Improvements in Operation-couches or the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Operation-couches or the like.
I, ALBERT MAX STILLE, of Kaplansbacken 3, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, Surgical Instrument 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 :-
This invention relates to couches, sofas, or bedsteads preferably for clinical
purposes, surgical examinations, operations, shampooing, and such like.
In the annexed drawing
Fig. 1 is side elevation of a sofa or bedstead made according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is plan and Fig. 3 end elevation of the same.
Fig. 4 is part of the end elevation on a larger scale.
My improved couch consists of two parts: an upper part or the couch proper
and a lower part or the support. The upper part which consists of four movable
cushioned parts is provided with two vertical slides A which can move up and
down in guides f, firmly secured to the support. In the latter are bearings for
a horizontal shaft C on which are fastened two vertical excentrics B which support
the upper part or bedstead. The raising and lowering of the upper part is effected
and regulated by means of a ratchet disc a firmly fastened to the one end of the
shaft, which disc also serves as gearing for a lever b which is pivoted to the shaft C,
so that it can swing up and down. The lever consists of two parts which are
pivoted the one to the other at c so that the outer part can be swung to the side
and laid down on or alongside the support. A piston which can reciprocate in a
bearing on the inner part of the lever, is by means of a link e connected to the
outer part of the lever, the connections having sufficient looseness to permit of
the free movement of the parts, so that the piston reciprocates when the outer
part is moved laterally, whereby the piston d can be engaged with the ratchet
disc a for each upstroke or disengaged therefrom for each return stroke of the
lever.
The four cushioned parts on the upper part of the framework are hinged and
supported at any angle by struts which may have ratchet teeth engaging with
stationary supports on the frame or may be otherwise adjusted, no claim being
made to these parts in the present invention.
In Fig. 1 the lever is shown laid on its place under the couch.
the lever does not obstruct passage along or around the couch.
In this position
In order to regulate the raising and lowering of the sofa a pawl or click i is
pivoted to the support, so as to engage with the ratchet disc a. A spring n tends
to bring the pawl into engagement with the ratchet disc. For disengaging the
pawl from the ratchet disc the pawl is by means of a chain or the like k connected
to a pedal m, pivoted to the support. The pedal m is arranged for regulating the
lowering; the maintaining the couch in its position is automatically regulated by
the engagement of the pawl upon the ratchet disc a. To prevent the disengage-
ment of the pawl from the disc by involuntary touching of the pedal, so that the
couch may not suddenly fall down, a spiral spring o is inserted between the chain k
and the pedal m, the elasticity of this spring being such, that by pressure on the
pedal m one cannot withdraw the pawl from the tooth p of the disc unless the
lever b is simultaneously acted upon, the spiral spring o being stiffer than
the spring n, but not stiff enough to rotate the ratchet disc a. This rotation is
effected by means of the lever b. In such a way it is possible for the ratchet disc

page_text: and the eccentrics B to rotate or rock on the shaft. In order to reduce the
friction by the contact of the eccentrics with the couch, the latter is provided
with antifriction rollers r of hard metal, against which the stops of the eccentrics
abut, when the couch is in the highest position.
The material of the frame work of which this couch is made, in proportion to
its solidity has very little weight and consists principally of tubes, kept together
by connection pieces, in which the tubes are brazed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
1) In couches sofas or bedsteads for examination, shampooing or operation
purposes the longitudinal horizontal shaft (C) placed in bearings in the support,
the two vertical eccentrics (B) firmly secured to the shaft and supporting the
upper part or couch proper, the vertically movable lever (b) pivoted on the one
end of the shaft, so as to engage with the ratchet disc (a), on the shaft, in order
by the lowering of a lever and raising of the eccentrics and vice versa, to obtain a
raising or lowering of the upper part of the couch.
2) In couches sofas or bedsteads characterized by the mechanism claimed above,
the lever (b) provided with a joint (c) the upper or outer part of the lever being
by means of the link (e) connected with the piston (d) that reciprocates in the
guides or bearing on the lower or inner part of the lever, so as to bring the
piston (d) in engagement with or disengagement from the ratchet disc (a).
3) In couches sofas or bedsteads characterized by the mechanism described in
Claim 1) the two slides or rods (A) firmly fastened to the upper part of the sofa
and movable in guides (f) arranged on the support substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of October 1895.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., Agents to the Applicant.