CA2014725A1 - Extraction or back boards and methods of making same - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Improved light weight, x-rayable extraction board or back board for use by emergency service personnel. The back board of the present invention has one edge tapered to facili-tate removal of the injured person. A fiberglass containing formulation and method of making the backboard are included.

Description

~014725 IMPROVED EXTRACTION OR BACR BOARDS
AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

The present invention relates to improved light-weight, X-rayable extraction boards or back boards for use by emergency service personnel to move the injured from vehicles and for transporting the injured from a crash site to the ambulance.
For many years the standard back board has been made of wood. In the traditional wooden back board, there are competing considerations. For example, in order to provide a lightweight board strength must be sacrificed. Alternatively, as strength is increased, weight also increases therefore rendering it more difficult for emergency personnel to handle.
Wood backboards are also difficult to clean as wood, being porous, is susceptible to absorption of blood and other body fluids, thus increasing the risk of spread of communicable diseases.
Back boards or extraction boards are used by emergen-cy service personnel to remove injured people from automobiles and to transport the injured once removed from the vehicle.
Back boards are particularly useful in the transporting of injured where neck, back and/or cervical injuries are suspected and the boards lower the risk of further injury to the back or spinal cord and other injured parts of the body bv permitting -: : . . . .

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the patient to be placed on the board without unneces-~arily disturbing the body.
In removing a person who ha~ been injured and/or immobilized from a vehicle that has been in a crash, it is important that unnecessary movement of the body be minimized in order to prevent further injury or exacerbating the injuries already received. A competing consideration is the necessity to remove the injured party from the vehicle and transport them -as quickly as possible to medical facilities where the injuries may be treated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lightweight, x-rayable extraction board or back board.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a back board or extraction board that is one-half the weight of prior boards made of wood or Roval.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved extraction or back board that facilitates removal of patients from vehicles.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the manufacture of fiberqlass back boards.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved structure and composition of fiber glass articles.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a back board with improved water rescue characteri~-tics.

One commonly used method of production of fiberglass parts is by what has come to be known as "preformingn. In "preforming", an auxiliary mold revolves in the center of a chamber. The auxiliary mold is made of a screen and it has the approximate shape of the matched die mold which i5 used to form the final part. A vacuum fan exhausts the area behind the auxiliary mold while it rotates in the center of the chamber.
Chopped fiberglass is blown into the auxiliary mold and because of the vacuum is evenly distributed across the face of this mold. A fine mist of some type of adhesive, usually a cross linking resin emulsion is sprayed simultaneously onto the part.
After the desired thickness of chopped fiberglass has been obtained, the cutter and spray system stop and the mold is baked under infrared lights or some other heat source until tack free.
When the baking process has been completed, the fiberglass mat now formed in the shape of the auxiliary mold is removed easily from the screen. This "preformed~ mat is then transferred to the die mold onto which a measured quantity of catalized resin is poured. The male and female molds are l 2~ 2~

pressed together under great pressure. The resin is forced through the thousands of cut strands of fiberglass until it has impregnated all vacancies. Heat i9 then often applied to the mold surfaces and the resin cures quickly. The matchinq mold sections are then pulled apart and the finished fiberglass part is produced smooth on both sides.
A second technique producing fiberglass parts is known as "vacuum bagging~. In the vacuum bag process, a single cavity mold is employed and a normal fiberglass part is laid-up or sprayed-up in this mold. In this process, the resins of necessity must be catalyzed very slowly to allow for the completion of the normal laminating time plus the process of the vacuum bagging.
In the vacuum bagging technique, a fiberglass article is produced in its entirety. Then a gum-like tape is a2plied around the entire periphery. A sheet of thin plastic substance is draped over the-entire laminate. This sheet of plastic adheres around the edges to the gummed vacuum tape. A vacuum hose is placed through the vacuum tape and sealed so that when a vacuum source is connected to this hose a vacuum is developed inside the vacuum bag, the latter being formed by the com-bination of the mold and the plastic sheet. As the vacuum continues, atmospheric pressure pushes down on the sheet and presses it against the wet fiberglass laminate. Excess resin is squeezed from the part and captured by absorption strips placed at various points about the laminate.

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2~1~1725 The vacuum is allowed to remain on the part until the resin has hardened. The plastic ~heet is then simply removed from the part as there is no adhesion between resins and this type of covering. A very strong, even and smooth fiberglass part i5 produced this way and most such parts which call for considerable mechanical strength, such as aircraft parts and missile parts, are manufactured with this technique using epoxy resins.
Prior art methods of making fiberglass mold~ by vacuum forming are disclosed, or example, in U.S. Patent No.
4,656,722 to Armstrong, the disclosures of which are incorpo-rated herein by reference, Armstrong discloses a method for the formation of molded plastic articles through the use of fiber-glass molds.
According to Armstrong, a form is constructed having a detailed surface which is transferred to the article to be made. Then the design is covered with a mold release material to which is subsequently appl-ed a thin layer of gel coat. A
plurality of layers of fiberglass matte and resin are applied to the form and then allowed to harden forming a mold in which its female side has been formed against the detailed surface of the form. The mold is then removed from the form and is provided with a plurality of holes or perforations.
The hardened fiberglass mold is placed inside a vacuum box having its female side facing upwardly and wherein v~cuum suction is applied to the down~ardly facing surface of 2(~7~.~

the mold. A sheet of plastic is secured above the mold adja-cent the female 3ide and the sheet is then heated by an over-head radiant heater. When the plastic becomes sufficiently pliable, a vacuum is applied to the opposite side of the mold drawing the material inside the mold. The plastic is immedi-ately cooled by applying a spray of water (or other cold fluid) and is then removed from the mold. Afterward, the resulting plastic panels are hand finished with a thin coat of automotive grade acrylic lacquer to complete their appearance.
Alternatively, in U.S. Patent No. 4,132,755 which is incorporated herein by referenceJto Johnson, there is disclosed a bag within a bag technique of forming fiberglass parts so that the volatiles used in the structure cannot escape to the surrounding atmosphere.

Figure 1 is a side view of the back board of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a side cut away view of the back board of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a top view of the back board of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a top cut away view of the back board of the present invention.
Figure 4A shows an enlarged view of a portion of the back board of Figure 4 in the area of a hand hold.

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j Figure 5 is a bottom view of the back board of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, there is a back board 10 having upper and lower surfaces 11, 12. At the lower portion 13 of the back board, there is a tapered edge 14 which extends around the lower perimeter of the back board. The tapered edge 14 facilitates insertion of the back board under the injured person to make removal easier. The tapered portion is readily inserted under the buttocks of the injured person with far less movement of the person than with prior art back boards. In addition, shorter extraction boards having a length of approxi-mately 26" to 31" made in accordance with the present invention are particularly adapted to slide between the back of the injured party and the seat. A collar is put on the injured person to immobilize him and then the longer extraction board is inserted under the buttocks. A base section 15 is provided on a portion of the under surface 12. 8ase section 15 raises the lower surface 12 above the surface of the ground. This provides emergency service personnel with a convenient means to grasp the back board through handgrips 16. In the absence of raised portion 15, the back board would rest on the ground or surface such as a floor and it would be difficult for emergency ~1 , ~r' ...

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service personnel to get their hands through the handgrips and under the back board for lifting.
The construction of the improved backboard of the present invention is more particularly shown in Figures 2 and ¦¦ 4. The outer surface 20 of the back board is polyester resin or gel coat. A continuous strand fiberglass matte 21 is beneath the outer covering. The continuous strand fiberglass matte 21 is a fiber glass cloth such as Product No. M8641 sold I by Owens Corning. A polyester resin such as isophtalic thixotropic resin or an epoxy resin is used to saturate the fiberglass matte. A catalyst such as methyl ethyl ketone peroxides, for example, Lupersol is added to the resin prior to applying the resin to the fiberglass matte. The fiberglass matte 21 overlaps the under side of the backboard preferable by approximately 2n. Alternatively, chopped fiberglass roving such as 424 Pultrusion Roving also sold by Owens Corning may be used in place of the continuous strand matte 21.
On the underside of the backboard, the outer layer may be a gel coat 22 or a polyester resin or an enamel and covers a 20MPW fiberglass cloth 23 such as Triaxial fiberglass cloth sold by Advanced Textiles. Hollow glass sphere paste or microbubbles is used as a filler around the edge 24 of tapered portion 14. It has been found that it i8 difficult to have the core material fill the area around edge of tapered portion 14 and the hollow glass sphere paste i8 necessary to fill voids in the bac~board. The paste is also applied around the handholds 201~7~5 16 as it has been found that the handholds 16 are another area where there is a gap 17 in the core. An example of hollow glass sphere pa-~te is ~IGS hollow-glass microspheres manufac-tured by Larand Chemical Corporation. Alternatively, milled fiberglass fibers or amorphous fumed silica may be used instead of the paste but these materials tend to be heavier than the paste.
The core 25 is an expanded polyvinyl chloride foam preferably having a density of 4 pounds. The polyvinyl chloride foam is perforated and tooled in such a manner to allow pass through of the resin to marry the two fiberglass surfaces. Alternatively the core may be a urethane foam such as a plastic honey comb polyurethane sold under the trademark Airex. Also capable of being used as a core material is a balsa wood core such as Baltec. ~alsa wood as a core material is not as satisfactory as the polyvinyl chloride foam or the polyurethane foam because it does not have the rigidity or the light weight of the foams in the finished back board. The core material is provided with a series of perforations 26 which extend from the upper surface to the lower surface. During formation of the back board resin enters these perforations and forms structural pins which connect the upper and lower surfa-ces of the back board together. A lighter weight back board may be obtained if the resin which is applied to the matte is extended with approximately 20-25~ microbubbles. Thus, one gallon of microbubbles may be added to approximately four ., - , : ~

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gallons of resin. The microbubble~ thin the resin but do not harm the wet-out characteristic of the resin. Importantly, a lighter board is obtained but there is no diminution in strength. The perforations may be randomly or uniformly spread throughout the back board and may be approximately 1 to 3 inches apart. In a 72" back board there may be approximately 400-500 structural pins formed in the perforations in the core material.
In order to produce the extraction board or back board of the present invention initially a mold release such as a mold release wax or PVA (polyvinyl acetate) is applied to the mold which is used to make the board. Following the mold release a layer of gel coa~ is applied. The gel coat is the vehicle which supplies the color to the finished back board.
It also provides a smooth finished surface. The preferred gel coat is a polyester resin which produces a board which is impervious to body fluids, blood products and chemicals frequently encountered in automobile extractions such as gasoline, motor oil antifreeze, battery acid, etc. Preferred polyester resins are isophtalic thixotropic resin.
After the gel coat is applied and cured to the mold a continuous strand fiberglass matte is inserted. In the areas where voids occur, such as in the tapered portions and around the hand holds, microsphere paste is applied. The core material is inserted into the mold. The fiberglass matte is folded over the core to a distance of approximately 2~ to .,. . ~ . . . ~ .

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;~ 20~47~;5 encapsulate the core. Once the core material is in place the 20 MPW cloth is applied over the core. Over the 20 MPW cloth, there is provided a peel ply or veil of nylon which does not adhere to polyester resins. The peel ply provides a smooth surface to the underside of the finished product. Over the peel ply is placed a bleeder cloth which is preferably polyester which absorbs excess resin and acts as a collection fabric for the resin and acts as a conduit for air to come through. A vacuum bag covers the mold and acts to seal the area. A vacuum pump is applied with a vacuum of 15 inches of mercury. The vacuum pump draws the fiberglass resin through the perforations in the core material and evacuates air bubbles. The vacuum also serves to compress the core with the two outer layers being pulled together. Upon the completion of the vacuum pumping the backboard is removed from the mold and trimmed.

In order to accomplish vacuuming of the mold, the mold is generally placed on a table with sealant tape about its perimeter. The vacuum bags is clamped to the table and a vacuum line is provided to the under side of the table.
Alternatively, a preformed aluminum frame may be placed around the base of the mold. The vacuum bag is connected to the frame. The mold has a horizontal flange about its perimeter to which the frame i~ connected by, for example, clamps. On each side of the frame there are a number of air fittings, usually 8, which lead to a manifold which is connected to a vacuum pump.

ll 2~1~7~5 Back boards made in accordance with the present invention have a 40 lb. flotation rating which will keep the average patient in neutral buoyancy. In addition, due to the board's configuration, weight and laminating schedule, a back board has been achieved with superior vertical rigging charac-~-ri~ei~ r ~b ~ h~ t~ er~

Claims (10)

1. A light weight, x-rayable extraction board comprising an upper outer layer of a gel coat, a first layer of fiber-glass said fiberglass having been impregnated with a polyester resin, a core layer having upper and lower surfaces, said core having a plurality of perforations extending through said core from said upper to said lower surface, a second fiberglass layer, a lower outer layer and wherein fiberglass from said first layer of fiber glass passes through the perforations in said core layer and joins the first layer of fiberglass with said second layer of fiberglass.

2. An extraction board according to claim 1 wherein said core layer is expanded polyvinyl chloride foam.

3. An extraction board according to claim 2 wherein said first layer of fiberglass is a continuous strand fiberglass matte.

4. An extraction board according to claim 3 wherein said second layer of fiberglass is a fiberglass cloth.

5. An extraction board according to claim 4 wherein said lower outer layer is a gel coat.

6. An extraction board according to claim 1 wherein a hollow glass sphere paste is provided to fill voids between the first and second fiberglass layers and the core layer.

7. A method of making lightweight x-rayable extraction boards comprising:
a) applying a gel coat to a mold.
b) providing a first layer of fiberglass in said mold, said fiberglass having been impregnated with a polyester resin.
c) providing a core layer in said mold said core layer having upper and lower surfaces, said core layer having a plurality of perforations extending through said core from said upper to said lower surface.
d) providing a second fiberglass layer over said core layer.
e) providing an outer layer over said second fiberglass layer.
f) applying a vacuum to said mold, such that fiberglass from said first layer of fiberglass passes through the perforations in said core layer and joins the first layer of fiberglass with said second layer of fiberglass.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said first layer of fiberglass is a continuous strand matte.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein same first layer of fiberglass has been treated with a polyester resin containing a catalyst.

10. A light weight, x-rayable extraction board comprising an upper and lower surface and having a width narrower than its length with a plurality of hand holds about the perimeter thereof said hand holds extending through said extraction board from said upper to said lower surface;
said lower surface having a raised portion so that the portion of said back board containing said hand holds would be raised above said raised portion and so that said hand holds may be readily gripped, and wherein said upper and lower surfaces meet to form a tapered edge on at least a portion of the perimeter of said backboard.