US801865A - Obstetrical and invalid bed. - Google Patents

Description

No. 801,865. PATENTED OUT. 17, 1905.

J. HALL & H. A. PADDLBFORD. OBSTETRICAL AND INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1904.

ATTORNEY I IV V E IV TURS JZJ/zn Hall flFadcZZefozrZ B Y WITNESSES.

PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

J. HALL & H. A. PADD'LEFORD, OBSTETRIGAL AND INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.

mmzsw a sham co. anomumuamvnsqs \wswmuu. u c.

I V PATENTED 0012.17, 1905.

' J. HALL & H. A. PADDLEFORD.

OBSTETRIGAL AND INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES. INVENTORS J3 J5 K A W A No. 801,865. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. J. HALL & H. A. PADDLEFORD. OBSTETRIUAL AND INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

WITNESSES.-

ANDREW my (mum c0. womumocmmzws msnmcmu, u c.

TTNTTED STATES PATEN T FFTCE.

JOHN HALL AND HATTIE A. PADDLEFORD, OF NORTH MONROE, NEW

' HAMPSHIRE.

OBSTETRICAL AND INVALID BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed July 1, 1904. Serial No. 214,903.

To a 11/71/0777, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN HALL and HAT- 'rrn A. PADDLEFORD, citizens of the United States, and residents of North Monroe, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Obstetrical and Invalid Bed, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to beds forinvalids and which are also adapted to afford proper support to a patient undergoing accouchement,

- and has for its object to further improve the invalid bed for which Letters Patent No. 757,882 were granted to us on May 17, 1904.

To this end the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed and appliances therefor having features of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a removable section of a mattress-covering employed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a bedstead and novel appliances thereon, certain of these details being arranged for an elevation of the hips and lower extremities of a patient prostrate on the bed to prevent excessive hemorrhage in obstetricalcases. Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a table-top board employed. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of thebedstead and wirewoven mattress thereon, taken near the longitudinal center and looking toward the head end of the bedstead, showing a thimble protecting an opening in the wire-woven mattress, a rockable frame carried by the frame of said mattress, and means mounted on the headboard for controlling the rocking movement of the rockable frame. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a mattress employed. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an adjustable support for a detached commode vessel, and Fig. 8 is a per spective view of the foot portion of a bedstead and of a modified form of the table-support or hip-support for a patient occupying the bed.

The bedstead or couch is preferably formed of metal, having four upright posts 8, that are connected in pairs by top cross-bars 8 8" and also by the lower cross-rails 8 8, thus providing the head-frame and foot-frame of the bedstead, these frames being spaced apart and held upright by two side rails 8 and the reinforcing side rails 8 which are mounted upon the side rails and are bent upward at each end, thus providing abutments 8, that prevent a lateral displacement of a mattress 9, which may be placed on a bed-bottom, such as the wire-woven bottom 10, that is carried by the bedstead, as usual, having a supporting border-frame 10 whereon the reticulated material is stretched, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5;

The mattress 9 is formed of a suitable fabric and may have a filling of curled hair or other available material, which will render the mattress comfortable, and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the portion of the mattress which in use is disposed adjacent to the head-frame of the bedstead is dividedlongitudinally, so as to produce two preferably equal sections 9* that are nearly half the length of the mattress. In the portion of the mattress 9 that is near the center of its length and a short distance from the right side edge of the same a preferably oval hole is formed therein, into which is fitted and secured a tubular ring or annular cushion 11. The ring 11, that forms a seat for a bedfast patient when access to a commode vessel is necessary, is secured in place, so that its upper side is flush with the top surface of the mattress 9, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6. The opening through the cushionring 11 is normally closed by a cover 11, that is preferably formed of fibrous material similar to that of the mattress-covering, said cover having a border-flange of rigid material, which seats upon the cushion-ring, and thus holds the cover in place, disposing its top surface level with that of the mattress, as appears in Fig. 3, and, in effect, rendering the cover a portion of the mattress.

A cylindrical commode vessel 12 is removably supported below and in contact with the lower surface of the cushion-ring 11, prefer-' ably by the means shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 7. The commode vessel may with advantage be formed of sheet metalthat is, rendered non-oxidizing by any preferred meansthe vessel being open at the top, closed at the bot tom by the flat bottom piece 12, and provided with a bail-handle 12 The support for the commode vessel comprises a base-frame formed of resilient wirerod material that is bent near its center of length so as to produce two parallel frame members 13, spaced apart by a transverse member 13. The frame members 13 are at their ends opposite from the transverse bar 13 coiled to form spring members a, and from said spring-coils upwardly project two similar frame members 13", on the upper ends of which are formed the spring-coils a. The coils a are held spaced apart by the spacingrod 13", that passes through said coils, and from the latter two elongated handle members 13 extend above the handle members 13, the handle members at their remaining ends being spaced apart and held in parallel planes by the transverse handle-bar 13 Upon the frame members 13 a base-plate 14 is mounted and secured by means of tubular formations on its side edges that have a firm engagement therewith, and upon said base-plate a cylindrical sheet-metal springbox 1% is erected, wherein the commode vessel 12 is loosely fitted. In thebox l fiacoiled spring 15 is placed, which seats upon the bottom of the spring-box and presses upon the bottom 12 of the commode vessel 12 when the latter is introduced within the box, thus affording support therefor at a point near the upper end of the box, and to facilitate the insertion of the commode vessel within the spring-box 14" or its removal therefrom the bail-handle 12 before mentioned is held to rock on the vessel by pivotal engagement of its ends therewith at a proper distance from the open upper end of the commode vessel.

At a point which will locate it directly below the cushion-ring 11 a preferably sheet-metal thimble 16 is secured that encircles an opening in the woven-wire bed-bottom 10, the thimble having a peripheral flange that seats on the bottom 10 around the opening and is held clamped thereon by a sheet-metal ring 16, that is secured upon the lower side of the bed-bottom opposite the peripheral flange by rivets or bolts that pass through the parts mentioned and are riveted so as to bind the flange and clamping-ring upon the reticulated bed-bottom, as is shown in Fig. 3. The thimble 16 projects somewhat above the peripheral flange thereon and has such form and diameter as adapts it to loosely fit into the opening in the mattress 9 below the cushion-ring 11, that receives support at its lower side therefrom. The thimble 16 also extends below the woven-wire bed-bottom 10 in the form of a curved flange 6, (shown in Fig. 5,) the flange being cut away toward the right-side framebar of the bed-bottom, so as to permit the free sliding insertion of the upper end of the commode vessel 12 into the depending portion 5 of the thimble when the vessel is depressed a suitable distance to permit such an insertion to be effected.

When it is desired to place the commode vessel 12 in position for use,after the cover 11 has been removed the resilient frame having the handle members 13 is so positioned at the right side of the bed that the commode vessel 12 will be directly opposite the cushion-ring 11 and the handle members resting upon the pivot-supports of the bail-handle 12 The handle members 13 are now depressed sufficiently to lower the commode vessel 12 and permit the entire frame-support for the commode vessel to be moved therewith below the bed-bottom 10 and the upper end of the commode vessel entered within the depending thimble portion 5, its impinge thereon serving to arrest the vessel and give it a proper position directly below and near to the cushion-ring 11, this particular construction and arrangement of details relating to the commode vessel and its removable support constituting a feature of the present improvement.

Obviously when it is desired the commode vessel may be readily removed by simply depressing the handle members 13 and with drawing them, as well as the rest of the frame,

from below the bed, the bail-handle on the commode vessel permitting its convenient removal from the spring-box when this is desired.

To avoid soiling the mattress 9, a suitable piece of waterproof fabric 9 is removably secured on its upper side having an aperture therein corresponding with the opening in the cushion-ring 11, over which the fabric and its aperture is located, and detachably held in place by hooks c, that engage the side rail of the bed.

In the mattress 9, near the cushion-ring 11, but toward the foot of the bed, another opening cl is formed that is preferably rectangular in contour, and in said opening a limb and foot protecting chamber 17 in bucket form is hung by its upper edge 17. The position of the protecting-chamber '17 adjacent to the cushion-ring 11 permits the invalid when seated upon the ring to introduce the lower limbs into the chamber and keep them warm, any wrappings or other warming appliances being freely admitted in the chamber below the feet and around the legs of the patient, who is enabled to assume a comfortable sitting posture when it becomes necessary to use the commode or for sitting up when the cover 11 is on the ring 11.

As an essential article of bed furnishings a light padded covering 18, known as a comfortable, is employed for covering the mattress 9, and to enable convenient access to be had to the commode and limb-protecting chamber a corner portion 18 of said comfortable is removed and adapted for attachment to the main portion by means of tie-stringsf or the like, this portion of the covering 18 appearing in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Upon the top cross-bar 8? of the foot portion of the bedstead a light metal frame is held to rock toward and from the mattress 9,

the frame comprising two side members 19, which are held parallel with each other and suitably spaced apart by the transverse braces 19 19 19, that are positioned at proper distances apart, the front brace or cross-bar 19 as shown, being formed integral with the side members 19 of the light, but strong frame. Upon the transverse brace 19 a frame-support is held to rock, this consisting of a wire rod bent to form two similar legs, each leg being formed of two members 20, that are spaced apart at their normally lower ends by the similar inverted-U-shaped members 20, one being shown at the right side of the bedstead in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that when the supporting frame having the legs 20 is in erected position the other rockable frame which it is provided to support will be disposed in a plane about parallel with that of the bed-bottom 10, as is shown in Fig. 1, the spacing members 20 of the leg members 20 seating upon the reinforcing side rails 8', as is also shown for one leg in Fig. 1.

Upon the transverse braces 19 19" a tableboard 21 is removably mounted when the occupant of the bed is desirous of partaking of food while seated thereat, the details of the table-board being shown in the detached reversed view given in Fig. 4:. There are two transverse batten-strips 21, secured on the level lower surface of the board 21, respectively near each end thereof, so as to prevent warping of the material and permit the board to be made up of two or more pieces that are to be held and impinged upon each other at their side edges, if this is desired. Near the side edges of the table-board 21 four cleats or ribbed projections a are secured, a pair of said cleats being located near each transverse batten-strip 21*. It will be seen that by applying the table-board with its smooth side uppermost the ends of the cleats athat are nearest to the battcnstrips 21 and project above them will engage with the transverse braces 19 19 andhold the table-board from moving endwise on said braces. Two of the cleats that aline at one side edge of the table-board have contact at their outer sides with an adjacent side member 19, the notch e at one corner of the table-board permitting the board to be held close to one corner of the rocking-frame whereon it is mounted.

it will be seen that an occupant of the invalid-bed may be seatedupon the cover 11, that is in the opening in the cushion-ring 11, and place the lower limbs properly coveredin the depending chamber 17, which will enable the person to sit with his body erect at the table-board and partake of food placed thereon, and it is to be understood that the provision of the rockable frame, the table-board adapted for mounting upon said frame, and the depending chamber wherein the legs and feet of an invalid may be placed are claimed &

as novel details of our present invention. At any time it becomes desirable to close the open upper end of the chamber 17 this may be conveniently effected by placing in position over the chamber a padded lid 17", which, in effect, renders the upper surface of the mattress continuous, to be subsequently covered by the section 18 of the comfortable 18.

The prop-frame for the rockable frame may have its jointed leg members 20 swung up so as to lie upon the under side of the rockable frame and be held in such a position by means of a hook r on the top cross-bar 8" of the footsection of the bedstead, as indicated in Fig. 3, which will permit the rockable frame having the side members 19 to incline downward and rest the end cross-bar 19 upon the covering 18, as shown in Fig. 3.

In obstetrical cases the treatment for hemorrhage sometimes requires that the hips and lower limbs of the patient be elevated, and for such a purpose the rockable frame having the side members 19 is particularly well adapted. To this end the table-board 21 is removed and in place of it a padded cover of fibrous material, such as 22 in Fig. 3, is stretched upon and removably secured to the transverse braces 19 19 by means of hooks IL. The section 18 of the comfortable 19 may now be placed upon the rockable frame while it is in- 9 clined, as shown in Fig. 3, which will adapt the frame to afford a convenient inclined support for the hips and lower limbs of the person to be treated.

Another novel detail of the present invention consists of a head and body support that is inclinable at any desired degree or which may be lowered into a level position, this advantageous provision consisting of the following details and their relative arrangement:

An inclining frame 23 is formed of a single bar or rod of metal that is bent at two points 2i equally distant from its ends, thus providing two side members 23, that are furnished with ring-eyes m at their free ends. The ring-eyes m are mounted upon a pivotrod a, that is secured upon the bed-bottom by brackets or other available means, which hold the rod above and quite near to the wirewoven bottom 10, this pivot-rod being located at a suitable distance from the cross-rail 8 of the head-section of the bedstead. The inclining frame 23 may extend fully across the bedstead, if this is desired, and the rod 12. be secured at its ends upon the side bars 10 of the bed-bottom 10. As shown, the frame 23 and pivot-rod therefor extend across onehalf ofthe woven-wire bed-bottom from the right side bar of the bedbottom frame. Usually the inclining frame 23 is covered with a suitable fibrous fabric 23", which is stretched thereon and affords a slightly yielding support for coverings that may be placed upon it.

A prop frame coacts with the inclining frame for its support at any desired inclination, and consists of a rectangular frame having two parallel side bars 24:, that are joined at their upper and lower ends, respectively, with the upper transverse spacing-bar 24: and the lower bar 24:". The side bars 24: are pivoted by a shaft 0 near their centers upon suitable bearings on the frame 10 or bed-bottom 10, which adapts the frame to rock, and in case the frame is not of the same width as that of the bed-bottom 10 one side member 24 projects down through the latter, thus disposing the upper and lower transverse members 2 L" 24:", respectively, above and below the wire-woven bed-bottom. The relative position of the prop-frame adapts the upper transverse frame member 24 to have contact with the side members of the inclining frame 23, so that a rocking movement of the prop-frame will correspondingly rock and support the inclining frame.

A bracket'plate 8 is secured by its ends upon the head-posts 8 of the bedstead and extends horizontally across the head section. In suitable box-bearings p, that are projected from the bracket-plates 8 at its rear side, is journaled a shaft 25, whereon are mounted and secured the ends of two spaced bands 26 and a ratchet-wheel 27, a pawl 4', that is held to rock on the bracket-plate 8 above the shaft 25, having engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. A small hand-wheel 25 is secured upon a laterally-projecting end of the shaft 25 for manipulation, the ratchet-wheel 27 and pawl r permitting the shaft to be turned only in the direction of the arrow when the pawl engages the wheel.

The pliable bands 26 extend downward and over the transverse head-rail 8 and thence rearward, having their rear ends secured upon the lower spacing-bar 24" of the prop-frame that presses with its upper bar upon the inclining frame 23.

The comfortable 18 is imposed at its upper end and near said end upon the covering 23", and it will be seen that the prop-frame may be so rockably adjusted that the inclining frame will lie nearly horizontal and the covering 18 also.

When it is desired to provide a head and back rest for an invalid who is ordinarily reclining horizontally upon the bed and give such head-rest and back-rest a desired inclination upward and forward or toward the head of the bedstead, it is only necessary to turn the hand-wheel 25 in the direction of the arrow {0, which will wrap the bands 26 at their secured ends upon the cross-shaft 25. This rotatable movement of the shaft 25 by wrapping the bands 26 thereon pulls upon the lower cross-bar 24: and rocks the prop-frame it is a member of, so that the upper transverse bar 24 is pressed upon the inclining frame 23, on which it slides and elevates said frame to a dethe pawl r is lifted from its interlocked engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 27.

Ordinarily the two sections 9 of the mattress 9 that are produced by the longitudinal separation of the mattress into two parts from the head end toward the opposite end are secured in a horizontal position by the engagement of hooks s thereon with the head-rail 8 of the bedstead. If, however, at any time it is found to be desirable, one section of the mattress may be released from the bed-rail and placed upon the inclining frame, whereupon the rocking movement of the prop-frame by turning the hand-wheel 25 in the direction of the arrow w in Fig. 1 will wrap the end portions of the bands 26 upon the shaft 25 and raise the mattress at its head portion for the imllined support of a person who occupies the be When the inclined head-frame 23 is to be lowered to a horizontal position or be given a less degree of inclination, this may be effected by releasing the pawl '1', so that the direction for rotation of the hand-wheel 25 may be reversed and the bands 26 be correspondingly slackened, which will permit the prop-frame to rock under imposed weight and the upper portion of the bed be depressed accordingly, the pawl 9" by its hooked engagement with an appropriate tooth on the ratchet-wheel 27 serving to hold the prop-frame at any inclination desired.

In Fig. 8 the means for supporting the lower limbs of a patient upwardly inclined, or a table in a horizontal position, is shown somewhat changed, the modification embodying the following details: Upon the upright members 8 of the foot-section of the bedstead, above the side rails 8, two boxes or like supports 4) are secured at the same height, these boxes carrying the journaled end portions of a roller-shaft 30, that is at one or both ends adapted for the engagement of a crank-handle or a hand-wheel (not shown) which when thereon mounted will enable the rotary movement of the shaft in either direction. Upon the shaft 30 a ratchet-wheel 31 is mounted and secured, preferably near one of the boxes 4), and on the latter a pawl o is held to rock so as to engage between the teeth of the ratchetwheel and when so engaged permit the shaft to rotate only in the direction of the curved arrow m in Fig. 8. At a suitable point forward of the shaft 30 two like arms 32 are pivoted by a lower end of each, respectively, upon the side rails 8 of the bedstead. The arms 32 are straight on their front sides, and said straight sides at their lower ends have contact with ends of abutment-strips 33, that are projected outwardly from the side rails 8 The'arms 32 may be rocked forward and lie upon the strips 33, and as the pivots w for the arms are slightly above the upper surface of the abutment-strips 33 it will be seen that sired inclination, which will not change until l when the arms are rocked upward the contact of their lower ends upon ends of said strips will prevent them from rocking rearward after they are in erect positions. A stretcher-rod 34 is removably engaged at its ends with the upper ends of the arms 32-, and as the latter are equally distant from the roller-shaft 30 the stretcher-rod when in place is parallel with the roller-shaft, as appears in Fig. 8. Upon the stretcher-rod 34 one end of a strongcanvas apron 35 is secured, and from it the fabric is extended rearward over the upper transverse foot-rail 8 and thence down to the roller-shaft 30, whereon the remaining end'of the pliable fabric is secured, and the apron 35 may be of any desired width which will not exceed the lateral dimension of the bedstead. Preferably, however, the apron is considerably less in width than the length of the roller-shaft, as is shown in Fig. 8.

It will be seen that if the arms 32 are erected and the stretcher-rod 34 is connected therewith a rotation of the roller-shaft 30 in the direction of the arrow a" will stretch the apron 35 so as to render it taut and adapt it to support a table-board or serve as a table-top alone, if preferred.

Near the lower ends of the arms 32 a hook y is secured on each side rail 8 one being shown in Fig. 8, and it will be seen that if the stretcher-rod 34 is detached from the arms 32 the apron 35 may be inclined downward and forward and the stretcher-rod be engaged with the mating hooks 1 thathook forwardly, after which the apron may be rendered taut by a rotatable adjustment of the roller-shaft 30.

It will be seen that the canvas apron 35 will serve as a support for the hips and lower limbs of a patient, it being understood that the bedbottom and mattress are in position on the bedstead, and the mattress may be raised at the foot and placed upon the apron, so as to protect the person of the occupant of the bed from contact with the stretcher-rod, this construction being the equivalent of the rockable frame hereinbefore described and that serves the same purpose.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as. new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an invalid and obstetrical bed, the combination with a wire-woven bed-bottom supported on a bedstead, said bottom having an opening, and a thimble clamped in the opening, the thimble comprising an upwardly-projected encircling flange fitted in the opening and extended above it, and a downwardly-extended arcuate flange that affords an opening into it at one side, of a mattress on the bedbottom having an opening which receives the upwardly-extended encircling flange, a pliable ring in the opening in the mattress seating near its periphery on the encircling flange, a

commode vessel mounted upon a frame that is movable, aspiral spring carried by the frame and pressing upon the bottom wall of the commode vessel, said vessel being located directly below the pliable ring by laterally moving its upper end into the arcuate flange that is projeeted from the bed-bottom.

2. In an obstetrical and invalid bed, a supported mattress having two adjacent openings therein, a pliable cushion-ring held in one of said openings, a commode vessel supported below the mattress and having its upper end disposed near the pliable ring, and achamber open only at the upper end, and hung in the other opening in the mattress, said chamber receiving and protecting the lower limbs of the person seated on or near the pliable ring in an upright posture, which enables the body and limbs to be completely covered when using the commode.

3. In an invalid-bed of the character described, the combination with the bedstead, the oppositely-apertured bed-bottom and mattress thereon, and the pliable cushion-ring secured in the aperture in the mattress, of a spring-supported commode vessel, said vessel and its support comprising a resilient frame of wire rod material bent to provide two spaced parallel side bars joined together at the outer end by a transverse handle-bar, a baseplate mounted on the side bars, a box fixed on the base-plate, a coiled spring in said box, a commode vessel having a bail handle and seated in the box on the spring, spring-coils on the rear ends of the side bars, upright frame members projected from said coils, spring-coils on the upper ends of the upright frame members, and handle members extended forward from the upper spring-coils respectively at opposite sides of the spring-box and commode vessel, said handle members being joined together at their forward ends.

4. In an obstetrical and invalid bed, the combination of a frame having resilient handle members, a rigid base-plate thereon, a cylindrical box' on the base-plate, acylindrical commode vessel slidable in the box, a coiled spring in the box whereon the commode vessel seats, a bail-handle on the commode vessel whereon the resilient handle members rest in a nearly horizontal position, pressure on said handle members lowering the commode vessel by compression of the coiled spring.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HALL. HATTIE A. PADDLEFORD.

Witnesses:

J ENNETT W. PEABoDY, JAMES Ur. PEABoDY.

Images