IMPROVE- MENTS IN BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS
Year: 1884

page_text: We GEORGE LAMB SCOTT of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineer
and ISAAC CHORLTON of Blackfriars Street Manchester aforesaid, Spring Mattress
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS" to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to that class of bedstead for the use of invalids wherein a
portion of the bedstead is hinged so as to be capable of being raised and adjusted
to any required angle.
According to the present arrangement this hinged portion is raised by turning a
shaft with pulleys and bands which act on the lower prolongation of the hinged
portion of the bedstead to raise it to the required height. A ratchet and pawl are
employed to lock the apparatus in any position. The objection to this arrangement
is that the nurse or attendant in lowering the patient to a horizontal position is
required to support the united weight of the hinged portion of the bed and the
patient and to lower the apparatus by hand. In many cases this requires
considerable personal strength and under any circumstances is attended with a
certain degree of insecurity and danger to the patient. To provide against this
insecurity and danger is the chief object of our invention and this we effect by
rendering the lowering as well as the raising of the hinged portion of the bed
mechanically dependent upon the operation of the apparatus we provide.
According to our invention we retain the usual cross shaft and pulleys for winding.
on the bands to raise the bed but we dispense entirely with the ratchet and pawl
and instead of driving the cross shaft direct by a baudle as heretofore we employ
a worm and worm wheel arrangement. The worm wheel is fixed on the end of the
said cross shaft and gears with the worm. The shaft carrying the worm has a
squared end which fits a handle by which the worm shaft is turned or a hand
wheel may be used for this purpose thus actuating the worm wheel and shaft and
raising or lowering the hinged portion of the bedstead.
The further advantages consequent upon the use of our arrangement are that
it is self locking in all positions and does not require the attention which must be
given to the ratchet and pawl while at the same time it is noiseless in its action, an
additional recommendation in a sick chamber..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We GEORGE LAMB SCOTT of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Engineer
and ISAAC CHORLTON of Blackfriars Street Manchester aforesaid Spring Mattress
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS," 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 Invention relates to that class of bedstead for the use of invalids wherein
a portion of the bedstead is hinged so as to be capable of being raised and adjusted
to any required angle.
According to the present arrangement this hinged portion is raised by turning a
shaft with pulleys and bands which act on the lower prolongation of the hinged
portion of the bedstead to raise it to the required height. A ratchet and pawl are
employed to lock the apparatus in any position. The objection to this arrangement
is that the nurse or attendant in lowering the patient to a horizontal position is
required to support the united weight of the hinged portion of the bed and the
patient and to lower the apparatus by hand. In many cases this requires
considerable personal strength and under any circumstances is attended with a
certain degree of insecurity and danger to the patient. To provide against this
insecurity and danger is the chief object of our invention and this we effect by
rendering the lowering as well as the raising of the hinged portion of the bed
mechanically dependent upon the operation of the apparatus we provide.
According to our invention we retain the usual cross shaft and pulleys for winding
on the bands to raise the hinged portion of the bed but we dispense entirely with
the ratchet and pawl and instead of driving the cross shaft direct by a handle as
heretofore we employ a worm and worm wheel arrangement.
In the accompanying drawings Fig: 1. is a perspective view of a complete
invalid's bedstead constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig: 2. drawn to
a scale of about three inches to the foot is a side view of a portion of the same
bedstead and illustrates our improved apparatus for raising and lowering the said
hinged portion. In the said Fig: a represents the adjustable portion of the
bedstead. This part is hinged at b. to the side rails c. of the bedstead. To the
said side rails are secured bearing brackets in which is mounted a cross shaft & and
one of these brackets e is also prepared with bearings for a short worm shaft f. Upon
this worm shaft is fixed or formed a worm g. which gears with a worm wheel h
which is fixed on the cross shaft d. Upon the projecting end of the said worm
shaft is fixed a hand wheel which is provided with a handle i whereby the shaft
may be rotated. To the hinged part a are secured quadrant shaped lever arms 7.
which have their lower ends connected by means of a cross bar k. Straps or
bands . are each attached by one end to the cross bar k. and by the other end to a
pulley m there, being two of these pulleys on the shaft d. A portion of the shaft d.
with one of the said pulleys appears in the plan view Fig: 3. It will be seen that
when the worm shaft is rotated by means of the handle i the cross shaft d will be
caused to turn in its bearings in one direction or the other and that the hinged

page_text: portion a will be raised or lowered according to the direction in which the handle
is turned. When the desired adjustment is obtained the apparatus does not require
further attention as the worm locks the worm wheel in any position into which it
may be turned without the necessity for the employment of the ordinary ratchet
wheel and detent. The adjustment is effected silently and steadily without jerks
and the slightest alteration in the inclination of the part a can be made without
disturbing the occupant of the bed. We do not confine ourselves to any particular
formation of the bedstead nor to the exact construction illustrated by Fig: 2. so
long as the worm and worm wheel are employed to effect the adjustment or the
raising and lowering of a hinged portion of an invalids bedstead Our Invention
is also applicable to invalids couches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The adaptation to invalids bedsteads of worm and worm wheel motions to
effect the adjustment or the raising and lowering of hinged portions of the bedsteads
substantially as set forth and indicated.
2. The combination of parts for raising and lowering the hinged part a. of an
invalids bedstead substantially as set forth and indicated.