Improvements in Ambulances.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
We, THOMAS WILSON and FREDRICK JOHN STOCKALL, both of the County Works,
Bury, in the County of Lancaster, ('arriage and Ambulance Builders, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed principally to be applied to that class of ambulances
known as 66
brougham ambulances," but the invention is also applicable to other
forms of wheeled ambulances used for carrying hospital and other patients, or injured
persons.
The invention consists principally of a portable rabbeted wood frame which fits
lengthways in the interior of the carriage or van and extends through the door at the
back of body. This frame is provided with a hinged extension outside the body
which when the door is open is supported by two folding legs or props of iron which
rest on the hind axle of the vehicle when in use. This extended frame forms a kind
of tramway which facilitates the placing of a patient in the ambulance in a
recumbent position, and also makes it much easier to remove the patient. The
stretcher with the patient thereon is first placed upon the extension and then pushed
forward into the ambulance.
When the stretcher, with the patient thereon, has been passed forward into the
carriage the hinged extension can be folded up out the way and the door closed, so that
the frame (and its extension) is carried with the ambulance and is always ready for
use.
The stretcher is fitted with folding handles, and two small elongating or grass-
hopper" springs, and four small wheels or runners which run upon the frame or
tramway above named.
The whole of the frame and the stretcher can readily be removed from the body of
the ambulance and the interior will then seat four adult persons, so that it can be
used in this form when the patients are not so ill or injured as to necessitate a
recumbent position.
Improvements in Ambulances.
We, THOMAS WILSON and FREDRICK JOHN STOCKALL, both of the County Works,
Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Carriage and Ambulance Builders, 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—
Mis invantion relates to an improvement in the class of ambulances known as

page_text: 66
brougham ambulances" but is also applicable to other forms of wheeled conveyances
that are or may be employed for carrying sick or injured persons to or from a hospital
or other place. The object of this our invention is to enable a brougham to be
employed either as an ambulance for the conveyance of a person in a recumbent
position in the company of an attendant or attendants, or the brougham to be used
as an ordinary carriage, if persons are able to be conveyed in a sitting position.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a brougham or
carriage with our invention applied, said carriage being constructed so that it may be
employed in either of the forms herein before named. In this view the ambulance is
represented in the position as it would appear when the stretcher on which a patient
is supposed to have been conveyed from any place in a recumbent position has been
placed in the brougham.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the rear part of the
brougham shown in Fig. 1 with a part of the ambulance folded so as to permit the
door at the end of the brougham to be closed.
Fig. 4 is a plan, Fig. 5 an edge view, and Fig. 6 an end view of the collapsible
frame or tramway on which the stretcher rests when in the brougham. In these
views similar letters refer to similar parts.
According to this invention we construct a brougham or carriage as a with a door b
at the back in addition to the ordinary door on each side of the carriage, and a com-
partment a¹ formed in the boot under the coachman's seat.
We form the rear entrance 61 near to one side of the carriage and of a width
sufficient to place therein a stretcher as g. A frame or tramway c which is con-
structed with an extension c¹ to fold up in the manner shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is
formed with a longitudinal rebate d extending from end to end of the frame, hinged
rods e e¹ connect the two side bars of the frame c c¹ together which when extended
keep said bars parallel at a fixed distance apart; the front ends of each of the bars
is provided with a flat metallic lug or projection e for insertion in recesses ex in the
framing of the carriage. The frame c is hinged at h and is provided with a stud f
under each of the side bars which fits into a socket j attached to the frame of the
carriage.
The rear end or extension c¹ of the frame c is supported by struts as k resting on
the rear axle of the carriage during the period that the stretcher is being placed in
the carriage.
The stretcher g which is constructed to pass through the entrance b' at the rear
end of the carriage consists of a wood frame with an elastic centre such as a diamond
wire mesh and spiral springs upon which to place an india rubber air bed or other
preferred equipment (not shown on the drawing). We fit runners or rollers n n¹ in
brackets on the underside of the said stretcher, or if preferred, slides, and a spring or
springs as may be introduced to support the stretcher and to which the rollers or
runners may be attached. The handles g¹ and g² are hinged and may be turned
against the cross bar g³ of the frame after the stretcher has been placed in the
carriage.
In applying our invention to a carriage constructed as herein before described, the
frame or tramway represented in Figs. 4 and 5 is placed in the carriage by inserting
the lugs e in the recesses ex and then extending the side bars c to the width allowed
by the hinged bars e e¹. The pins f are then placed in the sockets j and the extension
e turned over so as to lie in the same plane, the supports resting on the rear axle
of the carriage; the stretcher g is then placed on said frame, the rollers n n¹ running
on and within the rebated portion d of the frame or tramway c c¹.
When the stretcher has been pushed in as far as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the
handles gl and g² are folded back against the end g³ of the stretcher, the rear end c¹
of the frame c is turned up as shown in Fig. 3 and retained by a spring t, and the
door is closed, an attendant or attendants entering by the door a³ and occupying the
seats 1 and 2. If the ambulance is not required for the use of a patient in a recum-
dent position the whole of the hinged frame or tramway can be instantly removed
and folded up in a conveniently small compass as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, thereby

page_text: enabling the brougham to be employed for the conveyance of four persons sitting in
an ordinary position whose illness may not necessitate a recumbent position.
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 :-
1st. An ambulance for the conveyance of sick or injured persons that is constructed
with a collapsible frane or tramway as c for placing in a carriage or brougham as a in
combination with a stretcher as g fitted with rollers for running on said tramway and
provided with an elastic diamond mesh or other wire centre and suitable equipment
as an air bed or the like substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described.
2. An ambulance for the conveyance of sick or injured persons that is constructed
by a combination of a wheeled carriage or brougham as a having a space within the
boot and a door at the rear end of said carriage, a frame or tramway for placing
longitudinally within the carriage and secured thereto by studs f and sockets; or their
equivalents, a hinged extension c¹ provided with temporary supports ask and a
stretcher as g fitted with rollers or equivalents for running or sliding on said tramway
all substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 15th day of June 1899.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.