Improvements in and relating to Ambulance Stretchers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ambulance Stretchers.
JAMES HENRY BOYCE Model Boat Maker Yarborough Villa Culver Road
Sandown Isle of Wight, do, hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
―:
A stretcher such as is used for army, police, ambulance and other purposes,
having a stay or cross bar of iron or other suitable material to keep the handles or
sides extended. The bed or bottom of stretcher of canvas or other material to be
fixed to the sides as usual, but divided in the middle from end to end of stretcher.
At certain distances along either and both edges of the division, rings or thimbles
of metal or other material are securely fastened at the under side. A strong cord
or strap is fastened to the stay at one end of stretcher threaded through each ring
at the division & tightly secured at the other stay.
In use the stretcher with a person on it is placed on a bed or other required
position. The cord or strap is unfastened & drawn out at either end, thereby
dividing the bed or bottom of stretcher, which is then lifted in the usual way by
the handles or sides & removed without disturbing the position of the person, or
causing pain or inconvenience.
Dated this 5th day of March. 1894.
Improvements in and relating to Ambulance Stretchers.
I, JAMES HENRY BOYCE, Model Boat Maker, of Yarborough Villa, Culver
Road, Sandown, in the Isle of Wight, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in ambulance stretchers.
The object of my invention is to construct a stretcher with a support for the
load so arranged that the stretcher can be moved clear from its burden without
disturbing the latter.
According to one mode of carrying my invention into practice I so construct the
support for the load that it tends to divide or open, and I combine it with means
which normally counteract that tendency but are capable of being operated to
permit the support to divide or open when desired.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an improved stretcher-constructed according to
my invention, and in readiness to receive a load; part of the load support is broken
away to show the part below.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of one end of the stretcher with the support for the load
open.
Like reference-letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: B are hinged and jointed end stays of the usual construction and arrangement;
they serve to keep the side-bars at a proper distance apart and are provided with
the usual or any other suitable means capable of maintaining them securely in an
extended position.
C'C' are the two parts of the load support, which in the present example are
flexible and are each fastened by one edge to the side bars A. and at the opposite
edge have eyes or rings D attached thereto.
E is a cord which has a handle or cross piece E¹, at one end and is passed
through the eyes or rings D, and the eyes B' B' drawn taut and held at the ends
by the cleat B³ and the eye B' to maintain the parts C1 C2 in the position in which
they are shown in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that the eyes or rings D on
both parts come into line. The part C' overlaps the part so that the patient
may not be inconvenienced by the eyes and the cord.
By untwisting the cord E from the cleat B3 and pulling it out of the stretcher
through the eyes B' D B' by means of the handle E which may be done quite
easily even if the stretcher with a burden upon it be placed on a bed the two
parts CC2 are released from each other and when the stretcher is subsequently
lifted will hang down as shown in Fig. 2. By this apparatus it is easily possible to
deposit a patient on a bed and to raise the stretcher up past him without causing him
pain or inconvenience.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
.
1. In an ambulance stretcher a support for the load so constructed and arranged
that the stretcher can be moved clear from its burden without disturbing the
latter.
2. In an ambulance stretcher a divided support for the load for the purpose
described.
3. In an ambulance etretcher a support for the load so constructed and arranged
that it tends to divide or part in the middle in combination with means which
normally counteract that tendency but which can be operated to permit the support
to divide or part when desired.
4. In an ambulance stretcher a support for the load in two parts in combination
with means for securing the two parts together capable of being readily operated
to disengage them from each other substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In an ambulance stretcher a flexible support for the load centrally divided
longitudinally and furnished with eyes or rings along the meeting edges in
combination with a cord or strap to pass through the eyes or rings and means
for securing the cord or strap in position substantially as and for the purpose
described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete ambulance
stretcher substantially as and for the purpose described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of November 1894.
JAMES HENRY BOYCE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant..