Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1898
TYO
Decatur Street, FRANK EDDY CALDWELL, Physician, residing at 151, Henry Street,
and CALVIN EDWARDS HULL, Gentleman, residing at 531, Washington Avenue, all
of Brooklyn, Kings County, State of New York, United States of America, 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 convertible invalid chairs and cots.
In the annexed drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the chair supported on its transporting-
wheels and provided with a table;
Figure 2 a perspective view showing the wheels and table removed and the book-
rest or writing-board removed;
Figure 3 a perspective view of the same taken from the rear;
Figure 4 a perspective view showing the chair converted into a cot;
Figure 5 a perspective view showing the cot adjusted low down or close to the
floor, this being desired in some cases of sickness; and
Figure 6 a detail perspective of the table.
Referring to the drawings by letters, a designates the side-bars of the seat-
frame, which are extended upward and backward at their rear ends and formed
into the handles b, whose upper ends are connected by a cross-bar 61 and are
braced to the side-bars a by the metallic straps 62. The four supporting-legs care
each pivotally connected to the side-bars by bolts c¹. The leg-rest consists of side-
bars & pivoted on the forward pair of bolts c¹ and connected at their lower ends by
a cross-bar d¹. Connected to the leg-rest, at each side thereof, is a rod d², this
rod being connected to the leg rest pivotally by a clamp-bolt d³ and being extended
backward and downward and clamped to the outer side of the adjacent forward leg
by another clamp-bolt d, the rod being provided with a series of holes to render it
adjustable and permit the desired inclination to be given to the leg-rest.
Each pair of legs c is connected and braced by the crossed braces e, and the side-
bars a are braced and rigidly connected by the bows e¹.
The back-rest frame f is pivoted at its lower end upon the rear pair of bolts c¹
and is supported by a pair of rods f¹ pivoted to it above its middle and extended
back and clamped to the handles b by means of the clamp-bolts f2, the rod f¹ and
the handles b being provided with a series of holes for adjustment purposes,
The side-bars of the back-
enabling the back to be given the desired inclination.
frame are connected by the bowed brace f³, and the side-bars of the leg-rest are also
connected by bowed brace f'.
The side-bars of the seat-frame and leg-frame and back-frame are connected by a
continuous piece of suitable fabric, running the entire length, from the head-rest of
the back-frame to the lower end of the leg-rest. The canvas on the seat-frame is
provided with an opening g, as shown in Figure 5, which is covered by a removable
flap gl, so that the occupant may use the commode without arising.
The foot-rest or board h is pivotally counected to a transverse bar h¹ extending
across beneath the leg-frame at its lower end and having its ends extended to form

page_text: convenient handles for use in lifting the chair from place to place. The foot-rest
is supported by rods h², one being pivotally connected at each end of the foot-rest
and extended back and connected to the adjacent clamp-bolt d³, each clamp-bolt
being made thereby to clamp both the rods h² and d² to the leg-frame.
On each of the forward legs is journaled a small removable wheel i, a stub-axle
and thumb-nut being used to secure the wheel to the leg. A pair of large wheels j
are mounted in rear of the chair upon an axle supported at the rear ends of a pair
of arms, these arms being downward-turned extensions of side-rods k. The side-
rods respectively connect the legs of each side rigidly together, but for the
purposes of adjustment these rods are provided with a series of perforations where
they intersect the legs, clamp-bolts k¹ being used to detachably connect the legs to
the bar. The axle ¹ is readily removable so that the wheels thereon may be
removed when it is desired to convert the wheel-chair into a stationary chair.
Clamped to the end of each extension 2 is a rod k², the clamping-nut k³ on the end
of the axle being employed for that purpose. These rods extend forward and are
respectively clamped to the rear legs, being provided with a series of holes where
they intersect the leg for the purpose of adjustment. To brace each extension j² is
a rod or strap l, which extends from the end of the extension forward and is
fastened rigidly to the main part k at a point preferably in front of the rear legs,
this strap where it connects with the end of the extension being bent up and
fastened to the rear side thereof to form the journal of the axle 2. Swung under
the seat is a shelf m for the support of a commode or other vessel, this shelf being
supported by hangers m¹ each of which consist of a spring-wire bent into a
substantially U-shape form its free arms being bent laterally at their upper ends
and sprung into eyes m² carried by the bars h. The shelf and hangers may be
readily removed by springing the arms of the hangers out of the eyes m².
The arin-rests, each, consists of a horizontal bar or rod n and a vertical rod n¹,
the latter clamped at its lower end to the side-bark by clamp-screw n² and pivotally
connected at its upper end to the rod n and being confined to the outer side of the
seat-frame by a keeper n³ open at its rear side. Each rod n extends back to the
handle b just in rear of it and is connected thereto by the adjacent clamp-bolt f2.
Secured on each of the bars n is an arm-piece nt, and hinged to one of these
arm-pieces is a book-support or writing-board nº, which is adapted to fold down, as
shown in Figure 1, in the usual manner.
As shown in Figure 1 a small table o may be fastened across the forward ends of
the arm-pieces, this table being detachably secured to the arms by means of the
rearwardly extending flat springs o¹, each spring being provided with a lateral pin
adapted to enter a suitable recess in the outer edge of the adjacent arm-piece n².
As will be seen in Figure 4, to convert the chair into a cot or bed it is simply
necessary to let down the back-frame through or between the handles and clamp it
at the desired point by the clamp-bolts f², and elevate the leg-rest and hold it at
the desired point by supporting-rods d². If desired the foot-rest may be turned
under the leg-rest as shown, the rods h² being of course detached from the bolts d³
to permit the foot-board to swing around, the rods h² being again clamped on
bolts d³ when the foot-rest is swung under. The arm-rests are detached, for con-
venience. If desired, the transporting-wheels may be secured in place to permit
the cot to be readily moved about.
When it is desired to drop the cot to near the floor as shown in Figure 5, the
front pair of legs are swung forward and upward and are held in that position by
the bars d², the adjustment at the clamping-bolt d being of course changed, and
the rear ends of said bars being permitted to rest upon the floor and serve as
supports, the front legs being thereby held aloof from the floor. The clamp-bolts k
are also loosened and the rods k² are detached from the rear legs thereby permitting
the legs to swing on the bolts k¹ as pivots and let the rear of the cot down until the
ends of arms rest upon the floor. When the cot is thus lowered to the desired
position, it is held by the rods k which are clamped against the legs by the bolts /^.
It will thus be seen that besides the rear legs proper, the cot is also supported upon

page_text: the bars d² and arms 2. If desired the shelf m and its hangers may be removed,
as shown.
It will thus be seen that I provide an invalid chair having unusual and eminently
advantageous features of construction, rendering it of great value in the sick room
and the hospital.
As
An advantage of the rearward-extending arms j², is that when the wheels are
removed they will serve to assist in carrying the chair up and down stairs.
shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the chair may be brought up or down step by
step, the ends of the arms j² serving as supports by resting on the step next above
the one on which the rear legs rest. The person will grasp the chair at each end,
the one in front using the extensions of the rod and the one in the rear using the
handle-bar b¹; in this way the invalid may be carefully and quietly carried up or
down the stairway.
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. In an invalid chair, the combination of a seat-frame and supporting-legs, a
back-rest and handles, removable wheels attached to the front legs, a pair of
arms projecting rearward from the rear legs, and a pair of wheels removably
supported on said arms as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an invalid chair, the combination of a seat-frame and supporting-legs, a
leg-rest, a back-rest, operating handles, wheels carried by the front legs and
removable therefrom, and bars connecting the legs on each side and extending
rearward and downward, and a pair of removable wheels supported on the ends of
the extensions, substantially as described.
3. In an invalid chair, the combination of a seat-frame and legs pivoted thereto,
a leg-rest swung from the seat-frame and adapted to be raised to a position
approximately level therewith, a pair of handles attached to the frame and a
back-frame swung from the seat-frame and adjustably connected to the handles,
and a fabric stretched over the back-frame, a seat-frame and leg-rest, substantially
as described.
4. In a convertible invalid chair, the combination of a seat-frame, legs secured
thereto, a leg-rest swung from the front edge of the seat-frame and carrying an
adjustable foot-rest at its free end, adjustable bars h² and d² connecting the foot-
rest to the leg-rest and the leg-rest to the supporting legs, a back-rest pivoted to
the rear end of the seat-frame, a pair of handles projecting upward from the rear
end of the seat-frame, between which the back-rest may be adjusted, adjustable
arms connecting the back-rest adjustably to the handles, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
5. In a convertible invalid chair, the combination of a seat-frame and supporting-
legs, an adjustable leg-rest, a pair of handle-bars projecting up rearward from the
seat-frame, a swinging back-rest carried by the seat-frame and adapted to swing
back between said handles, adjustable devices connecting the back-rest to the
handles, and removable arm-pieces carried by said frame, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a seat-frame and legs pivoted thereto, and an adjustable
back-rest, an adjustable leg-rest, rods d² connecting the leg-rest to the front legs and
projecting rearward therefrom, said rods being connected detachably and adjustably
to the legs, side-bars k connecting the legs on each side and extending rearward
and downward, said side-bars and rods d² serving as supporting-legs when the
chair is converted into a low-down cot, substantially as described.
Det d
T1000