US2869538A - Oscillating bed - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2o, 1959 f J. H. HAWK 2,869,538

OSCILLATING BED Filed May 24, 1954 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III IHM

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J. H. HAWK OSCILLATING BED Jan. 20, 1959 Filed May 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .l5/E5 J- fffm/K,

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2,869,538 oscnLLArlNG BED s lames Hawk, Indianapolis, Ind. Application May 24, 1954, SeriaiNo. 431,644 s Claims. (Cl. 12s-29) This invention relates to a bed or bed-supporting table which oscillates or rocks in two planes, to stimulate the life processes of a patient on the bed.

It ,is frequently desirable, as in the treatment of circulatory'ailments and in the Acare of premature babies, to support the lpatient on a bed which gently rocks or oscillates to stimulate the life processes of the patient, especially the blood circulation and respiration. The care of premature babies oifers great possibilities for saving their lives and lowering the infant death rate, and such rocking treatment is of advantage in such care.

, It is` the object of this 'invention to provide a bed or a` bed-support which will give an improved oscillating or rocking treatment, and produce amore elfectivestimulation. @It is an object `of the invention to provide a bed or bed-support which is rocked about a transverse axis in a motion which can be referred to as pitch and is also rocked about a longitudinal axis in a motion which can be referred to as roll, and in which the pitch and roll can be at dierent rates and can be varied in degree, and in which the one or both movements include components of translation. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a` device which is relatively simple in construction and which is thoroughly reliable.

In accordance with the invention, a bed is supported for rocking movement in two planes, desirably with each movement including a component of translation. The bed is preferably mounted on a pair of crossed axes, which permit the desired rocking movements but hold the bed against movement in other directions. The two axes are desirably spaced below the bed to provide components of translation. Independently adjustable driving means are connected to effect the two rocking movements, and both are preferably operated at different speeds from the same power source.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying the invention and providing a rocking support for an infant incubator, with the front side wall of the base cabinet omitted to expose the driven mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an iso-metric view of the incubator-supporting table; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the variable-throw crank used in the driving mechanisms shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The device shown in the drawings comprises a base cabinet 10, desirably enclosed by side and end doors or walls as shown in Fig. 2. A shelf 12 within the cabinet provides a support for the driving mechanism. The top 14 of the base desirably carries posts 16 at its four corners to limit the tilting movement of the incubatorsupporting table 13 mounted above it, in the event of any breakage of the driven mechanism.

The table 18 is formed to receive an incubator 29, and has rim blocks 19 at its ends to retain the incubator in place. 'Ihe table 1S is supported from the base cabinet 111 by a pair of crossed shafts 211 and 22. The

a, assauts shaft 20 extends transversely of the cabinet top 14 and is Ysupported for pivotal movement in a pair of spaced pillow blocks 24. The center ofthe transverse shaft 20, carries a block 26 in which the shaft isfixed and which moves pivotally with the shaft. The longitudinal shaft -22 is carried by and fixed in the block26, preferably crossing above the shaft 20, andv is journalled in a pair of spaced pillow blocks 28 secured to the table 18. The Atable 18 is thus mounted for pitch movements about the transversevr shaft 20 and for ,roll movements about the longitudinal shaft 22. The shafts are positioned below the level of the bed 27 of the incubator 29 carried by the table 18, and the movements of the bed as it tilts about the shaft will therefore include components of translation,V with the greatest amount of translation occurring in longitudinal tilting about the lowermost shaft 2G.

, The driving mechanism supported on the shelf 12 com prisesnan electric motor 30 connected by a belt 32 to a pulley 34 carried by a worm shaft 36. The worm 38 on this shaftdrives a worm wheel 40 carried. by a main shaft 42 mounted in suitable bearings 44 fixed on the shelf 12. At its inner end, the shaft is connected by bevel gearing 46 to a cross Vshaft 48. j The outer end of each of the shafts 42 and 48 carries a variable-throw crank as shown in Eig. V4. This comprises a radially extending arm 5t! fixed to the shaft land carrying atvits ends a pair of bolts 52. The bolts ,secure to Vthe arm 50 a, radially adjustable slide 54 provided Ywith longitudinal slots 56 through which thebolts 52"'pass.l The 'center of the slide 54 carries a ball 58 for a ball-joint connection with a pitman rod. The adjustable-throw crank carried by the main driving shaft 42, which extends longitudinally of the cabinet, drives a pitman rod 60 whichvis connected by a ball joint to a support 62 at one end of the table 18. The adjustable-throw crank carried by the cross shaft 4S is similarly connected by a pitrnan rod 64 to a support 66 at one side of the table 1S. Each pitman rod 69 and 64 is desirably adjustable in length, and as shown, comprises a screw 67 carried with the ball socket 68 and threaded into the main portion of the rod 6i) or 64, with a loc-k nu* 69 to lock it in adjusted position.

The two shafts 42 and 48 may be driven at any desired speeds, with the speeds of the two shafts in any desired relationship. For driving an incubator table, I desirably drive the main shaft 42 at about 8 R. P. M., so that the table 18 is given a pitch movement of 8 cycles per minute. With that speed of the main shaft, I desirably drive the cross shaft 48 at about 4 R. P. M., so that its crank will give the table a roll movement of 4 cycles per minute. The table will thus be rocked simultaneously about the two crossed axes of the shafts 2@ and 22 at different rates, and will thus have a continuously varying combined movement.

The lengths of the pitman rods 60 and 64 are desirably adjusted to position the table 18 level when the cranks are in neutral position. The cranks can be adjusted to give any desired range of movements, and either crank can be adjusted to a zero-throw position so that it holds the table 1S against rocking movement in i the direction which it controls.

In use, the incubator 29 is supported on the table 111, and the two cranks are adjusted to give the desired degree of rockingv movements, the crank carried by the main shaft 42 being adjusted to control the pitch movements, and the crank carried by the cross shaft 48 being adjusted to vary the roll movements. The device rocks the table about the crossed axes of the shafts 20 and 22 at different rates and through the ranges of movements determined by the adjustment of the crank. Each movement includes a component of translation, and the different rates result in a combined movement which continuously varies. vThe combined motion produces an especially effective stimulating action on a baby in the incubator 70.

Obviously, the device can be built in any suitable size, to take any size incubator, or to take a full size bed; and instead of providing a table to support the incubator or bed, the bed maybe built as an integral part of the device.

l claim as my invention:

1. A rocking-bed device, comprising a pair of crossed tilt shafts, a fixed bearing support supporting one tilt shaft, the second tilt shaft being supported in proximate crossed relation on said one tilt shaft, means to support a bed on said second tilt shaft, a main drive shaft, a cross drive shaft, crankson said drive shafts, and .pitman rods respectively connecting said cranks to the bed-supporting means to rock the bed about the two tilt shafts, and means to drive the drive shafts. v

2. A rocking-bed device as defined in claim 1 in which the drive shafts are drivingly interconnected to operate at different speeds.

3. A rocking-bed device as set forth in claim 1,. in which the drive shafts are respectively connected to cause roll and pitch movements of the becl` and theroll-producing shaft is driven slower than'the pitch-producing shaft.

4. A rocking bed device, comprising means for supporting a bed for independent tilting movement about longitudinal and transverse axes within the projected area of the bed, a pair of cranks respectively connected to said means to rock the bed about said respective axes, and driving means to drive the cranks at different speeds.

5. A rocking bed device as set forth in claim 4 in A transversely and longitudinally of the incubator, operating means operatively connected to tilt the incubator cyclically through a predetermined pitch movement about the transverse axis atone rate, operating means operatively connected to tilt the incubator cyclically through a predetermined roll movement about the longitudinal axis at a different rate,V and means to drive said operating means.

8. An incubator rocking device according to claim 7 in which the axes cross within the vertically projected area of the baby-supportingV bed area of the incubator and the transverse'axis is below the plane Vof the babysupporting bed surface of the incubator.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,602,196 r Iverson Oct. 5, 1926 1,686,979 McManis Oct. 9, 1928 1,791,777 Webb Feb. 10,1931 2,311,542 Holme Feb. 16, 1943 2,350,563 Logan June 6, 1944

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