Compound tools – Wrench
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-03-06
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3723)
Compound tools
Wrench
C007S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195823
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An industry standard, the FERNO SCOOP® Stretcher allows medical personnel to place a stretcher beneath a patient without lifting or logrolling. The scoop is a two piece unit with a head panel, a torso panel and a leg panel mounted on each of two adjustable length rails. The curved ends of the rails may be snapped together to form a rigid coupling that leaves a space between the panels but comfortably supports the patient.
When the stretcher with a patient thereon is placed on a bed the rigid coupling is difficult to unlock but if the patient should not be rolled unlocking is a necessity. The opener of this invention is preferably formed from a semi rigid plastic, has a projection narrow enough to slide behind an internal lock lever of the rail coupling, and a front projection that may be pushed downward with finger pressure to rotate the internal lock lever to easily open the quick lock coupling. This opener is small enough to be carried on a key chain and solves the opener problem. Since in emergency vehicles opening the valve on a small oxygen bottle is sometimes necessary the opener has a rectangular opening to allow a dual use of the opener for opening oxygen bottles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The industry standard Scoop® stretcher has dual rails with curved ends and with head, torso, and leg panels to support a person with some space between the panels when the rails are locked together with quick lock couplings. The couplings must be designed to prevent accidental openings and with the present design are difficult to open. The invention comprises an approximately one half inch essentially cubical shaped head with a semirigid handle and a positioning projection on the head to position the head so that downward finger pressure on the head will partially rotate an internal locking lever in the quick lock coupling to disconnect the quick lock couplings. With couplings on each end of the stretcher rails disconnected, each half of the stretcher may slipped out from under the patient to cause minimal patient movement.
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Danganan Joni B.
Long Jospeh F.
Scherbel David A.
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