Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 18th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 18th Jan., 1887.
I, THOMAS ANDREWS, of 114 High Street, Harborne in the County of Stafford,
Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to that class of Couch or Pallett made with 3 hinged frames,
each frame capable of being raised to any required angle, In any case this requires
considerable personal strength and under many circumstances is attended with a
degree of jolting to the patient occupying it. To obviate this, is the chief object of
my invention and this I effect by rendering the raising as well as the lowering,
mechanically dependant upon the operation of the apparatus I provide.
The further advantages consequent upon the use of my arrangement are that it
closes into a comparatively small compass, is self stopping in all positions, and may be
worked by a child without any exertion on its part or inconvenience to the patient.
Fig. 1. Plan.
Fig. 2. Elevation..
Fig. 3. Partial Sectional Elevation.
Fig. 4. Sectional Elevation cut through at X---X of plan.
Fig. 5. Part of Fig. 3.
The letters of reference apply to same parts in each Figure.
The Framework A is similar to that of an ordinary extending dining table with 2
extra legs under the centre and is worked by an extending Screw B Fig. 3 which is
fixed to foot end of frame with its nut C fixed on the centre rail D of head end-
The power of the extending screw being more than sufficient to close the framework
(even when occupied by a heavy person) I utilize it to lift the head Frame E to the
required angle by means of levers or legs F resting on the top of the legs G and
against the framework.
The centre frame H is worked by levers or Legs I which are connected upon a
sliding rail J running in grooves K Fig. 3 in framework and brought into use by the
middle screw L its nut being fixed on rail J-The Foot Frame N is worked by top
Screw O. its nut P being fixed on a framework S running also in grooves K and over
the rail J. The rail R is a fixture to the foot or inner framework A.
The letters of reference apply to same parts in each Figure.
The Framework A is similar to that of an ordinary extending dining table with 2
extra legs under the centre and is worked by an extending Screw B Fig. 3 which is
fixed to foot end of frame with its nut C fixed on the centre rail D of head end-
The power of the extending screw being more than sufficient to close the framework
(even when occupied by a heavy person) I utilize it to lift the head Frame E to the
required angle by means of levers or legs F resting on the top of the legs G and
against the framework.
The centre frame H is worked by levers or Legs I which are connected upon a
sliding rail J running in grooves K Fig. 3 in framework and brought into use by the
middle screw L its nut being fixed on rail J-The Foot Frame N is worked by top
Screw O. its nut P being fixed on a framework S running also in grooves K and over
the rail J. The rail R is a fixture to the foot or inner framework A.

page_text: 1, THOMAS ANDREWS, of 114, High Street, Harborne, in the County of Stafford,
Cabinet Maker, 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 that class of couch or pallet made with three hinged frames,
each frame capable of being raised to any required angle. In any case when
the couch or pallet is occupied this requires considerable personal strength and under
many circumstances is attended with an uncomfortable degree of jolting to the patient
occupying it. To obviate this is the chief object of my invention which as hereinafter
described I effect by rendering the raising as well as the lowering of any one or more
of the hinged frames mechanically dependent upon the operation of the apparatus
which I provide. The further advantages consequent upon the use of my arrange-
ment are, as hereinafter described, firstly, that the couch or pallet can be closed into a
comparatively small compass, secondly, that it is self stopping or self holding in all
positions, and thirdly, that it may be worked by a child with but little exertion on its
part and no inconvenience to the patient.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation and Fig. 3 a
cross sectional elevation of an invalid couch constructed according to my Invention;
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 5 a part plan of the same couch, the hinged
frames being partly raised and the cane-work removed to shew the mechanism under-
neath; Fig. 6 represents in sectional elevation the same couch closed in a small
space and the legs removed and Fig. 7 represents a modified form of the couch
illustrated by the preceeding Figures and more particularly for use as a pallet.
In the couch or pallet illustrated by Figs 1 to 6, both inclusive, in which the same
letters of reference indicate the same parts, the framework is made similar to that of
an ordinary extending dining table and consists of a foot framework A¹ (mounted on
two end legs G and a centre leg G2) and a head framework A (mounted on two end
legs G and a centre leg G³) arranged to slide one within the other by means of an
extending screw B which is carried by the foot framework A' and free to turn in
bearings,, fixed thereto, the nut C of the screw B being fixed to the cross rail D
of the head framework A. The three hinged frames are marked respectively E, H
and N, E being the head frame, H the centre frame and N the foot frame. The head
frame E and the centre frame H are each hinged to a cross rail R, which is fixed to
the foot framework A³, and the foot frame N is hinged to the centre frame H. The
power gained by the extending screw B being more than sufficient to close the frame-
work A and A (even when the couch or pallet is occupied by a heavy person) I
utilize the said screw to lift or lower the head frame E to any required angle by the
levers or legs F which are hinged to the frame E at fand rest against the head frame-
work A on the top of the legs G (see Fig. 4) by means of which the motion of the
framework A is transmitted to the hinged frame E. Thus by turning the screw B

page_text: the framework is extended or contracted simultaneously with the lowering or raising
of the head frame E. The central hinged frame H is raised or lowered by turning
the central screw L working in a nut M fixed to a rail J free to slide to and fro in
grooves K in the sides of the foot framework A¹; two levers or legs I being provided
and hinged to the centre frame H at and to the rail J at 2. The foot frame N is
raised or lowered about its hinge n by the top screw O working in a nut P fixed on a
frame S formed of a cross-piece running in the grooves K and two side pieces fixed
thereto and resting on the cross-piece J: the levers or legs V hinged to the foot
frame N at u rest against projections s on the sliding frame S and so transmit the
motion of the latter to the frame N. To the frame N may be hinged an ordinary foot
rest T.
The framework may, instead of being made in two parts to collapse by sliding one
within the other as above described and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6, both inclusive, be
made in one piece as illustrated by Fig. 7 and the head frame E arranged to be raised
and lowered by the screw B¹ arranged to work in a nut C¹ fixed to a sliding cross-
piece against which the levers or legs F rest. This arrangement is more particularly
applicable to pallets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1st. The employment, with each of the three hinged frames of an invalids' couch or
pallet of a screw and nut for raising, lowering and holding such hinged frames in any
required position substantially as described.
2nd. The construction and combination of the parts of mechanism substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing for raising and
lowering and supporting at any required angle any one or all of the three hinged
frames of an invalids' couch or pallet.
3rd. In an invalids' couch or pallet, the combination with the back hinged frame E
and its supporting legs F of a telescopic or sliding framework A, A', having a screw B
and nut the legs F resting on the framework A for the purpose of raising, lowering
or holding the hinged frame E in any required position substantially as described and
illustrated.
4th. An invalids' couch or pallet substantially as described and represented by
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing.
5th. The modified form of invalids' couch or pallet substantially as described and
represented by Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawing.
THOMAS ANDREIUS