US3173158A

US3173158A - Invalid's arm lift hand rail assembly

Info

Publication number: US3173158A
Application number: US208782A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leland F Oakes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-07-10
Filing date: 1962-07-10
Publication date: 1965-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-16

Description

March 16, 1965 1.. F. CAKES 3,173,158

INVALID'S ARM LIFT HAND RAIL ASSEMBLY Filed July 10. 1962 FIGI FIG. 2

' INVENTOR. 9 LE LAND F. OAKES FIG. 3

United States Patent 0.

3,173,158 INVALIDS ARM LIFT HAND RAIL ASSEMBLY Leland F. (Bakes, 3321 Ave. B, Council Bluffs, Iowa Filed July 10, 1962, Ser. No. 208,782 4 Claims. (Cl. 5-331) This invention has for its object to provide arm lift hand rails for beds whereby an invalid can reach up with his arms, grip a hand rail and either exercise or assist himself to reach a sitting position at times when such person is too weak to sit up through the use of torso muscles alone, the invention being particularly adapted for removable attachment by bolts to beds in rest homes whereby they can be manufactured and shipped for assembly to a bed at the place of use.

Still another object is to provide an arm lift bed hand rail assembly which serves the additional function of preventing an invalid from falling out of bed at night.

A further object is to provide a bed hand rail assembly including a hand rail for the foot end of a bed adapted to be gripped by an invalid at times when he is in a sitting position, the foot end hand rail being supported by an assembly of a C-shape which is open at the head end of the bed to permit the feet of a user to be swung over the edge of the bed without interference from the foot end hand rail supporting assembly.

A further object is to provide a bed hand rail which can be used at the head end of a bed and which can be made with or without extra vertical and horizontal portions for preventing a person from rolling out of bed.

A particular object is to provide hand rail assemblies including a portion at the foot end of the bed and another toward the head end of the bed, these portions to be spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween in the middle of the bed so that they do not interfere with a person who is climbing in or out of the bed at its middle portion.

' A further object is to provide bed hand rails which can be made of various Widths that can be made to accommodate different widths or beds.

Not only are the hand rails helpful in getting in and out of bed, but they also help a handicapped person to move around while in bed and also to get partial exercise by lifting the body While gripping the hand rails while yet remaining in bed.

A particular object is to provide'a hand rail assembly which can fit conventional beds whereby expensive special beds are not needed, and which can be quickly at tached with simple tools.

A further object is to provide a Way to adjustably connect parts of the hand rails so that they can be adjusted to various widths to fit different bed dimensions. A particular objective is to provide this feature by a cylindrical interconnector disposable through adjoining hollow hand rail sections and connected to each whereby one of the adjoining hollow rail sections can be sawed oif to make a perfect abutment between adjoining hollow hand rail sections such that the exterior of a hand rail is smooth and useable for hand-gripping even at the places of joining and so that the abutment removes any danger of pinching of the hands at an adjustment joint.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in i/hich the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural ice changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without' departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation with the hand rail assembly of this invention attached thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the parts of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the method of adjustable interconnection of the sectional hand rails.

. Referring to the drawings, particularly to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that a common bed is generally indicated at 10 having a head board 12, a foot board 14 and side boards 16, one of which latter is visible. A mattress is shown at 20.

In accordance with this invention, a hand rail assembly is provided comprising a head end hand rail assembly Z4 and a foot end hand rail assembly 30. The

assemblies

24 and 30 each have certain similar parts among which are lower horizontal anchor bars 38, vertical standards 40 attached to those ends of the anchor bars 38 respectively which are disposed near the foot end of the bed. The standards 40 are of such length as to extend upwardly from the top of the mattress 243 a substantial distance, and there are joined to upper horizontal support bars 44 which extend from the respective tandards 40 toward the head of the bed a distance preferably approximately the same or slightly greater than the length of the anchor bar 38.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, head end and foot end hand rails 54 and 52, also called hand rail 54) and further hand rail 52 extend transversely of the bed and of the upper horizontal support bars 44 at preferably a right angle to the latter.

The

end hand rails

50 and 52 are therefore spaced upwardly from the top of the mattress 20 a distance sufficient for receiving the body of a sleeping person thereunder and the standards 40 are a vertical heighth for this purpose.

The anchor bars 38 can be attached to the side boards 16 of a bed by means or keepers or bolts 50' removably extending through the side rails as is an effective and strong way of attachment. It will be seen that the anchor bars 38 extend generally longitudinally of the rails 16 and are enlongated. I

It is preferred that the anchor bars 38 be positioned such that a space exists between the hand rail assemblies 24 and 36 so that a user can conveniently climb out of the middle of the bed between the hand rail assemblies.

Expressed in another way it will be seen that the horizontal support bars 44 which are of the head end hand rail assembly 24 extend substantially horizontally and are connected to upper ends of the respective standards 40, at one of their ends, and at the other of their ends they are connected to respective ends of the head end hand rail 54) whereby a C-shape is defined by the head end hand rail 59 and the respective support bars 44, such C-shape being open toward the foot side of said bed for providing an open space through which a person lying on said bed can move while rising to a sitting position, the position of the head end hand rail 50 being sufficiently close to the head end of said bed so as not to interfere with a person thus rising from a lying to a sitting position.

The hand rail assembly 24 at the head of the bed can also have a vertical brace 76 attached to those ends of the respective anchor bar 38 and upper horizontal support bar 44 which are closest to the head of the bed. The brace 70 is effective for supporting a retainer bar 80 which extends between and is attached to the respective standards 40 and brace 70, the retainer bar 3 80 being horizontally disposed and placed at a height approximately between the mattress 2i and the respective upper horizontal support bar 44, and as thus de scribed, the retainer bar 80 and brace 70 further prevent a person from falling out of a bed.

As best seen in FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the

members

44, and 38 of each assembly define a C- shaped member on each side of said bed whereby there are two such'C-shaped members for each hand rail assembly, the upper horizontal support bars 44 defining an upper'portion of each C-shaped member, the standards 40 define a downwardly extending member thereof, and the anchor bars 38 define the remainder of each C-shaped assembly.

In operation, it will be seen that a person lying on the bed can reach the head end hand rail for lifting himself up to a sitting position and that the head end hand rail 50 is so close to the head board 12 as not to interfere with the raising of the body. Hereafter, the invalid person can reach the foot rail 52 for pulling himself and turning himself into a position for climbing out across the middle of the mattress edge.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be seen that the

hand rails

50 and 52 have three sections including two side sections 99 and 92 and a center section 94 of the hand rail 52 and two side sections and 104 and a center section 104 of the hand rail 50.

The

hand rail sections

90, 92, 94 are all of the same outside diameter as are also the

hand rail sections

100, 102, 104.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, all of these hand rail sections are hollow with cylindrical inner walls which are co-axial with their cylindrical outer walls and the inner wall of all sections are of the same diameter, this diameter being cooperative with and slightly larger than and complemental to the outside diameter of the cylindrical wall of the adjoining member 120, so that the joining member can slide into the adjacent sections of the hand rails as best seen in FIG- URE 3.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, screws are employed for screwing respective adjacent end rail sections to the respective adjoining member 120.

The screws extend through the respective hand rail sections such as 90 and 94 and into the respective joining section 120.

As thus described, it is believed that this invention has fulfilled the objectives above set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a bed hand rail for invalids constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

1 claim:

1. In combination: a bed having side rails, and a hand rail assembly for attachment to said bed, said hand rail assembly comprising a horizontal hand rail adapted to be disposed across the head end portion of said bed in a position spaced above the upper surface of said bed a sufiicient distance for permitting a handicapped person to recline on said bed beneath said hand rail at such a distance that a handicapped person can grip said hand rail while lying on the bed for using his arms to assist himself in the movement of his body to a different position on said bed, said combination being free of obstruction in areas on each side of said hand rail sufficiently to permit said hand rail to be readily grasped by a person lying in said bed, and hand rail maintaining means attached to ends of said hand rail and extending downwardly therefrom at the sides of said bed, and connected to the side rails of said bed on each side of said bed respectively for maintaining said hand rail in the described position, in which said means for maintaining said hand rail in said position comprises a pair of anchor bars disposed one on each side of said bed, and keepers interconnecting said anchor bars and bed rails respectively, said hand rail maintaining means further comprising two standards disposed one on each side of said bed and each connected to a respective anchor bar and extending upwardly therefrom, said hand rail maintaining means further comprising two support bars extending generally horizontally and each having one of its ends attached to an upper end of a respective standard and each connected at its other end to a respective end of said hand rail, said hand rail and said support bars defining a C-shaped configuration in top plan view for providing an open space between said support bars, said hand rail being spaced sufiiciently close to the head end of said bed that a person lying in said bed can freely move through said open space in the process of moving upwardly into a sitting position, said standards being disposed in position spaced from the ends of said bed sufiiciently to position said standards for efiectively preventing a sleeping person lying on said bed from rolling out of said bed.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said anchor bars extend longitudinally of said bed side rails a substantial distance and in which said keepers are spaced apart substantial distances along said anchor bars for dispersing the strain along said side rails to prevent splitting thereof.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which said hand rail is composed of a plurality of interconnected telescoping sections whereby said hand rail can be adjusted to fit beds of various widths.

4. The combination of claim 1 in further combination with a further rail extending horizontally across said bed intermediate the ends of said bed and closer to the center of said bed than to either end of said bed, said further hand rail being in a position disposed at a distance above said bed for allowing a person to recline thereunder and for adapting to the purpose of being gripped by an invalid while he is sitting up in said bed and reaching forwardly, and means attached to the outer ends of said further hand rail and extending downwardly therefrom on each side of said bed and there being attached to said bed side rails, said means extending downwardly from said further hand rail being substantially C-shaped in side elevation with the open side of the O-shaped opening disposed toward the head end of said bed so as to provide a space through which the feet of a handicapped person can swing when such a person sits on the side of said bed and swings his legs over the side of said bed in the usual fashion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 522,342 Helander July 3, 1894 933,740 Bond Sept. 14, 1909 2,196,511 Wagner et-al. Apr. 9, 1940 2,722,693 Wolf Nov. 8, 1955- 2,798,652 Easton July 9, 1957

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION: A BED HAVING SIDE RAILS, AND A HAND RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID BED, SAID HAND RAIL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL HAND RAIL ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ACROSS THE HEAD END PORTION OF SAID BED IN A POSITION SPACED ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE FOR PERMITTING A HANDICAPPED PERSON TO RECLINED ON SAID BED BENEATH SAID HAND RAIL AT SUCH A DISTANCE THAN A HANDICAPED PERSON CAN GRIP SAID HAND RAIL WHILE LYING ON THE BED FOR USING HIS ARMS TO ASSIST HIMSELF IN THE MOVEMENT OF HIS BODY TO A DIFFERENT POSITION ON SAID BED, SAID COMBINATIOIN BEING FREE OF OBSTRUCTION IN AREAS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID HAND RAIL SUFFICIENTLY TO PERMIT SAID HAND RAIL TO BE READILY GRASPED BY A PERSON LYING IN SAID BED, AND HAND RAIL MAINTAINING MEANS ATTACHED TO ENDS OF SAID HAND RAIL AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AT THE SIDES OF SAID BED, AND CONNECTED TO THE SIDE RAILS OF SAID BED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BED RESPECTIVELY FOR MAINTAINING SAID HAND RAIL IN THE DESCRIBED POSITION, IN WHICH SAID MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID HAND RAIL IN SAID POSITION COMPRISES A PAIR ON ANCHOR BARS DISPOSED ONE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BED, AND KEEPERS INTERCONNECTING SAID ANCHOR BARS AND BED RAILS RESPECTIVELY, SAID HAND RAIL MAINTAINING MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING TWO STANDARDS DISPOSED ONE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BED AND EACH CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE ANCHOR BAR AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM SAID HAND RAIL MAINTAINING MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING TWO SUPPORT BARS EXTENDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY AND EACH HAVING ONE OF ITS ENDS ATTAHCED TO AN UPPER END OF A RESPECTIVE STANDARD AND EACH CONNECTED AT ITS OTHER END TO A RESPECTIVE END OF SAID HAND RAIL,SAID HAND RAIL AND SAID SUPPORT BARS DEFINING A C-SHAPED CONFIGURATION IN TOP PLAN VIEW FOR PROVIDING AN OPEN SPACE BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT BARS, SAID HAND RAIL BEING SPACED SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO THE HEAD END OF SAID BED THAT A PERSON LYING IN SAID BED CAN FREELY MOVE THROUGH SAID OPEN SPACE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING UPWARDLY INTO A SITTING POSITION, SAID STANDARDS BEING DISPOSED IN POSITION SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF SAID BED SUFFICIENTLY TO POSITION SAID STANDARDS FOR EFFECTIVELY PREVENTING A SLEEPING PERSON LYING ON SAID BED ROLLING OUT OF SAID BED.