US3199509A

US3199509A - Swinging sling

Info

Publication number: US3199509A
Application number: US210419A
Authority: US
Inventors: Genovieve M Smith
Original assignee: SACRED HEART HOSPITAL
Current assignee: SACRED HEART HOSPITAL
Priority date: 1962-07-17
Filing date: 1962-07-17
Publication date: 1965-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-10

Description

G. M. SMITH SWINGING SLING Aug. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1962 Fig.

Fig. 3

INVENTOR.

G. M. SMITH SWINGING SLING Aug. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1962 Genevieve M. Smith 1 N VEN TOR.

United States Patent S l /9,509 SWINGING SLIN-G enevieye M. Smith, Medford, Greg, assignor of one-third to Sacred Heart Hospital, Medford, Greg, a corporation of Greg-on Fiied July I7, 1962, er. No. 210,419 2 Claims. ((Il. 12%94) The present invention generally relates to slings and more particularly to an arm sling adapted to support the arm of a bedridden patient from an overhead bed swing.

In dealing with various types of injuries and illnesses, the necessity of elevating or outwardly positioning the patients arm relative to the rest of the body frequently arises. For example, the swelling of one or both arms, as wail as the upper portion of the body, which generally accompanies breast cancer, requires that the arm be elevated remote from the body so as to avoid any contact there between thus resulting in a substantial easing of the patients pain. Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an arm sling capable of positioning a patients arm so as to extend in an elevated position away from the patients body.

Also, in conjunction with the above object, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sling which will support the patients arm while still allowing for substantial freedom of movement of the patient.

Further, an object of the present invention resides in the provision of an arm sling which will encompass the entire arm.

Additionally, an object of the present invention resides in the provision of a sling wherein support is provided for substantially the entire arm.

Also, an object of the present invention resides in the provision of a soft fleece-like lining so as to cushion the arm received within the sling.

Likewise, an object of the present invention resides in the provision of a sling which can be releasably supported by an overhead bed swing for movement therewith.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arm sling which can be easily put on and removed from the arm of a patient.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a relatively simple though highly effective sling.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the sling is to be used to support a bedridden patients arm;

Fi URE 2 is a perspective view of the sling of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the sling with the longitudinal edges thereof unsecured, and with a portion broken away so as to illustrate the manner in which the rearwardly extending straps are secured thereto;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane passing along line 44 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on a plane passing along line 55 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on a plane passing along line e s of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane passing along line 77 in FIGURE 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral Iii generally designates the arm sling comprising the present invention. This arm sling is to be used "ice in conjunction with a conventional overhead bed swing 12 which is normally swingably secured to a bed head frame It by means of two opposed clamp members 16 interconnected by a bolt It} and nut 20.

The sling It is formed basically of a strong flexible piece of material having the

longitudinal edges

22 and 24 secured together in a suitable fashion such as by stitching 2i? so as to provide an elongated tubular member 28 preferably tapered from an enlarged rear end 3th to a reduced forward end 32 so as to enable it to substantially conform to the shape of an arm which normally increases in size as the shoulder is approached.

In order to secure the sling lil to the overhead bed swing 112. in the desired manner as best illustrated in FIG- URE 1, a plurality of apertures 34 are provided through the upper portion of the elongated tubular body 28 for the reception therethrough of elongated tying straps 36, the ends 38 of which are to be releasably secured about the bed swing 12. As will be appreciated, any number of holes 34 and straps 36 can be provided as required to provide the desired amount of support.

As best seen in FIGURE 7, grommets 40 can be provided within each of the apertures 34 so as to provide a reinforcement therefor. It will be noted that the grommets as also extend through an inner lining 42 formed of a fleece-like material so as to comfortably cushion the patients arm within the tubular portion 28 of the sling 10.

In addition to the straps 36, it is contemplated that a pair of rearwardly extending straps 44 be secured to the rearward upper portion of the tubular body portion 28 in a suitable means such as by stitching 46. The straps 44 are specifically provided so as to enable the free ends 48 thereof to be releasably tied about the bed head frame 14 so as to provide additional support for the sling encompassed arm while at the same time tending to prevent movement of the sling relative to the arm while avoiding the necessity of having to tie the strap to the patient which in many instances greatly increases the discomfort of the patient.

From the foregoing, it is considered to be readily apparent that a novel arm swing has been defined wherein a patients arm is received within a flexible tubular fleecelined member which is provided with a plurality of apertures along the upper side thereof for the reception therethrough of a plurality of elongated straps which in turn are intended to be releasably tied to an overhead swinging support. Further, it is contemplated that an additional pair of rearwardly extending tie members he provided on the tubular portion so as to enable the securing of the rear portion of the sling to the head frame of the bed thus resultin in a highly effective arm support which, in addition to supporting the arm out of contact with the remainder of the body, also enables substantially free movement of both the arm and the body, such as may be required. Finally, it will be noted that the enlarged rear opening is arcuately curved from the upper to the lower portion thereof so as to further increase the comfort of the device.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

ll. An arm sling adapted to be used in conjunction with an elongated substantially horizontal overhead support for supporting an arm extending in substantially a straight line from the shoulder of a user of the sling and substantially parallel to the support, said arm sling consisting of an elongated generally cylindrical member having a first end positionable adjacent the shoulder of a user, and a second end positionable adjacent the Wrist of a user, and a straight arm receiving open-ended passage extending 1ongitudinally therethrough, said cylindrical member being formed solely of a flexible material provided with a soft interior capable of cushioning an arm received therein, said cylindrical member being flexible throughout the length thereof, two rows of apertures extending longitudinally along the upper portion of the cylindrical member in spaced parallel relation to each other, each aperture in each row being transversely aligned with a corresponding aperture in the other row thereby providing a series of pairs of apertures, a plurality of elongated tie straps, each strap having the central portion thereof extending between the apertures 01 one of said pairs within the interior of the cylindrical member, the opposite ends of the strap extending outwardly through and beyond the apertures for engagement with the overhead support and a pair of tie straps secured solely to the upper part of the first end of said cylindrical member and extending rearwardly thereof for attachment to a suitable support so as to limit longitudinal movement of the member relative to an arm supported therein.

2. The device of claim 1. wherein said first end is substantially larger than said second end, said arm receiving passage tapering from the first end to the second end.

[1, References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 745,264 11/03 Todd 128-4l2 775,520 11/04 Crigler 5-89 X 1,269,734 6/18 Noland 128-94 1,304,153 9/18 Bugge 128-94 2,237,252 4/41 Longfellow 12882 2594,8119 4/52 Sanders 128-94 2,679,842 6/54 Brill 128134 2,854,600 9/58 Anderson 12884 2,916,034 12/59 Detwiler 128--94 3,115,132 12/63 Hill 128-133 FOR IGN PATENTS 260,480 6/13 Germany. 157,374 7/54 Canada.

OTHER REFERENCES Surgical Equipment, 11-12/39, vol. 6, No. 6, Cufi ad- 20 vertisement on page 20 relied upon.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD J. HOFFMAN, Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ARM SLING ADAPTED TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL OVERHEAD SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING AN ARM EXTENDING IN SUBSTANTIALLY A STRAIGHT LINE FROM THE SHOULDER OF A USER OF THE SLING AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE SUPPORT, SAID ARM SLING CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATED GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL MEMBER HAVING A FIRST END POSITIONABLE ADJACENT THE SHOULDER OF A USER, AND A SECOND END POSITIONABLE ADJACENT THE WRIST OF A USER, AND A STRAIGHT ARM RECEIVING OPEN-ENDED PASSAGE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH, SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER BEING FORMED SOLELY OF A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL PROVIDED WITH A SOFT INTERIOR CAPABLE OF CUSHIONING AN ARM RECEIVED THEREIN, SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER BEING FLEXIBLE THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, TWO ROWS OF APERTURES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CYLINDRICAL MEMBER IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER, EACH APERTURE IN EACH ROW BEING TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED WITH A CORRESPONDING APERTURE IN THE OTHER ROW THEREBY PROVIDING A SERIES OF PAIRS OF APERTURES, A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED TIE STRAPS, EACH STRAP HAVING THE CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING BETWEEN THE APERTURES OF ONE OF SAID PAIRS WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE STRAP EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THROUGH AND BEYOND THE APERTURES FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OVERHEAD SUPPORT AND A PAIR OF TIE STRAPS SECURED SOLELY TO THE UPPER PART OF THE FIRST END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREOF FOR ATTACHMENT TO A SUITABLE SUPPORT SO AS TO LIMIT LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE MEMBER RELATIVE TO AN ARM SUPPORTED THEREIN.