PATIENT LIFTING DEVICE

Abstract: A lifting device useful for lifting a patient is provided with a wheel supported base frame (11) having a guide (17) extending vertically, a carriage (21) guided for vertical movement by the guide, an elevating device (30) coupled between the base frame (11) and carriage (21) to raise or lower the carriage, a mounting plate (24) on the carriage (21), at least one patient lifting assembly (25) releasably engaging the mounting plate (24) and located laterally outwardly from the mounting plate, one at least of the patient lifting assemblies comprising a suspension bar (42) having on it a plurality of lifting ribs (45) clamped to the bar and slidable along or rotational about the bar (42), each rib (45) being of such curved shape as to be positionable beneath a patient, and clamp means (47, 49, 51) for clamping each rib (45) to the bar (42).

Description: "PATIENT LIFTING DEVICE" This invention relates to a lifting device which is useful for lifting a patient. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Traditionally a patient has been lifted by at least two nurses, but this can result in back injury, and in order to overcome back injuries, various lifting devices have been proposed in the past. By far the closest prior art known to the applicant is the German Patent 2460858 in the name of MICHAEL. KRAUS, and in that patent speci- fication there was shown a lifting tong arrangement which functioned in the manner of an ice tong to lift a patient from an overhead trolley. Such an arrangement is useful for certain special purpose requirements, but there are a number of problems which are likely to be encountered with the use of such an arrangement, and these include the problem of avoiding pressure points on patients who have been bedridden, the inability to move a patient laterally away from the lifting device if that is required, and the difficulty of "loading" and "unloading" the patient from the device. In addition to the above problems, another problem which is sometimes encountered is the difficulty of a device being moved through a doorway, and being suitable to gently lower a patient into a bath. It is most important that the patient should both be safe and feel safe, and that the pressure applied to the patient's body should be as even as is reasonably feasible over wide areas. In order to give special attention to certain parts of a patient's body, it is important that all parts of the patient's body should be accessible by having retractable portions of the device. Sometimes it is required that a patient should be lifted while in a sitting position while at other times it is required that the patient should be lifted while in a reclined position, and it is an object of the invention to provide means which will achieve all the above identified desiderata. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of the invention a lifting device useful for lifting a patient is provided with a wheel supported base frame having a guide extending vertically, a carriage guided for vertical movement by the guide, an elevating device coupled between the base frame and carriage to raise or lower the carriage, a mounting plate on the carriage, at least one patient lifting assembly releasably engaging the mounting plate and located laterally outwardly from the mounting plate, one at least of the patient lifting assemblies comprising a suspension bar having on it a plurality of lifting ribs clamped to the bar and slidable along or rotational about the bar, each rib being of such curved shape as to be positionable beneath a patient, and clamp means for clamping each rib to the bar. More specifically in the invention, a lifting device for lifting a patient comprises a base frame, wheels supporting the base frame, guide means extending vertically from the base frame, a carriage guided for vertical movement by the guide means, elevating means coupled to the base frame and the carriage operable to raise and lower the carriage, mounting means on the carriage, and at least one patient lifting assembly having mounting engagement means releasably engaging said mounting means, and located laterally outwardly from said mounting means. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lifting device having a patient lifting assembly comprising a plurality of curved ribs, FIG. 2 is an end elevation of FIG. 1, a reclined position, and it is an object of the invention to provide means which will achieve all the above identified desiderata. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of the invention a lifting device useful for lifting a patient is provided with a wheel supported base frame having a guide extending vertically, a carriage guided for vertical movement by the guide, an elevating device coupled between the base frame and carriage to raise or lower the carriage, a mounting plate on the carriage, at least one patient lifting assembly releasably engaging the mounting plate and located laterally outwardly from the mounting plate, one at least of the patient lifting assemblies comprising a suspension bar having on it a plurality of lifting ribs clamped to the bar and slidable along or rotational about the bar, each rib being of such curved shape as to be positionable beneath a patient, and clamp means for clamping each rib to the bar. More specifically in the invention, a lifting device for lifting a patient comprises a base frame, wheels supporting the base frame, guide means extending vertically from the base f ame, a carriage guided for vertical movement by the guide means, elevating means coupled to the base frame and the carriage operable to raise and lower the carriage, mounting means on the carriage, and at least one patient lifting assembly having mounting engagement means releasably engaging said mounting means, and located laterally outwardly from said mounting means. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lifting device having a patient lifting assembly comprising a plurality of curved ribs, FIG. 2 is an end elevation of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation illustrating a mounting member extension such as is used in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 hereof, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the curved lifting ribs of FIGS. 1 and 2 are positionable beneath a patient, FIG. 5 is a similar perspective view showing a patient being lifted in a reclined position by lifting ribs, FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section through the suspension bar of FIG. 5 showing the clamping means, FIG. 7 shows an alternative patient lifting assembly which comprises a seat frame assembly, and FIG. 8 is a staggered fragmentary cross-section of FIG. 7. (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are drawn in the opposite hand to the remaining figures.) In this embodiment, a lifting device 10 which is useful for lifting a patient, comprises a base frame 11 which is of general U-shape in plan, comprising a bridge portion 12 and two projecting arms 13, all supported by four castor wheels 14. The base frame 12 has guide means upstanding therefrom, the guide means comprising a *C section channel 17 having parallel inwardly facing guide surfaces 18 and 19 (FIG. 1), and these are engaged by the wheels 20 of the carriage 21 thereby guiding the carriage for vertical movement. The carriage 21 comprises a plate 22 which extends outwardly through the gap 23 of the C- shaped channel 17, and terminates at its outer end in a mounting member 24 which is a second plate facing a patient lifting assembly 25, and the patient lifting assembly 25 is located laterally outwardly from the mounting member 24 by either a mounting bracket 27 (FIGS. 4 and 5), or a combination of a foreshortened mounting bracket 27a and a mounting member extension 28 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 7). Lifting means for lifting the carriage 21 may comprise a hydraulic cylinder, but in this embodiment comprises an electrically operable linear actuator 30 which is co-operable between the carriage 21 and base frame 11, and is controlled by a battery switch and relay circuit contained in the casings 31 and 32. For both the arrangements of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 and of FIGS. 4 and 5, the mounting member 24 has a rear surface 34 and a front surface 35, and also comprises a plurality of apertures 36 the surfaces of which constitute support surfaces. The mounting bracket 27, or alternatively the mounting member extension 28, carries on it a loop 38 which loops over the upper end of the mounting member 24 and bears against the rear surface 34. Rearwardly extending pins 39 constitute rearward projections which engage the support surfaces of apertures 36 and inhibit inadvertent release or movement of the patient lifting assembly 25. It is important to provide a patient with a feeling of security, but clearly the projecting lugs and notches could be used in lieu of the pin and aperture arrangement described. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through to 5, the patient lifting assembly comprises a suspension bar 42 which is clamped between clamp members 43 (FIG.2) on the outer ends of brackets 27 [or alternatively brackets 27a of FIG. 1 which are of reduced length (when use is made of the mounting member extension 27)]. The suspension bar carries on it a plurality of resilient lifting ribs 45, each lifting rib 45 terminating at its upper end in releasable clamp means 46 (FIG.6), the releasable clamp means 46 comprising a loop end 47 of a respective lifting rib 45 connected back to the lifting rib 45 by means of a tension pin 48, and clamped by a clamping cam 49 which swivels about a pin 50 when a clamping lever 51 is actuated. The clamp however when released allows both slidable and rotational movement of each lifting rib 45 with respect to the suspension bar 42, and each lifting rib is of such curved device which can be used by one nurse without further assistance; the device can be wheeled through a doorway, and can be used to lower a patient into a bath; the spring lifting forks apply pressures which are so nearly even that there is little danger of discomfort to a patient; each fork can be individually retracted, and all this can occur not only without discomfort to the patient but also under circumstances wherein the patient can feel very safe.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 25 November 1986 (25.11.86); original claims 1—14 replaced by amended claims 1-13 (3 pages) 1. A lifting device which is useful for lifting a patient, comprising a base frame, wheels supporting the base frame, guide means extending vertically from the base frame, a carriage guided for vertical movement by the guide means, elevating means coupled to the base frame and the carriage operable to raise and lower the carriage, mounting means on the carriage, and a patient lifting assembly having a suspension bar, mounting engagement means on the suspension bar releasably engageable with said mounting means, and located laterally outwardly from said mounting means, a plurality of lifting ribs, and releasable clamp means between each said respective lifting rib and suspension bar which, when clamped, inhibits rotational or slidable movement of the lifting rib with respect to the suspension bar, but when released permits such movement, each said lifting rib being of such curved shape as to be positionable beneath a patient. 2. A lifting device according to claim 1 wherein said elevating means comprises a hydraulic cylinder. 3. A lifting means according to claim 1 wherein said elevating means comprises an electrically operable linear actuator. 4. A lifting means according to any preceding claim wherein said guide means comprise a 'C-section channel and said guide surfaces are parallel inwardly facing surfaces of the channel, and said carriage comprises wheels engaging those said surfaces. 5. A lifting means according to claim 4 wherein said mounting means comprises a mounting member extending outwardly from the mouth of said channel and having a plate without rear surface and a support surface, said mounting engagement means of the lifting assembly comprising a reaction member projecting rearwardly thereof and engageable against said rear surface of the mounting member plate, and a rearwardly extending projection below the reaction member which engages said support surface. 6. A lifting device according to claim 5 wherein said mounting member plate comprises a carriage plate which faces said lifting assembly, and contains an aperture extending therethrough near its lower end, said support surface being a surface of said aperture, said reaction member being a loop extending rearwardly of said patient lifting assembly, said rearwardly extending projection being a pin which enters said aperture and thereby engages said support surface. 7. A lifting device according to claim 1 wherein said suspension bar has a circular cross-sectional shape, and each said clamp means comprises a loop end of a respective rib and a cam and handle which is operable to open or close the loop. 8. A lifting device according to claim 1 or claim 7 wherein said patient lifting assembly further comprises a bracket having a front end and a rear end, said loop and pin projecting from said rear end, and further clamps on the front end which releasably clamp the suspension bar intermediate its ends. 9. A lifting device according to claim 6 further comprising a mounting member extension having a front plate and a rear plate, said loop and pin extending from said rear plate and releasably engaging said carriage plate, said front plate facing said lifting assembly and containing an aperture extending therethrough near its lower end, said support surface being a surface of said aperture, sleeves on respective said front and rear plates, an extension bar of U-shape having two legs rotatable within said sleeves and locking means on said sleeves operable to inhibit such rotation. 10. A lifting device according to claim 9 wherein said patient lifting assembly comprises a sling frame assembly, a sling on said seat frame assembly, a sling supporting plate on said sling frame assembly positionable face to face with said front plate, a further loop and a further pin on said sling supporting plate respectively engaging a rear surface of said front plate and a surface of said aperture. 11. A lifting device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in FIGs. 1, 2 and 3. 12. A lifting device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in FIGs. 4, 5 and 6. 13. A lifting device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in FIGs. 7 and 8.

Inventors: BURGESS PETER LLOYD, BURGESS SYDNEY LLOYD, BURGESS, PETER, LLOYD, BURGESS, SYDNEY, LLOYD
Applicants: BURGESS PETER LLOYD, BURGESS SYDNEY LLOYD, BURGESS, PETER, LLOYD, BURGESS, SYDNEY, LLOYD
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A61G7
IPC codes: A61G7