SPINAL TRACTION BEDS

Abstract: There is disclosed a spinal traction bed having chest strap means (12) and pelvic strap means (13) and traction-applying means operative to apply traction between said chest and said pelvic strap means and comprising a bed-mounted lever arrangement (22, 25) acting on said strap means through spring means (16).

Description: SPINAL TRACTION BEDS This invention relates to spinal traction beds. Spinal traction is conventionally applied by a physiotherapist using an electrically, hydraulically or mechanically actuated traction machine in a clinic or hospital. The machines are bulky and non-portable and quite expensive. Treatment is by appointment, which usually involves inconvenience to the patient, who has in any event to travel to the clinic or hospital for the treatment. Treatment on a daily basis, which would often be much more beneficial than less frequent treatment, is mostly not possible because of limited availability of the machine or the physiotherpaist or simply because of the high cost. Often the outpatient could simply not take time out of work for daily treatment over a prolonged period. As a result, available traction treatment is of little benefit and is not prescribed. The present invention provides spinal traction beds which are inexpensive and which do not need to be used in a clinic or hospital environment and which can be made so as to dispense with an attendant physio¬ therapist. The invention comprises a spinal traction bed having chest strap means and pelvic strap means and traction-applying means operative to apply traction between said chest and said pelvic strap means and comprising a bed-mounted lever arrangement acting on said strap means through spring means. Said chest strap means may be attached at the head end of the bed. Said pelvic strap means may be attached by a tension spring to a lever arrangement member which is movable in the direction away from the head end of the bed. The lever arrangement may be operable to apply different traction levels. The spring means may typically have a rate of 2.5 kg/cm. The lever arrangement may comprise a handle arranged to be within arm's length of a user strapped in on the bed, to enable self-operation. The handle may be on a lever pivoted at the foot end of the bed. The bed may have right and left handles (to enable two handed operation making it easier to apply a beneficial degree of traction and to balance the effort and avoid asymmetric strain on the user's back) of which one may be arranged to be initially operable within arm's length, use of which to apply traction brings the other to be operable within arm's length for continued application - this enables the second handle still to be located for best ease operation after the first has moved out of such location. The bed may comprise a metal frame supporting an upholstered bed board. The frame may have feet affording a fulcrum for the lever arrangement. The frame may be foldable having a divided bed board. The bed does not have to be large or bulky. The length may be such only as will support the back, the bed being essentially of shallow depth so that the legs and feet can rest on the floor. Such a bed, especially if foldable or provided with wheels at the foot end, is . readily portable, easily stowed away in a cupboard when not in use, readily deployable - being light in weight, not posing any untoward problem in deployment even for back sufferers - and packable for mail order delivery or for easy carry-home from a retailer. Embodiments of spinal traction beds according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment; Figure 4 is an underplan view of the embodiment of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Figure 3. The drawings illustrate spinal traction beds 11 having chest strap means 12 and pelvic strap means 13 and traction-applying means 14 operative to apply traction between said chest and pelvic strap means 12,13 and comprising a bed-mounted lever arrangement 15 acting on said strap means 13,14 through spring means 16. Said chest strap means 12 are attached at the head end 11a of the bed 11. As seen in Figure 1, the chest strap means 12 are attached to a frame 17 which stands ΌΠ feet 18 and which supports an upholstered bed board 19, the point of attachment being near the head end 11a. The chest strap means 12 comprise stout, wide inextensible webbing straps adjustably secured as tighly as required around the chest of the user by Velcro (RTM) or similar fastenings. In the embodiment of Figure 3 a webbing strap, securable around the chest as in the embodiment of Figure 1 by a Velcro (RTM) fastening, is sewn to the ends of two webbing straps 21 anchored to the underside of the bed board 19 which, in this embodiment, does not have a surrounding metal frame. The pelvic strap means 13 - made of webbing like the chest strap means 12 - are attached by tension spring 16 to a member 22 of the lever arrangement 15 which member is movable in the direction away from the head end 11a of the bed to apply the traction to the pelvic strap means through the spring 16. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the member 22 is an arm on a shaft 23 journalled in feet 18 of the frame 17. The member 22 is pushed against the action of the spring 16 by a rod 24 which is in turn moved by a handle 25 which toggles the rod 24 to maintain the spring 16 extended, as shown in broken line in Figure 1. The handle 25 is journalled in another pair of the feet 18 and is arranged to be operable within arm's length of the user strapped in on the bed 11. In fact, there are two handles 25a,25b one on each side of the bed 11. Handle 25a is initially, before traction is applied, elevated above the floor so that it can be grasped readily by the user and pushed away from the head end 11a of the bed. Handle 25b rests initially on the floor, being somewhat angularly displaced from handle 25a. At full traction - both handles meanwhile having been available to the user to balance the effort of applying traction - handle 25b remains within arm's length of the user even though handle 25a may have moved beyond arm's length, so that at least handle 25b is available to untoggle the lever arrangement and control the release of traction. The arrangement of the embodiment of Figure 3 is somewhat simpler as this is not intended for self- operation - here the handle 25 is fixed directly on the shaft 23 which carries the member 22 to which the pelvic strap means 23 are attached through the spring 16. The traction applied is adjustable by virtue of a ratchet and pawl arrangement 26 that locks the member 22 against return 'under the spring loading but which is readily released to end the traction. This embodiment is suitable for hospital or clinic use and being light in weight is readily portable and stowable so that it need not permanently occupy space but may be carried around e.g. from ward to ward and used for example on a bed or on the floor as may be desired. The embodiment of Figures 3 to 5 may be rendered more portable still by hingeing the bed board 19 where indicated at X in Figure 5 and providing a carrying handle. A spring having a rate of about 2.5 kg/cm is suitable. The spring may be marked with datum points at its ends which serve to indicate the amount of traction being applied by comparing the distance between the datum points with a chart.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A spinal traction bed having chest strap means and pelvic strap means and traction-applying means operative to apply traction between said chest and said pelvic strap means and comprising a bed-mounted lever arrangement acting on said strap means through spring means. 2. A bed according to claim 1, in which said chest strap means are attached at the head end of the bed. 3. A bed according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which said pelvic strap means are attached by a tension spring to a lever arrangement member which is movable in the direction away from the head end of the bed. 4. A bed according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the lever arrangement is operable to apply different traction levels. 5. A bed according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the spring means has a rate of 2.5 kg/cm. 6. A bed according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the lever arrangement comprises a handle arranged to be operable within arm's length of a user strapped in on the bed. 7. A bed according to claim 6, in which the handle is on a lever pivoted at the foot end of the bed. 8. A bed according to claim 6 or claim 7, having right and left handles of which one is arranged to be initially operable within arm's length, use of which to apply traction brings the other to be operable within arm's length for continued application. 9. A bed according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a metal frame supporting an upholstered bed board. 10. A bed according to claim 9, the frame having feet affording a fulcrum for the lever arrangement. 11. A bed according to claim 9, comprising a foldable metal frame having a divided bed board.

Inventors: CLARKE ALLAN, CLARKE, ALLAN
Applicants: CLARKE ALLAN, CLARKE, ALLAN
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A61H1
IPC codes: A61H1