An Improved Bed for Invalids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1892—Accepted, 27th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bed for Invalids.
I, CHARLES STRANGE BOSTON of No. 6, Dynham Villas, Dynham Road,
West Hampstead, London, N.W., Invalid Attendant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
An oblong wooden frame, mounted on four short legs with castors_and_fitted
inside at the middle of its depth with a deeply padded spring bed, placed in a
horizontal position, and divided at centre, by a space of one and a half inches,
extending throughout its length. It is tightly encased in white mackintosh
sheeting, over which is placed a flannel protection shaped to bed and secured at
sides and ends by tapes attached to inside of frame. The inside of frame above
bed, is thickly padded and tighly covered in mackintosh sheeting. Directly under
entire length, but three inches wider than divided space of bed, is placed an oblong
well, made of copper sheeting enamelled, and held in position by a flange, fixed to
each of its sides, and resting on two other flanges fixed to base of frame above.
It can be drawn out from under either end of frame, and carried by its two
reversible iron handles, which extend along its entire length, and which hang
down on either side when not in use. When the well is withdrawn, these handles
lift up and meet over centre for purposes of steadiness of carriage. Inside divided
space of bed and, meeting edges of mackintosh sheeting along either side therein,
are placed two strips of copper sheeting enamelled, they extend half an inch below
base of frame, and are directly over, but inside area of well, and thus form
conductors of all matter draining from bed to well. At lower corners of each end
of frame, are fixed two wooden catches, holding two wooden cross-bars in position
against ends of well, to prevent same from slipping while hanging by flanges, and
to exclude all draughts between base of frame and well. There is a moveable back-
head-and-arm-rest combined, belonging to bed. This rest is thickly padded through-
out and covered in lambswool, and is fastened by hinges at back to wooden rack,
which catches against small brass projectors placed on upper edge of each side of
frame. At either end of back-rest, are fixed the head rests, and they are joined at
the base, by hinges, to the arm-rests, and these are held in position by an iron pin
fastened under each, and fitting into holes in brass plates on upper edges of sides
of frame.
By these means the rest, in its entireness, can be adjusted to any angle. Attached
to back-rest is a leather belt, intended to secure an invalid when in a sitting posture
in bed, against slipping or falling, by fastening across shoulders and hips, and when
not in use, is buckled behind back-rest.
Dated this 20th dev of Anril 1901
CHARLES STRANGE BOSTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bed for Invalids.
I CHARLES STRANGE BOSTON of 6 Dynham Villas, Dynham Road West
Hampstead in the County of Middlesex Invalid Attendant 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a bed especially suitable for very
helpless or imbecile patients.
For this purpose I make the bedstead in the form of a wooden frame or case
LD

page_text: carried upon four short legs or castors and fitted inside with a deeply padded
spring bed made in two parts leaving a longitudinal division between the two of
about one and a half inch wide under which a well. or tray is made to slide in
suitable guides made in the bedstead below the bed so that the tray or well may
be drawn out at either end of the bedstead.
The bed being in two parts covered with white mackintosh sheeting any moisture
or other matter will be drained off through the longitudinal opening hereinbefore
referred to and be received in the removable tray or well beneath; thus a patient
may be washed at full length without removal from the bed and the bed be sub-
sequently covered by flannel or other suitable covering fastened at the sides of 1
the bedstead and extending from each side to near the longitudinal opening between
the two parts of which the bed is formed.
The improved invalid bed is shown in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the bed and bedstead.
Figure
2 is a cross section taken at the line ab in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the upper side of Figure 1 and
Figure 4 is an enlarged view in detail of the handle for withdrawing the well
or tray.
A is the bedstead carried upon the legs B provided with castors C and guides D
in which the well or tray E is carried so as to be capable of being withdrawn by 2
means of the detachable handles F provided one at each end to close the ends of the
opening by which the well or tray is introduced and withdrawn and so exclude any
draught.
The bed J made in two parts may be in the form of two spring cushions or may
be made to contain hot water or air bolsters for certain cases the two parts being 2
united so as to form the longitudinal opening G between the two through which
by means of longitudinal plates H any drainage from the bed is led into the well
or tray E.
I have shown the invalid bed in the accompanying drawings without any sides
for guarding against the fall of a patient from the bed. Sides and end boards 3
thickly padded at the inside may be provided to fit on to the bedstead so as to
ensure safety of the patient if required and a movable back-head-and-arms-rest
may be made to fit on to the bedstead at either end so that the bed may be used
by the patient as an invalid chair or couch.
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 :-
1. An invalid bed made in two parts to provide a longitudinal opening for
draining into a well or tray beneath the bed substantially as described.
2. In an invalid bed the combination of a longitudinal channel or opening and
a withdrawable well or tray substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 20th day of January 1892.
AYRTON & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.