IMPROVEMENTS IN INVALID BEDSTEADS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
February 1874.-A communication from abroad by Oscar G. Cosby,
of Richmond, in the County of Henrico, and State of Virginia,
United States of America.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INVALID BEDSTEADS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to an improved invalid bedstead, and consists of
a canvas sheet stretched upon rollers at one of the sides of the bedstead,
and a stationary bar on the other side for supporting the patient
temporarily, and a mattress box or frame arranged to be lowered away
from the canvas and brought back again by gearing, and it also consists
of joints in the canvas roller and bar suitably arranged to drop the foot
portion and raise the head portion, so that the patient being raised up to
a sitting posture by the head portion of the rollers and canvas which

page_text: have gearing arranged for that purpose may drop his feet, also as when
sitting in a reclining chair, so as to add still further to his comfort by
this bedstead.
In addition to the foregoing the Invention also consists of a footboard
or rest moveable along the bedstead, to suit the patient for resting his
feet against it to prevent him from sliding or working downward in the
bed when elevated at the head, and it also consists of a piece of canvas
under the head section of the mattress, to be attached to the rollers on
which the top canvas is stretched to retain the upper section of the
mattress under the canvas, when required in cold weather for the
comfort of the patient when lowering the other portions of the bedstead,
away from the canvas, for dressing the wounds or diseased parts of the
body or for the convenience of the patient. The canvas which is above
the mattress is stretched upon rollers, one on each side of the bedstead,
or only one roller upon one side and a stationary bar on the other, said
canvas being to support the patient while the mattress is lowered for
cooling the patient in warm weather or for other purposes; it is
stretched by the roller and held by ratchet and pawl. The roller and
bar are jointed so as to be hoisted by a brace and slide with suitable
actuating gearing, to raise the body of the patient up into a sitting
posture.
To provide for lowering the feet of the patient from the knees the
lower section of the roller and bar is jointed, so that by taking out the
lower or foot section of the mattress or by shifting it upward upon the
middle section, the patient can drop his feet down for greater comfort
while sitting up.
For jointing the roller I use eye bolts in the ends of the section which
constitute a kind of universal joint, which allows of raising the head and
foot sections without regard to how the joints may be in respect of the
turning of the roller. The foot section of the canvas frame is held up
level by a catch, which is provided with a pull rod for detaching it to let
the foot section fall. A shifting footboard is applied to the bedstead for
changing it to suit the requirements of the patient, which is mounted in
slots or ways in the sides of the bedstead so as to slide up and down, and
has a shaft running from end to end and gearing by pinions with toothed
racks to be used for shifting the board up or down by a wrench, and
may be fastened at any point by a ratchet and pawl.

page_text: The canvas which is stretched on the roller and bar I propose to make
in sections, so that any one can be removed when required for access to
some portions of the body of the patient without disturbing him in a
case too bad to change without much discomfort.
'
It is also proposed to arrange a piece of canvas under the upper
section of the mattress for attaching to the upper canvas frame for
retaining the upper mattress section with the canvas when necessary for
the comfort of the patient in cold weather while lowering the middle
and lower portions away.