Beds – With means for relocating an invalid – With a hoisting – lifting – elevating – or raising device
Patent
1992-05-20
1995-07-04
Grosz, Alexander
Beds
With means for relocating an invalid
With a hoisting, lifting, elevating, or raising device
5 811, 5424, 5618, A61G 710, A61G 714
Patent
active
054288517
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a transfer trolley and more particularly relates to a transfer trolley that can be used to lift a load and transfer it to a new location. One embodiment of the invention may comprise a patient transfer trolley adapted to transfer a patient from a bed to another location. However, a trolley in accordance with the invention may also be used to transfer and transport other loads, such as delicate items, comprising china, green ceramics, explosives, aerospace components or radio-active materials. A trolley in accordance with the invention may also be used to move motor vehicles, such as illegally parked vehicles.
At the present point in time there are over 380,000 people bed-ridden within the United Kingdom. It is envisaged that as the life expectancy of people increases, due to advances made in the field of medicine, the number of bed-ridden people may actually be increased.
Many nurses are injured attempting to lift bed-ridden patients out of their beds. When a nurse has to lift a patient, normally the nurse is in a very awkward posture, bending down, with the spine curved, and while in this posture the nurse has to lift the patient, who may be relatively heavy. It is not wise to apply a load to the spine while it is curved and thus it is not surprising that many nurses suffer from back injuries as a result of attempting to lift patients.
Various attempts have been made to provide a patient transfer trolley adapted to pick up a patient from a bed and transport the patient. The present invention seeks to provide an improved trolley of this type.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a trolley comprising a movable wheeled structure incorporating a plurality of elements adapted to engage and lift a load lying on a support, each element comprising a sleeve formed of a resilient material mounted at one end on a support, and having the other end initially re-entrant within the sleeve, means being provided to cause the sleeve to extend, insinuating itself under the load in order to lift the load. The load may be a patient lying on a bed, wherein rigid support means are provided adapted to be located under the load when the said sleeve has insinuated itself under the load.
Conveniently the support means are located within the sleeve. Alternatively the rigid elements may be located between the sleeves.
Advantageously the support means comprise rigid elements, and the trolley is provided with means to move the trolley, and the rigid elements, in such a direction that the rigid elements are located under the load at an appropriate time.
In one embodiment the support means comprise chains which are flexible in one orientation, and stiff when rotated by 90.degree..
Preferably the means to cause the sleeve to become extended comprise means adapted to supply a pressure fluid to the interior of the sleeve, such as a hydraulic fluid or a pneumatic fluid.
Conveniently each sleeve has an initial portion of bellows of concertina form and a terminal portion with a substantially smooth exterior.
Preferably said trolley comprises a wheeled chassis carrying said elements, each wheel being associated with sensor means adapted to sense when the vertical force applied to the wheel by the trolley is, or is approaching, zero, means being provided to respond to such a situation existing.
Preferably means are provided to move said elements relative to the trolley, means being provided to stop or reverse such movement of the load when a situation is sensed in which the vertical force applied, by the trolley, to one or more of the wheels is, or is approaching, zero.
Conveniently the said elements are selectively operable so that, on any particular occasion, one or more elements may not be operated, thus not contacting the load.
Preferably the elements can be selectively hinged to an inoperative position.
Advantageously said trolley comprises a wheeled structure supporting at least three beams, each beam carrying a plurality of said elements which project laterally therefrom at least two
REFERENCES:
patent: 1857031 (1932-05-01), Schaeffer
patent: 3178732 (1965-04-01), Stibitz
patent: 3757788 (1973-09-01), Renfroe
patent: 4084275 (1978-04-01), Ilon
Cuthbert Peter
Finlay Patrick A.
Kerr David P.
Miles Russel
Parker Nigel R.
Grosz Alexander
Nath Gary M.
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