IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND EXERCISING APPARATUS FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carter, of New Cavendish Street, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES,
CHAIRS, AND EXERCISING APPARATUS FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS,”
Sealed the 23rd August 1878, and dated the 13th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th March 1878.
JOHN CARTER, of New Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND EXERCISING APPARATUS FOR THE
USE OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS."
My Invention relates to invalid bedsteads and couches made in sections jointed
together, and to exercising apparatus to be used either alone or in connection there-
with, and the objects of the Invention are,―
1st. To enable an invalid or bedridden person to adjust the sections supporting
the back and knees to any desired inclination without assistance.
2nd. To provide means whereby the bed may be adjusted to afford support to
those parts of the body only which can bear the pressure on the bed due to their
own weight, so as to avoid giving pain to a wounded limb or other similar local
injury.
3rd. To provide means for enabling a bed pan to be used with greater con-
venience.
4th. To provide an apparatus for enabling the muscles of the arms or legs to be
exercised, which apparatus may be used in connection with the invalid bed or
separately.
The first part of my Invention relates to the means for-regulating the inclination
of the back and knee sections of the bedstead. These consist in systems of toggle
bars or levers connected to the two sections to be adjusted, and operated by hori-
zontal screw shafts mounted in bearings beneath the bedstead, and provided with
nuts travelling on them and attached to blocks, which are connected by chains with
the toggle bars or jointed rods attached to the head and knee sections, there being
Din 077

page_text: a separate shaft for each section. These shafts project from the side of the bed-
stead, and are provided with a hand wheel in convenient reach of the occupant of
the bedstead, by which the shafts may be rotated, the nuts travelling on them being
prevented from revolving therewith.
The second part of my Invention consists in making the bedstead bottom of
horizontal padded cross bars or slats, which are moveable along the side bars of the
bedstead frame, and are secured thereto by bolts which extend through slots in the
fiame, and are secured by wing nuts beneath. By this arrangement the cross bars
or slats may be readily arranged so as to avoid undue weight or pressure on an
injured part of the body.
The third part of my Invention consists in providing an aperture in an invalid
bed bottom, and means for closing such aperture when not in use, the object of the
aperture being to enable a bed pan to be placed under the bed for use, instead of in
the bed, as hitherto. .A pad or cover is provided to close the said aperture, the
same being carried by an arm pivoted at one end to the frame of the bedstead, and
operated by a screw rod turned by a crank handle, and working through a nut
in a sliding cross bar connected to the pivoted arm by a rod or link jointed to
each.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to exercising apparatus, which may
either be adapted to a bedstead or chair, and consists of a seat supported on cams
on a cross shaft operated by lever handles, the seat being fitted to rise, fall, and
swing in a frame in which the parts are mounted; also to treadles for the foet, with
adjustable weights for regulating the work.
The object of the apparatus is to enable an invalid. to obtain exercise and motion-
similar to that of an equestrian, and this end is attained by the invalid sitting on
the movable seat above mentioned, and pulling the lever handles backwards and
forwards and working the treadles. The effect of pulling the lever handles back,
and forth is to cause the seat to be lifted by means of the cams against the weight
of the occupant.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Carter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th September
1878.
JOHN CARTER, of New Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND EXERCISING APPARATUS FOR THE
USE OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS.'
"
My Invention relates to invalid bedsteads, couches, and reclining chairs, which
are made in sections jointed together, and to exercising apparatus to be used either
alone or in connection therewith, and the objects of the Invention are,—
(1.) To enable an invalid or bedridden person to adjust the sections supporting
the back and knees to any desired inclination without assistance.
(2.) To provide means whereby the bed or seat may be adjusted to afford
support to those parts of the body only which can bear the pressure due to
their own weight, so as to avoid giving pain to a wounded limb or other local
injury.
(3.) To provide means for enabling a bed pan to be used with greater con-
venience.
(4.) To provide an apparatus for enabling the muscles of the arms or legs to be
exercised, which apparatus may also be used in connection with an invalid bed or
reclining board.
The first part of my Invention relates to the means for regulating the inclination
of the back and knee sections of an invalid bedstead, couch, or reclining chair.
These consist of systems of toggle bars or levers connected to the sections to be
adjusted, and operated by horizontal screw shafts mounted in bearings beneath the
chair or bedstead, and provided with nuts travelling on them, and attached to blocks
which are connected by chains with the toggle bars attached to the head and knoe
sections, there being a separate shaft for each section. These shafts project from the
sides of the bedstead, and are provided with hand wheels within convenient reach
of the occupant, by which the shafts may be rotated.
The second part of my Invention consists in making the bed bottom or mattress
of horizontal padded cross bars, which are movable along the side bars of the bed-
stead or mattress frame, and are secured by bolts passing through slots in the frame.
By this means the cross bars may be readily arranged so as to avoid undue weight
or pressure on an injured part of the body. This part of the Invention may also
be applied as a cushion for the seats or backs of couches or chairs with the same
object.
The third part of my Invention relates to an invalid bed provided with a central
aperture to enable a bed pan to be placed under the bed for use, instead of in the
bed, and it consists in a pad or cover to close the said aperture, carried by an arın
pivoted to the frame of the bedstead, and operated by a screw working through a
stationary nut, and traversing a slide which is connected to the pivoted arm by a
rod or link jointed to each.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to exercising apparatus, which may be
adapted also to an invalid bedstead or reclining board, and consists of a seat sup-
ported on and operated by a rock shaft worked by lever handles, the seat being
fitted to move up and down and back and forth in the frame in which the parts are
mounted. It also comprises treadles for the feet, with adjustable weights for regu-
lating the work.
The object of the apparatus is to enable an invalid to obtain exercise and motion
similar to that of an equestrian by sitting on the scat and moving the lever handles
backwards and forwards and working the treadles. The effect of pulling the lever
handles back is to cause the seat to be lifted under the weight of the occupant.
In the case of an easy chair the lever handles may be curved backwards so as to
form arms.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section on line 1, 1, Figure 1, of a
reclining chair, illustrating the first part of my Invention.
A, A, is the frame, and B, C and D are the movable sections supporting the
back and legs. I have represented the frames only of these sections (partly broken
away in Figure 1), omitting the canework or upholstery for the sake of clearness.
The section B is hinged to the frame at b, and the section C is also hinged thereto
at c, and the sections C and D are hinged together at d, and the lower end of
section D rests upon the frame A as usual. These sections aro adjusted at any
desired inclination by the following mechanisin:-The sections C, D, are raised and
lowered at d by means of toggle bars E, E', jointed together at e, the bar E being
jointed at e² to the under side of section C, and the bar E' working upon a pivot e
supported in a bracket fixed to the central bar A' of the frame. These toggles E, E²,
are operated by a hand wheel F at the left-hand side, fixed upon a transverse screw
shaft f, mounted in bearings in the frame A, and having upon it a traversing nut ƒ¹,
to which is attached one end of a chain G, that is connected at the other end to the
.toggle E¹, said chain passing round a pulley g mounted on a cross bar forming part
of the frame A. The nut f¹ is prevented from turning when the screw f is rotated
by being attached to a wood block that slides in contact with a cross bar above it.
By turning the screw so as to pull the chain and straighten the toggles E, E', and
vice versd, the sections C, D, are raised and lowered. The section B is operated by
a precisely similar arrangement, the hand wheel being at the right-hand side of the
couch or bedstead. It will therefore be unnecessary to describe it over again, as I
have indicated the parts by the same letters with the addition of an asterisk.
Figure 3 is a plan of a mattress or bed bottom made of movable padded cross
bars. This may either constitute the whole mattress or merely a section or portion
thereof. H is the frame of the mattress or of the bedstead, according as the
mattress is made separate from or in one with the bedstead, and I are wooden bars
padded on their upper side, and extending across and resting thereon, and fixed at
any desired intervals apart by screw bolts i attached to their under sides, and
passing down and secured by wing nuts i¹ beneath pairs of iron rods h, h, extending
longitudinally along the sides of the frame H, to which they are screwed at their
ends, between which rods the screw bolts i pass.
When applied as a cushion to a couch or chair the frame H is made to correspond
to the shape thereof.
Figure 4 represents a plan of an invalid bedstead, and Figure 5 a cross section of
same on line 2, 2, Figure 4; Figure 6 is a similar section, showing the aperture in
the bed bottom and the pan in position for use. The bedstead is constructed in
sections, hinged together, or otherwise in any ordinary way, and padded or covered
with a mattress, which rests at the middle part of the bedstead upon a wooden
frame K, in which, as well as in the mattress, an aperture is made corresponding to
the size of the pan. This aperture is closed or filled by a padded disc L, which
rises flush with the frame and mattress, as shown in Figure 5. This disc Lis
carried by an arm hinged at to the bedstead frame, and it is operated by turning
a winch handle key M on a screw m working through a nut m fixed to the bed-
stend frame, said screw m being mounted to turn freely in a sliding frame N, N³, of
which the part N¹ is fitted to slide along grooved guides n extending across the
bedstead frame. This part N¹ is also connected to the disc L by a rod or bar O
hinged to each, as shown. P is the pan, and p are supports or ledges upon which
the pan is hung by its flange or rim when in use, the padded disc being then drawn
down out of the way, as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 7 is a front elevation, and Figure 8 a longitudinal section of an exercising
chair for invalids' use; Figure 9 is a similar section of the seat only. R is the
chair frame, as usual, and S is the seat separate from the chair frame, to which it is
merely attached by pairs of radius links 8, 8, at each side. The front pair of links &

page_text: work on centres or pivots at each end, whilst the rear pair work on centres or pivots
at their upper ends only, the lower ends of the links being slotted at 8º to work up
and down on the pins, so that the seat, which rises with a parallel motion to the
position indicated in dotted lines, Figure 8, descends first to the dotted position,
Figure 9, and then falls suddenly into the line position. The seat has thus an
oscillating or jerky motion, besides a rising-and-falling motion. T is a rocking bar
hinged by one edge at t upon the chair frame, so that its opposite edge will describe
an are of a circle when the bar is oscillated by pulling back the lever handles U
fixed on the projecting ends of said bar T at either side of the chair. The bar T
extends across the chair beneath the seat, which rests upon it, and is by it raised to
the dotted position, Figure 8, together with the person sitting upon it, when the
levers are pulled backwards.
Instead of a wooden bar an iron shaft may be used, mounted in bearings on the
chair frame, and having cams or eccentrics upon it, which act against the under side
of the seat frame in the same way, as will be readily understood.
This mechanism may be applied to operate a reclining board or the middle section
of an invalid couch in the same way.
Vare pedals on levers v pivoted on the front cross bar between the chair lega
at vl, and extending backwards, and loaded with weights W at the rear part, the
said weights being adjustable thereon, for which purpose each weight is attached
to its lever by a stud wat the front end, whose head is received in a T groove in
the under side of the lever, and by a wing nut and bolt x, which passes through
the lever and through a longitudinal slot in the weight, so as to admit of the adjust-
ment of the latter, as seen in dotted lines. y, y, are straps to limit the motion of
the levers.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. In an invalid bedstead, couch, or reclining chair, the use of toggle bars
worked by a screw and nut, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
2nd. A bed bottom, mattress, or cushion, composed of padded bars secured
adjustably upon a frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
"
3rd. In an invalid bedstead provided with an aperture for a bed pan, the
mechanism for raising and lowering the padded disc which closes said aperture,
substantially as shown and described.
4th. The improved exercising apparatus, consisting of a movable seat or other
support for the body controlled by links, and operated, as herein described, by a
rock shaft or bar with lever handles worked by the occupant, substantially as shown
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carter, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN CARTER. (L.S.)