US3118398A

US3118398A - Nurses charting table

Info

Publication number: US3118398A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-01-21

Description

Jan. 21, 1964 J. R. MAYS 3,

NURSES CHARTING TABLE Filed April 2'1, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 1 El 21 INVENTOR JAMES R. MAYS ATTORN EYS Jan. 21, J M

NURSES CHARTING TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 2'7, 1962 INVENTOR JAMES A. MAKS BY JATTORNEYS United States Patent Pa, a corporation Filed Apr. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 190,758 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-28) This invention relates to tables for supporting medical charts used in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

A purpose of the invention is to support a plurality of charts in a compact and easily accessible manner.

A further purpose is to provide access to the charts by a plurality of persons such as nurses or doctors simultaneously.

A further purpose is to provide a writing surface for all persons using the charts.

A further purpose is to provide equal access to all persons using the charts.

A further purpose is to conserve space and make the charts accessible from all directions.

A further purpose is to prevent charts from becoming lost during use.

A further purpose is to provide means for neatly storing the charts when not in use.

A further purpose is to provide means for indicating to the nurses certain charts which have been noted by the doctors.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings 1 have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments which appear in my invention selecting the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the charting table of the invention.

"FIGURE 2. is a plan view of the table of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FiGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken on the line L -4, of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In the diagnosis and treatment of patients, it is customary to record the patients history and treatment on charts. The charts act as permanent records of past behavior and treatment and provide instructions by the doctor to the nurses for treatment. The charts are constantly being examined and noted. Considering that there is one or more charts for each patient, a problem arises in handling and storing the charts, especially in hospitals.

In the prior art, it has been customary to build racks behind flat rectangular shaped tables of considerable length with the charts strung out along the racks similar to the manner in which magazines are displayed at news stands. This arrangement required extensive space both tablewise and rackwise since there was in effect a separate table space and rack space for each individual chart. Furthermore, both the doctors and nurses had to search over the length of the racks to obtain the proper charts, and when a space could not be found unoccupied next to the chart, the chart had to be removed to another location.

The present invention groups all the charts into a compact support arrangement at one location, and makes the charts available to a plurality of individuals at writing surfaces equally distant from the char-ts support. There is no fixed relationship between a table space and a chart location so that a person may go to any unoccupied space at the table and have access to the chants as readily as at any other location at the table. Furthermore, the table is of circular arrangement so that access to the charts can be gained from any direction. In addition, when the charts are not being used they are safely kept within the support enclosure.

Referring to the drawings, l show a frame having four legs 21 suitably disposed at the corners of an imaginary square and connected at a lower level by cross braces 22 and '23. At an upper level a cross brace 24 joins any two oppositely disposed legs. The cross braces are joined to the legs by any suitable means suchas welding and are shown in channel cross section. At the intersection of the

cross braces

22 and 23, the cross brace 23 runs continuously from opposing legs while the cross brace 22 is divided and joined to brace 23 as by welding at 25. Thus cross

braces

22 and 23 serve to form a flat surface at the intersection 26.

Each leg 21 has suitable adjusting jacks 27 which serve to level the table.

Resting upon the intersection at 26 is a bearing housing 28 which is welded to the intersection 26 at 29. The bearing housing 28 supports a bearing sleeve 3% jour nalling roller bearings 31. The roller bearings 31 are held in spaced relationship by retaining rings 82.

A similar bearing sleeve and bearing housing is positioned on the upper cross brace 24 at the mid-position 33. The cross brace 24 has a hole 34 at location 33. This hole is axial with the bearing housing 28' which is welded to the cross brace 3-4- at 29'. The bearing housing 28' has concentrically fitted therein a sleeve 30 which journal-s rollers 31'. The bearing rollers 3-1 are held by spacers 32' which keep the bearing rollers in position.

The bearings radially support a shaft 35. The shaft 55 is supported vertically at its lower end by the intersection 26 and rests thereon at 36. The shaft '35 has a suitably rounded end at 37 to reduce the bearing area and reduce friction when the shaft is rotated. The shaft extends to a point well above the frame and suspends from its uppermost end 38 a chart rack support 40. This chart rack support has a ridge piece 41 which extends horizontally and has extending there-from triangular shaped ends 42. The ridge piece 41 has a lower reinforcing element 43 which extends beneath the ridge piece 41. A cap screw 44 extends through the ridge piece 41 and the support element 43 and holds both to the shaft '35 as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. The reinforcing element 43 has end flanges 4-5 extending along the inside of the end walls 42. The support has inclined surfaces d6 which have rectangular openings 47 adapted to receive chart racks 48 as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3. The chart rack support has a lower section 50 which has side portions 51, end portions 52 and a bottom 53. Box-like receptacles 54 are placed on each of the end pieces 42.

Fixed to and extending horizontally from the support 40 is surface 55. The surface 55 is fixed to support 40 by suitable means such as angle braces 57 and bolts 58. The surfaw 55 can be formed of a laminated structure with, for instance, a wooden interior 60 and a surface such as iorrnica or the like 61. The outside contour of the surface 55 is circular and extends to a point 62 which is just inside the legs of the frame 21 at 62.

A flat writing surface 63 of similar com-position to the surface 55 extends horizontally in the same level as surface 55. Surface 63 is circular in arrangement and has an inner opening 64 which conforms to the perimeter of surface 55. Surface 63 has an outside perimeter 65 which is circular in shape. Surface 63 is fixed to legs 21 at 66 by bolts 67 through flanges 68.

In operation, the patients charts are initially placed in the racks as shown in phantom in FIGURE 2. Whenever a person uses the chart, the chart is removed from the rack by lifting it upward and then placing it on the surface 63 for study and for any comments or directions which may be written. After use, the chart is then replaced in the rack. Normally, there will be a number of persons who will be seeking access to the charts and an individual upon coming to the table surface 63 may choose any unoccupied spot at the table. When the rack is free from use by another, the chart support 40 is rotated, the shaft 35 rotating in the

bearings

31 and 31 and upon the brace intersection 26. When the support has been rotated to a position at which the individual chart is adjacent to the person selecting the chart, the chart is removed for study and notation. The support is now ready to be rotated if necessary to another person.

Where it is desirable to have the chart kept out of the rack to draw attention to the chart, as for instance when a doctor notes instructions in the chart for a nurse, the chart is placed in the receptacle 54. After the nurse reads the specific chart which has temporarily been placed in receptacle 54, the chart is replaced in proper position in the rack support.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A nurses chanting table comprising a table top having an opening therein, and a chart cabinet mounted on the table top and extending above and below the same comprising generally vertical end walls, downwardly outwardly diverging side walls, the side walls having openings for insertion of charts, a top support extending across between the end walls at a ridge, and a boxlike construction extending below the table through the opening in the table and adapted to receive the lower ends of the charts.

2. A table of claim 1, in combination with a vertical column extending upwardly through the center of the cabinet and engaging the top support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,909 Fry Apr. 18, 1916 1,217,730 Esrey Feb. 27, 1917 1,244,373 Rice Oct. 23, 1917 1,427,383 Hcmshewski Aug. 29, 1922 1,652,792 Nagy Dec. 13, 1927 1,676,108 Novak July 3, 1928 2,452,291 Catron Oct. 26, 1948 2,546,803 Walson Mar. 27, 1951 2,619,396 Fires Nov. 25, 1952

Claims

1. A NURSES'' CHARTING TABLE COMPRISING A TABLE TOP HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, AND A CHART CABINET MOUNTED ON THE TABLE TOP AND EXTENDING ABOVE AND BELOW THE SAME COMPRISING GENERALLY VERTICAL END WALLS, DOWNWARDLY OUTWARDLY DIVERGING SIDE WALLS, THE SIDE WALLS HAVING OPENINGS FOR INSERTION OF CHARTS, A TOP SUPPORT EXTENDING ACROSS BETWEEN THE END WALLS AT A RIDGE, AND A BOXLIKE CONSTRUCTION EXTENDING BELOW THE TABLE THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE TABLE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE LOWER ENDS OF THE CHARTS.