Patent GB-1366111-A (GB)
Title: Hospital beds
IPC: A61B6/00
Filed: 1971-07-28
Abstract: 1366111 Hospital beds STOKE-ON-TRENT LORD MAYOR ALDERMEN & CITIZENS 28 July 1971 [28 April 1970] 20299/70 Heading A4J [ Also in Division A5] STRETCHER: A bed or stretcher 12 for use in medical treatment comprises an X-ray transparent base 14, a mattress 15 and traction apparatus and is removably mounted on a wheeled trolley 10. The stretcher 12 carries vertical arid horizontal X-ray plates 20, 21 respectively, a leg support 18 and a traction device 19. The stretcher 12 may be mounted on different trolleys having a height between about thirty inches and up to forty inches. The base 14 is made of timber or plastics and the frame 13 of the stretcher 12 has handles 16 which may be moved from a horizontal, in use position, to a vertical position. The stretcher 12 may include a backrest, a handrail, a bracket for carrying a drip-feed bottle or an oxygen cylinder, and a lockable device enabling a quick head-tilting movement to be effected. The stretcher 12 may be provided with removable sides at its central portion which is preferably constricted so that it just accommodates the patient. COT SIDES: Removable upstanding members 17 form a headboard and cot sides which may be solid or, alternatively, formed of tubular framework (17A), Fig. 7 (not shown) supported on legs (17B), Fig. 8 (not shown) having openings (17C) at the upper end to receive the framework (17A) to which the legs (17B) are welded. T-shaped openings (17D) in the lower end engage with pins (17E) carried by brackets (17F) secured to the frame 13. By raising the framework (17A), the legs (17B) may be rotated about the pins (17E) to another position or removed altogether. LEG SUPPORT: The leg support 18 includes a height-adjustable frame 25 at the foot end of the stretcher 12 and a telescopic support arm 26 which carries a transverse curved beam 27. A forked member 28 for engaging a pin attached to a patients' leg is connected by a length-adjustable constant tension spring 29 to an adjustable clamp 30. The spacing between the legs of the forked member 28, the extent of the telescopic arm 26, the tension of the spring and the position of the clamp 30 may be adjusted to support the leg in a desired manner. QUICK-RELEASE MECHANISM: The telescopic support arm 26 includes a quick-release mechanism consisting of telescoping tubes (26A, 26B), Fig. 4 (not shown), the inner tube (26A) having a slot (26C) with periodic enlarged openings (26D). A pawl (26E), Fig. 5 (not shown) is carried by a spring-biased plunger (26F) fitted with a button (26G) and has a sloping face (26J), Fig. 6 (not shown). When the tube (26A) is pulled out, the trailing edge of an opening (26D) urges the pawl (26E), against the bias of the spring (26H), into the tube (26A) and displaces the pawl (26E) from the opening (26D) so that the plunger (26F) can slide in the slot (26C) and the tube (26A) can slide out. Inward movement of the tube (26A) is effected after first depressing the button (26G). A similar mechanism may be provided to enable height adjustment of one or both ends of the stretcher 12.  TRACTION DEVICE: The traction device 19 comprises a pair of parallel traction members 35 of variable spacing connected by a lengthadjustable constant tension spring 36 to a clamp 37 movably mounted on the frame 25. The free ends of the members 35 are adapted to engage with the pin attached to the patients' leg. Traction may, alternatively, be provided by weights and pulleys (38), Fig. 1A (not shown). The spring 36 is preferably connected to the clamp 37 by a universal joint and is interchangeable with the spring 29. X-RAY PLATE SUPPORTS: The horizontal X-ray plate support 21 includes a plate holder 40 mounted on a frame 41 under the stretcher 12 and has an arm (42), Fig. 3 (not shown) projecting beyond the side of the stretcher 12 and fitted with a clamp or a V-section plate 43 for engaging part of an X-ray camera so that the X-ray plate may be properly aligned therewith. The vertical X-ray plate support 20 includes a plate holder 45 angularly adjustable on a support rod 47 which is itself slidably adjustable in a clamp 48 rotatably mounted on a vertical post 49. The position of the post 49 is adjustable on the bed.