An Improved Waterproof Bed-protector with Peripheral Air Cushion.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Waterproof Bed-protector with Peripheral Air
Cushion.
CHARLES LEO BIRMINGHAM, Bachelor of Medicine, living at High Green, near
Sheffield Yorkshire, England, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
A piece or pieces of indiarubber sheeting or other waterproof material of con-
venient size and shape is so made that its outer border or edge will admit of being
pneumatically inflated in such a manner that the inflated portion shall form a raised
cushion or rim. This inflated portion is not to extend along the whole of the outer
edge of the said piece of indiarubber sheeting or other waterproof material but a
small portion of the said edge or rim is to be left uniuflated in such a manner that
this uninflated part taken together with the ends or cornua of the inflated rim or
cushion shall form a channel through which shall flow or can be made to flow any
liquid or fluid from other parts of the said india-rubber piece of sheeting or other
waterproof material.
The object of this my invention is to preserve from being soiled stained
soaked or wetted in any manner whatsoever, a part or the whole of any couch.
bed or similar support or the coverings of, or bedding, mattresses, pillows or
anything whatsoever which may form part of or in any way cover any such couch,
bed or similar support by placing beneath the body of or some portion of the body
of any patient or other person the aforesaid improved waterproof bed protector
with peripheral air cushion, at such times and in such manner as may be necessary
and useful.
And I declare that my invention consists in the partially surrounding the piece
of india-rubber sheeting or other waterproof material with the inflated cushion or
rim as above described.
Dated this 11th 1
100
An Improved Waterproof Bed-protector with Peripheral Air
Cushion.
I, CHARLES LEO BIRMINGHAM M.B. Beh., of High Green, near Sheffield, in
the County of York, Medical Practitioner, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to waterproof bed protectors for use in obstetrical and
gynecological operations, its object is to preserve from being soiled, stained, soaked
or wetted in any manner whatsoever a part or the whole of any couch, bed or
similar support, or the covering, bedding, mattresses or pillows, or anything which
may form part of, or in any way cover any such couch, bed or similar support
during obstetrical or gynecological operations, and also to so form arrange or

page_text: construct said improved waterproof bed protector, that when not in use it may in a
simple manner be reduced in size so as to become easily portable; to attain which
I construct, arrange or form my improved waterproof bed protector substantially
as set forth in the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of this
Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a plan of one shape or form of my improved waterproof bed protector
shown in working position upon a part of a bed. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevation
of same when not in use.
and
Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation taken on line a a of said Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar cross sectional elevation of a modification of my invention,
Figs. 5. 6 and 7 are plans showing modified forms of my improved bed
protector.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
I preferably take two pieces of indiarubber or other suitable waterproof
material A cut to any of the shapes shown, and I cement or otherwise fasten them
together or one upon the other in such a way that the outer board or edge a¹ will
admit of being pneumatically inflated so as to form a partially peripheral raised air
cushion or rim.
The said inflatable portion a' does not extend around the whole periphery or
margin of my improved bed protector A, as a small portion of the said margin or
edge is arranged at a³ so as not to be capable of inflation, but is arranged in such a
manner that the said uninflatable part a' taken together with the ends of cornua a³
of the inflatable part a' forms a channel a² through which may flow any liquid
or fluid from other parts of the surface within the marginal inflated rim or
periphery a¹.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to any exact shape
although I prefer for the majority of operations to use the shape shown at Fig. 1,
and I prefer to make the bed protector sufficiently large in order that a patient
may where practical sit upon the part within the inflated peripheral as shown at
Fig. 4.
Also I in some cases make the bed protector of one piece of material as shown at
Fig. 4.
I fix a receiving tube a' for the purpose of conducting air into the inflatable
parts a so that the rim or periphery may be blown up or inflated when it is
required to use the bed protector similar to the inflation of a pneumatic tyre or
football, and when it is desired to remove the said bed protector it is only necessary
to allow the air to escape through the conductor at by which means the protector
obtains to the form of one flat sheet and consequently becomes very portable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a waterproof bed protector for use in obstetrical and gynecological
operations the combination of two sheets of waterproof material so secured
together that a part of the periphery is pneumatically inflated, and the remainder
is left flat so as to leave a passage for the flow of liquid substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. In a waterproof bed protector the combination of partially surrounding a
sheet of indiarubber or other waterproof material with a pneumatically inflated
cushion or rim and leaving a clear passage for the flow of liquid from the inner
part of said rim substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 77th dan of Mar 1895
H. F. BOUGHTON,
Registered Patent Agent, Barnsley.