Abstract:
Shield and transport apparatus includes a pair of panels secured together which may by used as a shield while a person or persons are advancing towards a combative person in which may be partially wrapped around the combative person to help restrain the person. The apparatus may then be used to transport the combative person after the person is subdued. The apparatus is impervious to moisture and is padded for protection and is somewhat rigid enough for transport purposes and is flexible so that it may be disposed about a person being subdued.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to apparatus for shielding a person from a combative person and for transporting the combative person after the person has been subdued. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A continuous problem with combative persons, such as different types of psychiatric patients, has been the ability to subdue the person with minimal damage to both the person being subdued and the caretakers subduing the person. A further problem has been then to transport the subdued person to the appropriate facility. Typically, the combative person is simply overpowered or overwhelmed by a number of persons by sheer physical force. Combative persons have been known to pick up different kinds of objects and throw them at the would-be subduers, and to fight with hands and feet in resisting the subduers. The transporting may be simply physically picking the subdued person up and physically carrying the individual. On the other hand, if the subdued person is sedated, a wheel chair or a gurney may be used to transport the person. 
     There are obvious disadvantages to the crude methods used heretofore in which the present invention overcomes. 
     The present invention provides a simple yet very effective shield behind which subduers may advance on the combative person and which may be used to help subdue the individual. The apparatus may then be used as a stretcher, or the like, on which the subdued person may be transported. The apparatus includes provisions for restraining the individual while the individual is being transported. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention described and claimed herein comprises a combination shield and stretcher for subduing a combative person and for transporting the combative person after the person is subdued. The apparatus comprises a two portion shield which folds in the middle and which may be used to wrap partially around a person to help subdue the person. Appropriate apertures or holes extend through the apparatus for hand holds and include apertures for securing restraints to the elements and an aperture through which a subduer may look while yet being protected and which aperture may be used to receive the face of the individual subdued when the individual is placed face down on the apparatus for transport purposes. The apparatus includes a moisture impervious outer covering enclosing a padded and yielding, and yet somewhat inflexible interior such that the apparatus may be used as both a shield and a transport carrier on which an individual may be placed for transport purposes. 
     Among the objects of the present invention are the following: 
     To provide new and useful shield apparatus for protecting a person against a combative individual; 
     To provide new and useful apparatus on which a person may be disposed for transport purposes; 
     To provide new and useful shield apparatus which may be disposed about a combative person to help subdue the person; 
     To provide new and useful transport apparatus having a plurality of restraint elements for restraining a person being subdued; and 
     To provide new and useful shield and transport apparatus for protecting individuals as they advance on a combative person and for transporting the combative person after the combative person has been subdued. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a view in partial section taken generally from oval  3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of shield and transport apparatus  10  of the present invention. The apparatus includes two portions, an upper portion  12  and a lower portion  42  joined by a hinge portion  70 . The portions  12  and  42  comprise a pair of semi-rigid panels connected together by the hinge portion  70 . FIG. 2 is a view in partial section through the apparatus  10  taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, showing the construction of the apparatus and, in general, the two portions  12  and  42 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in partial section taken generally from oval  3  of FIG. 2, illustrating the hinge  70  and the elements of the apparatus  10  located in the area of a weld  72 , namely the juncture of the two portions, the upper portion  12  and the lower portion  42 . 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in partial section taken generally along line  4 — 4 , illustrating the feature of the apparatus of the present invention. For the following discussion, reference will be made to all four of the drawing Figures. 
     The upper portion  12  and the lower portion  42  are generally of a rectangular configuration and are generally of the same size and construction. The two portions differ only in details. The two portions  12  and  42  are disposed adjacent to and aligned with each other. They are joined by a hinge, as will be described below. 
     The upper portion  12  includes a top edge  14  and a pair of side edges  20  and  26 . Downwardly from the top edge  14 , and located centrally between the side edges  20  and  26  is a hand hold slot  16 . Spaced downwardly from the hand hold slot  16  is a head aperture  18 . 
     Spaced inwardly from the side edge  20  a relatively short distance is another hand hold slot  22 . A similar hand slot  28  is disposed inwardly from the side edge  26 . The slots  22  and  28  are generally aligned with each other. 
     Spaced downwardly from the hand hold  22 , and again inwardly from the side edge  20 , is a strap aperture or hole. Aligned with the strap aperture or hole  24  is another strap aperture of slot  30 . The slot  30  is spaced inwardly a slight distance from the side edge  26 . 
     The lower portion  52  includes a pair of side edges  52  and  60  and a bottom edge  44 . Spaced inwardly from the side edge  52  is a hand hold slot  54 . Spaced inwardly from the side edge  60  is another hand hold slot  62 . The slots  54  and  62  are generally aligned with each other. 
     Spaced apart upwardly from the bottom edge  44  is a hand hold slot  46 . A pair of strap apertures or holes  48  and  50  are spaced apart from each other, and from the slot  46 , and are disposed upwardly from the bottom edge  44 . Another pair of strap apertures or holes  56  and  64  are aligned with each other and spaced inwardly from the side edges  52  and  60 , respectively, and spaced upwardly from the bottom edge  44 . The strap apertures or slots  56  and  64  are also generally aligned with each other. 
     In construction, the apparatus  10  includes three semi-rigid layers of foam padding  80 ,  82 , and  84  in the upper portion  12 , and three similar semi-rigid layers of foam padding  90 ,  92 , and  84  in the lower portion  42 . The three layers in both the upper portions  12  and the lower portion  42  may be bonded together, if desired. The three layers define a semi-rigid upper panel  12  and a semi-rigid lower panel  42 . 
     An outer cover  86  is disposed entirely about the foam layers in both the upper and lower panels. As best shown in FIG. 3, at the hinge  70  the outer layer  86  is welded to itself. The weld is indicated by a reference numeral  72  in FIG.  3 . Thus, the hinge  70  comprises, essentially, a living hinge in which the outer layer  86  is welded to itself The hinge  70  connects the upper portion or panel  12  and the lower portion or panel  42  together. 
     As indicated in both FIGS. 2 and 4, the hand hold slots and the strap apertures or slots are essentially fully enclosed by the outer layer or cover  86 . 
     FIG. 4 discloses a strap  110  extending through the strap aperture or slot  56 . A loop  112  may be conveniently formed in the strap  110  by use of hook and loop fasteners, details of which are not illustrated, but are well known and understood. 
     Other straps  110  are illustrated in FIG. 1 extending through the strap holes or apertures  48 ,  50 , and  64 . A relatively large strap  120  is shown in FIG. 1 extending between the strap slots  24  and  30  in the upper portion  12 . The strap  120  may also, like the other straps, use hook and loop fasteners, not shown. The strap  120  may be conveniently secured on the bottom or reverse side of the panel  12 , if desired. The strap  120  is a chest strap, designed to fit over the chest portion or upper torso of a patient. 
     Obviously, there may be as many restraint straps as desired or as needed to restrain a combative patient. In different sized apparatus, the straps may be located in different areas of the panels. 
     In use, the apparatus  10  may be used to approach an unruly or combative patient, with the apparatus  10  held in an upright position by the hand holes  22  and  28 . The user of the apparatus  10  may look through the head aperture  18  when approaching the unruly and combative patient. The overall length, between the top edge  14  and the bottom edge  44  may be as desired, but typically should be about six feet or so. The width is illustrated as being substantially larger than half the length, and may conveniently be sized approximately two-thirds of the overall length of the apparatus. For example, if the apparatus  10  were to have an overall length of about six feet, the overall width between the sides  22 ,  52 ,  26  and  60 , would be about four feet. The exact dimensions may, of course, vary, and, the shield and transport apparatus  10  may be made in various dimensions, depending on the type of patient with which an apparatus  10  will be used. 
     With the apparatus being made of semi-rigid panels, the apparatus may be relatively easily contoured about a combative person, and then straps may be used to secure the person to the apparatus  10 , and the apparatus  10  is then converted into a transport pallet for transporting the patient to an appropriate area. 
     In the transport mode, the head aperture or hole  18  receives a portion of the patient&#39;s head, and the various strap apertures or slots are used to receive straps to hold a patient to the apparatus  10 . Very conveniently, up to about six people may be used to carry a patient on the apparatus  10  by use of the hand hold slots  16 ,  22 ,  54 ,  46 ,  62 , and  28 . Obviously, for a relatively small or light patient, only two attendants will be needed. Thus, the slots  22  and  54 , spaced inwardly from the sides  20  and  52  of the upper and lower panels  20  and  42 , respectively, are spaced apart a distance such that a single person may grasp both of the slots. Similarly, a single person may grasp the slots  28  and  62  of the upper and lower portions sides  26  and  60 , respectively. 
     While the restraint straps are illustrated as extending through holes or apertures at the periphery of the panels, it is obvious that they may also be sewn to the panels, if desired. 
     While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.