US2587094A - Adjustable hospital table - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1952 N. Q BERG ET AL 2,587,094

ADJUSTABLE HOSPITAL TABLE Filed Jan. 26, 1948 JNVENToRs ABRAHAM M. -BUDNICK NELS 0. BERG ATTORNEY to and from operating rooms.

Patented Feb. 26, 1952 ADJUSTABLE HOSPITAL TABLE Nels O. Berg and Abraham M. Budnick, Seattle, Wash.

Application January 26,1948, Serial No. l4,416

' 2 claims. (c1. 254-9) rI-his invention relates to adjustable tables and* .lines from place to place.

In the practice of caring for patients in hospitals, diculties vhave been found in moving patients to and from carts for moving them to operating rooms, and also in moving the carts Diiculties have also been found in attempts to change elevations of table tops particularly by young nurses of limited strength, and it is important to provide carts which will travel in straight lines normally when pushed manually, and to provide tops or platforms which may be easily raised or and lowered to conform with elevations of operating tables, and beds.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a frame mounted on adjustable wheels for directing lines of travel for the frame, over which may be mounted a table top or platform to be easily raised or and lowered to conform with elevations of beds and operating tables; the sides of the platforms to be extended laterally beyond the supporting means, to facilitate the edges of the platform to be extended over the beds, to facilitate the movements of patients to and from the platforms. Y

With these and other objects to be hereinafter stated, we have illustratively exemplified our invention by the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure ll shows a front vertical elevation of the table and parts assembled, with portions broken away. Figure 2 shows a vertical cross section view of the device ltaken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, with one side of the top broken away. Figure 3 represents in detail a vertical cross section view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l, showing the table top, with guide shanks dependent therefrom in slidable relation over a longitudinal rail. Figure 4 represents a fragmentary View of the top plan of one end of the table and parts taken on line 4-4 of Fig. l, and Figure 5 represents an enlarged detail view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, showing one of the feet for the table and special construction of a caster assembly for conveying the device along straight lines of travel.

Like numerals on the different figures, represent like parts; The platform or table top is represented by the numeral 'I, which is reinforced laterally by cross cleats and end ears I'. Adjacent to the ordinary floor, not shown, are

cross bars or feet Y8, disposed in spaced relation beneath the ends of the table, and extending laterally the full width of the table top to support the top laterally and prevent the same from tipp-ing downward when any load may be deposited upon the edges of the table. Legs 9 and 9 are extended upward vfrom near the middle of the feet, one pair spaced apart on each foot member 8, and spanned between the tops thereof is a longitudinal rail Ill to which they are affixed by bolts ID. Centrally the rail carries guard members II, attached by bolts II. Under these guards are slidably disposed vertical shanks I2 and I2 which extend -up to the `bottom of the table and are vthereto aflixed Vby angular bends I3 and bolts 'I3'. These shanks rtendrto prevent the tabletop from swaying laterally when loaded, but do not prevent the movement `of the table top upward or downward.

The shifting of the height of the Vtable top vis accomplished vby lazy tongs, or a plurality of levers pivotally connected together and to the rail beneath and the table topabove, and simultaneously support .the table top `on any desired elevation. The construction is more particularly described as follows for one end of the table top, and similar construction is provided .for operating and supporting .the opposite `end of the .table top.

Front sets of levers I4, I5, I6 vand I'I, and rear sets of similar levers I4', I5', I6 .and I'I are pivotally connected below to the `rail I0 by `bolts or pivots I8 and I8 respectively, and the .upper ends of the sets of levers are connected to lugs 20 depending from the cross cleats by pivot bolts 2|. The lugs are attached to the cleats by bolts I5. The lower ends of the levers Ill and I5 and the top ends of the lower levers I6 and I1 are respectively connected together by pivot bolts 22. The latter bolts are extended laterally and are retained in predetermined spaced relation by blocks 23 and 24. Like connections are arranged for the rear set of levers, which are similarly connected to opposite sides of the blocks. These blocks are of like width as the rail beneath and prevent the levers from binding frictionally against the sides of the rail, and also provide free movement of the ends of the levers against each other. The blocks are tubular or bored longitudinally and carry internal threads indicated as 24 where broken away, and the threads vary in the opposite blocks, to right and left handed threads, and are meshed over similar outside threads 26 and 21 on rods 25 and 25'. Cranks 28 and l29 on the outer ends of the rods, provide' means for manually turning the rods in suitable directions causing the sets of levers and respective pairs of blocks to be drawn nearer to each other for elevating the table top, and for drawing the blocks further apart at any1 time for lowering the table top. The compound assembly of the levers enables an operator to adjust the table top by the exercise of relatively little effort. In order to thread the blocks on the right and left handed screws, the use of two rods is required, but these are then attached at their abutting ends by sleeve 30, and set screws 3|, so that by turning of either crank at respective ends of the table, the levers are all simultaneously shifted to desired positions for raising the table tcp, or lowering the same.

In order to prevent ordinary zigzag travel of the table and cart which is found in the use of free turning casters in general construction of articles of furniture, we have provided adjustable means for normally locking the wheels in predetermined position to assure normal straight travel, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Here the wheels 33 are rotatably disposed on the usual pintles 34 through forks 35. The latter are attached at their top to thrust washers or discs 36 rotatably disposed beneath the outer ends of the respective feet 8. Spindles 31 are projected through the respective feet and steadied by caps 38. In the upper face of the washer is a single recess 39 of rounded or convex form, for a seat into which a ball 40 may be seated. The ball is pressed down by a spiral spring 4l in a socket 42, attached to the foot. As the recesses and balls meet, the wheels will be thereby retained in normal positions for moving the cart in straight lines. The strength or tension of the springs however is only suilicient `to prevent the casters normally from shifting their desired positions for straight travel,

but may be readily displaced by the operator without stooping, by pressure against either side of the table to force the table top in desired lateral direction in order to carry the edge of the table over a bed or operating table. The wheels being disposed on the outer ends of the feet 8 prevent the table top from tipping, and the legs being arranged with the sets of the levers centrally along the table, permit the feet to be pushed under the bed to support the edge of the table when extended far over the sides of the beds, for loading or unloading patients thereon, without lifting them.

Having described our invention, we claim for Letters Patent:

1. A device of the character described, comprising, a table top, a pair of bars horizontally disposed in spaced relation from each other for supporting the table top, ground wheels adjustably disposed beneath the outer ends of the bars for carrying the table normally in straight lines of travel, legs extended vertically from the centers of the bars, a rail mounted between the two sets of legs adjacent the tops thereof for a support beneath the center line of said table top, Shanks attached to and depending from adjacent the center of the table and slidably disposed on opposite sides of the rail to guide and prevent the table from swaying laterally when a load is placed on one edge thereof, a plurality of pairs of levers disposed between the bottom of the table and the rail in spaced relation beneath the table, the upper ends of said pairs of levers being pivotally connected to the table, and the lower ends of said pairs of levers being pivotally connected to sides of the rail, the lower ends of the top pairs of levers and the upper ends of the lower pairs of levers being connected together respectively by pivots spaced apart longitudinally, the last described pivots being attached to blocks adapted to be moved to and fro longitudinally, a threaded rod meshed with right and left handed threads respectively through the pairs of blocks, said threaded rod being provided with cranks on the outer ends thereof for manual operation for moving the blocks and for collapsing and expending the sets of leversfor raising and lowering the table top to conform with hospital beds, and operating tables.

2. A cart for use with patients in hospitals, including, a pair of relatively long bars horizontally disposed and in spaced relation for a base frame to prevent the cart from tipping, legs and spaced over the shanks for retaining the same a fiat sided rail longitudinally disposed between the tops of the legs and attached thereto for a support for means for upholding a table, operative extensible means for elevating and maintaining the table at various elevations above the rail, a pair of shanks aixed to the bottom of the table and extended downward in parallel and spaced relation over opposite sides of the rail, guards attached to the opposite sides of the rail and spaced over the shank for retaining the same in slidable relation against the iiat sides of the rail, for preventing the table from tipping when loaded at all elevations thereof.

NELS O. BERG. ABRAHAM M. BUDNICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 845,464 Hotaling Feb. 26, 1907 1,173,283 Leethem Feb. 29, 1916 1,981,271 Koenigkramer et al. Nov. 20, 1934 2,127,309 Rickard Aug. 16, 1938 2,422,892 Forbes et al June 24, 1947 2,505,852 Budnick et al May 2, 1950

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