IMPROVEMENTS IN INVALID BED- STEADS.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sewall Warner, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancastor, and Samuel Stanton, of Southampton Row, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INVALID BED-
STEADS.'
"
Scaled the 28th August 1874, and dated the 3rd March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sewall Warner and
Samuel Stanton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 3rd March 1874.
We, SEWALL WARNER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
SAMUEL STANTON, of Southampton Row, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
INVALID BEDSTEADS," to be as follows:-
-
Our Invention relates to the novel construction of bedsteads to be
used in hospitals and other public institutions, and in sick rooms, for
infirm, sick, or injured persons who are confined to their beds and
unable to turn or move upon the same without assistance.

page_text: The said Invention is designed to supply a more thoroughly con-
venient and comfortable bed for such purposes than has heretofore been
obtainable, and at a cost which will bring it within the reach of afflicted
persons of all classes.
Our improvements are carried into practice as follows:-At the sides
of the bedstead we arrange rollers which extend from the head to the
foot of the bed and aro supported to turn freely in bearings attached to
the posts or uprights of the bedstead. To these rollers we secure the
edges of a sheet or apron upon which the patient lics. The journals of
the said rollers are supported to turn freely in bearings attached to the
posts or uprights. There are two sets of these bearings, one above the
other, and the rollers may be supported in either the higher or lower
bearings, as may be found desirable or necessary. By turning the said
rollers in their bearings the sheet is wound or coiled on them and the
patient is thereby raised above the bed to permit the same to be adjusted
or made, and to give it ventilation. By winding the sheet upon one or
the other of the said rollers separately the patient may be moved from
one side to the other side of the bed or turned over without being touched,
and if asleep almost without being disturbed or awoke. Moreover the
patient may be kept cool even when unable to move or to be moved,
thereby preventing soreness and breaking of the skin.
The bearings for the said rollers may be formed of brass, iron, or other
suitable metal, and may be secured by scrows, clamps, or otherwise to
the bedposts. The said bearings are open at the upper side to permit
the ready insertion and removal of the roller journals when it is desired
to change the said rollers from the upper bearings to the lower, or vice
versa. The said rollers are provided at one or both ends with ratchets
and pawls to hold them and prevent their turning back when the sheet
or apron is wound on them with the patient lying upon it. We prefer
to employ double pawls for cach ratchet wheel; one pawl is arranged to
take into the ratchet teeth, the other pawl is also arranged to take into
the said teeth but lies under the first pawl and rests upon a stud or pin
fixed in the bracket or bedpost. The lower pawl acts as a support for
the upper pawl when it is desired to throw the pawls out of use. One
of the roller journals is extended through its bearing and formed with a
square end for the reception of a crank or handle whereby the roller is
turned.

page_text: The bedposts are stayed at or near the top by rods, bars, or boards
placed between them.
In some cases instead of attaching the above described apparatus to
the bedstead, as above described, we attach it to a separate frame, which
may be placed upon an ordinary hospital bedstead or other bedsteads
which have no posts above the rail.
We also modify the said Invention by using a number of straps or
bands instead of a single sheet for supporting the patient. These straps
or bands may cach be adjusted separately by rollers or otherwise so that
any part or parts of the patient's body may be raised above the other
parts, or any part may be freed from support or pressure as desired.
We also still further modify the said Invention by providing the bed.
stead with a sliding frame whereon the bed is supported, and which may
be drawn out at the foot of the bedstead from under the straps or bands
to allow the bed to be adjusted or made without disturbing the patient
resting on the said straps or bands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sewall Warner and Samuel Stanton in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 3rd September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, SEWALL
WARNER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and SAMUEL STANTON,
of Southampton Row, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Sewall Warner and Samuel
Stanton, Her special licence that we, the said Sewall Warner and
Samuel Stanton, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Sewall Warner and Samuel Stanton, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INVALID BEDSTEADS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Sewall Warner and Samuel Stanton, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediatly after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Sewall Warner and Samuel
Stanton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
Our Invention relates to the novel construction of bedsteads to be
used in hospitals and other public institutions, and in sick rooms for
infirm, sick, or injured persons who are confined to their beds and unable
to rise therefrom, or turn or move upon the same without assistance.
The said Invention is designed to supply a more thoroughly con: a
venient and comfortable bed for such purposes than has herebefore been
obtainable, and at a cost which will bring it within the reach of afflicted
persons of all classes.
Our improvements are carried into practise as shown in the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bedstead 2
embodying our Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same
on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating à modification of
our said Invention.
Figures 1 and 2 show a wooden bedstead, and Figures 3 and 4 show a
an iron bedstead, but it is obvious that in either form of our Invention
the bedstead may be constructed of wood, or iron, or other metal, as
desired.
In Figures 1 and 2 a, a, a, a, are the bedposts, and b, b, are bars con-
necting the same; at the sides of the bedstead we arrange rollers ca
which extend from the head to the foot of the bed, as shown in Figure 1,

page_text: and are supported to turn freely in bearings d, e, d, e, attached to the
posts or uprights a of the bedstead; upon these rollers c we secure the
edges of a sheet or apron f of linen, calico, or other suitable fabric, upon
which the patient lies. There are two sets of these bearings, one above
the other, as shown in Figure 2, and the rollers c may be supported in
cither the higher bearings d, e, or the lower bearings d, e, as may be
found desirable or necessary. By turning the said rollers in their
bearings the sheet f is wound or coiled on the same and the patient is
thereby raised above the bed to permit the same to be adjusted or made
and to give it ventilation. By winding the sheet fupon one or the other
of the said rollers separately the patient may be moved from one side to
the other side of the bed or turned over without being touched, and if
asleep almost without being disturbed or awakened. Moreover the
patient may be kept cool even when unable to move or to bear being
moved, thereby preventing soreness and breaking of the skin.
The bearings or brackets d, e, d, e, for the said rollers may be
formed of brass, iron, or other suitable metal, and may be secured by
screws, clamps, or otherwise to the bedposts. The said bearings d, d', are
open at the upper side to permit the ready removal and insertion of the
roller journals when it is desired to change the said rollers from the
upper bearings to the lower, or vice versa. In combination with the said
rollers we provide at one or both ends of the same ratchets 9 and pawls ǹ
to hold them and prevent their turning back when the sheet or apron f
is wound on them with the patient lying upon it. We prefer to employ
double pawls for each ratchet wheel; one pawl is arranged to take
into the ratchet teeth, the other pawl i is also arranged to take into the
said teeth but lies under the first pawl h and rests upon a stud or pin j
fixed in the bracket or in the bedpost. The lower pawl i acts as á
support for the upper pawl h when it is desired to throw the pawls out
of gear with the ratchets. One of the journals of each roller is extended
through its bearing and formed with a square end for the reception of a
crank winch, or handle k whereby the said roller is turned to wind the
sheet upon the rollers or unwind the same as desired. The pawls may be.
made removeable to permit them to be adjusted to the two positions of
the rollers in their upper and lower bearings.
The bedposts at the foot of the bed are stayed at or near the top
by removable rod or bars 2, or a board placed between them, as shown
in Tious

page_text: In some cases instead of attaching the above described adjusting
apparatus to the bedstead as shown we attach it to a separate frame
which may be placed upon an ordinary hospital bedstead or other bed-
steads which have no posts above the rail.
In the modification of our said Invention illustrated in Figures 3 and
4 a, a, a, a, are four iron or brass posts braced or tied together in any
convenient manner. In this bedstead we use a number of straps or
bands m extended across the bedstead instead of a single sheet, as above
described, for supporting the patient. These straps or bands maro
attached by pins, buckles, or by other suitable means at n to longi-
tudinal bars extending from the head to the foot of the bedstead, and by
means of these buckles or other devices the straps may be tightened or
slackened, or in other words drawn up or let down separately so that
any part or parts of the patient's body may be raised above the other
parts, or any part may be freed from support or pressure as desired.
A further modification of this Invention, also illustrated in Figures 3
and 4, consists in the employment of the sliding frame, truck, or trundle o
below the aforesaid straps or bands. The bed is supported upon this
frame, which is drawn out at the foot of the bedstead from under the
said straps or bands to allow the bed to be adjusted or made without
disturbing the patient resting on the said straps or bands. This frame o
has feet o¹ provided with rollers whereon the said frame runs easily upon
the floor when moved into or drawn out of the bedstead. When the bed
is properly mado the said frame is pushed under the bedstead and raised
to support the patient and take the weight from the aforesaid straps by
the following devices:-The said frame is provided with hooks or
catches P which when the said frame is pushed under the bedstead will
take hold of other hooks or catches q attached to the ends of straps,
bands, or cords which pass around pulleys 8, 8¹; the pulleys &¹ are fixed
on shafts ; these shafts are geared by worms and worm wheels at 88
with the transverse shaft t; the end of the latter is formed to receive a
key or lever whereby the said shaft is turned, and by its rotation the
framo o with the bed will be raised or lowered as desired.
'
This last described modification of our Invention may also be used in
combination with a sheet or apron mounted on rollers as first above
described.
Having thus fully described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we wish it understood that we claim,-

page_text: First. In a bedstead which has a sheet or apron adjustable on and by
means of rollers the provision of the upper and lower bearings for the
said rollers so that the latter can be used in a higher or lower position.
as desired, as herein set forth.
•
Second. In combination with the said rollers and their ratchets the
double pawls, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. An invalid bedstead provided with the sheet or apron supported
on rollers at the sides of the bedstead, the double bearings formed in
brackets or plates secured to the bedposts, the ratchets and pawls, and
lever or winch, and with or without the removable stay rod or bar, as
herein set forth and for the purposes specified.
Fourth. A separate frame provided with the aforesaid adjusting
apparatus in combination with a bedstead, as hercin set forth.
Fifth. A bedstead provided with a number of separate straps or bands
for supporting the patient above the bed while the bed is taken from
under him, as herein set forth.
Sixth. In combination with the said adjustable straps, or with the
aforesaid sheet and rollers, the frame or truck on which the bed is
supported, sliding under the said straps or sheet and adjustable under
the same vertically and longitudinally, as herein set forth and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Stanton, for myself and on
behalf of the said Sewall Warner, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
SAMUEL STANTON. (L.S.)