Improvements in Lifting and Transferring Devices for use in connee- tion with Invalid Beds.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Lifting and Transferring Devices for use in connee-
tion with Invalid Beds.
A communication by CHARLES B. ULRICH, of 509-510, Providence Building,
Duluth, County of St. Louis, and State of Minnesota, United States of
America, Produce Broker.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
-
This invention relates to a lifting device for lifting invalids, and is designed
for raising an invalid off from a bed in a reclining or sitting position, whereby
the patient may be moved off from the bed to air the bed, or to make up the
bed, to rest the patient, to transfer the patient to a chair, or to the bath room,
or out of the room, in order to air the room, or to transfer the patient to an opera-
ting room. The device is also adapted to raise the patients into position where
they make take slight exercise, as by swinging back and forth with their feet
upon the floor, also to facilitate the use of a bed pan, to roll the patient from
side to side, and to handle the patient generally without exertion of the patient,
the device being readily operated by an attendant. The device, or portions there-
of, may also be made removable when not in use, or parts thereof, as the track,
may be permanently located.
This invention consists of the combination of devices hereinafter specified and
claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which―
Figure 1 is a view in perspective.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation.
Fig. 3 is a view in section through the track.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of a removable crane to support the track.
Fig. 5 is a view showing the base of the crane in section.
Fig. 6 shows a perforated blanket.
Fig. 7 is a view of one of the cross arms with its attachments, the lifting bar
being in section.
Fig. 8 shows a fan attachment.
Fig. 9 is a reduced plan view of the foot of the crane.
Any suitable track, indicated at a may be employed, the same being engaged
permanently upon the ceiling of a room, as in a hospital ward, for example, or
the track may be supported by a removable crane, indicated at b.
Wheels care arranged to travel upon the track, said wheels mounted upon an
axle d with which is connected a pulley e over which is passed a lifting rope f.
A lifter bar g is provided with a drum h, said drum made rotatable by suitable
gear, whereby the lifting rope may be wound upon said drum. The lifting
rope is also passed over a pulley attached to the lifting bar.
The gear is actuated by a crank handle k, a pawl 1 being employed to hold
the gear in fixed position. This lifting bar with its attachments is suspended
over the patients bed upon the track.

page_text: The lifting bar is provided with a series of cross arms m having depending
cords n at their extremities, each of said cords being preferably provided at their
lower extremities with a snap hook p. A canvas or blanket is employed, to
be placed under the patient, provided at its lateral edges with rings r, to engage
the hooks upon the ends of said cords. The blanket may be constructed in a
variety of ways and materials. Where it. is desired to give a patient a bath, a
perforated rubber blanket may be employed, indicated in Figure 6. To facilitate
the use of a bed pan, a canvas is employed provided with an elongated slit, in-
dicated at s, an additional depending cord or rope t being engaged with the lower
enu of the lifting bar and with the canvas intermediate its lateral edges to hold
the canvas from spreading unduly adjacent to said slot.
It is preferred to mount the drum upon which the lifting rope is wound, upon
a swivel, indicated at u, so that the lifting bar with the blanket may be tilted
laterally to roll the patient from side to side, the drum still retaining its normal
position.
If the ceiling is high, a suspending rod or cable is employed to connect the
axle of the wheels with the upper pulley. In operation, the lifting bar with its
attachments is moved on the track over the patient, and the cords depending
therefrom are engaged with the canvas or blanket placed under the patient, then
by means of the gear engaged with the drum, the lifting rope is wound, thereby
lifting the patient, when he may be transferred upon the track, as mentioned.
The track may extend upon the ceiling across a hospital ward, so that the lift-
ing device may be moved over any patient therein.
The pulley is preferably engaged with the lifting bar by means of a swivel x.
The axle d of the wheels c may be provided with a depending' hooked arm y to
engage the rod or the pulley e.
Where the track a is attached to a ceiling, supporting brackets z are employed,
suitable brackets also being provided to attach the track to the crane b. The
track shown in the drawings is constructed with an enclosing body channeled
on its under side, and provided with flanges projecting into the body, the wheels c
traveling in the ways formed at the sides of said flanges. The crane bis con-
structed with a hollow base section, indicated at 1, engaged upon a supporting
foot 2, of angle iron or otherwise. Into the hollow base section is telescoped a
section 2, preferably provided with an arc-shaped portion 3 at the lower end to
facilitate the rotation of the section. The section 2 carries a lateral arm 4 upon
which the track is suspended. A brace 5 is shown bracing the arms upon the
adjacent section. The crane may be readily placed at the end of the bed and is
readily removable from the room. The arm 4 may be swung laterally so as to
carry the track away from over the bed.
The foot of the crane may consist of three radiating parts, indicated more par-
ticularly in Figure 9. The lifting bar g is provided with a series of perforations
in order that the pulley j may be adjusted into desired position, so that the
center of gravity may be changed, as required. The pawl is shown provided
with a spring 6 to keep the pawl in normal position. The pawl may be operated
from any desired position to disengage it from the adjacent gear.
to attach to the pawl a rod 7 extending longitudinally of the bar
It is preferred
the head thereof so that it may be readily operated by the attendant.
9 toward
it is desired to securely hold the lifting bar g from tilting longitudinally, a rod
Where
or cord S may be employed, connected with the pulley e and with the forward end
of the lifting bar g.
In Figure 8 is shown a fan attachment 9 secured to one of the cross arms, the
same consisting of a vertical weighted rod, the upper portion thereof being
turned partially across the corresponding cross arm and provided at its end with
a fan, the horizontal portion of the rod having a rocking engagement with the
cross arm, as by staples 10 and 11. The staple 10 preferably consists of a forked
staple, while the staple 11 may be of similar construction. The upright portion

page_text: of the rod will obviously act as a pendulum, when the lifting bar is swung back
and forth, thereby rocking the fan.
By attaching the staples to different cross arms, the fan may be changed from
one to another, to more suitably fan a patient.
The suspending cords n preferably pass through the ends of the cross arms,
and extend across the top of said arms, so that if, by any possibility, the corres-
ponding arms should break, the cord will be sustained upon the lifting bar, and
prevent the patient from dropping.
To prevent the parts of the blanket adjacent to the orifice s spreading unduly,
a re-enforcing strip 13 is provided looped about the parts of the blanket on each
side of said slot, the encircling parts of the strip being fastened intermediate
their ends, as at 14, The strip is movable longitudinally upon the canvas, and
rings are attached thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a lifting device, the combination of a track, a carriage to travel thereon,
a lifting bar, a series of cross arms engaged therewith, depending cords connected
to the outer ends of said cross arms, a canvas or blanket connected to said cross
arms a rope or cable engaged with said carriage, a windlass having a swiveled
engagement with said lifting bar and connected with said rope, and gear to
operate said windlass, substantially as described.
2. In a lifting device, the combination of a lifting bar, a series of cross arms
engaged therewith provided with depending devices, a movable crane provided
with an adjustable and swinging arm, a track carried by said swinging arm,
a carriage traveling upon said track, a pulley connected with said carriage, a
rope or cable connected with said pulley, and a windlass engaged with said bar
and with said rope or cable, substantially as described.
3. In combination, a track provided with a carriage to travel thereon, a pulley
connected with said carriage, a lifting bar provided with a pulley, a windlass,
a rope passing over said pulleys and windlass, means to rotate said windlass to
raise and lower the lifting bar, depending cords suspended from the extremities
of the cross arms and passing from extremity to extremity of the cross arms, a
canvas or blanket provided with an elongated slit toward one end thereof con-
nected with said cords, a movable re-enforcing strip engaged with the portions
of the canvas or blanket at each side the slit therein, an adjustable depending
cord suspended from the lower end of the lifting bar to engage with the lower
end of the canvas or blanket intermediate its lateral edges, substantially as
described.
4. In combination, a track, a carriage to travel thereupon, a lifting bar, means
connecting said carriage with said lifting bar to raise and lower said bar, a
series of cross arms engaged with the lifting bar, depending cords connected with
the cross arms, a canvas or blanket engagable with said cords, and a fan
provided with an arm having a rocking connection upon one of said cross arms
and provided with a depending weighted arm, whereby the swinging of the lift-
ing bar will rock the fan, substantially as described.
5. In a lifting device, a track, a lifting bar, means to raise and lower the
lifting bar and to move it longitudinally upon said track, the lifting bar arranged
to be tilted laterally and longitudinally, the lifting bar provided with cross
arms, and a canvas or blanket suspended from the extremities of the cross arms,
one of the cross arms provided with a rocking fan, and a canvas or blanket
formed with an elongated slit toward one end thereof, substantially as described.
Dated the 26th day of June 1899.
WAL. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Agents.