Lifting sheet

May 27, 1958

B. FASH

2,835,902

LIFTING SHEET

Filed May 24, 1955

4- 4

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United States Patent Office

2,835,902

Patented May 27, 1958

2,835,902

LIFTING SHEET

Bernice Fash, Hillside, III.

Application May 24,1955, Serial No. 510,691

Claim. (CI. 5—82)

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a lifting sheet for lifting and handling a person who is not able to move about under his or her own power.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a lifting sheet of the character more fully hereinafter described which permits the utilization of the necessary lifting muscles of the body as distinguished from the gripping muscles, for lifting a person either from a bed or wheelchair or the like with the minimum degree of effort and with freedom of movement of the body of the lifters.

More specifically, an object of this invention is to provide an improved lifting sheet wherein there is a multiplicity of openings arranged in pairs and spaced from each other, permitting the insertion of the arm in a sleeve-like form within the sheet with the hand free to grip a grip strap while the weight of the patient to be lifted is disposed upon the arm, thus facilitating the use of the lifting muscles of the body of the attendant to move and lift the patient with the minimum degree of effort and labor.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a lifting sheet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reverse side of the lifting sheet shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows one application of the lifting sheet shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 4—4 of Fig. 1.

A form of construction of my invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This form is especially designed for use in lifting a patient from a wheelchair to a table, bed, or the like. In this connection my improved lifting sheet 10 is formed of a suitable fabric having the desired tensile strength to support the weight of a body to be lifted, carried or moved about.

The sheet is preferably rectangular in plan view and folded upon itself to provide outer layers 11 and 12 having their overlapping edges 11' secured together by suitable stitching or the like.

The sheet provides a seat portion 10' and a back portion 9'. The corners of the sheet at the junction of the back portion 9' with the seat portion 10' are removed to provide cut-aways 13 which permit the body of the attendant to stand as close as possible to the patient during the lifting operation.

Along the top edge 14 of the back portion 9' and in the layer 12 are formed elongated slits 16 which extend inwardly from the edge portion 14. These slits are arranged in parallel spaced relation with respect thereto

2a

SO and the sheet provides therebetween an arm sleeve 15 into which the arms of the attendants are projected, in a manner shown in Fig. 3.

In the opposite layer 11 of the sheet 10 and extending downwardly across the unaltered corners 18 thereof are provided parallel spaced slits 19 which likewise provide therebetween a sleeve structure. Adjacent these slits 19 are parallel slits 20 which provide a strap 21 to be grasped by the hand in a manner to be presently described. As before indicated, this form of sheet is especially adapted for lifting a patient from and to a wheelchair, table, bed, or the like. This is accomplished in the following manner.

The lifting sheet is worked beneath the patient while in sitting position, so that the weight of the patient will be disposed upon the seat portion 10' of the sheet 10 and the back portion 9' will engage the back of the patient. Each attendant places an arm through tire adjacent slot 16 within the sleeve provided between the slots 16. The attendants’ arms will be disposed against the back of the patient, and they may then join hands or employ a wrist grip to more firmly support the back of the patient. The other arm of each attendant is inserted through the slots 19 with the sleeve provided therebetween embracing the arm. The hand extends exterior of the sleeve and is used to grasp the strap 21.

When the attendants have thus positioned their arms with respect to the lifting sheet, they are now ready to lift the patient from the chair to a table or the like. In so doing the weight of the patient is disposed primarily upon the arms of the attendants. In this position of the patient with respect to the arms of the attendants, the attendants may call upon the lifting muscles of the body to lift the patient while only employing the gripping muscles to lightly grip the strap 21. In this manner, the patient may be lifted with ease from the chair and with the minimum degree of labor upon the part of the attendants. By such an arrangement, the lifting of heavy bodies is accomplished with as great an ease as is the lifting of light bodies.

The simplicity of my lifting device will be appreciated from the foregoing description. Its utility for carrying persons who are unable to move under their own power will be greatly appreciated by those who have found that it is quite a laborious undertaking to move such persons, especially in cases where the attendant relies largely upon gripping the lifting device by the hands as distinguished from using with the utmost effect the lifting muscles of the body.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.