GB2082515A - Ambulance stretcher support - Google Patents

Abstract

The stretcher support (4) has guides (8) that laterally position the stretcher, wedge devices (11) that clamp it to the floor, and stops (10) which define its longitudinal position. The other end of the stretcher is made captive by a catch which positively engages around a leg as the stretcher is moved into its final position and which is quickly released when the stretcher is to be removed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to stretchers This invention relates to stretchers, and is concerned with locating and securing them in ambulances.

When a stretcher is carried in an ambulance it must of course be made secure since it is quite likely that the vehicle will be "thrown around" on its way to a hospital. The present practice is for a stretcher to be entered lengthwise through the rear doors, and then to be clamped in position. This location and clamping can waste valuable time, not only when putting the stretcher in the ambulance, but also when removing it, since the clamps then have to be undone.

It is therefore the aim of this invention to provide means for speeding up these operations.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for locating and securing wheeled stretchers in an ambulance, comprising a locator for co-operating with one end of the stretcher and a catch device for securing the other end, the locator having guide means to position said one end of the stretcher laterally as it is moved longitudinally into a final position, and wedge means to hold said one end of the stretcher down when in that position, and the catch device being engageable by an upright member at the other end of the stretcher when said final position is approached to hold said member, and thus the stretcher, captive.

Preferably the locator also has stop means for abutment by the stretcher, conveniently by its handles, thereby defining said final position.

The guide means may have a pair of inwardly tapering surfaces, also for engagement by the stretcher handles, and the wedging may be generated by downwardly inclined surfaces for co-operating with handles as they approach the stops.

Conveniently, the guide means are provided by the arms of a U-shaped member, mountable on the front wall or bulkhead of an ambulance. The stop means and the wedge means will preferably be carried on these arms. The U-shaped member may have a hinged mounting to enable it to assume a generally horizontal in-use position or a vertical stowed position.

Thus a stretcher can be pushed endwise through the rear doors of an ambulance, and as it approaches its final position the leading handles are engaged and guided into a set position where they are laterally confined by the-guide means, and also pressed down yvardly by the wedge means to clamp that end at'the stretcher to the floor. At the rear end, the catch device will rapidly secure the rear end of the stretcher.

The catch device preferably comprises a base for floor mounting with a lateral projection at a height above that of a wheel of a stretcher and at a level to meet the leg thereof, a recess in the projection to receive said leg as the stretcher is moved into engagement, a catch mounted on the projection which is engaged by the leg entering the recess and which turns to a leg trapping position when the leg is fully entered, and a locking device for securing the catch in said position.

The catch may be spring loaded towards the leg entering position in which case, when the locking device is released, the spring catch urges the leg free of the recess.

Conveniently, the locking device is also a spring loaded element that automatically engages as the catch reaches the trapping position. A handle or operating element can be provided within easy reach of someone manipulating the stretcher in or out of the ambulance.

For a better understanding of the invention one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a locating device for one end of a stretcher.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a clamping device and a corner of the other end of the stretcher, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the operation of the clamp of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1, a stretcher is partially shown in outline at 1, and it is of the standardised form with a tubular frame having castor wheels 2 and handles 3 at each end. The handles are simply provided by grips on the ends of lengthwise projecting tubes at each side.

The locating device is a generally U-shaped member 4, the base 5 of which is horizontally mounted by hinges 6 to the front transverse wall of an ambulance. It can be hinged downwardly into a stowed position by release of a catch 7 which, in use. secures the member with its arms 8 horizontal and pointing generally rearwardly. However, they are slightly divergent from the base 5, and at their free ends they terminate in ourwardly curled portions 9. These provide a smooth taper entry laterally to guide the handles 3, which will be at the level of the arms 8 as the stretcher is pushed forwards into the ambulance, running on its wheels 2. On the inside of each arm 8, there is secured a stop 10 and a downward forcing guide 11. The stop is simply an abutment plate which the end of the associated handle 3 will meet when the stretcher is in the correct position.The upper sides of the handles meet the guides 11 which are at a slight incline, sloping downwardly and forwardly. Thus there is a downward wedging action on the handles, and in the stop position this end of the stretcher is effectively clamped to the floor. The ambulance men do not therefore have to attend directly to this end of the stretcher when placing it in the vehicle.

The same applies when removing the stretcher. A catch device at the rear end, such as that described below, is released and the stretcher can simply be pulled clear of the member 4.

The catch device of Figs. 2 and 3 has a base structure 1 2 which will generally be firmly secured to the floor of the ambulance adjacent the rear end of a side wall. A horizontal plate 1 3 projects laterally from the base at a level corresponding to a zone of a vertical leg 14 of the stretcher 1. One of the castors 2 pivots at the base of this leg. The free edge of the plate 1 3 is formed with a slot 1 5 angled slightly forwardly, the general direction of this slot being tangential to an arc centred on the stop 10 that will be engaged by the diagonally opposite corner of the stretcher.A catch 1 6 is mounted by a pivot 1 7 on top of the plate 13, the catch 1 6 being a smaller plate with an arcuate recess 1 8 which in the dotted line position of Fig. 3 overlies the mouth of the slot 1 5. When the catch 1 6 is moved anticlockwise from that position, the recess 1 8 opens up the inner end of the slot 15, but at the same time a beak 1 9 forming one end of the recess 18 moves round to close off the mouth of the slot 1 5. In this position, a spring loaded plunger concealed in a housing 20 registers with an aperture 21 in the plate 13, and enters it to lock the catch in place.The plunger can be released by a lever 22 pivoted on the catch 16, its knob 23 being conveniently to hand by the end of the stretcher at a level where it is normally grasped.

It will be seen that when installing a stretcher in an ambulance it is moved fowards to engage the guide device of Fig. 1 at a slight angle, in order to clear the clamp just described. When it has come up against the diagonally opposite stop 10, it is straightened up, this movement taking the leg 14 into the slot 1 5. As it is brought up against the end of that slot, the catch 1 6 swings round to trap it, the plunger then engaging in the aperture 21.

It is released by pressing down the knob 23 and swinging the latter in the direction of the arrow towards the stretcher, causing the catch 1 6 to thrust the leg 14 clear of the slot 1 5.

The catch 1 6 may be spring-biased towards the slot-open or leg-receiving position, for example by a spiral spring acting between the pivot 1 7 and the plate 1 3 below the latter.

This catch device was said above to be adjacent the rear end of a side wall (on which known clamping devices are conventionally fixed), but this does not necessarily give the most advantageous position for the stretcher.

The trend is to have the stretcher carried centrally, with space at either side for attendants, so that emergency treatment, or even operations, can be performed. A wall mounted catch would obviously be unsuitable, as it would have to extend across the side aisle.

The floor mounting of the present catch device solves this problem, and in conjunction with the guide means provides three point anchorage for the stretcher which will prevent it moving in any sense, whatever the attitude and motion of the ambulance. The knob 23 may be on the side of the pivot away from any such side aisle or may be covered by bedding on the stretcher so that in either case it is most unlikely to be pressed down by accident, for example by an attendant falling against it. To eliminate this risk entirely, the inside of the adjacent door might have a stop preventing depression of the knob when the door is closed.

It may be desirable to be able to clear the floor of an ambulance, in which case the clamp is made removable. One way of achieving this is to have it mounted on short rails set into the floor and to which the base structure 1 2 can itself be clamped.

It will be understood that these devices can be used in other than road vehicles; for exam ple they can be installed in aircraft, ships or trains.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus for locating and securing wheeled stretchers in an ambulance, comprising a locator for co-operating with one end of the stretcher and a catch device for securing the other end, the locator having guide means to position said one end of the stretcher laterally as it is moved longitudinally into a final position, and wedge means to hold said one end of the stretcher down when in that position, and the catch device being engageable by an upright member at the other end of the stretcher when said final position is approached to hold said member, and thus the stretcher, captive.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locator also has stop means for abutment by the stretcher, thereby defining said final position.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stop means is arranged for engagement by the stretcher handles.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the guide means has a pair of inwardly tapering surfaces for engagement by the stretcher handles.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the guide means are provided by the arms of a generally U-shaped member adapted for mounting on a wall or bulkhead of an ambulance.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the U-shaped member has a hinged mounting to enable it to assume a generally horizontal in-use position or a vertical stowed position

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wedge means have downwardly inclined surfaces for engagement by the stretcher handles.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claims 2 and 5 with any other preceding claim, wherein the wedge means and stop means are carried on said arms.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the catch device comprises a base for floor mounting with a lateral projection at a height above that of a wheel of a stretcher and at a level to meet the leg thereof, a recess in the projection to receive said leg as the stretcher is moved into engagement, a catch mounted on the projection which is engaged by the leg entering the recess and which turns to a leg trapping position when the leg is fully entered, and a locking device for securing the catch in said position.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the catch is spring-loaded towards the leg-entering position.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the locking device has a springloaded element that automatically engages as the catch reaches the leg-trapping position.

1 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the spring-loaded element is releasable by a handle, which can also serve to pivot the catch between its extreme positions.

1 3. Apparatus for locating and securing wheeled stretchers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.