Multiple function invalid bed arrangement

An arrangement for transferring a prone patient longitudinally or laterally between beds or surfaces adapted to accept the patient in prone position. The rate of transfer of the patient can be made variable or fixed. The arrangement is adapted to function with a conventional bed normally used in a home, or with a hospital-type bed. During times when the patient is not being transferred, the arrangement may allow the mattress to be raised under the patient's head and back or under the patient's knees and legs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The process of transferring an invalid patient from a hospital bed to 
another bed surface or wheel chair in a hospital, nursing home, or home or 
assisting such a patient to get into a standing position often involves 
more than one person and is labor intensive and can be costly. It is 
occasionally a source of injury to the patient, nurses, or attendants who 
are involved in the means of patient transfer. 
In addition, the process of changing bed sheets is an another labor 
intensive and often unpleasant task, frequently involving nurses or 
attendants in a hospital, nursing home, home, or maids in a hotel and can 
be costly. 
Further, a relatively immobile patient in a sitting position in a hospital 
type bed which has its back section raised, often slides down toward the 
feet end of the bed and requires an attendant's or nurse's assistance to 
be raised back to a normal sitting position. 
Further, other methods of transfer from a bed to another bed or surface 
often involve the person's body being moved over a hard or uncomfortable 
surface to a mattress or other surface at least during a portion of the 
transfer process. Another object of this invention is to provide means to 
accomplish the transfer from one bed to another bed or surface without the 
patient's body having to pass over such hard or uncomfortable surfaces(s). 
Further, bed sheets often become rumpled or bunched in regions under and 
alongside a patient lying in bed making it uncomfortable for the patient. 
Another objective of this invention is to provide means to accomplish the 
straightening or rumple removal of the bed sheet. 
The prior art associated with achieving the above objectives has almost 
exclusively involved the movement of the person or patient laterally or 
sideways across a bed. Although certain embodiments of the present 
invention involve lateral motion, it is a principal objective to provide 
other embodiments which move the patient longitudinally (i.e., lengthwise) 
with respect to a bed. 
Principal objectives of this present invention are to provide a novel 
arrangement of parts or attachments which can be added and attached to 
existing or new beds or designed into new beds which will significantly 
assist in (A) the comfortable transfer of a person or patient from one bed 
to another bed or surface; (B) the changing of bed sheets on a bed; (C) 
the raising of a person who has slipped down from the raised back of a 
hospital bed, toward the top of the bed; (D) the tightening and 
straightening of the sheet on which a patient is reclining; (E) the 
positioning of a patient such that it reduces the manual work required to 
get the patient out of bed and (F) to perform (i.e., using certain 
longitudinal transfer embodiments of the invention) all of the above 
objectives without requiring the absence of bed side rails or other 
mechanical impediments alongside the bed. Other objectives will become 
evident from the description of the invention herein. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention describes several arrangements which are similar in 
principle, which transfer or move a prone bedridden patient longitudinally 
along the long axis) or laterally (across the width) from a first bed to 
either (a) a second bed which has a similar arrangement, or (b) to another 
surface or apparatus which may or may not have a similar arrangement but 
has been designed or can be used to accept the patient's body. 
The longitudinal bed transfer is accomplished by having the first 
(patient's) bed equipped with two rollers, one at the head and one at the 
feet end of the bed. A bed sheet about equal to the width of the bed, 
generally sectionalized and several bed-lengths long, is connected from 
the head to the feet roller, much like a piano roll. A motorized or hand 
crank arrangement is connected to the head and feet bed sheet rollers. A 
second bed which may be used to transfer patients to another location is 
equipped with a similar bed sheet and roller mechanism at its ends. The 
second bed is brought end to end, and at the same height, against the 
patient's bed. After the beds are clamped together, or otherwise prevented 
from moving, motors are actuated to turn the rollers on the patient's bed 
such that the bed sheet moves the patient lying thereon gently towards the 
second bed. At the same time, powered rollers on the second bed move its 
bed sheet at the same rate and direction at which the patient's bed sheet 
is moving, thereby gently transferring the patient to the second bed. 
The bed sheet, as designated herein, may be made from pervious cloth as are 
normal bed sheets, it may have two or more layers of such cloth, it may 
have an impervious underlayer, or it may consist of two separable sheets, 
a conventiona1 pervious upper sheet with one or more layers, and a lower 
sheet with one or more special qualities such as absorbancy, 
impermeability, high tensile strength, or low friction coefficient. 
The identical principles as described above can be applied in the lateral 
transfer of persons except that the rollers would extend along the sides 
of the beds, and the person lying on the sheet would thereby be moved 
sideways from the first bed to the second bed. The reverse action of 
moving a person from a second bed or apparatus to the first bed is 
basically accomplished by reversing the rotation of the motors. 
Another version of the invention is similar to a conveyor belt in that the 
sheet is continuous from the head or right side roller to the respective 
feet or left side roller and back again to the head or right side roller. 
A further objective of the invention is to provide the additional bed sheet 
material, which may be sectionalized, and which enables the bed sheets to 
be changed by rolling the bed sheets until a new unsoiled sheet (or sheet 
section) covers the bed. The individual removable bed sheet sections can 
be conveniently removed for washing. This function can be used with the 
bed alone and is independent of its use for transferring persons. 
Another important function of the bed which is used in longitudinal 
transfer arrangement, is to overcome a frequent source of discomfort in a 
hospital bed. When the back portion of a hospital bed is elevated, a 
patient sitting in the bed very often slides down toward the foot of the 
bed into a very uncomfortable position. The longitudinal transfer roller 
mechanism can be used to move the patient back into a comfortable position 
toward the head of the bed. This function is an additional objective of 
this invention, and it relates to use of the bed alone, and is independent 
of its use for transferring persons. 
A closely related function of the rollers on these beds is for tightening, 
straightening and thereby smoothing a bed sheet under a reclining patient, 
in order to maintain the patient's comfort with minimal effort by a nurse 
or attendant. Many patients can use the bed roller controls to perform 
this task for themselves. The sheet straightening is done by using the 
rollers to move the sheet, with the patient on it, a short distance toward 
the foot and back toward the head of the bed (or from side to side in the 
case of lateral transfer rollers). 
The pulling of the rollers in combination with the spreading action of 
sheet edge guidance blocks or other guidance mechanism provides the 
necessary sheet straightening and smoothing action. 
In summary, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the 
disadvantages and limitations in the prior art. More particularly, it is 
an object of the present invention to provide a practicable and economical 
means (i.e., which can, if desired, be constructed as an attachment to a 
conventional or hospital type bed) for essentially automatically changing 
bed sheets on any type bed, raising a slumping patient toward the head end 
of a hospital bed, straightening and smoothing the bed sheet, transferring 
a disabled person from one bed to another bed or apparatus (such as a 
reclined wheel chair), and assisting in getting a patient out of bed in 
order to facilitate patient care in a home, a hospital, or a nursing home. 
An additional object of the invention is to not impair the normal uses and 
mechanical motions of a hospital bed in raising the mattress under the 
back or the knees of a patient or raising or lowering the bed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawing, FIGS. 1 to 5, illustrate schematically, the steps 
of moving a patient from a reclining position on a first bed to a 
reclining position on a second bed longitudinally. 
In accordance with the schematic of FIG. 1, the first bed 2 is shown with a 
thicker mattress 26 and is schematically illustrative of a conventional 
bed found in the home or a hospital bed upon which a patient 1 is 
reclining. This bed 2 is constructed such that it has added to it, a 
cylindrical roller 11 approximately equal in length to the width of the 
bed and is mounted to the bed frame 17 at the patient's head end of the 
bed. A similar roller 12 is similarly mounted to the bed frame 17 at the 
patient's feet end of the bed. A bedsheet 9, which is schematically 
depicted by a single line, has approximately the same width as the bed and 
a length several times the length of the bed. One end of the sheet is 
fastened to and rolled on to the head roller 11 with the other end 
fastened to roller 12. A similar second bed 3 shown with a thinner 
mattress 27 than that of mattress 26 on the first bed, is schematically 
representative of a transfer bed which is sometimes referred to as a 
gurney bed. Rollers 13 and 14 are respectively mounted to the head and 
feet end of the transfer bedframe 19. 
An elevation mechanism 15 is schematically representative of an elevation 
mechanism associated with a hospital bed. Similarly for the transfer bed, 
a schematic elevation mechanism 18 is shown. 
Also schematically represented is an alignment pin 94. The male, alignment 
and latching mechanism 5, is fastened to the frame 19 by bracket 6. A 
receptacle 95, part of the female alignment and latching mechanism 7, is 
fastened by bracket 8 to bed frame member 16. These optional devices can 
be used to align the first bed 2 and second bed 3. 
The horizontal arrows of FIG. 1 schematically represents the second or 
transfer bed being moved toward the first bed on wheels or casters 4. 
The horizontal arrow of FIG. 3 schematically represents the patient 1 being 
moved from the first bed 2 to the second bed 3. 
FIG. 2 illustrates both beds being joined together and in alignment by 
virtue of an optional alignment and latching mechanism. This mechanism 
shown in the schematics, keeps the two beds fastened together during the 
patient transfer operation. Alternatively, after a bed is maneuvered into 
approximate alignment with the other, other means such as wheel brakes, 
which are standard devices on many beds, can be used to keep the beds from 
moving during patient transfer. Accordingly, "optional alignment and 
latching mechanism" will be used in the drawings and text herein to 
designate either an actual alignment and locking mechanism or other means, 
such as wheel brakes, for holding the beds motionless. 
The rotating arrow in FIG. 3 shows the action of rollers 11, 12, 13, and 14 
rotating clockwise, either by manually powered mechanical or motorized 
means. The rollers are drawing the sheets across the beds and thereby are 
transferring the patient from the first bed (hospital or conventional bed 
2) to the transfer bed or second bed 3, as indicated by the horizontal 
arrow. 
FIG. 4 shows the patient transferred to bed 3; 
FIG. 5 shows a transfer bed being moved away from the first bed as 
indicated by the horizontal arrow. 
The reverse action of transferring the patient from the second bed to the 
first bed can be accomplished by reversing the sequence from FIG. 5 to 
FIG. 4 to FIG. 3 to FIG. 2 to FIG. 1, provided that rollers 11 and 13 are 
mechanically rotated counter-clockwise. 
Referring to the drawing, FIGS. 6 to 10, illustrate schematically, the 
steps of moving a patient from a reclining position on a first bed to a 
reclining position on a second bed in a lateral manner. 
In accordance with the schematic of FIG. 6, the first bed 2 is shown with a 
thicker mattress 26 and is schematically representative of a conventional 
bed found in the home or a hospital bed upon which a patient 1 is 
reclining. This bed 2 is constructed such that it has added to it, a 
cylindrical roller 22 whose length is approximately equal to the length of 
the bed and which is mounted to the bed frame 17 at the patient's left 
side of the bed. A similar roller 23 is similarly mounted to the bed frame 
17 at the patient's right side of the bed. A bedsheet 20 approximately 
equal in width to the length of the bed and whose length is equal to 
several multiples of the width of the bed, is fastened and rolled about 
the left side roller 22. The other end is fastened to roller 23. The 
structure is similar to a piano roll or scroll, except that the material 
being rolled or scrolled is a bed sheet constructed of material 
sufficiently strong to maintain its physical bed sheet integrity. By 
rotating the rollers the patient lying on a moving bed sheet can be moved 
to the left or right relative to the bed. Elevation mechanisms 15 and 18 
are schematically representative of various elevation mechanisms known in 
the art and associated with a hospital or transfer or gurney bed. A 
similar second bed 3 shown with a thinner mattress 27 than that of 
mattress 26 on the first bed, is schematically representative of a 
transfer bed which is sometimes referred to as a gurney bed. Such beds are 
frequently used to transport a patient from his normal hospital bed to an 
operating room or some other location in the hospital. Cylindrical rollers 
24 and 25 are respectively mounted t the patients left and right sides of 
the transfer bedframe 19. An optional alignment pin 94 and receptacle hole 
95 which three-dimensionally register and align the first bed to the 
second bed when brought together, are also schematically represented. 
Optional latching mechanisms 5 and 7 which are actuated when the two beds 
are brought together and which can be manually released when they are 
brought apart are also schematically represented. The arrow of FIG. 6 
schematically represents the second or transfer bed being moved to the 
first bed on wheels or casters 4. 
FIG. 7 schematically illustrates both beds being joined together and 
aligned by virtue of an "optional alignment/latching 5 and 7 mechanism". 
This latching mechanism or alternate means 5 and 7 keeps the two beds 
fixed relative to each other during the patient transfer operation. 
FIG. 8 shows the action of simultaneously rotating either by manual 
mechanical or motorized means, rollers 23 and 25 in a clockwise motion 
which transfers the patient from the first bed (hospital or conventional 
bed) to the transfer bed or gurney bed. FIG. 8 shows the patient midway 
between the hospital bed and the transfer bed. 
FIG. 9 shows the patient fully transported from the first bed to the second 
bed. During this roller rotational activity, the sheets unwind from the 
representative left side rollers of the first and second bed, onto the 
respective right side rollers of the first and second bed. 
FIG. 10 shows a transfer bed being moved away from the first bed. 
The reverse action of transferring the patient from the second bed to the 
first bed can be accomplished by reversing the sequence from FIG. 10 to 
FIG. 9 to FIG. 8 to FIG. 7 to FIG. 6, provided that rollers 22 and 24 
0(not on drawing) are synchronously and mechanically rotated 
counter-clockwise. 
Since the length of the sheets is equal to several or more multiples of the 
width of the bed, it can be seen in FIG. 9 that if roller 23 is rotated 
such that an additional length of bed sheet material is rolled on to 
roller 23, and then, if the patient is returned to the first bed by 
reversing the operations depicted in FIG. 10 through FIG. 6, the patient 
will lie on a clean or fresh section of the bed sheet. In other words, the 
bed sheet would have been changed. If such bed sheet is sectionalized in 
widths equal to or greater than the width of the bed, and fastened 
together by a fastening means such as a zipper, it can be seen that if the 
section that was rolled on to roller 23 were removed, with or without the 
cylindrical roller, immediately after the transfer of the patient off the 
first bed and before the additional length of bed sheet is rolled on to 
roller 23 that the new sectionalized bed sheet lying under the patient 
when returned to the first bed would not be contaminated by the soiled 
section. 
It is clear that bed sheet changing can be done in the same manner with the 
longitudinal configurations of FIGS. 1-5, and can also be done in a single 
unoccupied bed, 2, in FIGS. 5 and 10. 
It is clear that FIGS. 1-10 apply equally well to apparatuses which have 
the same general shapes and sizes as a bed and which are equipped with 
sets of rollers and sheets as means of transporting a person from one 
apparatus to another. 
FIG. 11 schematically represents a patient 1 lying on a hospital-type bed 
(i.e., with articulating mechanical members which elevate head, back and 
knees). It schematically shows the longitudinal transfer bed arrangement 
with the head roller 11 and foot roller 12 mounted via brackets 28 to the 
respective head and foot portion of the horizontal bed frame member 16 (i 
e., generally horizontal non-mechanically articulating member 16). It also 
shows that by appropriately rotating head 11 clockwise and foot roller 12 
counter-clockwise that this enables the bed sheet arrangement of the 
longitudinal bed invention described herein to provide slack to the head 
and foot portions of the bedsheet 54 providing the extra bed sheet length 
required to allow the free mechanical articulation of the hospital bed 
frame members 17, 55 and 56, (i.e., members supporting elevation of head, 
back, and knees). 
FIG. 12 schematically represents the longitudinal bed transfer arrangement 
with the head roller 11 mounted via brackets 28 to the mechanically 
articulated member 17 of the hospital bed which elevates the head and 
back. Similarly, foot roller 12 is mounted via brackets 28 to the 
mechanically articulated member 55 under the knees and calves. In this 
configuration of the longitudinal transfer bed arrangement invention, when 
the bed is mechanically articulated as defined above, the payout or 
take-up of rollers 11 and 12 is either very little or not required at all 
since the rollers maintain their approximate relative physical 
relationship to the mattress 26. 
This configuration has a special advantage in that, when the bed is in 
normal use as a hospital bed the rollers can be driven to return a 
patient, who has slid down to an uncomfortable position toward the foot of 
the bed, to his original position, and this can be done even with the bed 
remaining in its articulated position. 
FIG. 13 schematically represents a patient lying on a hospital type bed, as 
defined above. It schematically shows the lateral transfer bed arrangement 
with the patient's left side roller 22 and right side roller 23 mounted 
via left side brackets 57 and 58 and right side brackets 59 and 60 to 
non-articulating frame member 16. 
Brackets 58 and 60 are hidden from view in FIG. 13 as they are located at 
the end of the horizontal bed frame member 16 and they are in direct line 
with brackets 57 and 59. As can be seen from FIG. 13, the left side roller 
22 has been rotated counter-clockwise and the right side roller 23 has 
been rotated clockwise (rotation from perspective of viewing FIG. 13) so 
that the bed sheet is slack, allowing the bed frame members 77, 17, and 56 
(shown in FIG. 12) to be articulated. 
FIG. 14 represents a configuration in which the side rollers are attached 
to the articulating members to reduce the amount of slack which is needed 
for articulation. Rollers 22 and 23 are mounted to their respective sides 
through brackets 61 and 63 to frame member 55 and brackets 62 and 64 to 
frame member 17 (which is shown in FIG. 12, but is hidden in FIG. 14). 
Brackets 61 through 64 are designed to permit rollers 22 and 23 to tilt 
from the horizontal in accord with the position of bed frame members 17 
and 55. 
FIGS. 15-18 inclusive show a configuration of either the hospital, 
conventional home, or transfer bed which has mounted to it an idler roller 
on the left side and another idler roller on the right side of the bed for 
lateral transfer arrangement or a roller at the head end and a roller at 
the feet end of the bed in the longitudinal transfer-bed arrangement. 
FIGS. 15-18 differ from previously described figures or arrangements in 
that the bed sheet or other flexible material is wrapped around the 
opposite side or end rollers to function as a conveyor belt. 
FIG. 15 is a schematically sectionalized view of a bed showing an 
arrangement of rollers and idler rollers which provide the conveyor belt 
type operation. In FIG. 15, rollers 31 and idler roller 29 are at one side 
or end of the bed 65 and roller 30 with its associated idler roller 76 is 
at the opposite side or end of the bed. 
FIG. 16 is an expansion of the left side or end of bed 65 of FIG. 15. In 
FIG. 15, the sheet material 32 is wrapped around roller 31 and over idler 
roller 29, over mattress 26, and on the other side of the bed over idler 
roller 76 and around roller 30 and back again to roller 31. The bed sheet 
material here is continuous. 
In FIGS. 15 and 16, a driver roller 66 is shown schematically. This driver 
roller is held in compression by a spring or other device (not shown) 
against sheet 32 and roller 31 and has a moderately hard rubber-like 
surface with a high coefficient of friction. Therefore, as roller 66 is 
rotated clockwise, the bed sheet material 32 is pulled around roller 31 as 
roller 31 rotates counter-clockwise. This causes the upper portion of the 
bed sheet to move to the left in FIGS. 15 and 16 as it is pulled around 
idler rollers 30 and 76. The bed sheet material that is connected between 
idler roller 29 and 76 would therefore move to the right. Although the 
conveyor belt motion of the bed sheet 32 over the mattress 26 is moving in 
opposite directions and a certain amount of friction would exist 
particularly when a patient is supported upon a mattress 26, such friction 
can be overcome by the force of a driver roller 66 against roller 31. 
Suitable bed sheet material such as polyester and other materials known in 
the art, as well as conventional materials such as cotton would function 
satisfactorily in the configuration shown. Friction drag can be 
significantly reduced by using slippery coatings or layers of material on 
the inside surface of the sheet and the top surface of the mattress. 
FIGS. 17 and 18 avoid the frictional problem referred to above in FIGS. 15 
and 16 by having the return path of a bed sheet 33 pass underneath the 
bed, thereby avoiding direct bed sheet contact with another portion of the 
bed sheet moving in the opposite direction. In FIG. 17, idler rollers 67, 
68, 69, and 70 provide the idler roller functions for the bed sheet which 
traverses over and under the bed. The driver roller 71 in FIG. 17 and the 
roller 72 of FIG. 17 have the identical analogous functions of driver 
roller 66 in conjunction with roller 31 as described in relation to FIGS. 
15 and 16. 
FIG. 18 is a view of FIG. 17 and shows that for the configuration in which 
the bed sheet conveyor belt action goes over the top of mattress 26 and 
under the bed that the supporting legs of the bed would have to be 
extended beyond the length or width, as the case may be, of the bed sheet. 
FIG. 19 is a perspective illustration showing the principal components of a 
lateral bed transfer arrangement. A second bed 3 is shown alongside a 
first bed 2 in which the patient is lying. An "optional pin and latching 
mechanism" 5 and receptacle mechanism 7 enable the first and second beds 
to be mechanicaly coupled and aligned together. Mechanisms 5 and 7 are 
shown in detail in FIGS. 32 and 33. A1ternatively, other means, such as 
wheel brakes, can be used for keeping the beds suitably aligned. 
A roller assembly 108 consisting of a roller, a speed reducer, a mechanical 
rotating power source and a clutch assembly (further described by FIGS. 
23-28) is mounted to each side of the first and second beds respectively. 
Each of the four roller assemblies shown have a roller length equal to 
approximately the length of the bed. Although all four roller assemblies 
108 are identical, the rollers and clutches in these assemblies have been 
given different identification numbers for describing the operation in 
this and subsequent figures. Each of the rollers 22, 23, 24, 25 has an end 
of a sheet 20 or 21 fastened to it and each of them can be mechanically 
rotated in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction or locked in 
position or allowed to spin freely depending on a clutch 37 and a motor 34 
shown in FIG. 22. 
Note that in some configurations, discussed later, the clutches are not 
required and a single motor drive can be used. 
As can be seen in FIG. 19, when rollers 22 and 23 on the first bed 2 are 
rotated clockwise, (as perceived from a reference position above the 
patient's head) then the sheet 20 upon which the patient is lying will be 
moved in such a manner as to transport the patient toward the right side 
of the bed (i.e. as perceived from the above reference position). If, when 
the patient just begins to leave the surfaces of the first bed 2, a switch 
or relay is used to start or mechanically power the roller assembly, 
driving rollers 24 and 25 in a clockwise direction at a rate which moves 
sheet 21 at the same rate as which sheet 20 is moving, then the patient 
will be continuously and smoothly transferred from the first bed 2 to the 
second bed 3 (sometimes referred to as a transfer or gurney bed). A manual 
control box 215 which can be used to control the rollers, is described in 
detail later. 
FIG. 19a shows a similar transfer arrangement as in FIG. 19, except that a 
support with an essentially flat top surface 159, shown symbolically as a 
table, is used in place of a second bed. In this case rollers 22 and 23 
will continue to operate to transport the person completely off the bed 2 
and on to the support surface. This drawing shows that a transfer system 
consisting of two roller assemblies on the first bed can be used to 
transport a person, or to greatly ease the transport of a person on to 
another surface, especially a smooth slippery surface. In like manner, it 
is clear that if the person is pushed from the flat surface part way onto 
the bed surface, the transfer sheet, moving in the opposite direction, 
will draw him on to the bed and transport him to the center. 
FIG. 19b is a virtually identical system, except that it shows symbolically 
a reclined wheel chair, positioned beside the bed, in place of the table 
shown in FIG. 19a. The top of the wheel chair is covered with a sheet of 
material 107 which is flexible to allow the back of the seat to be raised 
and the leg rest to be lowered, rotating about pivot points 105 and 106. 
The removable armrest on one side of the wheel chair has been removed to 
allow transfer of the person laterally from the bed on to the surface of 
the wheel chair. The wheel chair is shown fixed in position at the side of 
the bed by fold down legs 104. However, the tranfer operation is exactly 
the same as for the support in FIG. 19. The wheel chair itself is not a 
subject of this invention; however, the invention does cover the use of 
the transfer system of the bed to transport or assist in the transport of 
a person to and from a reclined wheel chair as shown. 
FIG. 20 shows almost identical transfer mechanisms except that roller 
assemblies 108 and their respective rollers 11, 12, 13, and 14 are mounted 
to the head and feet ends of the first and second beds and the optional 
alignment and coupling mechanisms 5 and 7 are also connected to the head 
and foot ends of the two beds. Except for the direction of motion, the 
transfer operation described with respect to FIG. 19 also applies to FIG. 
20. 
FIG. 20a shows an analogous longitudinal transfer mechanism which is 
similar to the arrangement shown in FIG. 20, in which the transfer rollers 
are positioned at the ends of the bed, and a fully inclined wheel chair 
with a smooth top is positioned at one end of the bed. The wheel chair is 
similar to the one in FIG. 19b, except that in this case, the wheels and 
arm rests which they extend above the seating surface of the wheel chair 
on both its left and right sides, would prevent the use of lateral 
transfer. As in FIG. 19a and 19b, the transfer system on the bed can be 
used to transport, or to greatly ease the transport of a person from the 
bed on to the surface of an extended or reclined wheel chair or other 
support, or from such smooth surface on to the bed in a similar manner as 
that described for FIGS. 19a and 19b. The invention covers the use of the 
transfer system of the bed to transport or assist in the transport of a 
person to and from a reclined wheel chair with arm rests or wheel member 
impediment located at the sides of the wheel chair. 
FIG. 20b shows a double bed in which half of the bed is equipped with a 
transfer mechanism which is substantially identical to the transfer 
mechanisms in FIG. 20 for a single bed. The transfer mechanism operates 
and is employed in the same way as on a single bed, as described for FIGS. 
19 and 20. 
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a hospital type bed, which has mechanical 
articulated members to raise the head, back and knees of a patient and 
which incorporates a lateral transfer arrangement of the invention. It 
shows in perspective an implemention of the configuration of FIG. 13. It 
shows a roller assembly 108 fastened to the right side of bed 23, another 
roller assembly 108 can be fastened to the left side of bed 23 and bed 
sheet 20 which is provided with enough slack by rotating right side roller 
23 in a counter-clockwise direction and left side roller 22 in a clockwise 
direction to allow the head and back and knee portions of the bed mattress 
26 to be in their elevated positions without tension on the sheet. 
The roller assembly and its associated drive mechanism is shown in drawings 
22 through 27. One means of constructing a roller, among many that can be 
designed by those skilled in the art, is the roller 40 shown in a large 
scale end view of FIG. 24, which consists of a cylindrical formed shape of 
resistant foamed rubber or plastic 49 or other similar material with a 
hard, rigid hollow core 48. The core 48 material may be metal or other 
hard, rigid material to transmit torque and supply longitudinal stiffness 
to the assembly. The shape, shown square, may be any irregular shape to 
allow simple keying from the drive shaft 39 of FIG. 22. 
As shown in FIG. 24, to fasten the sheet 47 to the roller 40, a 
longitudinal groove is provided in the outer surface. A spline 50 with a 
shape slightly smaller but matching the contour shape of the groove is 
provided. The sheet 47 is draped over the groove and the spline presses 
the sheet into the groove displacing the resilient sides of the groove in 
the roller material 49, and securing the sheet 47 to the roller 49. 
In FIGS. 22 and 23, the roller 40 is supported at one end and driven by a 
shaft 39 suitably shaped to fit the roller core 48 with a sliding fit. 
This shaft 39 is supported by a bearing assembly 38 and driven through a 
suitable clutch 37. The clutch is driven by a shaft 36 from a speed 
reducer 35 which, in turn, is driven by a motor 34. FIG. 26 shows a speed 
reducer 35 driven by an alternate hand crank 51. 
FIG. 27 and perspective view FIG. 22 show the speed reducer and clutch 
supported by a common frame member 41. This frame 41 provides adjustable 
brackets 42 for mounting to a bed. This frame 41 also supports tailstock 
bearing 46 in line and concentric with the center-line of the driving 
keyed shaft 39 and driving bearing 38. 
The tailstock bearing and support assembly shown in FIG. 23 consists of the 
bearing 46, a shaft 45 comprised of two concentric cylinders with a common 
axis and separated by a larger flange. One cylinder fits into the bearing 
46; the other into a hole in the tailstock support 43. The tailstock 
support 43 is shaped to fit into the center of the roller and has a flange 
on one end and a concentric thru-hole fitting the tailstock shaft 45. A 
compression spring 44 fits between the flanges on the shaft 45 and the 
tailstock support 43. 
The spring 44 provides an axial force to push the tailstock support 43 into 
the roller. 
To remove the roller and sheet one would grasp the roller 40 as shown in 
FIG. 27 and pull it toward the tailstock bearing 46, compressing spring 44 
and sliding the hole in the tailstock support 43 over the tailstock shaft 
45. When the roller core 48 clears the drive shaft 39 at the far end of 
the roller, the roller 40 is tilted and slid off the tailstock support. To 
install the roller, this procedure would be reversed. 
An important object of this invention is the ability to remove or add a 
single sheet section or group of sheet sections to/from the roller without 
removing the complete roller assembly from the bed. FIG. 28 shows a roller 
assembly 40 with sheet sections fastened to it by means described before. 
Connecting the sheet sections is a full length zipper 52 with one half of 
the zipper sewn to one sheet section and the other half to the next sheet 
section. If this is done in series, then each end of the sheet will 
contain one half of a zipper. The zipper 52 is to be a separable type, as 
is known in the industry. The zipper is to be sewn on in such a manner 
that each sheet section shall contain on one end a zipper chain with 
attached slider and on the other end, a mating zipper chain without the 
attached slider. This will allow a series of individual sheet sections to 
be formed together into a continuous sheet, which is as long as required. 
The use of a zipper is only to illustrate one embodiment of a fastening 
means to fasten flexible sheet material sections together. Other means of 
fastening flexible sheet material sections together which are suitable for 
subsequently being rolled up on a roller are well known in the art. 
The individual sheet sections may be approximately the same size as the top 
of the mattress or they may be somewhat longer than the bed length (or 
width, for the lateral configuration) so as to allow each section to be 
wound up one or more turns on each roller, for reasons of strength. 
In some configurations of this invention, to assure proper operation it may 
be necessary to guide the sheet into proper alignment near the corners of 
the mattress or near the rollers. To provide such guidance, the hems of 
the sheet are thickened and the thickened hems are guided by wheels or 
rollers, or by blocks which contain restraining grooved guidance channels. 
FIG. 28a shows a segmented sheet similar to FIG. 28 but which has thickened 
hems 98 and shortened zippers 273 to prevent the zippers from interfering 
with guidance wheels or channels. 
FIG. 30 shows a set of guidance wheels (or rollers) 82 which are mounted in 
housing 85 and which rotate on axles 84. The spacing allows the sheet 81, 
but not the hem 98, to fit between the wheels. This housing 85 is fixed to 
the bed frame 16 by member 86 to correctly position the guidance wheels 82 
near the sheet roller 40 as shown in FIGS. 29 and 29a. The two sets of 
guidance wheels which constrain the hems 98 on the sheet will keep the 
sheet aligned in spite of other pulls and stresses which may be applied to 
it. FIG. 29 shows the use of guidance rollers with a continuous sheet 90 
and FIG. 29a, with a segmented sheet 81 with zippers 273 between the 
segments. 
FIG. 30a shows an alternate method of guiding the sheet using a block 89 on 
mounting bracket 91. The block 89 which contains a guidance channel 
through which the sheet hem slides and a narrow slit, slightly wider than 
the thickness of the sheet, through which the sheet slides. The guidance 
channel and slit and its surfaces are made slippery by a smooth finish or 
a coating such as teflon. Both ends of the groove and slit are enlarged 
with a suitable taper to allow easy entry of the sheet from either end or 
to allow entry guidance of the thickened hems of each separate sheet 
section, which may not be precisely aligned with the preceding sheet 
section. 
FIG. 30b shows the placement of guidance blocks 89 which are mounted by 
brackets 91 to the frame of the bed (not shown) near wind-up roller 40. 
The thickened hems 98 are shown passing through the channels in the 
guidance blocks to align the sheet on roller 40. 
FIG. 30c shows a similar use of the guidance blocks 89 with a segmented 
sheet, 81. 
FIG. 30d shows a directed edge guidance block 272 whose guidance or 
restraining grooves are angled or directed toward its mounting bracket 271 
and then directed parallel to the bracket. 
FIG. 30e shows four directed edge guidance blocks 272 mounted at the four 
corners of a bed (longitudindal or lateral) such that its internal grooves 
guide the thickened edges at each side of the sheet 90 (or sheet 81) 
outward (i.e., toward the outside edges of the sheet or mattress). This 
guidance or restraining action causes the sheet to become increasingly 
taut as it approaches the end of the bed. In this way, the sheet can 
absorb a larger portion of the stress due to the weight of a person's body 
as it passes over the edge of the mattress 26 and therefore, will reduce 
the sag in the mattress edge in the case where the roller is mounted 
beneath the mattress level and the bed is without the use of a platen such 
as described for FIGS. 34 and 35. This will enable the patient to pass 
over the end or side edges of the bed without feeling the discomfort of a 
hard or semi-firm roller underneath. FIG. 40 shows one embodiment using 
such directed edge guidance blocks 272 mounted on bracket 271 in 
conjunction with a wedge 270 under the mattress. 
Another advantage of the use of the directed edge guidance block, whose 
length can be as long as required, is that the stress on the sheet is 
gradually increased and is distributed along a greater length of the 
sheet. FIG. 31 shows one method of building up the hem 98 as shown in the 
previous figures. The edges of the seet 81 are folded over a multitude of 
times and sewn (88) together to form a thick hem on each side. 
It is clear that many other means can be used to provide a suitable shaped 
and strengthened thickened edge for the sheet. These include but are not 
limited to the use of ropes, cords, and belts made of different types of 
material which are securely hemmed, sewn or otherwise attached to the body 
of the sheet. If the thickened hem or thickened edge of the sheet is made 
sufficiently wide, the build up on the roller will be orderly. 
The outer portion of the take-up roller under the thickened edges of the 
sheet may have a smaller diameter (not shown in the drawings) to prevent 
excessive build up of the thickened edges as the sheet is wound up on the 
roller. 
Alignment/Latch Assembly 
To insure proper transfer operation, the bed and gurney must be aligned to 
the proper height and location with each other. In addition, they must be 
kept in this alignment and not allowed to move relative to each other 
during transfer of a person. FIGS. 32 and 33 show a device which can be 
used for these functions. 
The female latch assembly 7 is fastened by an adjustable bracket 8 to the 
bed or gurney frame 75. It consists of an alignment hole or tapered inlet 
95 that allows and guides a suitably shaped and tapered pin 94 into the 
hole when properly aligned. This pin 94 is attached by an adjustable 
bracket 6 to the frame of gurney or bed 75 not used by the female 
assembly. 
To latch the gurney to the bed, the gurney is aligned with the bed and 
pushed into it. As in FIG. 32, as the pin 94 approaches the opening 95, it 
will further align the two beds. The taper on the front of the latch 93 
will cause the latch to pivot down to the left (ccw) about pin 97. Spring 
92 is set to apply a clockwise or upward force to the latch 93. When both 
portions of the latch are in contact, the lever 93 will pivot back by 
spring force to the position shown in FIG. 33. At this point, the bed and 
gurney will be in alignment and latched. After operation, when it is 
required to separate the bed and gurney, lifting lever 96 will unlatch the 
latch hook 93 and allow the units to separate. 
To conserve space and allow the beds to approach closer to each other, it 
may be desirable to mount the sheet rollers under or at the sides or ends 
of the bed or transfer bed (gurney). 
Side view 34 shows a bed 2 and gurney 3 in close proximity with the roller 
assemblies 40 mounted under the bed 2 and gurney 3. To allow the 
respective bed sheets 9 and gurney sheet 10 to pass around the corner of 
the bed mattress 26 and gurney mattress 27 corner platens 112 for the bed 
mattress and 100 for the gurney mattress are provided. These platens are 
fabricated from stiff metal, plastic, or hard rubber material to 
distribute the weight of a person being transferred so as to reduce local 
sagging of the mattress. The top surfaces of the platens are made slippery 
to the sheets which slide over them. A platen can rest on a mattress 26 or 
27 with no firm attachment to the bed frame 19, as shown for platen 100 on 
the gurney bed, or it can be firmly attached to the appropriate parts of 
the bed frame 16, as shown for platen 112. FIG. 35 shows an isometric view 
of the bed with platen 112 attached to an articulating member of the bed 
frame, 17 or 55. 
FIG. 36 demonstrates a system that allows one to automatically change the 
under sheet 110 as well as the normal sheet 109 in contact with the 
patient. 
The system consists of four roller assemblies mounted two on each side on a 
common bracket 73 fixed to the bed frame 16 at the ends or sides of the 
bed. The innermost pair of roll assemblies 74 pulls the under sheet 110 
around the corners of mattress 113 over corner platens 112. The outer pair 
of roller assemblies 108 transports the patient as it pulls the normal 
sheet 109 over the under sheet 110. Sheet 109 is supported at the corners 
by the under sheet 110 resting on platens 112. 
In operation, the outer rollers 108 with the normal sheet 109 can act as 
described before in transferring a patient or changing a sheet with no 
action required of the under sheet 110 and inner rollers 74. 
To change the under inner sheet 110, the inner rollers 74 can be driven at 
the same time and in the same manner as the outer rollers 108 in 
transporting the patient off the bed. The under sheet 110 is constructed 
in the same manner as the standard sheet 109, except for the material and 
it can be changed in the same manner and at the same time as the normal 
sheet 109 described above. The patient or a new patient can then be 
returned to the bed. 
FIG. 36a shows a different and advantageous orientation of rollers 108 and 
74 from that shown in FIG. 36. Note that in FIG. 36a the rollers 74 and 
108 are oriented so that the upper surfaces of the normal sheet 109 and 
under sheet 110 are facing inwardly toward the centers of the rollers 74 
and 108 as the two sheets are wound up. In this way the soiled upper 
surface of a soiled sheet is on the inside of each layer in order to 
contain the soiling material and minimize the chances of contamination of 
adjacent sheet sections. As described earlier the wound-up soiled sheet or 
sheets can be unfastened from the clean sheets and the entire roller can 
be removed with the soiled sheets still rolled up and sent for laundering. 
It is apparent that the advantages of the different orientation of the 
roller and sheet of FIG. 36a apply to a single roller at each end or side 
of a bed. 
It may be desirable to equip only the beds or only the gurneys with motors 
and make the unpowered unit operate from power take-off shafts from the 
powered unit. One such scheme is shown in FIG. 37 schematically. The bed 
without motors 117 is adjusted so that its foldable frame 17 is flat and 
the height is adjusted so that the PTO (Power Take-off) socket 121 is at 
the same height as the PTO shaft 119 of the gurney with PTO 116. The 
gurney 116 is aligned and wheeled so that the PTO shaft 119 enters and 
mates with the PTO socket 121. Motor 34 is bidirectional and drives gear 
box 118 and output shaft 119, which drives socket 121 and gear box 120, 
which in turn drives flexible shaft 122, which in turn drives speed 
reducer 123. The motor, PTO shaft 119 and flexible shaft 122 all rotate at 
the same speed with no speed reduction, and all of the roller drive output 
shafts from gear boxes 118 at the head of the gurney, 120 at the foot of 
the bed, and 123 at the head of the bed rotate at a common reduced speed. 
The patient is transfered by selective actuation of the respective 
clutches attached to the gear box roller drive output shafts as previously 
shown. 
To transfer from the bed to the gurney, the clutch at the foot of the bed 
driven by speed reducer 120 would be engaged and the motor 34 would be 
started to move the patient towards the gurney; the other clutches at the 
head of the bed and at both ends or sides of the gurney would not be 
engaged. As the patient reaches the gurney, a manual switch, or a time 
delay relay or other automatic or manual means would actuate a motor drive 
at the foot of the gurney not shown to move the patient onto the gurney. 
To transfer from the gurney to the bed, the motor 34 would rotate in the 
opposite direction, the clutch at the head of the gurney driven by speed 
reducer 118 would be engaged to deliver the patient to the bed and then 
the clutch at the head of the bed driven by speed reducer 123 would engage 
to complete the transfer to the bed. The clutches at the foot of the bed 
and at the foot of the gurney would remain disengaged. When complete, the 
gurney bed 116 would be removed by moving it on wheels or casters 4. 
In like fashion, the roles of the bed and the gurney could be interchanged 
with a motor in the bed supplying power to a gurney or to an apparatus to 
which a patient is to be transported. 
It is also apparent that a separate power unit can be attached to power the 
rollers on a suitable equipped transfer device. 
FIG. 38 represents in perspective view, a drive system for a bed (not 
shown) that uses a single motor to drive either roller on a bed equipped 
with a longitudinal or lateral transfer/bed changing system as described 
elsewhere herein. 
Motor 301 is mounted to and drives gear box 302. This gear box has two 
output shafts. Interconnecting shaft 303 can rotate at any convenient 
speed. Low speed shaft 304 drives clutch 305. Mounted at the other end (or 
side) of the bed (not shown) is a second gear box 306 driven by the 
interconnecting shaft 303 and with a slow speed output shaft 307 driving a 
clutch 308. Either roller may be driven by engaging the proper clutch with 
the other clutch disengaged. When engaged, clutch 305 drives keyed shaft 
309. The clutch 308, when engaged, drives keyed shaft 310 at the far side 
(or end) of the bed. Shafts 309 and 310 are keyed to drive sheet rollers 
as shown on FIG. 24, mounted on either side (or end) of the bed. 
As the rollers must be driven in opposite directions to function in this 
invention, the motor 301 may be bidirectional and the gear boxes 302 and 
306 similar as to input and output rotational directions, or the motor 301 
may only rotate in one direction and the gear boxes 302 and 306 may be 
constructed to have opposing rotational directions for a common input. 
Interconnecting shaft 303 connecting the gear boxes 302 and 306 may be 
solid if the single motor system 311 shown is mounted to a rigid frame 
member, as in FIGS. 11 and 13 or, the shaft 303 may have to be flexible if 
the single motor system 311 is mounted as in FIGS. 12 and 14 to the 
movable portions of the bed frame. 
In some configurations the clutches 308 and 305 shown in FIG. 38 can be 
removed, in which case 310 and 309 may be deleted and shafts 307 and 304 
would directly drive the rollers. In this case it is necessary to allow 
for slack in the sheet between the roller from which the sheet is being 
unwound and the mattress. This slack will occur because the larger 
effective diameter of a full roller causes more sheet to be unwound per 
turn than is taken up on the opposite empty roller. 
FIG. 39 shows a sideview of a roller 40 which is positioned under the bed 
and which is being driven in a direction to unroll sheet 9, which has 
slack between the roller and the mattress, as shown. With such slack, it 
is feasible to eliminate clutches in the roller drive mechanisms. 
Provisions for handling and storing the sheet (e.g., holding it in a tray 
or winding it up) often will not be needed, but can be included where 
needed. 
It is clear that separate reversible motor drives without clutches can also 
be used for the rollers in FIG. 39, on the condition that enough 
additional sheet slack is used to avoid problems due to a difference in 
motor speeds. 
FIG. 40 shows a side view of an end of a bed in which the directed edge 
guidance blocks 272 is mounted behind bracket 271. The blocks contain the 
thickened hems of the flexible sheet material such that the sheet material 
is taut between them. FIG. 40 shows a roller assembly 40 mounted beneath 
the bed frame. 
When a person's body passes over the taut region of the flexible sheet 
material at the end of the bed, some of pressure due to the patient's 
weight is absorbed by the taut flexible sheet and the remainder is 
absorbed by the mattress 26 resting on the moveable (or fixed) bedframe. 
This causes a degree of sag in the mattress 26. In this configuration, the 
patient does not feel any substantial discomfort as the patient's body 
moves over the end of the bed since the roller is mounted to the frame 
beneath the mattress. 
FIG. 40 also shows an optional wedge member 270 whose length and thickness 
dimensions may be changed as desired. The wedge member, also shown in FIG. 
40a, is inserted (or can be mounted to the movable bed frame member) at 
and under the bottom edge of the mattress. This wedge acts to compress the 
mattress against the taut flexible sheet which is also shown in FIG. 30e. 
This acts to minimuize the amount of sag of the mattress 26 and flexible 
sheet material as the patient's body moves over the end (or side in the 
case of the lateral bed) of the bed. 
FIG. 41 represents a generalized block diagram showing the relationship 
between the various function switches, the control circuitry and the 
motors and, when used, their associated clutches. 
FIG. 41 shows an electrical power source 376 which can be either an AC 
and/or DC voltage source to provide the electrical power to operate the 
control circuitry and to drive (in a longitudinal bed configuration as 
shown in FIG. 20) the motors 186 and 184 and, when used, their associated 
clutches 187 and 185 of the first bed 2 and motors 182 and 180 and their 
associated clutches 183 and 181 of the second bed 3. 
Automatic person transfer from the first bed 2 to the second bed 3 in a 
longitudinal bed configuration can be achieved by energizing the 
reversible "feet" motors 184 and 180 and their associated clutches 185 and 
181 so that the "feet" rollers 12 and 14 of the first bed 2 and the second 
bed 3, respectively, will rotate in a clockwise direction (i.e., relative 
to the view of FIG. 1) and by simultaneously de-energizing clutches 187 
and 183 which release rollers 11 and 13. This will cause the sheets of 
both beds to move simultaneously in a direction such that a person lying 
on the first bed will be transferred from the first bed to the second bed. 
The final resting position on the second bed will be determined by the 
period of time that the rollers are rotating which is adjusted by the 
appropriate setting of the time delay of "Adjustable Time Delay Circuit" 
283. 
In a similar manner, the reverse process of transferring a person from the 
second bed back to the first bed can be achieved by the energizing "head" 
motors 186 and 182 and their respective clutches 187 nd 183 so that 
rollers 11 and 13 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction thereby pulling 
the sheets of both beds in the same direction so as to return the person 
to essentially his original position on the first bed 2. 
In the block diagram of FIG. 41, the "Start" switch 371 which is a 
momentary type switch turns on a bistable multivibrator or backs up a 
relay or starts some other memory circuit within the control circuitry 377 
which, in turn, applies an appropriate voltage to the "Adjustable Time 
Delay" circuit 389 which begins its timing period. After the pre-set time 
period has elapsed, an output signal is produced from the "Adjustable Time 
Delay" circuit 389 which causes the memory circuit or multivibrator or 
relay to reset which, in turn, removes the applied voltage to the 
"Adjustable Time Delay" circuit 389 and causes it to reset. The automatic 
transfer operation from the first bed to the second is achieved by placing 
the "Reverse-Off-Forward" switch 370 in the "Forward" position. The 
"control circuitry" 377 responds to this input switch position whenever 
there is an applied voltage to the "Adjustable Time Delay" circuit 389 by 
applying the appropriate polarity drive voltage derived from the 
electrical power source 376 to the "feet" motors and clutches of the first 
and second beds as described earlier. 
When the "Reverse-Off-Forward" switch is placed in the "Reverse" position 
and the voltage is being applied to the Adjustable Time Delay circuit 389, 
the applied voltage is applied to the appropriate "Head" motors and 
clutches as described earlier. When the "Reverse-Off-Forward " switch 370 
is in the "OFF" position, automatic operation, as described, is prevented. 
The bed transfer operation as well as the operation which may be required 
to provide slack for mechanical articulation of hospital beds or to raise 
a person toward the top of a hospital type bed, can also be accomplished 
by manually selecting the appropriate bed sheet motion operations. For 
example, in the situation whereby a person is in a hospital type bed in 
which the back of the bed is raised and in which the patient slides down 
toward the feet end of the bed, it is desirable to rotate only the head 
roller of a bed so as to "pull" the sheet toward the head end of the bed 
and thereby raise the patient back to his original or a normal position 
and to afterward lock the clutch so as to prevent any sheet motion. This 
is possible in the longitudinal bed configuration. 
In addition to the use of the bed transfer or bed changing function of the 
invention with a hospital bed, it may be necessary to allow sheet material 
to slacken at the end in the case of the longitudinal bed arrangement, or 
at the sides in the case of the lateral bed arrangement, to permit bed 
mechanical articulation during its normal non-tansfer use. Further, it 
may, at times, be necessary to tighten the bed sheets to remove the 
rumpled or bunched up regions. 
The above functions are achieved with the Manual Control switches by 
placing the "Normal-Off-Roller Control" switch 372 in the Roller Control 
position. The Control Circuitry 377 would then accept the commands from 
the "Roller Selection" switch 374 and the "Roller Control 
Pull-Lock-Slacken" switch 375. When the "Roller Control" switch 375 is in 
the "Lock" position, all power is removed from all motors and all four 
clutches are energized thereby mechanically coupling their associated 
rollers to their associated motors. 
In the event of operation without clutches and with an appropriate amount 
of slack in the sheet, then the "Lock" position would merely remove all 
power from all four motors. 
The "Roller Selection" function switch 374 is used to select which roller 
(i.e., head or feet roller) of which bed (i.e., first or second bed in the 
event a second bed is used) is to be actuated. If the "Roller Control" 
switch 375 is in the "Pull" position, the "Control Circuitry" 377 will 
cause the roller selected by switch 375 to rotate in such a direction as 
to pull the bedsheet material on to the roller, thereby either moving the 
patient in the direction of that roller or removing any undesired slack in 
the bed sheet. In the event the "Roller Control" switch 375 is in the 
"Slacken" position, the roller selected by "Roller Selection" switch 374 
will rotate in such a direction as to continuously slacken the bedsheet 
material. In this manner, it would permit the hospital bed to mechanically 
articulate as described earlier. 
In the case where the patient slides down the bed when the back is raised 
and it is desirable to raise the patient back up to a normal position, the 
patient or attendant would place "Roller Selection" switch 374 to select 
the appropriate head roller and would place the "Roller Control" switch 
375 in the "Pull" position which would then pull the patient toward the 
head end of the bed. When the patient is positioned in the proper 
position, the "Roller Control" switch 375 would then be placed in the 
"Lock" position which would then remove all power from all motors and 
engage all clutches (if clutches are used) and thereby prevent any further 
motion of the bedsheet. 
In the use of the bedsheet changing or bed transfer functions of the 
invention arrangement, a sheet can be put in motion across a bed releasing 
the clutch at one end of a bed and engaging the rollers at the opposite 
end. In the block diagram of FIG. 41, these functions are aciieved by 
placing the "Normal-Off-Roller Control" switch 372 in the "Normal" 
position. The control circuitry then will accept commands from the 
multiple position "Bed Selection (Normal) Forward-Off Reverse" switch 373 
which indicates which bed or beds are to be activated and in which 
direction (i.e., forward or reverse) the sheet motion should move. This 
enables an attendant (or the patient) to move the patient to the end of 
the first bed and then "turn on" the bedsheet motion on the second bed 
until the patient is properly positioned, at which time switch 372 is 
placed in the "off" position. To return the patient to the first bed, the 
same procedure is followed except that switch 373 is placed in the 
"Reverse" position. 
The following descriptions of the circuitry of FIGS. 42 and 43 are of 
specific forms of circuitry which provide the basic functions described 
for the generalized block diagram of FIG. 41. 
In the bed transfer or bedsheet changing configurations which employ 
clutches, the operation of the motors and their associated clutches in 
either the longitudinal transfer or in the lateral transfer arrangement 
may be achieved by actuating individual switches connected to the motors 
and clutches in a sequence of stages of operation. This may be obtained by 
means of the circuitry shown in FIG. 42. In this circuit and for the 
longitudinal configuration, each of the motors 186, 184, 182, and 180 are 
connected in parallel with an associated clutch 187, 185, 183, and 181 
whenever 7-pole triple throw switch 242 is in either the upper or lower 
position (i.e., in the "Slacken" or "Pull" position). As shown in the 
longitudinal bed transfer arrangement of FIG. 20, motor 186 and its 
associated clutch 187 is connected to roller 11 at the head end of bed 2; 
motor 184 and its associated clutch 185 is connected to roller 12 at the 
feet end of bed 2; motor 182 and its associated clutch 183 is connected to 
roller 13 at the head end of bed 3 and motor 180 and its associated clutch 
181 is connected to roller 14 at the feet end of bed 3. In the schematics 
of FIG. 42 and FIG. 43, a DC power supply 240, which is powered through a 
conventional AC input plug 101, is used as the electrical power source for 
all circuits and to drive the various motors and energize their associated 
clutches. This has been done to facilitate the description of the various 
motor direction reversals. Directly analogous circuitry could have easily 
been devised using an AC power supply source, reversible AC motors and AC 
clutches by those skilled in the art. 
In the schematic FIG. 42, when the polarity of the DC voltage applied to 
the motors matches that indicated on the motor, the motor rotates in a 
clockwise direction relative to the drawing perspective shown in FIGS. 1, 
6, 19, and 20. The motors are such that an applied voltage of opposite 
polarity produces a counter-clockwise rotation. The clutch associated with 
each of the motors is of a design which is not sensitive to the applied 
voltage polarity and when actuated, mechanically couples its associated 
motor output to its respective roller. 
Female connector 216, which may be at the end of a cable from control box 
215, is connected to male connector 217 which provides the electrical 
connections to the first bed 2, and thereby to motors 186 and 184 and 
their respective clutches 187 and 185 and also to connector 197. 
When the second bed 3 is mechanically coupled to the first bed via the 
latching mechanisms 5 and 7 of FIGS. 1, 6, 19, and 20, a male electrical 
connector 198 can be constructed such that it is simultaneously aligned 
and inserted into its mating female connector 197. This provides the 
electrical connections to the motors 182 and 180 and their respective 
clutches 183 and 181 of the second bed 3. These electrical connectors from 
the control box to the motors and clutches of the second bed 3 may also be 
made directly via a cable connection which brings female connector 199 
from control box 215 to the male connector 198. 
In the circuitry of FIG. 42, there is a double pole double throw switch 
241, a seven-pole double throw switch 242, a single pole relay 359, an 
8-position rotary switch 244 and a four-position rotary switch 243. 
Switches 241 and 244 are shown in their respective OFF positions and 
switch 242 is shown in its "Lock" position. The positive lead 233 and the 
negative lead 234 of DC power supply 240 are connected to armatures 227 
and 230 respectively, of switch 241. 
Except as described below, when switch 241 is in the "Normal" position, 
switch 242 and switch 243 are inoperative and the positive vo1tage lead 
233 is connected through switch 241 to the armature 250 of rotary switch 
244. The negative lead 234 is connected to a common bus 190 thru contact 
359 of switch 242 which must be in the "Slacken" or "Pull" position for 
the "Normal" role of switch 241 to be operative. With switch 242 in either 
the "Slacken" or "Pull" position, the negative lead 234 is connected via 
bus 190 to clutches 187, 185, 183 and 181 and to the positive terminal of 
motors 186 and 182 and to the negative terminal of motors 184 and 180. 
The armature 250 of switch 244 is always connected to two adjacent 
terminals, one of which is the terminal to which the armature is directly 
connected, and the other is through an armature bridge connection to the 
terminal immediately to the left of the armature as shown in the schematic 
FIG. 42. 
When the armature 250 is in the first position, also referred to in 
schematic as "1st Bed Fwd", the positive voltage lead from switch 241 is 
connected to terminals 200 and 201, which, with switch 242 in the 
"Slacken" or "Pull" position energizes motor 184 in a clockwise direction 
and energizes clutch 185, which in turn rotates roller 12 in a clockwise 
direction pulling the bedsheet and the patient toward the feet end of the 
first bed 2. 
When the patient's body is such that the soles of the patient's feet are 
approximately over the junction between the first and second bed, then the 
attendant or the patient can turn rotary switch 244 to the second position 
202, which, additionally, actuates motor 180 and clutch 181 so that the 
bed sheet on the second bed 3, as well as the bedsheet on the first bed 2, 
move in a direction so as to transport the patient onto the second bed 3. 
When the patient has been transported so that the patient's head is 
entirely on the second bed 3, the attendant or patient rotates switch 244 
to the third position 203, which leaves only motor 180 and clutch 181 
energized and continues to move the patient toward the feet end of the 
second bed 3. When the patient has been transported to the proper position 
on the second bed 3, the attendant or patient rotates switch 244 to the 
fourth position 204, which removes power from all motors and clutches and 
the patient ceases to move any further. 
If the patient is to be returned to the first bed, then the attendant or 
patient rotates switches 244 to the fifth position 205, which applies a 
voltage to energize clutch 183 and energize motor 182 in a 
counter-clockwise direction so as to pull the bedsheet of the second bed 
3, and thereby transport the patient toward the first bed 2. When the 
patient's head is close to the head end of the second bed 3, the attendant 
or patient then rotates switch 244 to the sixth position 206 which, in 
addition to continuing to energize motor 182, also energizes clutch 187 
and motor 186 in a counter-clockwise direction so as to continue moving 
both bedsheets, and thereby the patient from the second bed 3 onto the 
first bed 2. When the patient's feet pass over the junction of both beds, 
then the patient or attendant rotates switch 244 to the seventh position 
207 which removes power from the second bed 3, but continues transporting 
the patient toward the head end of the first bed 2. When the patient 
arrives at the proper location on the first bed, the attendant or patient 
then rotates switch 244 to the eighth or "Off" position which removes all 
voltage or power from all of the motors and clutches. 
Any specific function (i.e., control of bedsheet motion) heretofore 
described and associated with either bed singly or both beds together can 
be placed in operation without the necessity of going through prior or 
sequential steps or other prior bedsheet functions by placing switch 241 
in the "Off" position, and then rotating switch 244 to the desired 
function, and then placing switch 241 in the normal position for the 
desired period of time. 
The above description of the control circuit schematic applies in an 
identical manner to a lateral transfer bed arrangement except that the 
motion of the bedsheet, and therefore the patient, is relative to the left 
and/or right sides of bed 3 and/or bed 2 of FIG. 6, and FIG. 19. 
If either or both the first bed 2 or the second bed 3 is capable of 
mechanical articulation and it is a lateral transfer type bed as shown in 
FIGS. 13 and 14 or FIG. 21, or if either or both the first bed 2 or the 
second bed 3 is capable of mechanical articulation and it is a 
longitudinal transfer type bed as shown in FIG. 11 and the 
motor/clutch/roller assemblies 108 thereon are mounted to the non-movable 
base frame of the bed as shown in FIG. 11, then additional bedsheet length 
must be furnished from their respective rollers 11, 12, 13, 14 in the case 
of the longitudinal bed of FIG. 1 and respective rollers 22, 23, 24, 25 of 
FIG. 6 in order to provide sufficient slack to allow the mechanical 
articulation of the bed frame/mattress members 17, 55 and 56 without 
mechanical limitation from the bedsheet. 
When switch 241 is in the lower or "Roller Control" position, the positive 
and negative terminals of the DC power supply 240 are respectively 
connected through switch 241 to terminals 224 and 221 of switch 242. 
When switch 242 is in the upper or "Slacken" position, a positive polarity 
voltage is applied to the common bus 190 and therefore to one side of each 
of the motors and clutches of both beds (if two are used) and the negative 
polarity voltage is applied to the armature 214 of the four position 
rotary switch 243. Switch 243 has its four position terminals 210, 211, 
212, and 213 each connected respectively to motors 180, 182, 186 and 184. 
The respective clutches 181, 183, 187 and 185 of motors 180, 182, 186 and 
184 are connected to the four position terminals 210, 211, 212 and 213, 
respectively, of switch 243 thru contacts 363, 362, 360 and 361, 
respectively of switch 242 when switch 242 is in either the "Slacken" or 
"Pull" position. 
With switch 242 in the "Slacken" position, the motors controlling the 
motion of the head or feet rollers of either bed 3 or bed 2 can only 
rotate in a direction as to produce a slackening of the bedsheet, thereby 
permitting a hospital type bed to be mechanically articulated. 
When a particular roller has rotated sufficiently to provide the necessary 
slack, then the operator or patient will place switch 242 in the "Lock" 
position and all motors will stop rotating and in addition all of the 
clutches will be energized thereby coupling the rollers to their 
respective motors and thereby preventing any sheet motion. 
In the event the operator determines that too much or an excess of slack 
has been provided, then by placing switch 242 in the "Pull" position, the 
respective vo1tages to the common bus 190 and to the armature 214 of 
switch 243 will reverse polarity and the motors controlling the rotation 
of the rollers will and can only rotate in a direction so as to tighten 
the bedsheet or reduce the slack. When the appropriate amount of slack has 
been determined, the attendant places switch 242 in the "Lock" position. 
When switch 242 is in the center or "Lock" position, all applied voltage 
is removed from all motors; however, all clutches are energized as the 
positive voltage at terminal 224 is applied thru contacts 363, 362, 361 
and 360 of switch 242 to clutches 181, 183, 185 and 187. The negative 
voltage is applied thru contact 221 to the common bus 190. In the "Lock" 
position of switch 242, all rollers are mechanically coupled to their 
respective motors, and therefore, since each motor would have a speed 
reduction gear assembly associated with its output drive shaft, each 
roller would be locked or unable to rotate. 
When a patient is in a hospital bed and the back of the bed is raised and 
the patient has slid down to an uncomfortable position and wishes to be 
raised to a normal position, the attendant or patient may place switch 243 
in the "1st" or "2nd Head Roller" position as the case may be, and place 
switch 242 in the "PULL" position until person is raised to the desired 
position and then place the switch in the "Lock" position thereby 
preventing the bedsheet from further motion. 
When a bed sheet on any type of bed is excessively rumpled or bunched, the 
bedsheet can be tightened by the attendant or patient placing switch 243 
in the "1st Head Roller" position, and place switch 242 in the "Pull" 
position until the patient moves toward the head of the bed for about a 
foot or so. Then switch 242 is placed in the "Lock" position, and then 
switch 242 is placed in the "1st bed Feet Roller" position. Then switch 
242 should be placed in the "Pull" position until the patient is returned 
to his original starting position. The alternate pulling toward the head 
end and then toward the feet end of the bed will striaghten the sheet. 
The identical analogous slack control function applies to the lateral 
transfer bed so that the motor determining the rotational direction of 
rollers 22, 23, 24 and 25 of FIG. 6, 13, 14, or 19 can be made to rotate 
clockwise or counter-clockwise to adjust the bedsheet slack on the right 
and left sides of the bed so as to enable the beds to mechanically 
articulate. 
It is clear to those skilled in the art that a similar control system can 
be employed using AC motors. For example, in FIG. 41, polarized 
triple-pole triple-throw relays and AC motors which are connected through 
those relays to an AC power line could be substituted for the DC motors 
which are shown. Such relays, which normally employ permanent magnet 
armatures, can perform the functions of a conventional forward/off/reverse 
switch for an AC two-phase induction motor or single-phase capacitor 
motor, for example. With a positive DC control voltage on the positive 
reference terminal, the relay will switch in one direction to cause the 
motor to drive in the forward direction. With the polarity reversed, the 
relay will switch in the other direction to cause the motor to drive in 
the reverse direction. With zero control voltage, the relay will remain in 
its center position in which the motor is disconnected from the power 
source. Additional wires and connector contacts must be added to both beds 
to connect the AC power to input terminals on the polarized relays. 
FIG. 43 shows a specific circuit schematic diagram which enables the 
automatic transfer of a patient from the first bed 2 to the second bed 3 
or apparatus 3, and the automatic transfer of a patient from the second 
bed 3 or apparatus 3 to the first bed 2. 
This is basically accomplished by simultaneously energizing motor driven 
rollers on corresponding ends or sides of two adjacent beds or one bed and 
one adjacent apparatus, such that the rollers pull the respective flexible 
sheet material or bed sheets of the beds, and/or of one bed and the 
flexible sheet material of an apparatus, at the approximate same speed and 
in the same direction, that is, lengthwise (i.e., toward the head or feet 
end) in the case of longitudinal transfer arrangement or sideways (i.e., 
toward the left or right side) in the case of the lateral transfer 
arrangement. The person lying on one bed will be carried thereby from one 
bed onto the other bed or onto a similarly equipped apparatus 3. 
The final resting position of the person on the second bed or apparatus 
will, therefore, be determined by the period of time that these motors are 
engergized. The period of time is determined by the setting of the 
"Adjustable Delay Timer" 283 used in the circuit diagram of FIG. 43. 
In a similar manner, the reverse transfer from the second bed or apparatus 
to the first bed is accomplished by applying an opposite polarity voltage 
for an identical period of time to the corresponding opposite side or 
opposite end pair of motor-driven rollers. This will reverse the 
transporting piano roll or conveyor type motion of the bed sheet or 
flexible sheet material for the same period of time that was initially 
required to go forward (i.e., from the initial position on bed 2 to the 
corresponding position on bed 3 or apparatus 3) and therefore will 
transport the patient back to essentially the same position on bed 2 that 
the patient was at initially. 
In the schematic diagram of FIG. 43, all of the motors 186, 184, 182, and 
180 and their respective associated clutches 187, 185, 183, and 181 as 
well as their respective associated rollers 11, 12, 13, and 14 for the 
longitudinal transfer bed or their respective rollers 22, 23, 24, and 25 
for the lateral transfer bed, have directional rotations as described for 
FIG. 42. The clutches in FIG. 43 are all connected in parallel with their 
respective motors and are actuated when an appropriate applied voltage of 
any polarity is applied to its terminals. The electrical connections from 
control box 220 are made through connectors 218, 219, 217, 197 and 198 in 
a similar manner as described for FIG. 42. 
To transfer the patient from bed 2 to bed 3, the attendant or patient first 
places the "Reverse-Off-Forward" switch 239 in the "Forward" position 
which enables the positive DC voltage at terminal 233 of the power supply 
240 to be connected through switch armature 287 to terminal 290 of switch 
239, which in turn is connected to the armature terminal 258 of four pole 
relay 235 (shown de-energized). When relay 235 is energized, the positive 
DC voltage is then connected to terminal 262 and, therefore, applied to 
motor 180, associated clutch 181, and to motor 184, and associated clutch 
185. This causes their respective rollers to rotate in a direction which 
pulls the bed sheets of both beds in the same direction so as to move the 
patient from the first bed 2 to the second bed 3. Since switch 239 is in 
the "Forward" position, there is no voltage applied to motor 186, clutch 
187, motor 182, and clutch 183. Therefore their respective rollers 11 and 
13 for the longitudinal transfer arrangement and rollers 22 and 24 for the 
lateral transfer arrangement are mechanically free to rotate and thereby 
release the bed sheet or flexible sheet material. 
The position that the patient will be at on bed 3 or on apparatus 3 is 
determined by the period of time that relay 235 is energized. This period 
of time is determined by the setting of the "Adjustable Delay Timer" 283 
which actuates relay 236 (shown de-energized) at the end of the "delay 
time" setting which (in turn as described later) causes relay 235 to be 
de-energized. 
When switch 239 is in the "Off" position, all motors and clutches are 
de-energized. 
When the patient or attendant momentarily actuates "Momentary Start" switch 
238, the coil 266 of four pole relay 235 is momentarily energized by the 
positive voltage at terminal 233 of DC power supply 240 by being applied 
through terminals 291 and 293 of switch 238 to terminal 265 of relay 235. 
This causes the positive voltage at terminal 233 of the DC power supply 
240 to be applied through contacts 282 and 274 of relay 276 (since relay 
236 is normally in the de-energized state until the preset time delay has 
elapsed), through contacts 259 to 263 to 264 to 260 of relay 235 and to 
terminal 265 of relay coil 266 which maintains relay 235 in the energized 
state. The negative terminal 234 of DC power supply 240 is connected to 
terminals 267 and 268 of relays 235 and 236, respectively, as well as to 
terminal 285 of adjustable delay timer 283 and to common bus 190 which is 
connected to all motors and clutches. 
With relay 235 energized, the positive voltage at terminal 264 and 263 is 
also applied to terminal 284 of adjustable delay timer 283. When the 
positive voltage has been applied to timer 283 for a period of time equal 
to the time interval that had been manually preset, then the output of 
timer 283 is a positive voltage at terminal 296 which is applied to 
terminal 275 of relay coil 276 of relay 236. This, therefore, actuates 
relay 236 which causes its relay armature 274 to disconnect from contact 
282 and connect to open contact 281, which in turn removes the positive 
voltage applied through the contacts of relay 235 to relay coil 266, 
thereby de-energizing relay 235, which opens all of the contact closures 
of relay 235. This action removes the positive voltage from timer 283 and 
thereby resets it to zero time elapsed and also removes the positive 
voltage from any of the motors or clutches by opening the relay contact 
257 to 261 and relay contact closure 258 to 262. 
If the "Forward-Off-Reverse" switch 239 is placed in the "Reverse" 
position, the positive voltage of terminal 233 is then connected through 
armature 287 to terminal 288, of switch 239, to terminal 257 of relay 235 
which is shown de-energized. When relay 235 is energized as described 
earlier, the positive voltage is then connected to terminal 261 of relay 
235 and, therefore, applied to the negative terminal of motor 186 and its 
associated clutch 187, and to the negative terminal of motor 182 and its 
associated clutch 183. This produces a counter-clockwise or opposite 
rotation of their respective rollers for the period of time preset in the 
"Adjustable Delay Timer" 283, thereby pulling the sheets of both beds so 
as to move the patient from bed 3 to bed 2.