US2203732A - Corpse lifting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1940. A. B. KUBACH CORPSE LIFTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2, 1939- INVENTOR fioeusr 5. KUBHC/l BY Meamfwm ATTORNEYS v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oiaz oavsz coarse LIFTING APPARATUS T August B. Kubacm South Milwaukee, Wis. Application Februaryfi, 1939, Serial. No.T2 54,230M

e Figure 1.

9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in corpse lifting apparatus. T t

The object of my invention is to provideapparatus adapted for installation in the operating room of an undertakers establishment to facili-. tate lifting corpses to the operating table; and removing them from such table for deposit in a casket. T T

More specifically, my object is to provide inexpensive equipment which may be quickly dissembled and reassembled, or adjusted to therequire= ments of any given liftingoperation, andwhich may be quickly cleansed after each operation.

. In the drawing: 3 T T T Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing my improved apparatus as it appears when installed in an undertakers operating room.

Figure. 2 is a view of one of the slings, taken at right angles to Figure 1, andshowing the lifting or evener bar in cross section, on line 2--2 of Figure 3 is a sectional view drawn to line 3-3 of Figure 1. T T y Figure 4 is a sectional view of one of thehead rests, drawn to line 4-4 of Figure 1. T a T Figure 5 is a view of the head reststaken at right angles toFigure 1, and showing the supporting arch rod in crosssection. T TT Like parts are identified by the ,sameyreference characters throughout the several-views.

A lifting bar having a central arch II]; is ,sup-, ported, by suitable tackle of ordinary type, from T a turntable or derrick arm I I-, swivelled to a holes 25 through which the latch pinmay extend support such as a bolt I2 depending from an overhead beam I3, which may form partofthe ceiling of the operating room; Any suitablelifting tackle may. be employed. Tackle blocks l5 :arid l6, and hoisting rope l1 may be used. Theilower tackle blocklfi has its hook l8 engagedih the eye pieces I9 of coupling clamps2lil, which embrace the centrallportion of the arch'ill, and are anchored thereto as indicated at 2| in Figure 3. The lifting bar has horizontal end portions 22 Itis preferably tubular inf orm, and at one end has aninterior slide 23 normally secured to the bar by a latch pin 24. The bar has a series of T to anchor the slide in any desired position of adjustment. T j

The slide 23 is rigidly connected witha head rest supporting rod, having a straight portion 28, T an arcuate portion 29, which curves downwardly and inwardly, and a straight terminalportion 30, which extends inwardly with a slightoownward inclination. e .1

An adjustable sleeve 32 is normally secured to the rod portion 30 bya thumb screw 33 (Figure 5). This. sleeve .is provided with upwardly and laterally curving wing arms 34, upon which cupshaped head rests 35 arepivotally mounted on receive the hub of a removable lining bowl 40, which will preferably be composed of rubber or equivalent flexible material, readily removable for cleansing purposes. T

Collars 42 loosely encircle the end portions 22 of the lifting bar or rod, and are secured in desired positions ofadjustment by latch pins 24, one of which is also used to anchor the head, rest slide 2 3,.and the. other of which may similarly.

anchor a telescoping extension rod 43. Each of the collars42 have depending rings 45 which encircle a bow-shaped rod 46, having terminal hooks 41 from which a sling 48 may be suspended by rings 49. The slings are formed of canvas, leather or equivalent flexible material adapted to be passed under the corpse, after which the rings 49 are hooked to the how 46, as shown in Figure 2.

Ordinarily the two slings directly connected with the lifting rod will be respectively passed underneath the shoulders and hips .of the corpse. If it is desired'to also support the legs, another sling may be similarly connected with the telescoping extension rod 43. The collars 42 are adjustable along the portions 22 of the lifting rod andthe extension 43 when the latch pins 24 are,

removed, and thereforethe slings 48 may be readily positioned with reference to the length of the body. Also, the head rests may be quickly adjusted by loosening the thumb nut 33 and moving the supporting sleeve 32 along the straight porin connection with suitable tackle, and in which the slings can be quickly adjusted to substantially balance the weight and then secured in such a manner as to absolutely preclude any shifting of the parts of the mechanism While the corpse is suspended. t t

Heretofore it has been customary to manually lift the corpse to the operating. table, or when depositingit from the operating table into the coflin, Quite frequently it is necessary to lift the corpse once or twice from the coffin in order to add or remove packing material, or readjust have heretofore been provided to Ienable'ithem to avoid these heavy lifting operations, with the body of the operator in an unfavorable position for lifting heavy weights.

I attach great importance to the central arch ID of the lifting bar, since this tends to prevent the bar from sensitively tilting under slightly unbalanced loads. Also, the use of the latch pins 24 makes it impossible for the sling supports to slide along the lifting rod, and inasmuch as the,

same latch pins are employed to secure the slide "23', telescoping rod "43, and the bows it, these parts are not only securely connected but may be readily adjusted and secured with a minimum number of latch pins;

I also attach great importance to the simple construction of the head rests, whereby they may not only be readily adjusted, but whereby the lining members 40 may be quicklyremoved'and cleansed.

With my improved construction, the derrick arm ll may be swung to a position with the lifting rod directly over a corpse in a basket or on any wheeled conveyance, the slings adjusted about the body, and the body then lifted by means of the tackle rope I! until it can be swung over the operating table and deposited thereon. Similar operations in reverse order can be performed when the body is to be deposited in the coffin.

I claim:

l. Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with suitable lifting tackle, of a lifting rod having an upwardly arched central portion anchored to the lifting tackle, slings adjustably connected with its end portions and adapted to be longitudinally adjusted along the lifting rod to substantially balance the load with reference to the point of connection with the liftingtackle, and means for temporarily securing the slings to the rod in various positions of adjustment along its end portions, said upwardly arched central portion being adapted to limit tilting movements of the load when slightly unbalanced.

2; Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with suitable hoisting mechanism, a lifting rod having an upwardly arched central por tion and aperturedend portions,-said central portion being operatively connected with the hoist slings adjustably connected with its end portions,

, and latch pins insertable in said apertures for temporarily anchoring theslings in variouspositions along the end portions of the rod to sulficiently balance the load to allow it to besuspended in a substantially horizontal position by the upwardly arched central portion of the rod when lifted by said hoist, said slings being provided with collars mounted to slide on the lifting rod, and apertured to receive the latch. pins.

.3. Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with an overhead'support, of a derrick member swivelled to said support, lifting tackle connected with the derrick member, a corpse lifting rod centrally arched and provided with c0upling devices to be engaged by the lifting tackle, corpse supporting slings suspended from the end portions of said rod, and a head rest adjustably connected with saidrod, whereby the corpse may be sufliciently balanced with reference to the "lifting tackle to allow. it to be lifted and held in a substantially horizontal position by the centrally arched portion of the rod during lifting and during transferring operations of the derrick member.

4. Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with'an'overheadsupport, of a derrick member swivelled to said support, lifting tackle connected with the derrick member at a point distant from the swivel connection with said support, a corpse lifting rod having coupling hook connection with the lifting tackle, means for limiting tilting movements of the rod with reference to the lifting tackle, bows suspended from said rod and provided with sling engaging hooks, and

corpse, supporting slings engageable with the hooks.

tackle, a slide adjustably mounted in one end of the lifting rod and provided with a hook-shaped extension, an adjustable head rest carried by the extension, sling supports depending from the lifting rodand adjustable thereon, slings detachably engageable with said supports, and means for an choring said sling supports in various positions of adjustment along the lifting rod.

6. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination of a lifting rod centrally provided with coupling means for connection with suitable tackle,

a head rest supporting slide connected with one end of the lifting rod, a leg supporting slide connected to the other end thereof, body supporting slings connected with the lifting rod, and latching means for temporarily securing the slings and slides in various positions of adjustment along said rod. 7 c

'7. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination of a tubularsling supporting rod provided with apertures to receive a latch pin, a correspondingly'apertured collar adjustable along said rod, an apertured slide adjustable within said rod, a head rest and sling, respectively connected with the slide and collar; and a latch pin adapted to pass through the rod, collar and slide to fixedly retain them in assembly.

8. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination of a lifting rod having'an arched central portion and straight end portions provided with spaced apertures, an apertured collar adjustable along the lifting rod for registry of its apertures with those in the rod, a centrally apertured sling supporting bow suspended from said collar, a flexible sling having detachable hook connection with the ends of the bow, and a latch pin adapted to pass through the rod, collar and the'bow to temporarily connect them. 1

9. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination with a suitable hoist and a lifting rod provided with means for limiting its tilting movement upon its connection with the hoist, of a slide ad- 'justab-ly connected with one end of the lifting rod

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