US15504A - Invalid-supporter - Google Patents

Description

ff {my MM flair/2w! ILPETERS, FNOTO-YLITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

JAMES T. ALSTON, OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA.

INVALID-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,504, dated August 12, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. ALsToN, of Raleigh, in the county of Wake and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Invalids Supporter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, Figure 1 being a side view of said supporter; Fig. 2, a rear view; Fig. 3 a front view, with its left arm detached therefrom; Fig. 4, a vertical section in the line y 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a plan of the base frame of the supporter detached from the back and arms of the same and Figs. 6, 7, and 8, are representations of detached portions of said supporter.

Similar letters indicate like part-s in all the figures. i

The oblong frame composing the base of my improved supporter for invalids is formed of two flat side pieces d, d, united to each other by the central and aftermost transverse pieces is, and Z, and by the connecting strap j, which is secured to said side-pieces near their forward ends. Rearward from the central beam 76, the inner edges of the upper surfaces of the side pieces d, d, of said frame, have notches formed in them, the use of which will be hereafter explained.

The cushioned back g, of the supporter, is hinged to the central connecting piece 70, of the base frame; and to the rear side of said cushioned back, the connecting head of a pair of legs f, f, is hinged. The said legs f, f, are placed at such a distance from each other that their lower extremities will fit into the notches in the upper surfaces of the sides d, cl, of the base frame. Consequently, it will be perceived that the said legs f, f, can be so adjusted as to support the back 9, at any desired degree of inclination.

The arms a, a, of the supporter, are each rigidly secured to a pair of strong uprights b, I), which uprights have tenons of a dovetail shape formed at their lower ends which are received into outwardly opening mortises of a corresponding shape, in the side pieces d, d, of the base frame, but are not secured therein so closely as to prevent either arm a, from being detached from the base frame whenever it may be necessary to facilitate the placing of an invalid .in the supporter who is too weak to sit up or assist himself in being placed therein.

To the inner side of each arm a, a flap 0, is hinged which has a semi-circular recess formed in the central portion of its vibrating edge. The said flaps c, 0, are of such a width that when they are simultaneously raised to a horizontal position, they will abut against each other, and when in said posit-ion, the recesses in said flaps will match with each other and form a circular opening, as shown in Figs, 6 and 7. By means of transverse grooves 0, 0, of a dovetail-shape, formed in the under sides of the flaps 0, 0, and sliding buttons m, m, working in said grooves, or other equivalent device, the said flaps may be readily retained in a horizontal position, and may be as readily let down again to a vertical position.

A strap 72., which passes through loops n, n, secured to the rear side of the cushioned back 9, is combined with the buckle-straps 79, p, which are secured to the sides of the base frame, (as shown in Fig. 1,) and which prevents the possibility of the accidental falling of the back g, in case the legs f, f, should get detached from the holding notches in the side-pieces cl, (Z, of the base frame.

In the under sides of the arms a, a, grooves of a dovetail shape are formed for the reception of sliding bars 6, e, that serve, when they are drawn out, to support a board on which dishes for an invalid to eat from may be placed.

A very great advantage that my supporter for invalids has over any of the invalid chairs known to me, is that it can be used in bed, to give the invalid any required support under all circumstances. The back and arms of said supporter, it will be perceived, act in conjunction with the bed to support the invalid in the most comfortable position. The sides (Z, d, of the baseframe are connected to each other at their forward ends, by means of the strap j, for the purpose of enabling an invalid to sit upon the bed between the said side pieces, and be supported by the cushioned back 9, and the arms a, a, of the supporter. When the flaps 0, 0, are combined with each other,

they form a seat for the invalid to sit upon I when the supporter is placed upon the floor.

Having thus fully described my improved supporter for invalids, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Hinging the cushioned back thereof to the central connecting cross-piece is, of its base-frame, when the side-pieces of said frame in front of said cross-pieceare left open for the reception between them of an invalid to receive the benefit of the back and arms of said supporter, substantially as herein set forth.

2. I also claim connecting the arms-a; a,

to the base-frame of the supporter in such a manner that either of said arms can be readily detached from said frame and be combined therewith again, whenthe said base-frame is left open in front and is combined with the back of the supporter, substantially as herein set forth.

3. I also claim combining the recessed flaps 0, 0, with the arms a, a, of my improved invalids supporter, when the said arms are arranged in conjunction with the base-frame and the back of the supporter, substantially as herein set forth.

The above specification of my improved invalids supporter, signed and witnessed this 2nd day of May 1856.

JAMES T. ALSTON.

Witnesses:

Z. G. ROBBINS, WM. JENKS. v

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