Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th June, 1889
We ISAAC CHORLTON of 19 Blackfriars Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster Spring Mattress Manufacturer and GEORGE LAMB SCOTT also of
Manchester, aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to
be as follows:-
Our said Invention relates to invalid beds and refers to means whereby the mattress
and bedding beneath the patient can be lowered, removed, renewed or re-adjusted and
replaced without disturbing him, and whereby provision is made for allowing the
patient to void urine and excrement without leaving the bed, and for inserting
supporting pads and the like adjuncts of comfort or necessity without causing him
bodily disturbance and the probable danger arising therefrom.
Our improvements are applicable to the ordinary type of iron beds; or special
bedsteads may be made. The sheet or sacking upon which the patient lies is stretched
between and secured to the fixed head and foot ends and side members of the bedstead
and a hole is made about the centre of the sacking to permit of the passage of excreta
and water. Beneath this sheet or sacking composing the fixed bed bottom we arrange
a movable mattress frame or secondary bed bottom which can be raised and lowered
towards and away from the fixed bed bottom. Upon this movable frame we stretch
an elastic metallic or other suitable mattress upon which we place suitable bedding.
The frame carrying this mattress and bedding may slide upon or against the legs or
supports of the bedstead and may be raised and lowered by hand and fixed in any
desired position by stops, pins, pinching-screws, ratchets and ratchet pawls or other
suitable means.
Under ordinary circumstances the said movable frame and mattress
is raised so as to support the weight of the patient. In the event of the patient
desiring relief it is only necessary to lower the said movable frame and mattress leaving
the patient suspended in the sheet or sacking of the fixed upper bed bottom.
utensil can then be introduced beneath the sacking and opposite to the hole through
which the matters issue.
An
When the bed is to be made, the frame can in like manner be lowered and the
bedding beaten up or changed as desired without taxing the patient in the slightest

page_text: Although the movable under frame and mattress can be raised and lowered by hand
as described we however prefer to use mechanism for this purpose. A convenient
form of such mechanism is to arrange a horizontal shaft extending the length of the
bed at or near the centre thereof, and as close to the floor as conveniently possible the
said shaft being carried in bearings in brackets suspended from two cross shafts which
are carried in bearings from the supports of the bedstead and which extend across the
head and foot of the bed just above the first shaft and also near to the floor. Two
worms on the first named shaft engage with worm wheels secured on the said two
cross shafts and cause them to revolve. The said cross shafts carry pullies either one
at each end of each shaft or one such pulloy at or about the centre of each shaft. To
these pullies we attach the ends of corresponding belts, cords, bands or chains and
after passing them over carrier pullies we attach the other ends to the aforesaid
moveable under frame which is thus suspended by the said belts, cords or chains. The
end or ends of the shaft carrying the worms is or are provided with a handle or hand-
wheel or handles or hand wheels either fixed thereto or removable, whereby the shaft
and worms may be turned. The pullies and shafts are thereby also rotated so that
the belts, cords or chains are coiled or uncoiled upon or from the pnllies and the
movable frame is thus raised or lowered as desired. Where a single pulley at each
end is used to raise the movable bed bottom the cross shafts need not revolve, as the
pulley could be formed in one piece with or attached to the worm wheel and revolve
therewith loosely on the shaft or on short studs that might he substituted for the shafts
where facilities exist for carrying the said short studs. The described mechanism is
very powerful and enables the mattress to be brought sufficiently closely up to the
patient to take his whole weight and the worm and worn wheel provide self locking
apparatus which effectually prevents an accidental drop of the frame and mattress.
For this reason we prefer to use worm gearing for this purpose although it will be
evident that other gearing might be used for the same purpose. For example racks
might be fitted to the supports of the bed and the movable mattress frame or bed
bottom might be fitted with a cross shaft at each end carrying pinions which would
gear with the said racks and these two cross shafts might be actuated from a longitu-
dinal shaft and hand wheel or handle either in the centre or at the side of the movable
bed bottom and supported in bearings therefrom and rising and falling therewith. We
however at present believe that the mechanism hereinbefore first described is preferable
for our purpose although we do not confine ourselves thereto. A bed of our improved
description is especially useful in cases of accident such as fractured limbs or bones.
In such circumstances it is of vital importance that the patient should not be disturbed
and that he should at the same time be made as comfortable as possible. With our
improved bed a patient need not be disturbed until all danger has passed and as a
consequence the time required for completing a cure is considerably reduced.
case of Infirmaries such an early discharge represents a considerable monetary saving
in each case and is equivalent to an increase of accomodation.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1888
In the
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: We ISAAC CHORLTON of 19 Blackfriars Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Spring Mattress Manufacturer, and GEORGE LAMB SCOTT also of Manchester
aforesaid, Engineer, 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 and accompanying drawings:
Our said Invention relates to invalid beds and refers to means whereby the mattress
and bedding beneath the patient can he lowered, removed, renewed or re-adjusted and
replaced without disturbing him, and whereby provision is made for allowing the
patient to void urine and excrement without leaving the bed, and for inserting
supporting pads and the like adjuncts of comfort or necessity without causing him
bodily disturbance and the probable danger arising therefrom. Our improvements
are applicable to the ordinary type of iron beds or special bedsteads may be made.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same with reference to the annexed sheet of
drawings. In the said drawings Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of our improved
invalid bed with the movable frame or bed bottom a in its elevated position. In Fig. 2
which is a similar view of the bed the movable bottom is represented as lowered.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing more clearly the relative positions of the mechanism.
The sheet or sacking & upon which the patient lies is stretched between and secured to
the fixed head and foot ends c and d and side members e of the bedstead and a hole f
is made about the centre of the sacking b to permit of the passage of excreta and
water. Beneath this sheet or sacking which composes the fixed bed bottom we
arrange a movable mattress frame or secondary bed bottom a which can be raised and
lowered towards and away from the upper fixed bed bottom. Upon this movable
frame we stretch an elastic metallic or other suitable mattress upon which we place
suitable bedding. The frame g carrying this mattress and bedding may slide upon or
against the legs or supports of the bedstead as shown and may be raised and lowered
by hand or by mechanism such as that shown in the drawing. A convenient-form of
such mechanism is to arrange a horizontal shaft i extending the length of the bed at or
near the centre thereof, and as close to the floor as conveniently possible the said
shaft i being carried in bearings in brackets j suspended from two cross shafts k which
b

page_text: are carried in bearings from the supports of the bedstead and which extend across the
head and foot of the bed just above the first shaft i and also near to the floor. Two
worms on the first named shaft i engage with worm wheels n secured on the said
two cross shafts and cause them to revolve. The said cross shafts k carry pullies n
either one at each end of each shaft or one such pulley at or about the centre of each
shaft. To these pullies n we attach the ends of corresponding belts, cords, bands or
chains o and after passing them over carrier pullies p we attach the other ends to
the aforesaid movable under frame or bed bottom a which is thus suspended by the
said belts, cords or chains. The end or ends of the shaft carrying the worms is or
are provided with a handle or hand wheel g or handles or handwheels either fixed
thereto or removable, whereby the shaft i and worms / may be turned. The pullies n
and shafts kare thereby also rotated so that the belts, cords or chains are wound or
unwound upon or from the pullies and the movable frame is thus raised or lowered as
desired. When a single pulley at each end is used to raise the movable bed bottom
the cross shafts k need not revolve, as the pulley n could be formed in one piece with
or attached to the worm wheels and revolve therewith loosely on the shafts k or on
short studs that might be substituted for the shafts & when facilities exist for carrying
the said short studs, as for example in brackets from the floor. The described
mechanism is very powerful and enables the mattress or bed bottom a to be brought
sufficiently closely up to the patient to take his whole weight and tho worms and
worm wheels,provide self locking apparatus which effectually prevents an accidental
drop of the frame and mattress. For this reason we prefer to use worm gearing for
this purpose although it will be evident that other gearing might be used for the same
purpose. For example racks might be fitted to the supports of the bed and the
inovable mattress frame or bed bottom a might be fitted with a cross shaft at each end
carrying pinions which would gear with the said racks and these two cross shafts
might be.actuated from a longitudinal shaft and hand wheel or handle either in the
centre or at the side of the movable bed bottom and supported in bearings therefrom
and rising and falling therewith. We however prefer the mechanism hereinbefore
described although we do not confine ourselves thereto. Indeed the use of mechanism
is not absolutely essential as the movable bed bottom might be raised and lowered by
hand and fixed in any desired position by stops, pins, pinching-screws, ratchets and
ratchet pawls or other suitable means.
Under ordinary circumstances the said movable frame and mattress is raised so as to
support the weight of the patient. In the event of the patient desiring relief it is
only necessary to lower the said movable frame a and mattress leaving the patient
suspended in the sheet or sacking of the fixed upper bed bottom. An utensil can
then be introduced beneath the sacking and opposite to the hole through which the
matters issue. When the bed is to be made, the frame can in like manner be lowered
sand 'the bedding beaten up or changed as desired without taxing the patient in the
.slightest degree.
A bed of our improved description is especially useful in cases of accident such as
fractured limbs or bones and in diseases where it is dangerous to move the patient.
In such circumstances it is of vital importance that the patient should not be disturbed
and that he should at the same time be made as comfortable as possible. With our
improved bed a patient need not be disturbed until all danger has passed and as a con-
:sequence the time required for completing a cure is considerably reduced. In the case
of Infirmaries such an early discharge represents a considerable monetary saving.in
each case and is equivalent to an increase of accomodation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1) The general arrangement and combination of parts comprising the improved
invalid bed substantially as herein before described and shown or any mere modification
of such general arrangement or combination.

page_text: (2) An invalid bed having a fixed upper frame and sheet to support the patient and
a lower frame capable of being moved towards and away from the said fixed upper
frame, by the means and substantially as described and shown.
(3) An invalid bed having a fixed upper frame and sheet to support the patient and
a movable lower frame the said lower frame being raised and lowered by mechanism
operated through worms and worm wheels from a shaft and hand wheel or handle
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.