Expandable litter apparatus

A litter apparatus including an expandable framework is arranged to have secured thereon a cover. The framework includes spaced parallel first tubular bodies, each having a second tubular body, with each second tubular body having a retractable third tubular body that in turn includes a fourth tubular body, wherein the tubular bodies are expandable relative to one another, with first and second forward expandable tubes mounted orthogonally between the first tubular bodies and first and second expandable rear tubes mounted orthogonally between the fourth tubular bodies, whereupon the actuation of plungers within the first tubular bodies permits release of the tubular bodies relative to one another in an expanded orientation relative to one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of invention relates to litter and stretcher structure, and more 
particularly pertains to a new and improved expandable litter apparatus 
wherein the same is arranged for compact transport and storage during 
periods of non-use and upon expansion for support of an individual 
thereon. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various stretcher apparatus is available in the prior art as well as 
restraint structure such as indicated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,014,374; 
4,601,075; and 4,970,739. 
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by 
providing for an organization arranged for ease of transport and storage 
and for subsequent expansion during periods of use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
litter apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides an expandable litter apparatus wherein a framework includes 
interconnected tube members nested relative to one another for expansion 
upon the actuation of a release mechanism cooperative with the tube 
members. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will 
be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and 
improved expandable litter apparatus which has all the advantages of the 
prior art litter apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention provides a litter apparatus including 
an expandable framework arranged to have secured thereon a cover. The 
framework includes spaced parallel first tubular bodies, each having a 
second tubular body, with each second tubular body having a retractable 
third tubular body that in turn includes a fourth tubular body, wherein 
the tubular bodies are expandable relative to one another, with first and 
second forward expandable tubes mounted orthogonally between the first 
tubular bodies and first and fourth tubular bodies, whereupon the 
actuation of plungers within the first tubular bodies permits release of 
the tubular bodies relative to one another in an expanded orientation 
relative to one another. 
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in 
the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed and 
it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of 
all of its structures for the functions specified. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which 
this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved expandable litter apparatus which has all the advantages of the 
prior art litter apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
expandable litter apparatus which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved expandable litter apparatus which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved expandable litter apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such expandable litter apparatus economically available to the 
buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved expandable litter apparatus which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 8 
thereof, a new and improved expandable litter apparatus embodying the 
principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated 
by the reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, the expandable litter apparatus 10 of the instant 
invention essentially comprises an expandable framework arranged to 
accommodate a cover 12 when the framework is in an expanded configuration, 
such as indicated in phantom in FIG. 1. To this end, the framework 
includes spaced parallel first tubular bodies 13 arranged in a coextensive 
relationship, with each of the first tubular bodies 13 having a first body 
end wall 14 spaced from a first body front wall 15, with a first handle 
tube 16 integrally mounted to the first body front wall 15 in a coaxially 
aligned relationship along an axis 32 of each of the first tubular bodies. 
It should be noted that the first tubular bodies and the nested tubular 
members associated therewith are duplicated and to this end, only one such 
elongate arrangement defined about its own axis 32 will be described, but 
it should be understood that such is the same for both of the first 
tubular bodies 13 and the associated tubular bodies nested therewithin. To 
this end, a second tubular body 17 is received within the first tubular 
body 13 through the first body end wall 14, with the second tubular body 
having a second tubular body end wall 18 receiving a third tubular body 19 
therethrough, with the third tubular body in turn including a fourth 
tubular body 20 retractably and expandably received through the third 
tubular body 19, such that the first, second, third, and fourth tubular 
bodies are coaxially aligned along the axis 32. A first forward tube 22 is 
fixedly and integrally mounted to one of the first tubular bodies 13, with 
the first forward tube 22 telescopingly receiving a second forward tube 23 
that in turn is integrally and fixedly mounted to the second of the first 
tubular bodies 13, such as illustrated in FIG. 1. A first rear tube 24 
integrally and fixedly mounted to the fourth tubular body 20 telescopingly 
receives a second rear tube 25 that in turn is fixedly and integrally 
mounted to the second of the fourth tubular bodies 20. It should also be 
noted that each of the fourth tubular bodies includes a second handle tube 
21 that is coaxially aligned with one of the first handle tubes, as 
illustrated. 
A first internal web 26 is mounted fixedly within each first tubular body 
13 in a spaced relationship relative to an adjacent first body front wall 
15, with a second internal web 27 mounted integrally within the second 
tubular body 17 in facing relationship relative to the first internal web 
26, such that a first spring 28 is captured between the first internal web 
26 and the second internal web 27. A third internal web fixedly mounted 
within the third tubular body 19 is arranged in a spaced facing 
relationship relative to a fourth internal web 31 fixedly mounted within 
the fourth tubular body 20, with a second spring 30 captured between the 
third internal web 29 and the second internal web 27 and a third spring 33 
captured between the third internal web 29 and the fourth internal web 31. 
The first, second, third, and fourth internal webs are arranged 
orthogonally relative to the axis 32, with the first, second, and third 
springs 28, 30, and 33 coaxially aligned relative to the axis 32. A fifth 
internal web 35 mounted fixedly within the first forward tube 22 is 
positioned in adjacency to one of the first tubular bodies 13, with the 
second forward tube 23 having a sixth internal web 36 in a facing 
relationship relative to the fifth internal web 35 to capture a fourth 
spring 74 therebetween. A seventh web 76 mounted within the first rear 
tube 24 is arranged in a spaced facing relationship relative to an eighth 
web 77 within the second rear tube 25 to capture a fifth spring 75 
therebetween. 
The third tubular body 19 as indicated is formed with a third tubular body 
abutment lug 37 slidably mounted within a fourth tubular body slot 38 
directed in the fourth tubular body to maintain desired axial displacement 
of the third and fourth tubular bodies relative to one another. Also as 
illustrated in FIG. 2, the first forward tube 22 is formed with a forward 
first tube lug 51 slidably mounted within a forward second tube slot 52, 
and the first rear tube 24 is formed with a rear first tube lug 53 and a 
rear second tube slot 54 positioned within the second rear tube 25 to 
maintain desired displacement of the forward and rear tubes relative to 
one another when expanded, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 in phantom. 
A first latch 34 is pivotally mounted within each first tubular body 13 
arranged for engaging a second tubular body opening. A plunger 39 is 
reciprocatably mounted through each first tubular body, having a first 
cable 40 extending about a first guide roller 41 to the first latch 34, 
such that upon projection of the plunger 39 within the first tubular body, 
the first latch 34 is displaced relative to the second tubular body to 
permit the first spring 28 to displace the first tubular body relative to 
the second tubular body. Further, between the first internal web 26 and 
the first body front wall 15 are spaced second and third guide rollers 42 
and 43 directing a second cable 45 that has one end mounted to the plunger 
39 and its second end secured to a second latch 46 pivotally mounted 
within the first forward tube 22, and in turn received within a second 
forward tube aperture. Third and fourth guide rollers 43 and 44 
respectively guide the second cable to the second latch, as illustrated in 
FIG. 2. 
A third latch 47 pivotally mounted within the first tubular body 13 is 
arranged for engaging a second tubular body opening 17. Fourth latch 48 
pivotally mounted within the second tubular body 17 is arranged to engage 
a third tubular body opening 19. To this end, the first cable 40 extends 
from the first latch 34 to the third latch 47 to provide for simultaneous 
disengagement of the first and third latches. Upon release of the second 
tubular body relative to the first tubular body, a first end wall lug 48a 
mounted to the first tubular body end wall 14 is slid through the first 
end wall lug receiving slot 48b within the second tubular body to engage 
the fourth latch 48 and displace the fourth latch relative to the third 
tubular body opening thereby permitting displacement of the second and 
third tubular bodies relative to one another by action of the third spring 
33 and the second spring 30, with the third spring 33 imposing upon the 
fourth intermediate web 31, such that when the second tubular body is 
displaced, the second tubular body end wall 18 engages the fifth latch 49 
displacing the fifth latch and thereby tensioning a third cable 50 that is 
guided about a fifth guide roller 55 to a sixth latch 56 that is pivotally 
mounted to the first rear tube 24 and received within a second rear tube 
opening thereby releasing the first and second rear tubes relative to one 
another by action of the fifth spring 75. When the framework 11 is thereby 
in the expanded orientation, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the cover 12 may be 
mounted. To this mounting, the cover may employ, as illustrated in FIG. 4, 
a plurality of keyhole openings 61 arranged to receive engaging heads 62 
mounted along the framework 11 at spaced intervals. 
The FIG. 3 indicates the use of conventional latch structure, such as the 
fourth latch 48 that is formed with a latch axle 58 pivotally mounting the 
fourth latch and an engaging finger 57 to engage an adjacent tubular 
member, wherein a spring engaging flange 59 is orthogonally directed from 
the fourth latch to receive an engaging spring 60 to bias the latch in an 
interlocked relationship. 
The FIG. 5 indicates the use of cover openings 63, or a plurality of such 
openings, including belt retraction housing 64 mounting a securement belt 
65, that in turn includes a securement belt latch 66, with a retraction 
spring 67 secured to the securement belt 65 within the latch housing to 
bias the belt within the latch housing. A companion belt 68 having a 
buckle 69 is arranged for engagement to the securement belt latch 66. 
The FIGS. 7 and 8 indicate the use of a container 70, having a container 
cover 71 secured to the container by a zipper 72 to secure the framework 
and cover therewithin during periods of storage and transport of the 
organization, with a handle 73 mounted to the container for ease of 
transport of the container and organization. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant 
invention shall be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.