Device for handling, lifting, or supporting invalids or the like.

Application filed November 6,1905. Serial No, 286,117.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Thomas Augustus Martin, a citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of. Kentucky, (whose post-office address is 61 Powell street, Covington, Kenton county; Kentucky,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Handling, Lifting, or.Supportihg Invalids; Patients, or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improved device for the purpose of moving or handling helpless or afflicted persons, cripples, or invalids with comfort to the patient and ease to the nurse or attendant.'

My invention consists in providing a flexible sheet upon which the patient is adapted to lie and a carrying-frame, with straps or connections between the sheet and carryingframe which are substantially shorter at .the head end than at the lower end onthe sheet, so that when the frame is raised the head end of the sheet may be first raised for raising the body of the patient into substantially upright position, after which the further raising of the frame will bring the lower straps or connections into lifting action and, in connection with the lifting action of the upper connections and sheet, will support the patient on the sheet in sitting position and enable him to be thus swung or carried on the supporting-frame to another chair or bed or other device, when the supporting-frame can be lowered for seating or reclining the patient in the chair, bed, or other device; and my invention consists, further, m so arranging the connections -.that the patient may be readily turned or shifted while prostrate. For raising the carrying-frame I prefer to employ a rope,, chain, or cable, in connection with a pulley, block,· and tackle or winch or other device for multiplying the raising force of the power applied. . By means of my improved device the patient may .be easily turned, shifted, raised, or transported by tlie exertion¹ of little power, and the invention will be more fully understood from the following description and claims and from the drawings, in which latter— .. / . <’ .

Figure 1 is a perspective· view of my improved device, shown occupied by a patient. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the carrying-sheet with its supporting connections. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the same on the line x of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is. a perspective view of the lower reinforce-plate. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective, shoiwng how the long supporting-straps can be instantly shortened to substantially the length of the short supporting-straps. . &·>» represents the sheet, which is preferably of canvas, ticking, or other soft material and ; may be upholstered, if desired. The sheet at its head end is provided with a connection 2 । at each side thereof and at its lower end with a connection 3 at each side thereof. The connections 3 are preferably substantially longer than the connections 2 for purposes hereinafter explained. Each of these connections is preferably capable of adjustinent to length, as by being separated intermediate of its length for forming a pair of strands 4 5, one of the strands having a buckle 6 secured thereto, the tongue 7 of which is adapted to be selectively, inserted into holes 8 of the other of said strands.: The head end of tlie sheet preferably has extensions 9 and the lower erid of sheet extensions 10. to which the strands 5 are secured, forming part of the re- So spective connections 2 3, the head end being preferably cut rounding, as shown at 11.

is a carrying-frame with.which the connections 2 3 are adapted to be releasably engaged. Thus the carrying-frame may be 85 provided with hooks 13 and the connections with rings 14, adapted to be engaged into the hooks for connecting tlie sheet with the carrying-frame. The carrying-frame is ada pted to be raised and lowered in suitable manner 90 for rendering the raising or lowering of the same ivhen. the patient is supported in the sheet easy for the nurse or attendant. I. have shown such means as comprising f post 15, which may be of any desirable length to 95 suit the height of the room in which the device may be used and is journaled at its top in. a ceiling-plate ,16 and at its bottom in a fioor-plate 17. An arm IS. suitably braced, extends from, the post- and at its outer end has a pair of pulleys 11) 20, journaled therein, a pulley-block 21 being connected with the frame 12,- as by means of a hook 22 taking into an aperture 23 in tlie frame. A rope-24 or other suitable flexible raising connection ’ has its end attached to a hook 25 on the pulley-block and takes over the pulley 19. the pulley in the pulley-block. the pulley 20. then passes along the arm IS and over a pulley 26, and thence to a dium 27, upon which

6α ^ό5

I οο ^1Ο5

841,702 it is adapted to be wound. For turning tlie drum I prefer to connect it with a gear 28 on a shaft 29, the gear 28 being meshed by a gear 30 on a shaft 31, thq-shafts 29 31 being 5 journaled in a suitable gear-frame 32, each of said shafts having squared ends for the reception of ah operating - handle 33. A ratchet and pawl 34 may also be provided for limiting the descent of the frame 12 whether ro or not the sheet or patient be. supported thereby.

If it is desired to raise the patient, the supporting-frame is lowered to enable the connections 2 and 3 to be connected therewith. 1.5 The head connections being shorter than the lower connections, power will first· be exerted upon these head connections when raising ths supporting-frame, thereby raising tlie body of the patient toward Or into an up20 right position, when the lifting power will also be exerted upon the lower connections and the patient raised bodily into sitting position, so as to be suspended from the carrying-frame above the bed, when he can be e.as25 ily swung from the bed to a chair, bed, or other device—as a commode, for instance—and gently lowered thereon. When replacing the patient into the ben, he cah be. gently lowered into sitting position upon the· beo, 30 when his body may be gently reclined back into lying position without strain upon the patient, nurse, or attendant.

The adjustments in the connections 2 and 3 permit the patient when in sitting position 3.5 to be normally inclined farther backwardly or forwardly, as may be desired, and additional adjustment for the purpose may be provided by additional hooks 13' on the carrying-frame with which the rings 14 may 40 be selectively engaged.

The sheet 1 is preferably flexible. In order to afford additional· ease to the patient when raising or lowering the same, the sheet may be provided with detachable reinforcing45 strips at the. back and under the hips of the patient. For this purpose I provide the head end of the sheet with a pocket 35, adapted to receive a stiffening-board 36, and ’ provide the lower end of the sheet with a 50 pocket 37, adapted to receive a stiffeningboard 38, the stiffening-board 38 preferably having a recess 39 arranged to take about the opening 40, provided for obvious reasons. When it is desired to raise the patient, the 5 5 stiffening-boards will be temporarily slipped into the pockets and the patient then raised, these boards preferably extending from side to side of the sheet for preventing crowding or drawing of the sheet about the patient.

The sheet may also serve the purposejof a 60 chair in which the patient may rest.

_ If it is desired to turn the patient upon his side or to roll the patient upon the bed, one or both of the connections 3 may be provided with a shortening device, as a hook 41 and a 65 ring 42, adapted to be interengaged for the purpose of providing additional adjustment to said connections for quickly bringing the connections at one side of the sheet to substantially equal length, the connections at 70 said one side of the sheet being connected with the one side of the carrying-frame, the other side of said sheet remaining free of connection with said frame, whereupon when the frame is raised the patient will be turned 7 5 or rolled with little exertion by the attendant. When the hook 41 and ring 42 are interengaged, the part of the connection 3 between the. same will form a loosely-hanging loop 43.