US2517466A - Hydraulically operated adjustable bed - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1950 T. v. cox 2,517,466

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED ADJUSTABLE BED Filed June 22, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 1, 1950 v. cox 2,517,466

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED ADJUSTABLE BED Filed June 22, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 1, 1950 T.'V. cox 2,517,466

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED ADJUSTABLE BED Filed June 22, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 1, 1950 T. v. cox 2,517,466

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED ADJUSTABLE BED Filed June 22, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 k f fizzzZiyo/a Patented Aug. 1, 1950 2,517,466 HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED ADJUSTABLE BED Truitt V. Cox, Greensboro, N. (3., assignor of onehalf to Herbert H. Ogburn, Greensboro, N. C.

Application June 22, 1946, Serial N0. 678,611.,

This invention relates to beds and has special reference to beds havin adjustable bottoms such as are used for invalids and in hospitals.

More particularly the invention relates to beds with hydraulically adjustable bottoms.

One important object of the invention is to provide an improved general construction for beds of this description.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved and novel operating means for beds having adjustable bottoms, which means maybe utilized in connection with the usual form of hospital beds.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel adjustable bed bottom structure and hydraulic means for operating the bed bottom associated with said structure, the whole being so arranged that it may be readily assembled with and removed from the ordinary hospital bed.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide novel hydraulic operating means for adjusting the bottoms of beds of the foregoing character.

A fifth important object of the invention is to provide a novel hydraulic operating means whereby the head and foot sections of a bed bottom having independently adjustable sections may be selectively operated and simultaneously operated at the will of a nurse or other attendant.

A sixth important object of the invention is to provide a novel hydraulic operating means for the purpose set forth wherein a single pump cylinder is utilized forthe supply of two pressure cylinders having selective conduit connections therewith.

With the above and other objects in View as will presently be apparent the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views and- Figure l is a side elevation of a bed having adjustable head and foot sections and showing the hydraulic adjusting means associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bed shown in Figure 1 but having the bed bottom removed to better show the operating parts. i

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but show in a modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figured. I t t l 4 Claims.

Figure5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. A

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section taken. through the hydraulic mechanism and substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure '7.

Figure 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, the view being taken substantially on the line 1'l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail elevation of certain valve handles used herein and illustrating the several control positions of the valves to which they are attached. i

In the embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedthere is shown a bed frame having end members each provided with a pair of legs is and side rails ll. These siderails are formed from angle irons which havehorizontal legs directed toward each other and upstanding vertical legs so as to form confronting track members. Furthermore each pair of legs l0 has its legs connected by a cross bar l2. On the side rails ii rests the bed bottom having a medially disposed portion l3 extending for a short distancelongi tudinally of the bed and spanning the space between the side rails. This portion it is suitably fixed in position by means not here shown but which may be of common character such as bolts or other equivalent means. To one of the transversely extending edges of the portion it there is hinged a back supporting portion i l which may lie in the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 or may be swung upwardly as shown in full lines in that figure. To the other transverse edge of the portion Hi there is hinged a forward leg supporting portion [5 andto the rear edge of the latter there is hinged a rear leg supporting portion it. As will also be seen from Figure 1 these leg supports may be moved between horizontal and upwardly inclined positions.

In the form of the device shown in Figures 2. and 5 there is provided at each end of the bed frame a carriage I? of general U-shape the sides of which are connected by intersecting brace bars 18. The U-shaped frame is preferably made of angle iron with the sides fitting loosely in the angles of the bed rails II. The horizontal legs of the carriage sides are slotted as at If! so that small wheels or rollers 20 carried on stub shafts may project therethrough and support the. carriage.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4 there isprovided a pair of auxiliary rails 2| which lie close to but between the bed rails II. The ends of the rails 2| rest on the cross bars l2 and may be suitably secured immovably thereto. Carriages,

22 run on the rails 2| and are similar in all respects to the carriages I! being provided with supporting wheels 23.

In each of these forms the sides of the head carriage are provided at their rear ends with brackets 24 which are connected by struts 25 with brackets 26 carried by the head end of the support l4. Similarly the other carriage has brackets 21 connected by struts 28' with brackets 29 carried by the rear part of the leg support l5. This construction is such that movement for elevation of a bed bottom portion is effected whenever the respective carriage is moved toward the adjacent bed end. Also each form has each carriage provided with a bracket 30 for purposes which will be presently set forth.

Extending transversely of the bed at about midway of its length is a pair of spaced carrier bars 3| in the form of angle irons or the like. In the form shown in Figure 2 the bars 3| are secured firmly to the bed rails I I while the form shown in Figure 3 has these bars fixed to the auxiliary rails 2 I. These bars 3| support a casting 32 which formsthe main part of the hydraulic mechanism proper. In the lower part of this casting there is bored a pump cylinder 33 having at one end a closure 34 resting against a packing ring or gasket 35. This. closure is provided with a bore 36 for the passage of a piston rod 37 and the outer end of the bore 36 is enlarged and threaded for the reception'of a gland 38 engaging packing 39 so as to ensure an oiltight fit for the piston rod 33'. The inner end of the rods! is reduced to form a seat for a piston member 40. Fitted on said reduced end and bearing against the member All is an intermediate piston member 4! carrying a packing ring 42 to ensure a tight fit of the piston in the cylinder. A rear piston member 43 is mounted on rod 3? and is provided with a chamber 44 facing the member 41. The chamber 44 communicates with the rear end of the cylinder 33 through a passage 45 and with the front end Of the cylinder through a passage 46- extending through the. members 40 and ll. In the chamber M is a valve 41; controlling. passage 46' and this valve is urged: to close said passage by a spring All. A nut 49 serves to hold the piston parts on the rod 31. At the bottom of the casting is a transverse bearing 50 wherein is jour-- nailed a shaft I. Rock arms 52 have their lower ends pinned on the shaft 51 and extend up on each side of the casting 32. The upper ends of these arms are pivoted to the rear ends of links 53 which extend forwardly and have their forward ends connected to a cross-head as by means of a pin 55. The cross-head 5 1 is fixed on the forward. end of the piston. rod 37. Carried by the bars 3i is an outboard bearing plate 56 through which the shaft. 5.1. extends. projecting portion of the shaft 5! is keyed or otherwise fixed a disk 5? having adjacent its periphery a plurality of pin receiving openings 58-. Rotatably mounted on-the shaft 5| and held on its outer end by a nut 59 is an operating lever 60 having a head end fitting the shaft and carrying a spring pressed pin 6! positioned for selective engagement in the pin receiving openings 58. This arrangement permits the lever to be adjusted to a convenient position for the use of a nurse or other operator. It may now be seen that oscillation of the lever Gil will rock the arms 53 which will effect oscillation of the links 53 and consequently will reciprocate the piston. in the pump cylinder. At 62 is an oil reservoir and at one side of. this reservoir is a valve casing. 63

On the.

4 which communicates with the lower part thereof by a passage 64 which opens upwardly into a valve chamber 65. A ball check valve 66 is held in this chamber and opens upwardly to allow flow of oil from the tank. The upper end of the chamber 65 is closed by a suitable plug 51 and just below this plug a passage 68 leads laterally and then downwardly to open into the forward end of the cylinder 33 close behindthe closure 34. Thus upon movement of the piston to the right from the position shown in Figure 6 oil will be drawn into the forward end of the cylinder but upon return movement of the piston the valve 41 will lift and the oil in the forward end will flow through passage d6, chamber 44 and passage 45 into-the rear end of the cylinder.

Extending axially and then upwardly from the end of the cylinder opposite the closure 34 is a passage l0 which opens into a valve chamber ll wherein is an upwardly opening check valve 12. The chamber H has its upper end. closed by a plug 13 and from said chamber extends a manifold 14 which communicates by means of branches 75 with two frusto-conical valve chambers 16 in each of which is fitted a valve 11 having a passage with ends opening at right angles to each other as is common in three way valves. Passages !8 extend toward each. other from these valve chambers but terminate in spaced relation. At the upper part of the casting 32 there is bored an alined pair of pressure cylinders 69 having their inner ends held from communication by a septum 80. These cylinders 19 have their remote ends closed by suitable closures 8| having the usual openings for the piston rod 82. On the inner ends of the rods 82 are mounted the pistons 83 and these pistons are provided with suitable packing means 84 similar to that used in the pump cylinder. The rods 82 form operative connections between the cylinders and carriages. Passages 85 connect the passages 18 with the cylinders 79.. Also return passages 86 connect the valve chambers it with the upper part of the tank 62. Each valve Tl is provided with a stem 87 which projects through the bearing plate 56 and has on its outer end an operating handle 88. Referring to Figures 6 and 8 it is to be understood that with. the valves themselves in the positions of Figure 6 the handles will be in the positions A and communication will exist between the pump cylinder and both pressure cylinders. If the valves be turned to connect the pressure cylinders with the return passages 86 the handles will be in the position B. Finally, if the handles be turned tothe positions C the valves will have been turned so that no communication can exist between the valve chambers 76 and either the pump cylinder or the pressure cylinders. Obviously the valves 71 may be operated independently of each other.

By reference to Figure 6 it will be seen that the usual means embodying any device such as a nut, washer and spring shown at 89 may be used to prevent leakage at the control valves.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a bed including tiltably mounted head and leg supporting frames, a bed frame, a bottom supported by said'bed frame, hydraulic means for vertically adjusting said supporting frames including a pump, a pair of cylinders having conduit communication with said pump, and an operative connection between each cylinder and arespective supporting frame, said operative connection including a travelling carriage for each supporting frame, and links connecting the respective carriage and supporting frame.

2. In a bed having a pair fof 'longitudinally extending rails and a bottom including a fixed central section, a. head supporting section hinged to one edge of the central section, a leg supporting section hinged to the opposite edge of the central section, carriages running on said rails, links connecting the free edge portion of each supporting section with a respective carriage, and means to move said carriages along said'frails, said means including a pair of hydraulic cylinders and an operative connection between each cylinder and a respective carriage.

3. In a bed having a pair of longitudinally extending rails and a bottom including a fixed central section, a head supporting section hinged to one edge of the central section, a leg supporting section hinged to the opposite edge of the central section, carriages running on said rails, links connecting the free edge portion of each supporting section with a respective carriage, and means to move said carriages along said rails, said means including a pair of hydraulic cylinders, an operative connection between each cylinder and a respective carriage, and means .fOl SllpDlYiIlg fluid under pressure selectively to said cylinders.

4; Ida. bed including tiltably mounted head and'leg supporting frames, a bed frame, a bottom supported by said bed frame, hydraulic means for vertically adjusting said supporting frames including a pump, a pair of cylinders having conduit communication with said pump, and! an operative connection between each cylinder and a respective supporting frame, said operative connection including a traveling carriage for each supporting frame, and means connecting the respective carriage and supporting frame.

-'- TRUITT V. COX.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollpwing references are of record in. the fllepf this patent:

I; UNITED STATES PATENTS" Number A

Images