US1453937A - Mechanical nurse - Google Patents

Description

May 1, 1923. 1,453,937

R. N. HARRISON MECHANICAL NURSE Filed Oct. ll. 1921 3 SheetsLSheet l May 1, 1923. 1,453,937 R. N. HARRISON Y MECHANICAL NURSE 'Filed oct. 11, 1921 .3 sheets-sheet 2 May 1, l1923. 1,453,937

` R. N. HARRISON MECHANICAL NURSE Filed oct. 11. 1921 :s sheetssheet ITO: ne l',

Patented May l, 1923.

unirse stares einen REUBEN 1v. HARRISON, or rrefiivs nisfrnicr, VIRGINIA. i

MECHANICAL' NURSE.

Application filed @ctcber 1.1, 1921. SeralvNo. 507,()712.

T 0 all w71 om t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RnUnnN N. HAiiiiIsoN, a citizen of the United States. residingv at Moore Land Hall, Plains District, in the county of Rockingham and State ot Virginia, have invented a new and useful Me chanicalv Nurse, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices adapted to be placed at the bedside oli' those temporarily confined as well as invalide and be readily accessible, and in a sinall way serve as a substitute for an orderly or attendant; the invention being more particularly an invalids combination desk having a reading# rack, typewriter-stand or table, pigeonvhole tile cabinet, closets, mirror and the like, constituting parts thereof. y

The invention is particularly designed Iand recommended for 'those temporarily chronically confined to bed, incapacitated to the extent or" having the use ot only one arm or not capable ot turning` over in Irl the invention being ofunmeasurable uti y to those not financially able to provide the constant service of an attendant and who would be otherwise in a helpless condition.

The` invention consists in the combined arrangement of a cabinet, having compartments adapted for the reception ot various and sundry articles, having an interchangeable reading rack, typewriter-stand or table, mirro-r and thelike vadapted to he pivoted thereabourt and easily brought into position over the bedrwith only ,the slightest effort on the part of the person using the saine and by the use of which the constant servicel of `an attendant may be made unnecessary.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which torni a part of this specication and then pointed out in the claims at the yend oic the description.

In this specication and the annexed drawings, the invention is disclosed in the form which lit is considered to be the best, but the invention is not limited to such form because it is capable of being embodied in other forms; and it is to be understood that in and by the claims following the description herein it is intended to cover the invention in whatever form it may embody within the scopetherect In said drawings Fig. l is a side elevation ot the invention in its application,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation oipiftlie reading rack shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a similar view shcv-.fingthe reading rack adjusted to a Vditl'erent or closed position,

Fig. 4e is a plan viewot the holding device for `the reading rack,

Fig. 5 illustrates a plan and side view,

respectively, Lot a modified forin oi holding device, l i 1 l Fig. 6 is affront elevation ot the rack frame, f'

F 7 is a. lront elevation of' the main cabinet showing pivoted thereto a file cabinet and a swingable'arm .tor interchangeably carrying yor supporting aftypewriter,

reading rack, inirror and the like devices,

Fio'. 8 is a similar to 3 alan view showino` tl 21h the typewriter standy removed 'from the arrn and the lgigeon hole tile cabinet swung into position extending over the bed,

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the `but l preferably provide a cabinet having top section 4C. The cabinet 'immediately below the top section l is provided at itsupper portion'fwith a compartment 0 for the reception of a water pitcher and urina-l or the like, and openings in the front side ofthe cabinet sol as to be readily accessible to the invalid. The compartment is closed by 'a pair oit' sliding doors 2 and 3., as shown par-- ticularly in Figs. 7 and 9. rl`he remaining lbwer portion ot' the cabinet l may be made to provide a closet P with shelves Ator books,

yhed-clothing., `or anything of a siinilarnature. This closet is'` closed by a door 30 `hinged on the rear or back face of cabinet l,

as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and9. l

rlhe top sections ot the cabinet is' provided in its lower portion with a relativelyv low horizontal extending compartment M,

extending substantially the length of.: the

top, for receiving` books, magazines and the vided with w shelf or book rest 19, adapted like. The uoier fev-*ion the top section to pzeent si book o. o'ihei' feeding mattei: 1'iesttedi,eveii e y@ ,on 1o veu'ipemen from eiipp' oi' the The reading); 13 suieblv divided 01' the reception oi: ietmetier' is g ed upon he mok M and held ters, W1' g 't lin position by oleane of :i pair of bi'ickes and Sme-ll mi 1,

This compaitmen'- lo is hinged 'iiiiiicool H 15, one et @zich side o" W, mok, having iii,-

at n so that it may be swung to e position Wei-diy extending slotted or bifuieoted immediately over the bei by the use?T es mms 1G? adopted io on upright side strips Sho i in F2 f1 "'hwlse mi each side of 'he lj. S, Wheeoy ie; is ooressible. @n the lofi; hemd pigeon iioie compartment poliment 3i which may ohe i'e'lepeleles cof Ubviousi v top eee port-m "o i oli'y doeii and ieoipifoceble theieon 'foi puiposeo desorbe. cross erm or bei L zii-oujh jeiu'os iii ratchet y, one on each 'biwoket :md having SenseoL late h ov puwl e3.v pied ifoil with Yorhe-eeh on he Under e bieekeiis l5, whereby the reed- 1 ie heh? on the rock when in 'the The oi'oef; ne einen book o11 feodheli? i9 and heide it die Kriek, and the :und flown ou l '1S of IA ed the neeee ow: :me ce 3rei"erab1y Construct 'ne s 1- ehown the oiawiiiffe.

l pxefei eo empioy consiucton of the enti o device Adie. Some is more readily and easily inoabie. The top Ese-@tion is eiightly lagei' in then the bodyo the cobiiea l L at the front and sides heeof an overhang ino; ledge 2Q undei which le mounted front iight oeuil comer :i hinged z d adopted to be 'og' mound oo hic the 6 in l Seme iifom 'View :informe-am the ledge of 'the iop The sii'iiigabieeim 5 ie hinged aiJ ehe points G und 17 to 'Le ooi-lief poll; of 'the Cabinet 8 attached bee Shown @im 5 is designed 'io o 1l, table lO, or ii l changeable et 'the 'will of the uee picwed device. Fom *me above i K tion, it will be readily seen z'i-hat the w vfiieii Simmoovoi'f" oi' ovei 'the beii A Y is liv' wg is e haooj; po-

ingggnzinesf oi' "i have feiibie bowling. The rofl i? "il e hook 72, so as d? oui o? piaf/Ce 'fit e left.

oitiou e i or above devi/eea i i mi in The or s'ond 10, :is Shown in Filo". @WIR to Sew@ as D C?, is ofmsocted of bee poioi bovina; S'mgW-honk i 'wb o? the mok 1 the miek co 'foi-wm@ the top.

also 'provided Ye-ifi i to i'eoeive bed. hole 91 Leef its Y om 4T of the ge of the book reci; is p30- L 1, ehm meh oel' Mai for engagement with a pin f in a mortice or slot g in the lower end of a supporting post or upright 23, hinged at its top to the adjusting frame 20, and to which one end of the chain 21-is attached. The mortice or slot at the centerin the base of the supporting post or upright 23, is of size suliciently large to permit the latch piece or ratchet member to move freely in the mortice when manipulated. The lower end of the upright supporting post 23 is turned down or .reduced to 'form a pin slight-ly smaller in size than the hole 9 ott the swingable arm 5.

In lieu of the construction of the brackets 15 and corresponding parts for holding the reading matter open upon the rack, a pair of brackets 24 as shown in Fig. 5 maybe employed.' The brackets 24 have inwardly extended bifurcated `portions similar to thoseon the members 15, and also adapted to fit on the upright strips extending lengthwise at each side of the frame and reciprocable thereon. At right angles to the inwardly 'extending bifurcated portion on the members 24 are a plurality of equidistantly spaced pairs of hooks 25 adapted to receive cross bar 17 and hold the reading matter in place, in a `manner similar to the `preferred form of the ratchet mechanism 18.

In order to manipulate the various elements of this device, particularly by those who are required to constantly lay in bed,

use is made of what isV termed an anchor stick 32, whichv is any elongated rodl having hooks 33 at its opposite ends. The arm 5 is provided with a corresponding hook or eye 34 in which one of the hooks 33 may be engaged to bring the arm 5 in or out of position over the bed. Vhen the arm is in a position over the bed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, it may be secured in this position by engaging one end of the anchor stick in eye 34 on the arm and the other end in an eye or hook 35 on the cabinet, as clearly illustrated.

When it is desired to usek the reading rack, the reduced end of the supporting post 23 is inserted in the hole 9 of the swingable arm 5, and the said arm is swung over the bed of the user and the book or reading matter inserted between the rod 17 and the back of the rack 14. The rod 17 is then moved into engagement with the reading matter and the pawl carried at each end by the end members 18 engages a. notch in the under face of its bracket 15 to hold the rea-ding matter in place against the back of the rack. The rack will then be in a substantially perpendicular position as shown in Fig. 3, however, by disengagmg the hook from the pin at the top of the device the said top can be tilted forward. To adjust the degree of the tilt the bottom of the post 2O may be moved away from the supporting post 23 so that the teeth on the mem- Bkr ber 22engag'e thepm inv `thevslot inthe member 23.v To remove the rack .and fold the same the above operation need only be i reversed as myl reading rack Acan readily and with extremely great' facility be ad-A `justed to suitfthe line ofvision and pleasure l of the individual using the same. .i

In Fig. 1, I have shown a Swingable arm 26, similar to the arm' 5, aixed to the window'facing, adjacent the head of the bed, and carrying a mirror 27 pivoted at each side in an inverted U-shaped frame 28,'fsuspended from a slidable member 29 on thel arm 26. .This mirror can easily be turned and adjusted toany position, and by providing a cord and weight arramgement.at-A

small chain attached to the other side of the arm 26. I provide a hook on Lthe desk which engages in the links of the chain to hold the mirror 27 in any desiredposition and when the chain is released ther-.weight draws the arm 26 carrying the mirror Y'27 to the oppositeV side .of the window ventirely out of vthe way. This arrangement l works periectly-y and easily and canbe adjusted to any desired position with thetip of 'one finger and will stay in position until moved by the user. lItis extremely useful in connection with the typewriter asfeach character can be paper. I

Instead of. the cabinet 1, about which the i various parts are pivotally mounted@y as. shown in 10, a` stand, having' a base` i portion'41and an adjustable upifigh-t-` body 42 and 43 havinga yflat top 40, may be`A used.

lseen vas it appears onthe The adjustable Aparts comprise a. lower body member 42 having` ai hollow upper end and a spring pressed pawl 44 mounted in bosses thereonV adapted to engage notches in an i,

upper or ratchet vmember 43. arm 45 similar tothe arm 5 is pivoted to the upright body member 43 adjacent the under side of the top member 40. This arm`f45 has a hole adapted torecei-ve the supporting pin 46, of a table, reading rack or thelike -device. the arm 45, I provide a second hole adapted.

to receive the reduced endor pinr 47o? a',

mirror supporting member`38`or the like.

The mirror shownin Fig. 10 is mounted` A swingable At a point near the pivotedzend'oi similar to that described Fig. 1, but instead of a swing-able "arm theV supporting Y* member or upright l38 is adapted to turn on the pin 47 in the hole in the arm 45.` @n

one end of the arm 26ev 'carrying the mirrorv i 12 is a hollow sleeve 36, carrying a spring pressed pawl 37, adaptedv toengage in a notched ory toothed portion on the upper end of the member 38. it desired the arm t5 and parts supported therebvmie'ht be substituted for the arm 5 in the preferred forn of the invention. ln the last mentioned construction the parts are susceptible of various ranges' of adjustment and the device may b-e found 'cheaper in construction and morel desirable in some cases thanthat of the preferred form of the invention.

Vhile l have found the foregoing as the most advantageous construction l do not the bed5 the lower portion of the rcab ,t containing other compartments., a gable arm rhingedly connected to a side portion of the cabinet to also swing over the bed. va reading' rack and a table member.r and means on said arm to interchangeably support said rack and table member, and means for maintaining said arm in position over 'the bed.

2. In a device of the character described,` a book and paper support comprising a back frame, brackets connected to and independently vertically slidable alonfr the sides of' the frame and having yforwardly extendinrr arms, a leaf holding; bar loosely supported bv said armsV and arranged to extend in the general direction of the lines of print, means permitting the rods to be adjusted along said varms toward and away from the frame for maintaining said bar inrontact with the book. s

3. ln a reading rack of the type described, the combination of a back frame, brackets slide-bly mounted on the sides ot said back frame and having forwardly extending arms, slides mounted on said arms, ay leaf holdingf bar arranged to extend in the Igeneral direction of the lines of print and adapted to be loosely attached to said slides, ratchet andpawl mechanism between .said slides and arms, permitting adjustment of the bar toward and away from said frame for maintaining said bar in contact with the pages of the book.

4. lin a reading rack of the type described, the combination of a post, a member suspended from the upper end of said post and mounted to swing` in vertical plane, means for adjusting said member vertically relative to the post. book rest having' its lower end pivotally mounted on the lower end of said member7 and means for adjustablv securing' said book rack in adjusted positions relative to said member.

5. ln a reading rack of the tvpe described.y book rest including a back frame against which reading matter may be placed.` brackets mounted on the sides of the frame and independently adjustable therealono' a leaf holdingr bar arranged to'extend in the general direction of the lines of print of thereadingmatter, and loosely* extending through said brackets, wherebj7 the rod is maintained in position to hold the book in place on said frame` and a stop means on one end of said rod to engage with the bracket, to prevent the accidental disengagement of the rod from the `bracket when the brackets are out of horizontal alignment.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

REUBEN'N. HARRISON.

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