Stretcher device - Patent Review 5481770

Description Submit all comments and votes

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel stretcher which has adjustable back and arm rests for adapting the stretcher to support patients in different positions.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel stretcher with adjustable portions and can provide an arm support for a patient thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel stretcher which can be readily assembled and manufactured with a minimum of time and effort.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel stretcher invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the stretcher invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the novel stretcher invention with the back rest of the stretcher adjusted under air pressure upward at an angle.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the stretcher invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the stretcher invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the stretcher with portions cut away to reveal the interior.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 5.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a stretcher for attachment to a bench wherein the bench may be detachably mounted in an aircraft for subsequent placement of a patient upon the stretcher. The stretcher has a tubular frame of a rectangular shape with a pivotally mounted partial U shaped tubular frame pivotally mounted at its legs to the tubular rectangular frame and serving as a back rest The stretcher has detachable panels for covering portions of the rectangular frame and U shaped partial frame with adjustable arm rests along the side of the partial U shaped frame and rectangular frame. The U shaped partial frame is pivotal from a flush position between the tubular rectangular frame to an angular position to serve as a back rest for the patient with the patient st least partly sitting up. Air actuated piston and cylinder structure is provided to power under air pressure the U shaped frame upward to rest as a back rest, moving from a flush to an angular position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. 1, the stretcher invention 20 is illustrated having a rectangular tubular frame 21 with a U shaped tubular partial frame 22 pivotally mounted at its legs at pivotal connections 22' to pivot from a flush position between the side bars 23 and 23' of the tubular rectangular frame, as illustrated in FIG. 8, to an angular position, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A pair of sheet metal panels 24 and 24' are provided to cover most of the partial U shaped pivoting frame 22 and the lower portion 25 of the rectangular frame 21.

A fluid actuated cylinder 26 has a piston 26' with a cylinder 26" pivotally mounted to the apex 27 of the U shaped back rest tubular frame and the piston 26' is pivotally mounted to a brace member 28 extending laterally across the frame 21, fixed between the side bars 23 and 23' of the frame 21. Additional braces 28', 28", and 28'", similar to brace member 28, are also fixed laterally between the side members 23 and 23' and each bend downward at their intermediate portion 29.

Each of the panels 24 and 24' have curved outer ends 30 and 30' respectively and curved opposing side edges 31 and 31' respectively so that the panels 24 and 24' may be slid over the U frame 22 and the lower end 25' of the rectangular frame 21 with their uncurved edge first to slidably mount the panels 24 and 24' to the frame members 22 and 21 in a rapid manner and so that the panels may be quickly removed for cleaning the stretcher from time to time.

A pair of sliding arm support panels 32 and 32' are slidably mounted to the panel 24 on the U shaped frame 22. A similar pair of sliding panels 33 and 33' are slidably mounted on the frame panel 24' on the frame 21. The panels 32 and 32' and 33 and 33' are provided to support the arms of the patient near the shoulder of the patient while the sliding panels 33 and 33' are intended to support the arms near the wrists of the patient. Relatively narrow pads of cushioning material may be removably places on outer portions of the sliding panels if desired by applying adhesive to the panels and pad to frictionally adhere to one another under normal use and which adhesive material on the pads and on the panels will be able to separate from one another under minimum force if desired to allow the pads to be removed from one another. There are numerous conventional adhesive materials which might be used for this purpose.

The slidng panels 32 and 32' and 33 and 33' are provided to provide support for persons having shoulders wider than the width of the frames 21 and 22. The panels 24 and 24' each have bolts 35 which project upward from the panels through slots 36 in the panels 32,33,33,33' with enlarged heads 35' on the bolts larger than the width of the slots to retain the bolts in the slots of the panels 24 and 24' so that the panels 32,32',33,33' may be slid laterally toward and away from one another along the slots 36 with the panels sliding along the bolts with the bolts in the slots.

At each end of the rectangular frame 21 are a pair of pins 37 and 37' mounted thereon and which act in a conventional manner to receive the bores in mounting plates of a bench for locking the stretcher to a bench along the top of the bench.

Mounted on the top of the panel 24 of the U frame 22 is a cushion or pad 38 and a similar cushion or pad 38' is mounted along the top of the panel 24' to provide a cushion to the patient. A pair of safety belts 39 and 49 have their one ends mounted to the brace or channel 28 and their other ends extend through slots 40 in panel 24 where they connect with a pair of safety belts 41 and 41' which are mounted at their one ends to the sides 23 and 23' and extend together where they are connected together. Another set or pair of safety belts 42 have their one ends mounted to the side members 23 and 23' and have their other ends connected together.

The it will be seen that a novel inexpensive stretcher has been provided which can be adapted to carry patients of different sizes and in different positions.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings but only as set for in the appended claims wherein:

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