GB2298167A

GB2298167A - Patient transfer trolley

Info

Publication number: GB2298167A
Application number: GB9503774A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Wright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-02-24
Filing date: 1995-02-24
Publication date: 1996-08-28
Also published as: GB9503774D0

Abstract

The trolley comprises a wheeled base 11 and a vertical column 16 which supports a horizontal beam 17 to which are attached at least three, eg six, generally parallel load bearing tines 18. The load bearing tines 18, which are solid, are insertable between the patient to be elevated and a supporting surface, eg a bed, by displacing the trolley. The load bearing tines 18 are arranged to be vertically adjustable relative to the base 11 of the trolley and may be individually adjustable in position along the length of the beam 17. The vertical adjustment may be performed mechanically, by handwheel 24 and driving shaft 23, or by electric, hydraulic or pneumatic means.

Description

TRANSFER TROLLEY This invention relates to a transfer trolley and has particular application to a trolley capable of transferring a patient to and from a patient location, such as a bed.

According to the present invention there is provided a wheeled trolley including a base and at least three, generally parallel, load bearing elements, the load bearing elements being insertable between the load to be elevated and the supporting surface for the load, by displacing the trolley, the load bearing elements being arranged to be vertically adjustable relative to the base of the trolley, and wherein the load bearing elements comprise solid elements.

Preferably the load bearing elements comprise tines, supported by a substantially horizontal beam defined by the trolley, and said beam is vertically adjustable relative to the base of the trolley..

In one embodiment the load bearing elements are individually adjustable along the length direction of the beam.

In another embodiment at least one selected pair or group of tines are adjustably arranged for displacement along the said horizontal beam.

Preferably said tines, when adjustable, include clamping means for clamping the said tines in the length direction of the beam.

Preferably the beam is vertically displaceable relative to the base by manual, pneumatic or hydraulic means.

In one embodiment the tines are individually removable from, and re-engageable with, the beam.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompany drawings in which: Fig 1 comprises a front view of a trolley in accordance with the invention, Fig 2 shows a side view of the trolley shown in Fig 1, Fig 3 shows a plan view of the trolley shown in Fig 1, Fig 4 shows a front view of one form of clamping means and Fig 5 shows a side view of the clamping means of Fig 4.

In the illustrated example the trolley comprises a generally U-shaped base 11, with a castor wheel 12 adjacent the free end region of the limb lia and a castor wheel 13 at the free end region of the limb llb of the base 11. Two additional castor wheels 14 and 15, are spaced apart to support the end regions of the bridge element llc, adjacent the junctions of the bridge element lic with limbs lia and lib.

A central column 16 extends upwardly from the central regions of the bridge element llc and the central column 16 supports a substantially horizontal beam 17, to which a plurality of load bearing tines 18 are attached. The load bearing tines 18 may be attached to the beam 17 by a clamping means 19 individual to each tine 18, or, as illustrated, the tines 18 may be connected in pairs by short beams 20. In the event each clamping means comprises a lever 21, pivotally attached relative to its respective tine 18, and with a load element 22 attached to the lever 21 and engageable with the beam 17.

The lever 21, with the load element 22, define a so-called vertical clamp-fixed spindle clamping means, which are well known in for example the tool making art and for which no further description is necessary.

In one embodiment (not illustrated) the load bearing elements may be equally spaced apart along the beam 17 and are not displaceable along the said beam 17.

In another embodiment (also not shown) each load bearing tine 18, with its clamping means 21, 22, is displaceable in the length direction of the beam 17.

In the illustrated embodiment, where pairs of tines 18 are spaced apart by beams 20, the beams 20 may be adjustable along the length direction of the beam 17.

The control column 16, as illustrated, is telescopic and includes a driving shaft 23 protruding upwardly from the column 16 and a hand wheel 24 whereby, by rotating the hand wheel 24, the driving shaft can be rotated to cause the beam 17 to be elevated or lowered relative to the wheels 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the trolley.

In use with the illustrated embodiment, and to lift a patient from a bed, the trolley is displaced on its wheels 12, 13, 14 and 15 until the trolley lies near the midregions of the bed with the beam 17 generally parallel to the patient to be lifted.

By using the hand wheel 24 the drive shaft 23 is rotated to elevate or lower the beam 17 until the load bearing tines 18 are approximately in the plane of the sheet upon which the patient is lying. At this stage the tines 18 are adjusted along the beam 17 to afford the patient the most comfortable and safe support along the length of the body, any minor adjustment of the height on the tines is made by rotating the hand wheel 24 and the trolley can then be further pushed towards the side of the bed.

With the clamping means 21, 22 released the tines 18 are also released and the tines 18 may be easily and readily individually inserted under the patient at the desired locations causing the patient the minimum of inconvenience.

The tines 18 are then located back into engagement with the beam 17 moving the trolley as necessary to locate the tines 18, the claiming means 21, 22 are re-engaged with the tines 18 and secured and the tines 18 are then rigidly connected to the beam 17 with the patient resting on the tines 18.

When the tines 18 have been re-secured to the beam 17 the hand wheel 24 can be rotated by hand, to rotate the drive shaft 23, whereupon the beam 17, the tines 18 and the patient supported on the tines will be elevated. When the apparatus is clear of the bed the trolley can be maneuvered to another location, such as another bed, or if the bed from which the patient has just been removed simply requires clean sheets and tidying, the patient can be left resting on the tines.

To deposit the patient on a freshly made, or a new, bed the trolley is manoeuvred until the patient lies substantially over the desired location for the patient, the hand wheel 24 can be rotated to lower the beam 17, tines 18 and the patient resting thereon until the patient is resting on the bed and the clamping means 21 may then be released to allow the tines to be withdrawn individually from below the patient.

In another embodiment of the invention (not shown) the hand wheel 24 may be replaced by an electric motor, which will rotate the drive shaft 23 on demand, or the column 16 may be elevated and lowered by hydraulic or pneumatic means.

In the event that the patient is unaware of his or her location or when the patient is to spend unsupervised time resting on the trolley, the patient may be secured to the trolley, conveniently by the restraining straps. Thus, in the illustrated example, the tines 18 include aperture 18a at their free ends to allow restraining straps to extend from the aperture 18a over the patient to connection at the base 17.

Claims

1. A wheeled trolley including a base and at least three, generally parallel, load bearing elements, the load bearing elements being insertable between the load to be elevated and the supporting surface for the load, by displacing the trolley, the load bearing elements being arranged to be vertically adjustable relative to the base of the trolley, and wherein the load bearing elements comprise solid elements.

2. A trolley according to claim 1, wherein the load bearing elements comprise tines, supported by a substantially horizontal beam defined by the trolley.

3. A trolley according to claim 2, wherein said beam is vertically adjustable relative to the base of the trolley.

4. A trolley according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the load bearing elements are individually adjustable along the length direction of the beam.

5. A trolley according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one selected pair or group of tines are adjustably arranged for displacement along the said horizontal beam.

6. A trolley according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said tines, when adjustable, include clamping means for clamping the said tines in the length direction of the beam.

7. A trolley according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the beam is vertically displaceable relative to the base by manual, pneumatic or hydraulic means.

8. A trolley according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the tines are individually removable from, and re engageable with, the beam.

9. A wheeled trolley substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A wheeled trolley including a base and at least three, generally parallel, load bearing elements, the load bearing elements being insertable between the load to be elevated and the supporting surface for the load, by displacing the trolley, the load bearing elements being arranged to be vertically adjustable relative to the base of the trolley, and comprising solid elements, wherein each load bearing element or pair of load bearing elements is connected to a support by a respective clamping means.

6. A trolley according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said clamping means clamp the said tines in the length direction of the beam.

8. A trolley according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the tines are individually removable from, and reengageable with, the beam.