Safety side

E. H. MAYER

SAFETY SIDE

July 24, 1962

Filed April 6, 1960

3,045,259

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US3045259A_D0001.tif" />

July 24, 1962

Filed April 6, 1960

E. H. MAYER

SAFETY SIDE

3,045,259

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3045259A_D0002.tif" />

<img file="US3045259A_D0003.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,045,259

Patented July 24, 1962

3,045,259 SAFETY SIDE

Edwin H. Mayer, Racine, Wis., assignor to Simmons Company; New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware

Filed Apr. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 20,386

Claims. (CI. 5—331)

This invention relates to safety sides for hospital beds and, more particularly, to an improved safety side construction providing quiet controlled movement of the guard panel between its raised and lowered positions.

In the safety side as disclosed herein, the guard panel has its ends pivotally connected to saddles sliding vertically on guide rods at opposite ends of one side of a bed. The arrangement preferably incorporates a spring brake which retards free fall of the ends of the safety side from its raised position to its lowered position,' as well as maintains intimate sliding engagement between the saddle and the guide rod. This arrangement stabilizes the guard panel on the guide rods, as well as in the saddle, and eliminates the noise which usually inheres in devices of this general type due to the necessity of providing clearance between relatively sliding parts at widely-spaced, opposite ends of the panel. The safety side of the invention thus provides substantially noise-free operation and controlled movement between its several positions.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a safety side which is quiet in use, irrespective of the amount of care exercised in its operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a safety side having an improved saddle for carrying the guard panel thereof in stabilized and restrained vertical movement along the side of a bed.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a safety side in which the ends are capable of independent vertical movement and are stabilized to prevent noise in, and during movement between, all of its several positions. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings of a specific embodiment of the invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the safety side mounted on a bed;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side view, partially broken away, showing in greater detail the mounting of the guard panel of the safety side;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3—3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view, partially broken away, taken along line 4—4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5—5 of FIGURE 1 and partially broken away to provide a clearer view of certain parts; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the leaf spring used for braking and quieting of the safety side.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a safety side 11 mounted on a bed structure 13 of generally conventional construction including front end and rear end frames 15 and 17. Each of the end frames 15 and 17 includes corner posts 19.

The safety side 11 includes a guard or side panel 21 which can be fabricated in various ways. One particularly desirable construction is fully described in United States Patent No. 2,032,781, which issued May 8, 1962, and is assigned to the assignee of this invention. Nothing disclosed in that is intended to be claimed in this application. This construction includes a pair of sections 23 telescopically joined together to facilitate positioning of the guard panel 21 in either of a raised, storage, or diagonally disposed “half-guard” positions. These sections 23 at their outer ends have integral cross pieces or bows 25.

Carried by the end part 25 of each of the sections 23 is a mounting saddle 27.

In the illustrated construction, each saddle 27 is fabricated of a single piece of sheet metal formed into U-shape 5 to provide an arch or yoke 29 and a pair of wings 31 between which the end bows 25 of the guard panel 21 are pivotally mounted on an axially horizontal pivot-pin 33 extending between the wings. The saddle wings 31 have substantial vertical length, and are spaced to provide a 10 comfortable or free sliding fit with the connected end part 25 of the guard panel. This spacing, in cooperation with the vertical length of the wings 31, is effective to prevent shaking of the guard panel 21 about an axis extending longitudinally thereof between the saddles 27.

The arch 29 of each of the mounting saddles preferably includes two integral vertically spaced inturned or retroverted portions or yokes 35 which provide, together with the unretroverted portions or yokes 36 of the arch 29, a formation 37 of vertically spaced and alternately oppo20 sitely disposed semi-circular sections or yokes adapted for slidably encompassing an upright guide rod 39, which guide rod is part of the means for mounting the safety side 11 on the bed structure 13, and is preferably generally square or rectangular in cross-section.

This mounting means at each end of the safety side 11 also includes a mounting bar 41 having upper and lower brackets 43 and 45 supporting the guide rod 39. In this connection, the lower end of the guide rod 39 extends into a rubber bumper 47 seated in the bracket 45 30 for cushioning engagement with the bottom of the mounting saddle 27. Thus, as the saddle approaches dead bottom, its descent is silently arrested by resilient engagement with the bumper 47.

The connection of the upper bracket 43 with the up³⁵ right guide rod 39 is detachable to permit initial assembly of the mounting saddle 27 in encompassing relation to the guide rod 39 and to enable subsequent disassembly for any reason. Specifically, the bracket 43 and the guide rod 39 are interconnected by a cap 49 includ⁴⁹ ing a stud 51 which is passable through an opening in the bracket 43 and into the upper end of the guide rod 39. Fixed assembly of the cap stud 51 in the upper end of the guide rod 39 is provided by a'suitable pin 53.

Attachment of the mounting bars 41 to the bed struc⁴® ture 13 is facilitated by inwardly extending upper and lower lugs 55 and 57 which are engageable with mounting studs on the corner posts 19. Specifically, each of the upper, lugs 55 includes a notch 61 which extends upwardly from its lower surface and is engageable over a ⁵⁰ headed stud 63 to initially hang the mounting bar 41 on the bed structure 13. Each lower lug 57 includes a notch (not shown) which is directed inwardly from its outer end and is engageable in partially encircling relation with a threaded stud 67 when the lower end of the ⁵⁵ mounting bar 41 is swung about the upper headed stud 63 and into parallel relation to the corner post 19. A hand nut 69 is employed to tighten the lower lug 57 to the corner post, thereby securing the mounting bar 41 and guide rod 39 in correct vertical position for operably θθ supporting the safety side 11.

Retention of the guard panel 21 in raised position can be provided by various means. One particularly desirable construction includes a downwardly inclined ear 71 extending from the lower end of the saddle arch 29, and _a detent carried by the adjacent mounting bar 41. As shown particularly in FIGURES .2 and 4, the detent comprises a latch 73 which is biased by a spring 74 toward the guide rod 39 and includes a handle 75 permitting withdrawal of the latch from engagement with the. ear 70 71 when it is desired to lower the side panel.

The latch 73 also incorporates an inclined edge 77 which is cammingly engaged by the inclined ear 71 dur3,045,259

Ο ing upward saddle movement and thereby moved outwardly until tlie bottom of the ear 71 is raised above the latch 73, whereupon the latch is returned inwardly toward the guide rod 39 in position for engagement with the bottom edge of the ear 71 to support the adjacent end of the guard panel 21.

The descent of the guard panel 21 by gravity, when released, is retarded by a leaf spring 79 which is formed from a strip of suitable spring metal. The leaf spring includes a central arched portion 81 and a pair of upper and lower ears 83 and 85 spaced apart so as to engage the upper and lower edges of the inturned arch portions 35 to thereby dispose the spring 79 lengthwise within the formation 37, with the arched portion 81 extending inwardly thereof in frictional operating engagement with one side of the guide rod 39. This engagement also results in snug engagement of the unretroverted yokes or arch portions 36 with the adjacent corners of the upright guide rod 39, thereby minimizing any tendency on the part of the saddle 27 to shake relative to the guide rod, and at the same time, providing additional frictional opposition to free fall. Preferably, a nylon button 86 is inserted in the center of the spring 79 to decrease noise and wear.

When the safety side 11 is mounted along the side of a bed, the guard panel 21 can be moved to its raised position by simply elevating it, the latches 73 being automatically displaced and then returned to their side panel supporting positions.

Lowering of either end of the guard panel 15 is simply accomplished by withdrawing the latch 73 to permit restrained gravity fall of the adjacent end part of the guard panel. As pointed out, the friction developed between the arched portion 81 of the spring 79 in contact with the guide rod 39 causes retarded lowering of the mounting saddle 27, thereby avoiding any noise or rattle during descent. In addition, the rubber bumper 47 also acts to soften the arrival of the mounting saddle 25 at dead bottom, thereby further contributing to quiet operation of the device.

Rattling of the safety side 11 during movement between its positions and particularly upon its arrival at dead bottom is also prevented by the constant pressure between the guide rods 39 and the saddles 27 caused by the biasing action of the springs 79, and by the stabilizing effect resulting from the depth of vertical engagement between the end parts 25 of the guard panel 15 and tlie spaced end parts 25 of the guard panel 15 and the spaced saddle wings 31.

Of course, various advantages of the invention can be realized with safety sides other than that disclosed. Various features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.