CANTILEVER ARM PATIENT LIFTER-TRANSPORTER

Abstract: The patient transporter of the invention comprises a mobile base frame with a support pillar mounted thereon having means for raising and lowering a cantilever arm which is not movable in a horizontal plane, a convertible stretcher-chair structure has its chair base portion rotatable mounted on the cantilever arm and located centrally over the base frame.

Description: CANTILEVERARMPATIENTLIFTER-TRANSPORTER Various wheel-chairs are known that can perform functions other than just transportation. A common additional function is the toileting operation. Other operations are moving a patient on to and off a bed, into a out of a motor vehicle and also bathing in a tub. These functions are achieved with an off-set support column and a horizontally rotating cantilever arm or by a centrally plac support column and a sliding patient holder. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for moving and/ transporting invalids or other incapacitated persons, herei after generally called "patient", various forms of such apparatus presently known suffer from the defect that they are not versatile enough, that is, they are restricted in th number of operations that they can perform. For instance, most wheel-chairs are wheel-chairs only and most transporter capable of moving a person from a bed are not capable of acting as a wheel-chair or to perform other duties. The most essential functions required by a patient handling apparatus are as follows:- (a) moving a patient on to and off a bed, (b) toileting a patient, (c) bathing a patient, (d) moving a patient in and out of a motor vehicle, (e) tilting a patient to relieve pressure points, a (f) tilting a patient so that the patient is more o less vertical so weight can be put on the lower limbs. it is possible with the apparatus of the present invention to achieve any one or more of the above entioned functions. In addition to the foregoing, the apparatus will act as a normal wheel-chair and such a chair may or may not be electrically powered. The electrical power and operation may include the lifting and lowering of the seat portion as well as the driving of the chair forwards and backwards and steering it as required. In one broad form the apparatus of the invention comprises a base frame mounted on wheels or the like for OM?I movement in both fore and aft directions, characterised by support and lifting means mounted centrally at the fore or aft end of the base frame and having a cantilever arm connected to the lifting means, said arm extending towards the centre of the base frame and a patient holding structure rotatably connected to the cantilever arm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a side view. Fig. 2 is a front view, Fig. 3 is a view of an extended patient holding structure, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus with the patient holding structure removed. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OPT THE INVENTION The base frame 1 is of a general ϋ-shape with wheels or the like 2 mounted at each corner thereof. The support means 3 is mounted centrally and to the front or rear end of the base frame 1. Associated with the support post 3 is lifting means 4. These lifting means may comprise any suitable raising and lowering means such as a rack and pinion, hydraulic jack and the like. These -means may be mechanically or electrically operated. Attached to the lifting means 4 is a cantilever arm which extends towards the centre of the base frame from the lifting means. Rotatably attached to the cantilever arm 5 i a patient support structure 6. Such a support structure may take various forms and in the one- shown in the drawings it i an articulated stretcher which can be folded into the form o a chair. It is shown in its stretcher form in Fig. 3 and it chair form in Figs. 1 and 2. It is an essential feature of the invention that the seat portion of the patient holding structure is rotatably mounted on the cantilever arm. The connection is so arrange that the seat portion is centrally placed over the base " fram so that when the patient holding structure is rotated, the patient's weight will remain centrally placed over the base frame. This is essential for stability of the aparatus during various operations that can be performed on it. In this arrangement the lifting means is located under the seat and behind the leg portion of the chair and so does not interfere with the various movements of the patient. The connecting means shown in the- drawings between the patient holding structure and the cantilever arm takes 5 the form of an annular recess 9 in the cantilever arm with matching circular boss 10 on the underneath side of the sea portion of the patient holding structure 6. Of course, any suitable rotatable connection may be used here, the actual type of rotatable connection not being important to the 10. inventive concept. Bearing and braking means may be includ The connection between the cantilever arm and the lifting means may be a fixed one. On the other hand, if th desired functions of tilting to relieve pressure points and tilting to enable the patient to be positioned more upright 5 are required, then the connection between the cantilever ar and the lifting means must be a rotatable one to give rotation in a vertical plane. This rotatable connection ma take any suitable form such as camfollowers, trip means and levers, and in the form shown in the drawings the bolt 7 is 0 fixed to the cantilever arm but is rotatable on its longitudinal axis by rack and pinion means within the liftin means. The apparatus may be manually operated both in lifting and fore and aft movement or it may be electrically 5 operated. In the electrical apparatus batteries 8 are mounted on the base frame and the patient holding structure • is provided with an arm 11 on which control means 12 are conveniently placed for the patient. The apparatus is shown with large wheels at one end 0 and smaller wheels at the other. The large wheels can be driven by a small electric motor on each wheel, each motor being separately actuable so that steering can be achieved b varying the drive to each motor. The other wheels are usually smaller and rotatable castor type. This enables the 5 apparatus to be manoeuvrable under the side of a motor vehicle so that a patient can be deposited therein. The patient can drive the wheel-chair in both the fore and aft direction up to a desk, bench or the like in a working position for the patient. The general ϋ-shape of the base frame enables the apparatus to be fitted round a toilet. Th apparatus can easily perform the operation of getting a patient on to and off a bed. In this operation, the patient support structure would be in the stretcher formation and th tilting means can assist the patient off the stretcher and assist rolling over. The patient support structure would then be altered to the chair configuration so that the patient can visit the toilet or move about in a normal wheel-chair operation. The overall design of the apparatus is such that it can be made less than 22 inches wide so that it can accommodate the narrowest doors usually found in most dwellings, hospitals and the like. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY This invention is capable of manufacture in the mechanical engineering industry.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A patient transporter comprising a base frame mount on wheels or the like for movement in both fore and aft directions, characterised by a support and lifting means mounted centrally at the fore or aft end of the base frame and having a cantilever arm connected to the lifting means, said arm extending towards the centre of the base frame and patient holding structure rotatably connected to the cantilever arm. 2. A transporter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patient holding means is an articulated stretcher which can be converted into a chair formation with the base of the chair rotatably connected to the cantilever arm. 3. A transporter as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein t patient holding means can be rotated through 360 degrees on the cantilever arm. 4. A transporter as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two driven wheels at one end of the base frame and two castors at the other end. 5. A transporter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the driven wheels are rotated by a separate electric motor on each wheel and steering can be achieved by varying the operation of each motor. 6. A transporter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection of the cantilever arm to the lifting means comprises tilting means which permits the rotation of the cantilever arm in a vertical plane about the axis- of the connection so that the patient support structure can be tilted in a fore and aft direction. 7. A transporter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifting means is manually, mechanically or electrically operated. 8. A transporter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tilting means is manually, mechanically or electrically operated. 9. A transporter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support and lifting means is an hydraulic jack. O PI \vι?o

Inventors: BOYER ADRIAN J, METCALFE ROBERT J, RICHARDSON WILLIAM R
Applicants: BOYER ADRIAN JOHN, METCALFE ROBERT J, RICHARDSON WILLIAM R, BOYER ADRIAN J
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A61G5
IPC codes: A61G3, A61G5, A61G7