Improvements in or connected with Bed- or other Mattresses.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Bed- or other Mattresses.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES CHITTY ERSKINE, of The New Club, Princes Street, Edin-
burgh, Scotland, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with the making or
fitting of bed- and other mattresses with the view of providing greater comfort
to patients; and increased facilities for the attentions of their nurses, and the
treatment or operations by doctors or surgeons.
It is well known that patients suffering from severe illness, and persons under-
going treatment or operations should be disturbed or moved as little as possible;
but the calls of nature, the necessities of operations and other causes have hitherto
rendered it unavoidable to raise or otherwise move the patient's body in order
to meet the requirements of the case.
Now the object of the present invention is to provide the mattress with such
fittings as will enable the nurse or attendant to introduce a bed-pan or other
vessel or article, or otherwise administer to the wants of the patient without dis-
turbing or removing the patient's body or limbs as has hitherto been necessary;
and also to provide greater facilities for medical or surgical operations with less
inconvenience to the patient.
In carrying out the purposes of the invention, an aperture or hole of con-
venient size and shape is formed or provided in a suitable part and position in
the mattress; in this aperture or hole is placed a properly formed air or water
cushion, made of india rubber or other efficient material, which when adequately
filled with air or water, as the case may be, so occupies the aperture or hole as
When it is
to complete the uniformity of the bearing surface of the mattress.
required, for instance, to introduce a bed-pan the air or water is allowed or caused
to leave the cushion until a sufficient depression or hollow in the mattress has
thereby been obtained for the reception of the pan or vessel or other article at a
level lower than that of the patient's body. Upon removal of the pan or other
article the cushion is again replenished with air or water, as the case may be,
until the supporting surface of the cushion has been restored to the surface level
of the mattress.
In operating the device the air or the water in the cushion (when it is required
to form the depression or hollow in the mattress) is allowed to escape, or is forced
or drawn, preferably, into an adjacent reservoir which is connected with the
cushion by means of a tube or otherwise. In order to refil the cushion it is
necessary merely to reverse the action by causing or forcing a return of the air
or the water from the reservoir into the cushion. Any loss from leakage or other
wise being made good when necessary by the addition of more air or water by
any convenient means.
The reservoir may be in the form of a bellows or pump, which could be caused

page_text: to extend or open to receive the air or the water from the cushion; and by closing
it, to return the same (and any further quantity desired) to the cushion.
Or, in the case of a water filled cushion the reservoir might simply be lowered
sufficiently to allow the water to flow by gravitation from the cushion to the
reservoir; and raised high enough to cause the water to return by gravitation to
the cushion, and to maintain the water in the cushion at any pressure that may
be desired. The reservoir might, if found more convenient, be so placed that
the water could flow between cushion and reservoir automatically adjusting itself
to the pressure, temporary or otherwise, acting on the cushion.
In lieu of air or water, the cushion might be sustained by means of suitable
springs, such for example as
"sofa " springs, which, when the depression was
required could be forced down or closed sufficiently by means of a lever or its
equivalent, and again released when such depression was no longer needed.
Or, instead of using air or water or springs, the walls and top of the cushion
might be formed of such strength, and, it may be, with inner cells or partitions,
that the natural elasticity and resilience of the material would admit of de-
pression of its surface to form a suitable hollow for the reception of the pan or
other article; and, upon removal of the pressure, regain its original form and
restore its surface to the level of the mattress.
Or, the cushion might be a simple air or pneumatic cushion without fittings
for emptying and refilling as hereinbefore described; the compressibility and
elasticity of the enclosed air being sufficient to allow of the surface
being pressed down to obtain a suitable hollow for the pan or other
article; and upon withdrawal of the pressure to return to its normal
level. And in order to obtain sufficient firmness in the cushion the con-
tained air might be in a state of adequate compression, easily secured and main-
tained by means of an air pump or inflator.
By means of the invention herein described the patient need not be greatly
disturbed or inconvenienced and the necessary attentions and services of the
nurse or operator would be appreciably facilitated.
It is understood that in the invention herein described and set forth, all the
valves, stopcocks, joints, junctions and other details necessary thereto will be
provided and applied.
Dated this 30th dow of Manh 1000
I, WILLIAM CHARLES CHITTY ERSKINE, of The New Club, Princes Street, Edin-
burgh, Scotland, Gentleman, 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 invention relates to improvements in or connected with bed or other mat-
tresses.
It is well known that persons suffering from severe illness and undergoing
medical or surgical treatment should be disturbed or moved as little as possible,
but the calls of nature, the necessities of operations or other causes have hitherto
rendered it unavoidable to raise or move the patient's body in order to meet the
requirements of the case.
Now the object of the present invention is to provide a bed or mattress with

page_text: means by the aid of which the nurse or attendant will be enabled to introduce
into position a bed-pan or the like or otherwise administer to the wants of the
patient without disturbing the body or limbs, and whereby greater facilities will
be afforded for medical or surgical operations with less inconvenience to the
patient.
For this purpose an aperture of any suitable dimensions and shape is provided
in the mattress either by the formation of a hole therethrough or by the removal
of a section thereof and this aperture is fitted with an air, water, or other cushion
which or the upper surface of which is capable of being temporarily depressed
so as to provide space for the introduction of the bed-pan into position or for
other necessary operations and of afterwards being restored to its normal condi-
tion without disturbing the patient.
In carrying the invention into effect according to one arrangement the aper-
ture in the mattress is fitted with an air cushion which when inflated so fills said
aperture as to complete the uniformity of the upper or bearing surface of the
mattress.
The cushion is inflated by any suitable means such for example as a bellows
or the like which is connected therewith by means of a flexible tube fitted with a
stop cock and which device besides inflating the cushion will also serve as a
reservoir to receive the contents of the air cushion at the times desired and as
hereinafter described.
When in practice it is required to introduce a bed-pan into position or to other-
wise obtain access to the patient the air is allowed to escape from the cushion
into the reservoir until a sufficient depression or hollow has been obtained in that
part of the mattress for the reception of the pan or the like or for other purposes
when the pan may be introduced into position or access may be obtained to the
patient for other purposes, whilst upon the removal of the pan or when access
is no longer required the bellows or pump is compressed again inflating the
cushion until the mattress presents a level surface.
By this arrangement of parts any loss of air may be easily compensated for by
manipulating the bellows or pump.
Instead of permitting the air to flow into the reservoir in the manner herein-
before described it may be forced thereinto by the attendant pressing upon the
cushion through the intervention of the bed-pan or otherwise.
In the same manner water or other liquid may be employed to distend the
cushion in place of air and in this case the bellows or pump may if desired be
replaced by a simple reservoir and the latter raised to a level above that of the
cushion so that the water will flow by gravity into the cushion and distend the
same or may be lowered to a level below the cushion in order that the water may
flow back into the reservoir so as to admit of the necessary depression being
formed in the cushion and it will be understood that the pressure to which the
cushion is distended may be regulated by varying the height to which the reser-
voir is raised in the filling operation.
Or the reservoir might be permanently fixed at a convenient level to admit of
the water being displaced from the cushion and forced into the reservoir and the
placing in position of the pan with a suitable pressure might be relied upon to
displace sufficient water from the cushion into the reservoir to form the neces-
sary hollow in the former.
Ŏr as a further modification the cushion might be of any suitable character
stuffed with horse-hair or the like and supported upon helical or other springs
or upon an air bag with capability of being depressed by means of a lever for
the purpose of forming the required hollow.
Or the springs may be dispensed with and the cushion raised and lowered by
means of a lever at its end counter-weighted as an equivalent of the springs.
Or a bag of air or liquid might be substituted for the springs and might be
connected with a bellows, pump, reservoir, or the like so as to admit of the lower-
ing or raising of the cushion in the required manner.

page_text: And in order that the said 'invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section representing å bedstead fitted witli a
mattress having the present invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 1-1 of Figure
but illustrating a different filling means for the cushion.
.
Figure 4 is a similar view of part representing a slight modification.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure I but representing a slight modification
Figure 6 is a similar view representing a method of raising and lowering the
cushion to provide the necessary hollow.
Figure 7 is a similar view representing a modification of the device illustrated
in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a similar view representing a further slight modification of said
device and
Figure 9 is a plan of a mattress illustrating a modification in the form of the
cushion.
In the several figures in which like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference Figures 4 and 9 are drawn to a reduced scale with respect to the other
figures of the drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 a represents the bedstead and b represents the
mattress which in the present example formed with a central aperture 6¹ there-
through, although an entire section of the mattress might be removed as herein-
after described with respect to Figure 9.
The aperture 6 is fitted with a cushion consisting of an air bag c the upper
surface of which is capable of being temporarily depressed so as to provide space
for the introduction of the bed-pan d into position as shown in the drawings or
for other necessary operations and of afterwards being restored to its normal
condition without disturbing the patient and the air cushion c when inflated so
fills the aperture bas to complete the uniformity. of the upper or bearing sur-
face of the mattress b.
The cushion c is connected by means of a pipe c' with a bellows the nozzle
of which is fitted with a stop cock 3 and the bellows is provided with an
offset from the upper side of the bellows and which offset is slotted to
engage a curved rack mounted upon an axis of motion and by the aid of
which the bellows c² may be held in their compressed position at the times
desired.
The bellows is interiorly fitted with an ordinary leather flap valve or its
equivalent covering an aperture in the side thereof and this aperture is adapted
to be closed at the times desired by a screw cap for the purpose hereinafter
described whilst the bellows are adapted to be compressed by the foot of the
operator and to be expanded by a spring arranged in such a manner as to
lift the side and distend the bellows.
When in practice it is required to introduce a bed-pan d into position or to
otherwise obtain access to the patient the air is allowed to escape from the
cushion c into the bellows reservoir assisted if desired by the attendant press-
ing upon the cushion until a sufficient depression or hollow has been obtained
in that part of the mattress b for the reception of the pan d or the like as
represented in the drawings or to give access to the patient for other purposes.
Upon the removal of the pan d or when access to the patient is no longer re-
quired the bellows 2 is compressed again by pressing upon the upper side with
the foot thereby inflating the cushion c until the mattress presents a level surface
as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1, and the bellows will by means of the
rack be retained in this position thereby keeping the cushion c inflated until
L

page_text: the patient again requires attention and in order to prevent any leakage of air
back into the bellows.c³ the nozzle of the bellows is provided with "a" stop' cock c
by means of which after the expanding operation the cushion c may be cut off
therefrom.
When however the pressure is again required in the cushion c the stop cock c³
must be turned on and the offset of the bellows disengaged from the
rack when by the action of the spring the bellows will be expanded thus
drawing a large volume of air from the cushion c and forming the required
depression.
When it is required to compensate for any loss of air occasioned by leakage
or otherwise the cap c may be unscrewed when the bellows upon expansion will
take in additional air in the manner well understood after which the cap c may
be again placed in position.
* J.
:
1
In lieu of the bellows c² any other suitable form of pump or inflator may be
employed.
Although air has been described as the expanding medium it will be obvious
that water or other liquid may be employed in lieu thereof.
In the example given at Figure 3 the cushion c is expanded by means of
water or other liquid and in this case instead of the bellows or pump a simple
reservoir or receptacle c³ is employed and in order to distend the cushion c the
reservoir is raised to a level above that of the cushion so that the water will
flow by gravity into the latter and distend the same whilst when it is desired to
form the required hollow or cavity in the cushion c the reservoir is lowered
to a level below the cushion c in order that the water may flow back therein to
by gravity so as to admit of the necessary depression being formed in the
cushion and it will be understood that the pressure to which the cushion c is
distended may be regulated by varying the height to which the reservoir c² is
raised in the filling operation.
In the example given at Figure 4 the reservoir is permanently fixed at such
a height as to admit of the water being displaced from the cushion c into the
reservoir and the placing in position of the pan d with a suitable pressure is
relied upon to displace sufficient water from the cushion c into the reservoir cª
to form the necessary hollow in the former.
In the example given at Figure 5 the device is assumed to be substantially
the same as that hereinbefore described but in this case the cushion c is formed
with a central conical aperture normally closed by a correspondingly shaped
inflated plug e as shown by the dotted lines so that by the removal of the latter
a funnel will be formed to afford the necessary drainage for certain purposes.
In the example given at Figure 6 the cushion c is formed of any suitable
material stuffed with horse-hair or the like, and supported through the inter-
vention of a bottom board e¹ upon spiral or they might be other springs e which
normally hold the cushion c in its raised position whilst in order to depress the
cushion and form the required cavity when desired a lever e² is employed which
is mounted upon an axis of motion upon a projection from the framing a and
at its inner end is by a link et connected with the bottom board el whilst the
outer end of the lever is provided with a laterally projecting pin e5 which in
the depressed position of the cushion engages a hook shaped detent e
pinjointed to the bed frame so that the cushion may be held in its depressed
position without attention.
In the example given at Figure 7 the device is substantially the same as that
lastly herein before described except that the spiral springs e are dispensed with
and the lever is provided with a counterweight e to normally hold the cushion c
in its raised position.
In the example given at Figure 8 the device is similar to that represented at
Figures 6 and 7 except that the means for raising and lowering the cushion c
are somewhat different that is to say in place of the springs or weight e and
lever an air or water bag e is employed which is adapted to be filled by means

page_text: of any suitable contrivance such as those hereinbefore shown and described
through a pipe e* so as to admit of the raising or lowering of the cushion c in
the required manner.
In the example given at Figure 9 the mattress b instead of being formed with
a central hole has an opening 61 formed therein extending entirely across the
same and the cushion c is formed of corresponding shape to the opening thus
forming a section of the mattress fulfilling all the requirements of a water or
air bed.
By the means herein before the nurse or attendant will be enabled readily to
introduce into position a bed-pan or the like or otherwise administer to the wants
of the patient without disturbing the body or limbs whilst at the same time
greater facilities will be afforded for medical or surgical operations with less
inconvenience to the patient than heretofore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. An invalid bed or the like comprising a mattress formed with an aperture
fitted with a cushion adapted to be depressed at the times required to form a
cavity for the reception of a bed-pan or for other purposes substantially as herein
shown and described.
2. An invalid bed or the like comprising a mattress formed with an aperture
fitted with a cushion expanded by means of air or liquid forced thereinto by suit-
able means so that by partially emptying said cushion a cavity will be formed
for the reception of a bed-pan or for other purposes substantially as herein shown
and described.
3. An invalid bed or the like comprising a mattress formed with an aperture
fitted with a cushion connected by a pipe with a reservoir of air or liquid by
means of which the cushion may be expanded or into which said air or liquid
may be partially drawn off or forced so that a cavity will be formed for the
reception of a bed-pan or for other purposes substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. An invalid bed or the like formed with an aperture fitted with a cushion
held in its raised position by an air or other spring or by a weight so that
said cushion may be depressed at the times required to form a cavity for a bed-
pan or for other purposes substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of August 1898
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225, Birkbeck Bank Chambers,
Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225, Birkbeck Bank Chambers,
Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.