US2244758A - Orthopedic table - Google Patents

Description

INVENTOR:

' ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM L BE LL w. I. BELL ORTHOPEDIC TABLE Flled Dec 6, 1938 June 10, 1 941;

June 10, 1941.

w. L BELL 2,244,758

ORTHOPEDIC TABLE Filed Dec. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IA L FIG. 4. 7

W G I I 70 FIG. 6.

a INVENTORZ $5 WILLIAM L. BELL ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1941 ORTHO-PEDIC TABLE William L. Bell; Oakland, Ca-lit, assignorto Gilbert Hyde Chick, Oakland, Calif.

ApplicationDecember -6, 1938, Serial No. 244,199

4 Claims.

This invention relates to orthopedic tables and, more particularly, to resilient body supporting means. therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to comfortably support a human body in. such man-- nor that it may be subjected to X-ray: examination at various angles without intervening supporting means impenetrable to X-rays.

Another object is to subject the human body to traction for the reduction or correction of fractures or m-aladjustments While permitting free accessibility by the operators for the purpose of fluoroscopic examination, photography, and the. application of plaster casts and other corrective procedure.

A particular object is to provide a resilient support and perineal anchorage during tractive pro- A further object is to improve the efiectiveness and convenience of apparatus in this class with reduced cost, of production.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In, the present invention, any articulatfidmember of the human skeletal structure can be sub-' jected to traction or compression by placing the patient. or the accessories in appropriate relative positions. in the apparatus.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. But it is to be understood that: it is not limited to this form, because it may be embodied in modifications within the purview of the claims following the description.

In the 2'. sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is. a side elevation of an orthopedic table constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same in vertical section on the line II--II, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial side view of the same, taken in the direction of the arrow III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view detail of the strip clamp.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section ofthc same on the line V-V, Fig. 4. I

' Fig. 6 is a plan view of the strip. tightening wrench.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail in plan of the log spar mounting.

Wood has been chosen'for much of the base structure of the table in the interest of economy because it is light, strong, easily fabricated and finished. The substitution of metal structures is easily within the skill of those familiar with the mechanical arts.

In detail, theconstruction illustrated in the parallel base beams I, 2 drawn together by the upper and lower rows. of cross bolts 3, 4. The heads and nuts of these bolts are countersunk into the sides of the beams, see Fig. 1, and hidden by the overlying side boards 5 6 and the top and end trim l, 8, 9;. The latter may be thin metal plates appropriately plated.

The supporting end trucks comprise the cross beams H], H, fixed beneath the ends of the base beams I, 2, and under which the caster Wheels l2, l2 and l3, 13 are suitably mounted. These Wheels are provided with foot trips, such as 16, to prevent their rolling. The cross beams 10 H are camouflaged with suitable polished metal plates partially covering their respective trucks.

The series of. tubular standards I9, 20, 2|, 22., 23,24, 25, 26, 21 arepinched between the base beams 2 by the cross bolts 3, 4 and thus: securely locked against. turning. The lower ends of these standards stop above the lower edges of, the beams, and when embedded therein by the clamping tension of the cross bolts. are prevented from longitudinal downward movement, see- Fig. 2..

Each of these standards i9--2,l are split from the upper endobliquely toward the side as at 30,- in Fig. 2 to form the two arcuate jaws of a clutch. The thick ring 3| is fixed to the wider of these jaws, leaving the thinner jaw free to spring under the pressure of the hand set screw 32 threaded in the collar 3|.

The support rods 33:, 3' 1. telescope into their respective standards I9-.--2T and are fixed at adjusted heights by the clamping action of the. set screws 32; The yokes 3-5, 36 are fixed. on the upper ends 01' their respective rods 33, 34. The opposite ends of the overhead beam 31 are pivoted in these yokes so that this beam may be adjusted at any desiredang-le as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The side rails 38, 38. are clamped on opposite sides of the standards I8, 22 by the bolts 39 to provide an elevated mounting for the leg spars. Referring to Fig. 7, the, leg spars comprise a pair of square steel bars 4!), 4|, having the flattened overlapping heads 42, 4-3 respectively engaging a center pivot 44, consisting of a bolt extendingup between the rails 38," 38. The head 45 of this bolt engages under the." overlapping clamp bars 46, 41, extending laterally from beneath the side'rails 38, 38, parallel with their respective leg spars 40, H.

The clamp loops 4a, 49 encircle. their respective pairs of leg spars. 40, 4! and clamp. bars 46, 41. The set screws 50, threaded into the ends, of the loops, bear against the bars 46, 41 to clamp these bars and spars against the inter posed rails 38, 38 in order to clamp the spars at any desired angle with respect to the center Thus assembled, the leg spars may be located at any desired position by longitudinally sliding the pivotal point between the rails 38, 3B and tightening the bolt 44. The spars 40, 4| are adapted to receive any of the types common in this art of tractive accessories slidable thereon in the usual manner.

The overhead windlass, see Figs. 1, 2, 3, cornprises the inverted yoke 52 straddled over the overhead bar 31 to which it is clamped by the screw 53 at any desired adjusted position. The block 54 rides on top of the bar 31 beneath the yoke clamp and has a hole to receive the transverse windlass shaft 55 passing therethrough and fixed by the set screw 56, threaded in the top of the yoke. The opposite ends of this shaft are split, as at 5T, 58 to receive the bight of the suspending belts such as 59, see Fig. 2 and 3. The hand Wheel 60 provides means for manually turning the shaft 55 in its socket.

It'is common practice to support the patients body on tables such as 6|, 62, having the stems 63, 64 vertically adjustable in the standards 20, 2| respectively. 7

The present invention relates particularly to substitutes for such tables and other conventional means for body support, and consists of a series of transverse bows having canvas strips stretched from end to end of the bows. Since the general structures of the bows are similar, only one will be described in detail.

In Fig. 2 the bow 65, that may be steel tubing or other suitable material, has the center stem 66' telescoping into any of the standards 2D2E and locked by the set screw 32 in the collar 3|, hereinbefore described. The opposite ends of the bow have the cross blocks 66, 61 pivoted thereto on the countersunk screws 68, see Fig. 5. Similar blocks are fixed thereto by the separated cap screws I2, 12 and I3, 13.

One end of the canvas strip |4 is clamped between the blocks 65, Hi and held by the cap screws 12, 12. The other end of the strip passes between the blocks 61, 1|. The split wrench I5, see Fig. 6, is inserted on opposite sides of the strip below the blocks 61, H and wound up by means of the cross handle 16, until it engages beneath the blocks. Continued turning of the wrench puts the desired supporting tension on the strip 14, which is held by setting up the screws 13 to clamp the strip and hold the strip taut. The natural resilience of the bow 65 permits the strip to give under the torso weight of the patient who then rests upon the series of flexible and comfortable strips 14 supported by the standards 23-26 or any one or more of them, while his legs lie upon the tables 6|, 62; or the position of the torso may be reversed as operative procedure indicates. Bow strips may be substituted for the tables 6|, 52 if desired; the bows and tables are interchangeable.

If it is desired to examine the torso or legs of the patient by fluoroscopy or X-ray photography, any interfering bow can be omitted or the stem 66 withdrawn from the supporting standard during the examination.

Should the standards 2026 interfere with the X-ray apparatus, the patient can be elevated by means of the windlasses on the overhead beam 3T. To accomplish this, the looped ends TI, 11 of the endless slings 59 are passed around the ends of the bars 66, 61 and the bight passed throughthe slotted ends 51, 58 of the windlass shaft, as in Fig. 2, so that both ends of the bow 65 are suspended-from the windlass unit, a windlass being provided for each bow s0 suspended.

on the tables. "may be lowered, removed, or previously omitted Instead of the slings 59, the opposite ends 74' of the strip 14 can be left long enough to engage the windlass shaft ends 51, 58.

In placing a plaster cast on all or any portion of the torso, the various strips 14 involved are incorporated into the cast, to be cut away when the patient is removed from the table.

When traction is indicated in leg fractures, the leg spars 40, 4| are placed in proper relative positions to apply traction to the affected limb. Instead of the usual hard, rigid perineal post, one of the bow-like supports, previously described, is provided with the stud 19 welded thereto and inserted into the standard 22, see Fig. 1.

This invention operates substantially as follows: With the tables BI, 62 and the bow supports A, B, C, D elevated to a common level, the patient is laid thereon, preferably with the legs Any of these supporting means If it is a leg fracture requiring traction, the leg spar or spars 48, 4| are arranged in fixed adjusted position as described. The bow F and perineal strip F are then positioned to resist the traction applied to the limb. If it is an arm fracture requiring traction, a windlass is adjusted in proper position on the overhead bar 31,

I with a bandage or sling attached to the available portion of the affected arm with the shoulder strapped to the supporting strip 14. The traction is applied by turning the hand wheel 60. The angular adjustment of the overhead bar 31 i'is a great convenience in bringing the windlass close to the affected arm or limb, while leaving head room for the operator under the other portion of the bar 31.

Obviously the bar 31 and the windlass units 3:;can be used to support the legs and apply traction thereto in preference to the leg spars 40, 4| if desired. Other combinative arrangements of the parts and accessories of the apparatus will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

A particular advantage of the bow type of support is the sagging of the strip 14, which causes the body of the patient to remain centered on the strips I4 when traction is applied to the limbs.

When the bows AD are suspended from the overhead bar 31, as described, the bows and blocks 65, 66 can be swung on the pivots 68 out of the range of the X-rays.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An orthopedic table including a base; body supporting means on said base; and a taut flexible perineal strip extending vertically from said base.

2. An orthopedic table including a base; body supporting means, and traction means on said base; a vertical taut flexible perineal strip in operative relation to said traction and supporting means respectively. 3. An orthopedic table including a base; alined standards on said base; rails on said standards above said base; radiating leg spars pivotally mounted upon said rails; traction means on said spars; and a vertical taut flexible perineal strip in operative relation to said traction means.

4. A perineal post comprising a bow and a flexible perineal supporting member carried by and between the ends of said how.

WILLIAM L. BELL.

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