Improvements in Invalid Bedsteads.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct.,
1895
COMITETET MOITICATION.
Improvements in Invalid Bedsteads.
GEORGE ELMER GORHAM, of Number 160 Hamilton Street, in the City of
Albany, County of Albany, and State of New York, United States of America,
Physician, 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 :---
In British Letters Patent, dated August 22nd, 1894, No. 15,999, I have described
an invalid bedstead wherein the bed bottom may be tilted longitudinally for the
purpose of facilitating the insertion of a bed-pan beneath the invalid and for
bringing him into a sitting position thereon, and for the purpose of facilitating the
insertion of the canvas strips of a stretcher frame beneath him and elevating him
above the mattress thereby with ease and celerity.
My present invention relates to certain improvements in the bedstead referred
to, and its accessories.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents, in perspective, a bedstead embodying my improvements,
tilted forwardly, and with the bed-pau, seat-support and table-rest in position;
Figure 2 represents, in full lines, a bottom plan view of the seat proper, and
shows in dotted lines the operation of the seat-sustaining legs;
Figures 2 and 2 represent, in detail, the castings for said seat;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bed pan.
Figure 3 represents the bedstead, in side elevation, and illustrates the manner
of raising the stretcher frame so as to lift the invalid from the mattress while the
bed clothes are being renewed ;
Figure represents an attachment for exerting a uniform extending strain upon
the broken leg of a patient;
Figure 5 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of the bedstead, in a
horizontal position, and with an india-rubber tank in place for bathing the patient
or for raising or lowering his temperature:
Figure 5 represents a view of the shoring piece used in elevating the stretcher
frame;
Figure 6 represents a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, omitting the tank ;
Figure 7 represents a detail view of one of the actuating arms for the tilting bed
bottom and shows the manner of connecting said arin thereto;
Figure 8 represents, in side elevation, the bedstead as applied to the restraint of
an invalid in delirium ;
Figure 9 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the bedstead, showing the
invalid in a substantially sitting position;
Figures 10, 11 and 12 represent detail views showing the manner in which the
end posts and side bars of the bedstead are assembled ;
Figures 13 and 14 represent detail views of the manner of jointing the legs of
the supporting standard of the bedstead and of sustaining the side bars therefrom;
Figures 15 and 16 represent detail views of the joint between a side bar of the
bedstead and the corresponding arm of the table rest support; and
Figures 17 and 18 represent detail views of the adjusting rack for the table rest
support.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

page_text: Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the bed bottom is provided with
brackets e having forked ends c¹ within which rest the side bars d and wherein they
are removably secured by bolts and nuts, as shown in detail in Figs. 13 and 14.
The brackets c are mounted to turn freely upon the cross bar, which has screw-
threaded ends provided with nuts to prevent the brackets from slipping off the
said bar.
The cross bar b also serves as the connection for the legs a of the supporting
stand of the bed bottom, the contiguous ends of the said legs being provided
with lugs a', free to turn upon the cross bar when it is desired to fold the
stand for storage or shipment. When the stand is set up for use, the legs a
are held securely, at the desired angle of spread, by the rods, having hooked
ends which snap over rods h, which connect each pair of legs. For convenience,
the legs a are preferably provided with the usual castors, as shown.
The bed bottom frame is so constructed that the head and foot sectious may be
readily removed for storage or transport, or so as to convert the bed, when
desired, into an operating table, freely accessible from all points. To this end,
the side bars d (which are preferably of gas pipe) are received at each of
their extremities within a socket formed in a suitable casting, as indicated in
detail in Figs. 10, 11 and 12. The casting is provided with a conical lug d³
terminating below in a screw-threaded pin d sweated or otherwise secured therein.
A co-operating socketted casting e is provided for each of the uprights of the
head and foot boards, and this casting has a conical mortise adapted to receive
and interlock with the conical lug ³, thereby assembling the two castings, where-
upon they may be removably secured together by means of the nut and washer d".
In this manner, the head and foot boards are securely united to the side bars of the
bed, but may be quickly removed by unscrewing the nuts №5. The castings f are
provided with upwardly extending lugs serving as means of attachment for the
connecting angle irons 2 to which the selvage edges of the woven wire fabric m³
are fastened. Upon this stretched woven wire fabric is adapted to rest any
suitable form of bed mattress m².
The bed bottom, as thus constructed, is adapted to be tilted when desired for
the purposes set forth in my Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to. To opposite
legs of the stand, are secured short uprights d', within which is journalled, to turn
freely, the right and left hand screw shaft g³, provided at its end with the operating
wheel. With the threads of the screw shaft, engage the nuts fi adapted to
travel from or toward each other according as the wheel is turned in the one
direction or the other. As indicated in detail in Fig. 7, each nut is provided with
side lugs serving as journal bearings for the fork f of a swinging link f. The
upper end of the link is made spherical, and is adapted to engage within a
socket bearing, made up of two parts (shown separated in Fig. 7). This bearing
is provided with lugs, whereby it may be rigidly secured to the side bar d, by a
bolt and nut f passing through the said lugs and side bar. The bed bottom is
thus connected to the nuts on the shaft g³, through the intermediacy of swinging
links having a ball and socket joint at one end which permits universal motion
thereat, and having at its other end a joint having at all times a movement in a
plane normal to the shaft. The gearing remains set at whatever position of tilting
the bed bottom may be left by the operator, and the grent leverage afforded
enables it to be operated with case and certainty in either direction. When the
bed bottom is in the horizontal position, I relieve the strain upon the gearing, by
means of the rest", consisting preferably of au iron rod of general U-shape,
adapted to swing into the sustaining vertical position shown in Fig. 5.
Pirotted to each of the side bars d, (by means of a bolt and co-operating nut
and washer, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16) is a rod to which is jointed a second
rod pl, having a pointed end p2 adapted to engage with any one of a series of
holes formed in a plate, secured to the inner side of . These jointed rods
constitute supports for the table leaf p, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. When the

page_text: table is not in use the jointed rods fold together, out of the way, as shown in
Figs. 3 and 5. The adjustability of the said supports, through the intermediacy
of the series of holes referred to, enables the table to be placed in a horizontal
plane, to whatever degree the bed may be forwardly tilted.
The seat and foot rest, for enabling the invalid to remain comfortably in an
inclined or sitting position is of great simplicity and effectiveness for the particular
use intended. It consists of two side straps p' adapted to be secured by loop and
buckle to the head board upright and adapted to be secured at their opposite
ends to the padded seat board po by means of end caps shown in detail in Fig. 24;
from said end caps, straps p extend to the padded foot board p. Each end
cap is provided with a socket recess r, into which the end of the scat-rest extends,
and wherein it is secured by screws passing through the holes. The aperture
serves as the means of connection of the strap p', and the aperture as the means
of connection of the strap p³. The surface of the end cap is made smooth, and
a rivet passes through said surface and serves as a pivot upon which is
adapted to turn the swinging leg º, connected to the casting by said rivet.
When the seat is in use simply as a support for sustaining the invalid in the
sitting posture, it is arranged as in Fig. 9, which illustrates its mode of use on
such occasions. The foot-rest serves as a support for the feet, or for one foot if
the other leg is broken, as indicated in said Fig. 9. The flexibility of the straps på
permits the foot-rest to be moved to one side of the broken leg, so as to support
Both the seat-rest
the uninjured leg without interfering with the broken one.
and foot-rest are adjustable, jointly and independently, by means of their
adjustable straps.
When the invalid desires to evacuate, the swinging legs are brought into the
position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 1, thereby leaving
a free and unobstructed place beneath the seat rest. The bed-pan is thereupon
inserted within this space, as indicated in Fig. 1, and pressed forward against and
beneath the hips into appropriate position, which position it thereupon retains
without further expedient and with complete security against soiling the bed
clothes. This is due to the combined action of the inclined bed surface and the
bed pan of the peculiar construction illustrated. The main characteristic of the
latter is that its forward edge is flush with its sides, whose top edges ³ form
come into a substantially
such an angle (450) with the bed-pan bottom :
horizontal position when the bed is tilted forward, (the gth of the bed pan
bottom being longer than the top edges ³). I thus dispense entirely with the
forwardly-extending projection which is the usual adjunct of bed-pans of this
general character, and which is not only a source of discomfort to the invalid, but
In practice,
is itself an element of unreliability in the cleanly use of the pan.
I prefer to construct my pan from sheet metal, and to provide it with a handle for
ready manipulation.
The device shown in Fig. 9 for applying extension to a broken leg, and which
constitutes one of the adjuncts of the tilting hed, is illustrated in detail in Fig. 4.
It consists of a yoke w connected to vertical bars w¹ of the foot-board, and sus-
taining the bearings of a sheave to. Over this sheave passes a stout cord or
rope w³, having the adjustable weights w, and connected at its forward eul to the
customary cross piece, whose side pieces w, are firmly secured to the patient's
broken leg. By varying the number or size of the weights, the desired tension
may be applied to the leg. The entire flexibility of the cord w³, in the general
combination, enables the tension device to maintain its useful function and to
operate with substantial uniformity at all positions of tilting of the bed bottom.
As in my former Patent referred to, so also in the present case, I make use of
a stretcher frame for the purpose of raising the invalid from the mattress, when
occasion requires, and suspending him from the bed frame. The operation of thus
raising the invalid is in substance the same as described in the former Patent, and
the several stops thereof are indicated herein in Fig. 3. The stretcher frame
consists of the tubular side bars 1, and the end yokes 1, fitting within said bars.

page_text: and removable therefrom. Canvas strips 13 are adapted to be inserted beneath
the invalid to form the stretcher bottom. To raise the invalid clear of the bel
bottom, the attendant is provided with the shoring piece, shown in Fig. 5,
consisting of an iron rod bent at its middle and having diverging legs, provided
on one side with hook projections and on the other side with additional hook
projections s¹. While the bed bottom is in the horizontal position, the attendant
places the hooks s of the shoring piece beneath the yoke, and sets the shoring
piece in a slightly inclined or bracing position, as shown in Fig. 3. He then.
operates the hand wheel, so as to cause the bed bottom to tilt toward the shoring
piece. During this first tilting operation the end of the stretcher frame supported
by the shoring piece remains stationary, and when the bed bottom is so far tilted
that the yoke is higher than the hooks or catches on the uprights, a bar is
placed upon s The bed bottom is then tilted in the reverse direction, until the
yoke rests upon the bars, and the shoring piece is then transferred to the
other end of the bed, and its hooks are placed beneath the yoke 2, and the
tilting is continued until the bed bottom is tilted slightly beyond its original
horizontal position. The yoke 12 is then above the hooks or catches s' of the head
section uprights, and a bar is placed upon said catches . Thereupon, a slight
tilting forward releases the shoring piece, deposits the yoke upon the bar s, and
brings the bed bottom into the horizontal position, with the stretcher supported
above it, all as indicated in Fig. 3. A reversal of these operations suffices to
restore the invalid to the mattress, as will be readily understood. The bars
and are booked at their ends so as to prevent them from sliding off end wise from
the catches, and are preferably provided with short sleeves s of soft india-rubber
or the like as indicated in Fig. 6, so as to afford an additional safe-guard against
slipping. Collars upon the yokes, rest upon these sleeves, to prevent any
tendency of the stretcher frame to move longitudinally during the tilting
operation.
As illustrated in Fig. 5, the stretcher frame may be employed as a means of
Euspension for the sides of an india-rubber bath tube, when it is desired either
to bathe the invalid, or to lower his temperature by the application of ice or cold
water, as in the modern treatment of typhoid fever and the like. Thus, after
elevating the invalid upon the stretcher as herein before described, the bath tub
could be set in place. The invalid could then be lowered upon the bottom of the
bath tub and the canvas strips removed. The stretcher frame is thereupon again
raised and suspended in the position shown in Fig. 5 and the sides and ends of the
tub are attached by hooks to the side bars of the stretcher frame and to the
bars s6, s. The bath tub is provided with tube 2, having a stop cock for
the purpose of drawing off the water when it is no longer needed, whereupon the
flexible tub can be readily removed either by raising the invalid on the stretcher
frame as before, or by sliding it from under him, if his condition will permit it.
In Fig. 8, I have illustrated the application of my stretcher frame to effect the
restraint of delirious invalids. The patient, in this instance, is placed beneath the
canvas strips of the stretcher frame in such manner as to pinion his arms and legs,
and the stretcher frame is then securely strapped to the bed bottom by broad
strips of canvas 3 joining the side bars & and l.
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
1. An invalid bedstead, mounted to tilt bodily upon a supporting stand, and
operating means consisting of a right and left hand screw having travelling nuts
and universal joint connections between the bed bottom and said nuts; substan
tially as described.
2. An invalid bedstead, mounted to tilt bodily upon a supporting stand, and
operating means consisting of a right and left hand screw, and swinging links
connected at one end to the screw by travelling nuts journalled in yoke ends of

page_text: joints; substantially as described.
Connected ar the other end to the bed bottom by ball and socket
3. An invalid bedstead, mounted to tilt bodily upon a supporting stand, and
having end boards readily removable, so that the bedstead may be converted into
an operating table accessible from every point; substantially as described.
4. An invalid bedstead, mounted to tilt bodily upon a supporting stand, gearing
interposed between the stand and bed bottom at one side of the center of support,
and a supporting rest for relieving the strain on the gearing when the bed bottom
is in the horizontal position; substantially as described.
5. An invalid bedstead, mounted to tilt bodily upon a supporting stand, gearing
interposed between the stand and bed bottom at one side of the center of support,
and a supporting rest for relieving the strain on the gearing when the bed bottom
is in the horizontal position, said supporting rest consisting of a bent rod mounted
to swing in bearings from the bed bottom; substantially as described.
6. In a bed bottom, a corner union therefor, consisting of separable sections
having respectively an interlocking socket and tongue, one of said sections being
connected to the end board of the bed bottom and the other section being
connected to the side bar of the bed bottom; substantially as described.
7. In a bed bottom, a corner union therefor consisting of separable sections
having respectively a conical interlocking socket and tongue, one of said sections
being connected to the end board of the bed bottom, and the other section being
connected to the side bar of the bed bottom; substantially as described.
8. In a bed bottom, a corner union therefor consisting of separable sections
having respectively an interlocking socket and tongue which taper from above
downwardly, and means for releasably holding the socket and tongue in
engagement with each other, one of said sections being connected to the end
board of the bed bottom and the other of said sections being connected to the side
bar of the bed bottom; substantially as described.
9. In a bed bottom, a corner union therefor, consisting of separable sections
having respectively an interlocking socket and tongue, one of said sections being
connected to the end board of the bed bottom and the other section being
connected to the side bar of the bed bottom, said latter section being provided
with an upwardly extending flange, serving as a means of connection for the
support of a woven wire fabric; substantially as described.
10. In a bedstead, a stand therefor, consisting of legs pivoted together at their
upper ends, removable bars spacing and holding the legs at the desired angle
apart, and brackets connected to the bed bottom and tiltable with the bed bottom
upon the stand; substantially as described.
11. In an invalid bedstead, the combination with the tiltable bed bottom and
the stand upon which the bed bottoni is supported, of brackets pivoted to the
stand and provided with saddles or yokes within which the side bars of the bed
bottom rest, and means for connecting said yokes to the side bars; substantially as
described.
12. In an invalid bedstead, the combination of the side bars, of a table support
consisting of jointed arms pivoted to the side bars of the bed bottom, the outer
members of said jointed arms being provided with pointed ends, and plates secure.
to the inuer side of the side bars and provided with a series of perforations for
the reception of said pointed ends; substantially as described.
13. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided with means for sustaining it
from the upper part of the bed; substantially as described.
14. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided with means for sustaining it from
the upper part of the bed, said means consisting of flexible straps; substantially
as described.
15. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided with means for sustaining it
from the upper part of the bed, and a foot-rest supported from the seat-rest;
substantially as described.
16. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided with means for sustaining it

page_text: from the upper part of the bed, and a foot-rest supported from the seat-rest by
flexible straps; substantially as described.
17. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest adapted to rest upon the surface of the
bed and means for raising and supporting said seat-rest at its ends above the
surface of the bed; substantially as described.
18. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest adapted to rest upon the surface of the bed,
and means for raising and supporting said seat-rest at its ends above the surface of
the bed, said means consisting of bracket legs connected to the ends of the seat-
rest substantially as described.
19. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest adapted to rest upon the surface of
the bed, and means for raising and supporting said seat-rest at its ends above
the surface of the bed, said means consisting of bracket legs connected to the
ends of the seat rest, and hinged to fold longitudinally thereof; substantially as
described.
20. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided at its ends with socket pieces,
and bracket legs pivoted to said socket pieces, and adapted to fold longitudinally
of the seat-rest; substantially as described.
21. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided at its ends with socket pieces,
and bracket legs pivoted to said socket pieces and adapted to fold longitudinally of
the seat-rest, and flexible straps connected to the socket pieces and extending to
the upper portion of the bedstead; substantially as described.
22. In an invalid bedstead, a seat-rest provided at its ends with socket pieces,
and bracket legs pivoted to said socket pieces and adapted to fold longitudinally
of the seat-rest, and flexible straps connected to the socket pieces and extending
to the upper portion of the bedstead, in combination with a foot-rest and flexible
straps connecting said foot-rest with said socket pieces; substantially as described.
23. In an invalid bedstead, the combination with the end boards having retaining
catches or hooks thereon, of a stretcher frame, and removable sustaining rods for
said stretcher frame adapted to rest upon said hooks or catches; substantially as
described.
24. In an invalid bedstead, the combination with the end boards having
retaining catches or hooks thereon, of a stretcher frame, and releasable sustaining
rods for said stretcher frame adapted to rest upon said hooks or catches, and
provided at their ends with sleeves of soft india-rubber; substantially as
described.
25. In an invalid bedstead, the combination with a stretcher frame provided
with cross strips of cauvas connecting the side bars of said stretcher frame, of
adjustable connections between the side bars of the stretcher frame and the side
bars of the bed bottom, whereby the patient may be held in restraint between the
canvas strips and the body of the bed; substantially as described.
26. In an invalid bedstead, the combination with the bed bottom, of a supple-
mental frame, means for supporting said frame above the bed, and a flexible bath
tub supported at its edges from the frame; substantially as described.
27. In an invalid bedstead, the combination with the bed bottom of a supple-
mental frame, means for supporting said frame above the bed, and a flexible bath
tub supported at its edges from the frame, and provided with an outflow pipe;
substantially as described.
28. An invalid bedstead provided at its foot board with a yoke, a sheave
mounted upon the yoke, a cord passing over the sheave and attached at its forward
end to a leg-extension plate, and provided at its other end with adjustable weights;
substantially as described.
29. A shoring picce for invalid bedsteads, consisting of inclined legs provided
with hooks or catches; substantially as described.
30. A shoring picce for invalid bedsteads, consisting of inclined legs provided
with hooks or catches, said looks or catches being located in pairs at opposite
sides of the legs and at different elevations thereon; substantially as described.
31. A bed-pan for tilting invalid bedsteads, said ted-pan having that surface

page_text: which is to rest upon the bed clothes at an angle of about forty-five degrees to its
upper rim and devoid or substantially devoid of any forward extension beyond its
top opening; substantially as described.
32. A bed-pan for tilting invalid bedsteads, said bed-pan being substantially
triangular in side elevation, devoid or substantially devoid of any forward exten-
sion beyond its top opening and having its bottom longer than its top or end;
substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of July 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.