as defined in claim 6, wherein said biasing means comprises a tension spring extending axially between the two pins.

8. A frame member as defined in claim 6, wherein said biasing means further comprises an elongated closed loop member, the ends of the loop member each engaging respectively one of the pins so as to restrict axially expansive movement of the telescoped tubular members.

9. A frame member as defined in claim 8, wherein said biasing means further comprises a tension spring engaged on said loop member and bearing against said pins at opposite ends of the spring.

10. A frame member as defined in claim 6, wherein said offset portion of the slot has an oblique camming portion to guide the pin into the straight portion of the slot while the crossheads and tubular members are rotated with respect to each other.

Claims

1. A frame member for an adjustable bed guardrail apparatus of the type having depending posts at opposite ends and adapted to be mounted on a frame of a bed having a pair of side rails, comprising in combination: a pair of tubular members axially telescoped into each other and turnable circumferentially with respect to each other; cylindrical crossheads secured at outer ends of the tubular members respectively for receiving respective depending parallel posts of a guardrail, said crossheads being normally disposed in axially parallel and coplanar position; connecting means coupled between the tubular members and adapted to exert an axially expansive force therebetween; guide-clamping means moveably mounted on each end of the tubular members adjacent one of the crossheads and responsive to said axially expansive force to engage the side rails of the bed frame; guide-clamping stop means positioned on each tubular member to provide a stop for axial movement of said guide-clamping means; and safety means for preventing axial movement of one tubular member into the other tubular member while the tubular crossheads are axially parallel and coplanar with each other and for permitting such inward axial movement only when the tubular members are rotated with respect to each other to dispose the crossheads out of their normal axially parallel coplanar position, whereby the guide-clamping means can be disengaged from the side rails of the bed frame only when the posts of the guardrail are removed from the crossheads to permit relative rotation of the tubular members.