Stretcher

Abstract: This stretcher is especially destined to lift patients, in a delicate state, on to said stretcher from a plane surface, i.e. the ground, and then proceed to his/her transportation. Said stretcher consisting of a frame (3) that includes longitudinal beams (4) among which there is a slightly inclined plate (12). Said plate being surrounded by a flexible sheet (1) that can slide on said plate and on both longitudinal beams. Along said longitudinal beams there are a series of recesses in which the teeth of dented wheels penetrate. Said dented wheels pertaining to a rotating axis, its ends being joined to a bow-shaped base (2)with legs (7) that support the stretcher. Said flexible sheet being fixed to said base. An end of said rotating axis, which has driving means, projecting at the side of said base.

Description: The invention relates to a stretcher, and more particularly with a stretcher to lift and transport patients that lie on an irregular surface and that have to be lifted and transported with the least possible trauma. This type of stretcher is useful for patients being in very serious conditions and that should not be lifted to be put on a stretcher. The stretcher of the present invention is particularly useful in those situation in which people injured in car accidents remain lying on the ground with traumatisms that make it necessary to take them to an ambulance, avoiding changing their position in order not to aggravate their health. Devices for the transfer of patients based on conveyor belts that are introduced under the body of the patient, avoiding the transfer are known from the USA patent N. 3.493.979. In said patent two superposed continuous conveyor belts are used. Said conveyor belts surrounding separators, which are in the form of retractile plates. Another type of stretcher is the one disclosed in USA patent 4.077.073, by the same inventor, in which a new feature is added, improving the previous invention. Said improvement being the addition of lever bars to adjust the distance between the rolls that drive the continuous conveyor belt. Furthermore, USA patent 4,680,818 discloses a device to move persons that are lying down by means of two belts rollable around two rolls and two extensible plane plates. Said plates are also retractable horizontally on said surrounding belts. A stretcher according to the preamble of claim 1 is further known from document US-A-3 760 435. The advantage of the stretcher of the present invention is the simplicity of its mechanism in comparison with other known devices. Its essential difference being that the flexible band or sheet does not have any movement, the slightly inclined plate being the one with movement. The main object of the invention is a stretcher to lift the patient on to said stretcher from a plane surface and then proceeds to his/her transportation. The stretcher consists of a frame that includes a longitudinal beam among which there is a slightly inclined plate. Said plate being surrounded by a flexible sheet that can slide on said plate and on both longitudinal beams. Along said longitudinal beams there are a series of recesses in which the teeth of dented wheels penetrate. Said dented wheels pertaining to a rotating axis, its ends being joined to a bow-shaped base with legs that support the stretcher. Said flexible sheet being fixed to said base. An end of said rotating axis, which has driving, means, projecting at the side of said base. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at the end of the longitudinal beams corresponding to the lower end of said sheet there are wheels for the movement of the stretcher. In said preferred embodiment of the invention, at the end of the longitudinal beams corresponding to the lowest end of said sheet there are leading edges comformed is such a way that when they move on irregular ground said longitudinal beams, when in contact with the ground, act as a glider (for example, a sledge) In said preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving means at the end of said axle are a coupling to a crowbar that has a lifting mechanism in order to make said axle rotate. In said preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving means at the end of said axle is a coupling to a speed reducer coupled to a driving motor. In the mentioned embodiment of the invention, the ends of said flexible sheet are joined by means of a part which, simultaneously is fixed to said base. These and other features of the invention will be described with reference to the following description. In the description, the figures show Figure 1, a view in perspective of the stretcher, Figure 2, a top view of the superior part of the stretcher, Figure 3, view of a part drawn in the line II-II in figure 2, and Figure 4, a detail of three different moments during the use of the stretcher. In the figures it can be observed that the stretcher includes a flexible sheet 1 surrounding the plate 12, having one of its ends in a lower position respecting the other end. Said plate 12 being fixed to a frame 3 having at the superior edges a toothed bar 4 on which corresponding dented wheels 10 work, being mounted on an axle supported by the base 2. The base 2, that surrounds the set of frames, at the same time is the support by means of the legs 7, said support sets the position of the stretcher on the plane surface on which it is placed. Furthermore, the piece 14 that joins their ends of the flexible sheet 1 is fixed to the base 2. One of the ends of said axle projects through the side of the base and has a coupling for a detachable crowbar 8 that, by means of a lifting mechanism, rotates the axle or, else, can be coupled with a set of a motor and a reducer. At one end of the frame, corresponding to the lowest point of the sheet 12, and in the inferior part, the wheels 5 are found. Said wheels 5, together with the legs 7 constitute the support of the stretcher when the same is used. The are also useful for the transportation of the stretcher when it is lifted by means of the bar 13. In the same end in which the wheels 5 are found, the handles 6 can be found. Said handles 7 are used to lift this end when the patient must be transported. The way in which the stretcher is used can be seen in the figure in which a person lies on a plane surface, see figure 4a, the stretcher is drawn near the person in the direction of the arrow with the base 2 in the position nearest the end corresponding to the wheels 5, letting the legs 7 rest on the ground. Then, by means of a crowbar 8 the driving axle of the dented wheels 10 is rotated, see figure 4b. Said dented wheels 10, being engaged to the toothed bars 4, move the frames 3 in the direction of the arrows and up to the patient. Due to the fact that the ends of the flexible sheets 1 are fixed to the base 2, when the frames 3 advance, the superior part of the flexible sheet 1 remains in the same position respecting the surface on which the stretcher lies. Consequently, the end of the plate 12 is introduced between the patient and the surface on which he/she lies without any friction, nor brusque movements, as said end of the sheet 1 is very close to the surface on which the patient lies. Then, the crowbar 8 is rotated until the base 2 meets the other end of the stretcher and the patient then is completely on the stretcher, see 4c, after taking off the crowbar 8, the stretcher is held by the bar 13 and by the handles 6 in order to effect the transportation of the patient. Alternatively, instead of using the crowbar 8, the axle can be coupled with an electrical motor 9 with its corresponding redactor. Said motor lies on the same surface where the stretcher is and is activated and disactivated by means of a switch.

Claims: STRETCHER of the type useful to lift the patient on to said stretcher from a plane surface and then proceed to his/her transportation, said stretcher includes a frame (3) having longitudinal beams among which there is a slightly inclined plate (12), said plate being surrounded by a flexible sheet (1) adapted to slide on said plate and on both longitudinal beams; characterised in that along said longitudinal beams there is a series of recesses (4) in which the teeth of dented wheels (10) penetrate; said dented wheels pertaining to a rotating axis, its ends being joined to a bow-shaped base (2) with legs (7) that support the stretcher; the ends of said flexible sheet being fixed to said base, an end of said rotating axis, which has driving means, projecting at the side of said base. STRETCHER, in accordance with claim 1 wherein at the end of the longitudinal beams corresponding to the lower end of said sheet there are wheels (5) for the movement of the stretcher. STRETCHER, in accordance with claim 1 wherein the longitudinal beams are arranged in a lateral way respecting said sheet. STRETCHER, in accordance with claim 1 wherein the longitudinal beams are disposed in a transversal way respecting said sheet. STRETCHER, in accordance with claim 1 wherein the driving means at the end of said axle is a coupling to a crowbar having a lifting mechanism in order to rotate said axle. STRETCHER, in accordance with claim 1 wherein the driving means at the end of said axle is a coupling to a speed reducer coupled to a driving motor. STRETCHER, in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ends of said flexible sheet are joined by means of a part (14) which, simultaneously is fixed to said base.

Inventors: BLOTTA CLAUDIO ARTEMIO, BLOTTA, CLAUDIO ARTEMIO
Applicants: BLOTTA CLAUDIO ARTEMIO, BLOTTA, CLAUDIO ARTEMIO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A61G1
IPC codes: A61G1, A61G7