Improvements in Beds, Couches, or Supporting Apparatus for Invalids or others.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan.. 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Beds, Couches, or Supporting Apparatus for
Invalids or others.
I, ASAHEL JEWELL GOODWIN of 139 Columbus Avenue Boston in the State of
Massachusetts one of the United States of America, Mechanic do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object the production of a novel bed, couch or support for
invalids.
My improved bed, couch or support has a frame in which is pivoted a head and foot
section, to which connected a suspension mattress, each section having combined
with it devices whereby it may be moved independently of the other section, a bender
bar acting against the mattress when the foot rest is lowered.
The foot section frame has applied to it channel bars having an attached foot rest,
and the said channel bars are jointed to a fixed part of the frame, so that when the
foot section is raised or lowered, it will also raise or lower the foot rest, the channel
bars sliding on the foot section, as will be described.
1 have also provided the bed-frame with a stretcher frame connected rigidly to
vertically movable rack bars, so that the stretcher frame always remains in hori-
zontal position, the said frame having a body support, and also preferably a foot
support, which is attached to the ends of the side bars of the stretcher frame.
This invention consists in an invalid bed containing the following instrumen-
talities viz. A bed frame; a pivoted head section; a pivoted foot section having
a toothed segment; a suspension mattress connected to the said sections; a slotted
cam having a toothed segment to act upon a pin or projection of the head section,
and gearing to move the said cam and the said foot section independently each of
the other as it is desired to raise or lower the head section or the foot section.
Also in the frame-work; the pivoted head section; and the pivoted foot section
having channel bars mounted loosely upon its arms, to which bars are connected
a foot, rest, the channel bars being jointed by a link having a pivot eccentric to the
pivot of the foot section, whereby the foot section and channel bars slide one on the
other as the foot section is raised or lowered.
Also in an invalid bed having independently movable head and foot sections; a
suspension mattress composed of metallic links and joined to the said sections by
springs, combined with a seat attached to the mattress; and means to raise and lower
the seat.
Also in the bed having pivoted head and foot sections movable independently each
of the other; and a suspension mattress ; combined with vertically movable rack bars
having mounted on them rigidly the side bars of a stretcher frame provided with a
pivoted body supporting frame and a foot support, as will be described.
Also in an invalid bed, a stretcher frame composed of side rails having slots a', and
top rails having grooves or chambers in line with said slots, combined with an inter-
mediate seat sustaining section composed of strips of textile material, and buckles
pivoted with relation to said side rails and adapted to force the textile material into the
grooves of the top rail, as will be described.
Also in the sectors instrumental in moving the head and foot sections, and the
gearing in mesh therewith, combined with friction devices to hold the said gearing in
place where left as will be described.
Also in an invalid bed, pivoted independently movable head and foot sections, a
connected suspension mattress, combined with a bender bar having a pivot independent
of and different from that of the said foot section to act upon the mattress, substantially
as will be described, when the foot section is lowered, as will be described.

page_text: Also in an invalid bed, a suspension mattress composed of links, some of which are
rigid, as and for the purpose to be set forth.
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of an invalid bed embodying my invention, the main or
body portion of the stretcher being omitted to avoid confusion in the drawing.
Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the bed shewn in Fig. 1 looking in the
direction indicated by the arrow.
Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional detail of the front portion of the bed shewing the
foot rest, in a lowered position.
Fig. 3, a detail to be referred to.
Fig. 4, a transverse section of Fig. 2 on line, to more clearly show the con-
struction of the rack-bars.
Figs. 5 and 5ª, details of one of the rack-bars.
Fig. 6, a detail of the stretcher foot rest.
Fig. 7, a detail in elevation of the friction mechanism.
Fig. 8, a section of Fig. 7 on line y-y, the screws or bolts being shown in
elevation.
Fig. 9, a detail to be referred to.
Fig. 10, a top or plan view of Fig. 9.
Fig. 11, a detail shewing the buckle by which the straps of the stretcher are secured
in place.
Fig. 12, a section of Fig. 11 on line y'-y¹.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15, details to be referred to.
Fig. 15, a detail of one of the lugs attached to the sides of the stretcher frame
Fig. 16, a detail of the adjustable foot-rest.
Fig. 17, a section of Fig. 16 on line y-y².
Fig. 18, a detail of the bar forming part of the foot-rest frame.
Fig. 19, a section of Fig. 18 on line ::.
Fig. 20 a detail in elevation of the ratchet mechanism governing the movement of
the foot-rest secured to the seat portion of the mattress.
Fig. 21, a top or plan view of Fig. 20, and
Fig. 22, a sectional detail to be referred to, the section being taken on line ¹¹
Fig. 20.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the head-board A of the bed, having secured to it the
sides A', A², provided with legs A³ at their opposite ends, is herein shown as made in
two parts, as 2, 3, united by hinges, as 4, the said parts being normally locked in their
upright position by a rod a, see Fig. 2, secured at one end to a cross-bar a and
threaded at its other end and inserted through a forked lug a², on a cross bar a²,
after which the rod receives a nut a¹.
The side-boards A1, A2 have secured to them brackets or castings a³, see Figs. 3
and 2, each having a flange af and gib a made adjustable, as shown, by set
screws a², the said flange and gib constituting guides for a rack-bar or brace a³.
Each rack-bar, as herein shown, is slotted at its lower end, see Figs.
to form ears a², which embrace a cross-bar a, as shown in Fig. 4, each rack-bar
and 5,
being kept seated on the bar a' by a pin as, the said pin forming, as it were, a
pivotal connection between the said cross-bar and rack-bar.
Each rack-bar a is provided with a web or flange a having à foot a¹². which
is also slotted to fit over and engage the edge of the said cross-bar a³, the said
foot being also tapped and threaded to receive an adjusting screw a¹³, by which
the rack-bar may be turned on the stud a as a pivot, to thereby move the upper
end of the rack-bar outward, the said rack bar forming adjustable braces to support 5
a stretcher frame, to be described.
The rack-bars or braces a have their upper ends fitted into sockets in brackets
or castings b, fastened. to the side bars or rails of what is denominated a
stretcher-frame, the said brackets or castings being located substantially as shown,
upon the said bars or rails, so that when the rack bars are moved vertically, as 5
will be described, the stretcher frame will also be moved bodily up or down.
The side bars or rails of the stretcher-frame are provided at their ends near the

page_text: bead-board, with castings 62, 63, see Figs. 1, 13 and 14, each casting preferably
baving secured to its inner face a layer of felt or other material, to prevent marring
or injury to the wood work outside of it, when the stretcher-frame is moved up and
down by the rack bars.
The side bars of the stretcher-frame near the head of the bed, are united preferably
by a cross-bar 6 having at its opposite ends castings provided with lugs 6º, preferably.
elongated, as shewn in Figs. 14 and 15.
The casting 62, shewn separately in Fig. 15, and having an elongated slot, as 6*, is
entered by one of the lugs, and thereafter the bar is given a quarter turn, so that
the lug stands with the longest portion across the said slot &, and then the lug beat
the opposite end of the said bar 6, is made to enter the opening in the casting 3 and
pass therein beyond the end of a locking device 6', shewn in Figs. 13 and 14, as a
spring, the latter holding the bar in place.
Each side-rail has secured to it, preferably near the longitudinal centre of the
bed, a boss 612, see Fig. 2, forming a bearing for a stud on the ends of a substantially
U-shaped bar 3, of a length substantially equal to the distance between the said
bosses and the head-board.
The U-shaped bar 13 in practice will be covered with canvas or other suitable
or textile material 4, the said bar and covering forming part of the stretcher, and
constituting a movable support for the body and head of the patient.
The body supporting frame has its free end sustained, as shewn, by the cross-bar 15,
so that when the stretcher is raised bodily through the rack-bars, the head of the
patient is raised at the same time as the body, that is the entire body of the patient is
raised at one time.
The side rails have secured to them the foot supporting portion of the stretcher,
see Figs. 2 and 6, it consisting of a substantially U-shaped frame covered with
canvas or other suitable material, as 625, the said frame being secured to the side rails,
as shown, by castings fastened to the ends of the frame and having arms 616, see
Figs. 2 and 6, shaped substantially as best shown in Fig. 6, to enable the said arms to
be slid under and so as to engage the upper and lower sides or edges of the side bars b¹
of the stretcher-frame, the main casting resting upon the top of the side bar or a
rail thereon.
This construction enables the foot portion of the stretcher to be readily removed and
put on as desired.
The casting is preferably lined with felt or other material to prevent marring of
or injury to the side bars.
I do not desire to limit my invention to the exact form of casting 15 shown in
Fig. 6, but may use any well known equivalent shaped clasping device, rigid yet
readily detachable from the side bars.
The portion of the stretcher between the foot and back supporting sections, will
preferably be composed of a number of strips c of canvas or other material, see
Fig. 12, the said strips being extended through slots c' in the side rails and firmly
secured in place, as shown, by buckles e, herein shown as a plate of metal secured to
the side bars preferably by staples c³, see Figs. 11 and 12, the said plate having
teeth to engage the strips of canvas or other material.
The inner side of the top rail of the stretcher frame is grooved or channeled at c*,
as shown in Fig. 12, so that as the buckle is moved into its upright position, sub-
stantially parallel to the side rail, the teeth c are made to enter farther into the
material, thus obtaining a sure and reliable fastener for the said strip.
The rack-bars or braces a³ are engaged by pinions 25 only one being shown in
Fig. 2, on a shaft 26 having mounted thereon a gear 27 in mesh with a pinion 28 on
a hub or hollow shaft having mounted thereon a disk 29, comprising part of a friction
mechanisin to be hereinafter more fully described in connection with the head section
of the bead, where like devices, but designated by different letters, are employed to
adjust and hold the toothed sector c¹².
The sides A1, A2, have pivotally secured to them a mattress supporting frame
composed of a head and a foot section.

page_text: The head section is herein shown as a substantially U-shaped frame c having at
its ends a sleeve or hub to engage a stud c on the casting a³, see Fig. 2, and secured
thereto as shown, by a washer criveted thereon.
Each arm of the U-shaped frame e, comprising the head section, is provided as
shown, with a stud or roller c, extended into the slot e of an arm e forming part of
a toothed sector 2, mounted on a stud or arbor 3 of a casting c¹, secured to the
sides A¹, A².
The sector meshes with and is driven by a pinion d on a shaft d, having
mounted thereon a gear in mesh with a pinion d³ on a hollow shaft d³, having
secured thereto or forming part. thereof, as shown, a friction disk 5, see Figs. 2, 7.
and 8, the said hollow shaft being supported in bearings de forming part of a casting d
secured to one side-beard, as A².
The friction disk 'd' has co-operating with it spring arms d, d, provided with
suitable friction surfaces to bear against the disk d, the said disk and spring arm
constituting a friction mechanism by which to maintain the shaft d stationary in any
desired position.
Each spring arm referred to is slotted at its end, as shown in Fig. 7, to engage a
threaded hub do on a bolt d, and is provided with a hole near its opposite end,
through which is extended a bolt 1 inserted into a threaded socket in the
casting d*.
The spring arm d8 bears against the casting d, and the spring arm dagainst the
head of the bolt 3, so that by turning the said bolt, the amount of friction between
the spring arms and disk may be varied as desired.
The foot section of the bed is composed, as herein shown, of a substantially U-shaped
frame or carrier e, preferably of sheet steel of angle form, the bent corners of the
U-shaped frame being provided with braces e¹ to unite the sides or arms e² to the main
or cross-piece of the frame, see Fig. 18.
Each arme has secured to it by rivets or otherwise a sector gear 3, see Figs. 2
and 3, having a cam surface, as e, with which co-operates a roller e fastened to a
bending bar e, to be described.
Each sector gear e³ is driven by a pinion e' on a shaft having mounted thereon
at one end, as shown, a gear e, in mesh with a pinion el on a hollow shaft or hub el
provided with a friction disk el, the said friction disk being engaged by spring
arms e in a similar manner to that described with the friction disk d of the head
section.
The arms of the frame composing part of the foot section, at their ends opposite
to the sector gears, are engaged by channel bars f, see Fig. 16, which are adapted
to slide over the said arms to extend or lengthen the foot section, as will be
described.
Each channel bar f, as shewn in Fig. 17, on an enlarged scale, has a stud
which
is engaged by one of a series of holes, see Fig. 16 in a lever pivoted at 20, see
Fig. 3, to the sides A1, A2, the said lever being secured to the channel bar, as shown,
by a spring catch 3, shown as a flat spring pivotally secured to the channel bar by
screw, and having a stud or projection to enter a socket or recess in the
The channel bars sustain the foot-rest consisting of arms f and foot-board f
supported thereby, see Figs. 2 and 16, the said arms being pivoted to the said channel
bars, as at f, and provided with notches f', f10, see dotted lines Fig. 16, to
co-operate with studs 12,13, on the channel bar, to form stops by which the back or
outward movement of the foot rest is limited.
The foot rest is retained in its normal position, as shown by full lines Fig. 16, by a
catch or locking device, shown as a spring f" pivoted to one of the arms f and
having a pin or stud f1s to enter holes in the said arm and channel bar.
The foot-rest is turned into the dotted line position Fig. 16, when not in use, and
it is locked in its dotted line position by the stud f15 on the spring ", entering a
second hole in the channel bar.
As shown in Figs. 3 and 16, the last hole in the lever is in engagement with

page_text: the stud on the channel bar, thus bringing the foot rest in its farthest position
from the bed.
To shorton or bring the foot rest nearer the bed, the stud is disongaged from the
socket in the end of the stud f', and the channel bars f moved up on the arms e' and
another hole f engaged with the stud.
The head and foot rest sections sustain the suspension mattress composed preferably
of end springs g and links g' secured to plates or disks y'.
Near the longitudinal centre of the mattress and on opposite sides thereof, two
links, as t, see Fig. 1, are made, as herein shown, of considerable thickness to obtain
strength, each link being provided as shown with a stud t' to which the hair or other
mattress, not shown, is secured.
The plates or disks g³, substantially in line with the pivots c of the head section
are joined by stays or chains g³ see Fig. 2, to a cross-bar g secured as shown, to the
casting c
Two links t, t, also in line across the mattress and adjacent to the links t, t, are
made stronger and are provided outside the mattress with studs 7, 8, upon which are
fitted the slotted ends of side bars g³, extended toward the foot of the bed and joined
at their ends by a shaft or rod 7 having bearings in the said side bars.
The shaft or rod g and side bars 9' form a supporting frame for an auxiliary seat
composed, as shown, of strips or slats having one end attached to the shaft or
rod 9 and the other end engaging the links t² and the usual links in line therewith,
but if desired, the said seat may be made of canvas or wire netting or other
material.
The auxiliary seat frame is raised and lowered, as shown, by a windlass composed
of a substantially U-shaped bar or framo 98 having holes at its ends, which are
fitted upon studs 9 on the side bars 95, and of one or more chains or ropes 910
connected to the cross-bar g' of the U-shaped bar and to a shaft 9" supported in
bearings secured to the sides A1, A2, as shown in Fig. 2.
The arms of the U-shaped bar g are detachably connected to the side bar g³ by
levers g pivoted to said arms and adapted to engage the studs 9.
The shaft g is preferably provided at one end with a pinion or ratchet & normally
engaged by a weighted or gravitating pawl, see Figs. 2, 3, 9 and 10, having a
spring arm or extension, preferably of sheet steel, the said spring arm being
engaged by a stud 3 on a friction lever k pivoted to one of the side-boards, as A.
Normally the pawl is held in engagement with the ratchet k, as shewn
in Figs. 2 and 3, and the friction lever will be in the dotted line position shown
in Fig. 3, but if it is desired to disengage the pawl from the ratchet, the friction
lever will be turned into the position shewn by full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, the
said lever then exerting a pressure on the spring arın or extension k³, so that when
the shaft g is turned but very little, or a sufficient distance to disengage the pawl,
the said spring arm will act to throw the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet,
thus permitting the shaft to be rotated in either direction.
In most cases I prefer to employ a friction mechanism comprising a disk and
spring arms, as described, but in every case where I have herein shown and
described such a friction device, 1 may employ therewith if desired the pawl
and spring extension actuated by the friction lever, it being especially applicable to
the centre and seat portion when the invalid is a heavy person and the attendant of
but medium or little strength, the said parts being readily applied to and detached
from the bed.
The shaft or rod g has mounted on it a foot supporting frame or leg rest composed
of sides r,
and a cross-bar 1, the said sides having secured to them, as shown, hubs,
see Fig. 22, through which the shaft or rod g is extended.
The shaft or rod 9 has secured to it, at one end beyond the side-bar 9, a ratchet-
wheel engaged by a pawl pivoted to the side-bar go, the said pawl being normally
held in engagement with the said ratchet by a friction lever pivoted to the side-
bar, the said pawl and friction lever normally occupying the full line position shown
in Fig. 20.

page_text: The friction lever is shown as provided with a V-shaped end, which form two ears
or flanges 6, 7, extended with relation to the length of the said lever, one car, as.r,
acting on one side of a beveled arm, of the pawl, to keep the said pawl in engagement
with the ratchet, as shown by full lines Fig. 20.
When it is desired to release the pawl from the ratchet, the friction lever is
turned on its pivot to bring the ear in engagement with the arm of the pawl, so
that when the leg-rest e' is lifted a very little, the ear will slip down the beveled or
V-shaped arm of the pawl, and turn the said pawl into its dotted line position, out of
engagement with the ratchet, thus permitting the leg-rest to be moved readily in
either direction.
The ratchet and pawl and friction lever constitute, a locking device for the foot
supporting frame.
In practice, the foot supporting frame or leg-rest will preferably be equal to sub-
stantially one-half the width of the seat, so that in case of injury to one leg of a
patient, the said injured leg may be supported in any desired or comfortable position
upon the leg-rest, while the well leg of the patient may hang over the shaft go.
This is especially true when the seat and leg-rest are raised into substantially the.
position shown in Fig. 2, and the head section has been raised substantially into the
dotted line position Fig. 2, the said seat and head sections when in the positions
described, forming a chair.
As shown in Fig. 1 the foot supporting frame or leg-rest is in position to receive
the right leg, but if desired, the said frame may be moved to receive the left leg, the
shaft g being first unclamped from one of the side bars, and the slats g' disengaged
from the said shafts, and then engaged again when the supporting frame has been
moved into position.
The bending bar e, see Fig. 2, is provided at its ends with arms s supporting
rollers e, which rest upon and ride over cam surfaces e of the segments before
described, the said cam surfaces being so shaped, that the bending bar is in its lowest
position, shown in Fig. 2, when the foot supporting frame is in its highest position,
and ice-versa, as shown in Fig. 3.
The longitudinal links forming that portion of the wire mattress immediately above
the bending bar are replaced by short chains s', which enable the mattress to be bent
over the feeding bar when the foot portion is lowered into the position shown in Fig. 5.
In practice, the head section may be raised from its full to its dotted line position,
and vice-versa, from the side of the bed, by means of a crank, not shown, but, which is
applied to the hollow shaft or hub d', and the foot. section may be turned in a like
manner from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, and vice-versa, and
the scat portion may be raised and lowered by turning the shaft g¹³.
When the foot section is raised from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in
Fig. 2, the channel bars will be moved outwardly by the levers to lengthen the
said foot section, and the foot rest will be brought toward or nearer to the bed when
the said foot section is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3.
My improved invalid bed may be transformed into a chair by moving the head
section into the dotted line position Fig. 2, and the foot-rest and section into sub-
stantially the position shown in Fig. 3, the auxiliary seat being in its lowest position,
that is, resting on the mattress or the said bed may be transformed into a reclining
chair by raising the auxiliary seat into the position shown in Fig. 2, the head section
being in its dotted line position.
:
When it is desired to employ the stretcher, to raise the patient up from the bed to
enable the latter to be made or for other purpose, the strips c, comprising the seat.
portion of the said stretcher, may be first passed under the patient and secured to
the side rails.
The patient may then be raised into a sitting posture to enable the back supporting
frame to be secured in place, its end resting, as shown, on the cross-bar *.
The stretcher-frame is now raised through the rack-bars a' by rotating the pinion 28
by the crank referred to it will be noticed that as the stretcher-frame is raised, the
patient is lifted bodily at one time.

page_text: The body supporting section of the stretcher may be inclined by raising the head
section of the bed until it forms a bearing against the underside of the said body
supporting section, indicated by dotted lines Fig. 2.
To facilitate shipping, the part 2 of the head-board may be folded down over the
bed, that is, substantially at right angles to the part 3, and the foot rest turned into
its dotted line position shown in Fig. 16.
By means of the adjusting screws a³, the rack-bars may be turned on the stud að
as a pivot, and their upper ends moved outward to take up any spring in the bar a³
and maintain the side rails of the stretcher frame rigid and the material comprising
the stretcher taut, when the said stretcher is used to sustain a substantially heavy
person, thrs of viating any considerable sagging of the stretcher.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
In a bed couch or supporting apparatus for invalids or others.
1-A bed containing the following instrumentalities, iz.:-a bed-frame; a
pivoted head section; a, pivoted foot section having a toothed segment; a suspension
mattress connected to the said sections; a slotted cam having a toothed segment to
act upon a pin or projection of the head section; and gearing to move the said cam
and the said foot section independently each of the other as it is desired to raise or
lower the head section or the foot section, substantially as described.
2 The frame-work; the pivoted head section; and the pivoted foot section
having channel bars mounted loosely upon its arms, to which bars are connected a
foot-rest, the channel bars being jointed by a link having a pivot eccentric to the
pivot of the foot section, whereby the foot section and channel bars slide one on the
other as the foot section is raised or lowered, substantially as described.
3: A hed having independently movable head and foot section; a suspension
mattress composed of metallic links and joined to the said sections by springs ;
combined with a seat attached to the mattress; and means to raise and lower the seat,
substantially as described.
4 The bed having pivoted head and foot sections movable independently each of
the other, and a suspension mattress, combined with vertically movable rack-bars
having mounted on them rigidly the side bars of a stretcher-frame provided with a
pivoted body supporting frame, and a foot support, substantially as described.
5: In a bed, a stretcher-frame composed of side rails having slots a¹, and top rails
having grooves or chambers in line with said slots, combined with an intermediate
seat sustaining section composed of strips of textile material, and buckles pivoted
with relation to said side rails and adapted to force the textile material into the
grooves of the top rail, substantially as described.
6: The sectors instrumental in moving the head and foot sections, and the gearing
in mesh therewith, combined with friction devices to hold the said gearing in place
where left, substantially as described.
7: In a bed, pivoted independently movable head and foot sections, a connected
suspension mattress, combined with a bender bar having a pivot independent of and
different from that of the said foot section, to act upon the mattress, substantially as
described, when the foot section is lowered, substantially as described.
8: In a bed a suspension mattress composed of links some of which, as t², are
rigid, as and for the purpose set forth.
Tinted the 94th day of November 1890.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.