US3856003A

US3856003A - Self adjusting pulley mount for traction device

Info

Publication number: US3856003A
Application number: US00399289A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Pfluger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-09-21
Filing date: 1973-09-21
Publication date: 1974-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-24

Abstract

A self adjusting pulley mount for traction devices constructed for mounting on a portion of a bed or chair for movement therewith while coordinating with a fixed pulley and weighted cable to afford movement of a sling end of such cable connected to an extremity of a patient under traction whereby the patient may change positions without requiring readjustment or replacement of the traction rig.

Description

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,856,003

Pfluger Dec. 24, 1974 [54] SELF ADJUSTING PULLEY MOUNT F0 2,831,482 4/1958 Cobb 12 8/84 C TRACTION DEVICE 3,063,445 11/1962 Ries 128/75 [76] lnventorz Harold P. Pfluger, 340-6T Vallejo FOREIGN PATENTS O lCA'IIOTIS Millbrae, Ca 30 214,231 11/1908 Germany 128/84 (3 [22] Filed: Sept. 21, 1973 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet [2]] Appl. No.: 399,289 Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko [52] U.S. Cl. 128/75, 128/84 C 57 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl A6lh l/02 [58] Field of Search 128/75, s4, s5, s3, 70, A Self adlustng Pulley devces 128 /71 72 73 74 structed for mounting on a portion of a bed or chair for movement therewith while coordinating with a 56] References Cited fixed pulley and weighted cable to afford movement of a sling end of such cable connected to an extremity of UNITED STATES PATENTS a patient under traction whereby the patient may 1,213,373 1/1917 Hollowell 128/84 C ha positions without requiring readjustment or re- Siebrandt C placement of the traction 1,366,612 1/1921 Vallee 128/84 C 2,230,620 2/1941 Leiter 128/84 C 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SELF ADJUSTING PULLEY MOUNT FOR TRACTION DEVICE BACKGROUND of a bed for creating traction for a patient in such bed or chair. Such devices usually include a pulley supported on such device for positioning a weighted end of a cord or cable outside the chair or bed and an opposite end disposed within the confines of the latter for connection to an extremity or part of a patients body while seated in or resting upon such bed. These devices usually require the patient to lie still during connection to the traction device. They also require readjustment should the patient wish to sit up from a lying position or to lie back upon a horizontal bed after being in traction in a sitting position.

The present invention seeks to overcome the need for changing or adjusting the location of a traction device due to the change of position of the patient using the same.

THE PRESENT INVENTION This invention has as its object the provision of means for supporting traction device pulleys relative to a bed, bedstead and/or chair in a condition to accommodate change of position of the patient under tractron.

It is another object to provide a traction device adapted for mounting on a movable portion of a bed such as the adjustable back-rest portion thereof. By this arrangement the patient may continue using the traction device as applied regardless of his change of position from lyingto sitting up and vice-versa.

' It is another object of this invention to provide a pulley mount adapted for up and/or down movement upon a base supported by the bed or back-rest thereof.

It is still another object to provide such pulley mount with a pivot mount such as to be self aligning between the patient and the weight suspended end of the traction cable of the device. By this arrangement regardless of movement of the patient to one or the other side of center of the bed, i.e., allowing him to lie on either side in lieu of on his back only, the traction exerted by the device is still applied without change in its position or adjustment thereof upon the bed.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description when read in the light of the single sheet of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a hospital bed illustrating the traction rig employing the present invention in situ relative to a patient;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 1 and seen from the opposite side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bed of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the back rest level;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the traction rig of FIGS. 1-3 and at enlarged scale relative thereto showing the pulley mount; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail of the pulley mount as modified with self adjusting hinge in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the head end of a bed as of FIG. 3 illustrating the articulation of the hinge feature of FIGS. 5 and 6 when the patient changes position in the bed.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in the drawing the traction device generally designated 10 includes the usual cord or cable 11' having a weight 12 at one end and a sling 13 at its opposite attachable to an extremity of the body of a patient P at rest in a bed B. The Cable-ll is usually strung over a pulley or series thereof in a manner to exert a direct, in line, pull upon the sling 13 attached to the extremity of the patient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The traction device 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a weight supporting pulley 15 adapted to be mounted as at 16 in offset condition on one stead S of the bed B or the back of a chair (not shown) to enable the weight to move up and down on that portion of the cable 11 suspended from the pulley offset outside the bed (or chair). In combination with such fixed pulley 15, the present invention further comprises an adjustable mount 17 for a pulley means 18 including a base 19 with clamp 20 for securing the same to a portion of the bed in a position to cooperate with the fixed pulley l5 and to create in line traction at the sling end 13 of the cable 11 strung through the pulley mount 17. e

As best seen in FIG. 4 the clamp 20 is channel shaped to embrace a portion of the bed to which it is to be attached. A thumb screw 21 extends through a threaded bore 22 on one flange 23 ofthe channel shaped clamp 20 for securing the latter to that portion of the bed embraced thereby. A boss 24 extends outwardly from the other flange 25 in substantial alignment with the clamp screw 21. This boss 24 has a rod 26 extending axially therefrom to receive a C clamp portion 27 of the mount 17 for the pulley means 18.

The pulley mount 17 in its simplest form comprises an endless strap of metal formed to provide the C clamp portion 27 and two pairs of trunnions 28-29 for the pulley means 18. The C clamp 27 has a pair of leg portions provided with aligned bores to receive the rod 26 for up and down movement of the pulley mount 17 and pulley means 18 relative thereto. The bight portion of the C clamp 27 has a centrally disposed threaded bore normal to the axis of the rod 26 for receiving a thread wing screw 30 for securing the pulley mount in any desired positions along the rod. It should here be noted that the rod 26 has a flattened surface 31 exposed to the threaded wing screw 30 which when engaging the surface 31 will prevent turning of the pulley mount 17 relative to the rod 26. Obviously, the rod 26 i may be of round stock with one flattened surface 31 or square stock as well as hexagonal stock for the same purpose, so long as they glide easily for up and down movement in the aligned bores in the legs of the C clamp 27.

The pulley mount 17 (FIG. 4) has its two pairs of

trunnions

28 and 29 formed to support pulley means 18 for two

pulleys

32 and 33. These

pulleys

32 and 33 are journaled on axles 34 and 35 offset relative to the C clamp 27 portion. The axles 34 and 35 are transverse to the rod 26 for supporting the pulleys 32'and 33 one above the other in alignment parallel to the rod 26.

The same arrangement is embodied in the modified form of pulley mount 17 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this modified mount 17', however, the leg portions of the C clamp portion 27 are inset in narrower parallel relation toward center of the clamp, i.e., the axis of the wing screws 31. That portion of the pulley mount 17' consisting of the two pairs of

trunnions

28 and 29 is the same shape as before. However, the two trunnions have a pair of arms 28'29 extending laterally therefrom to embrace the inset leg portions of the C clamp portion 27 for pivotal connection therewith. The pivotal connection is provided by a bolt 36 extending through aligned bores in the arms 28'-29 and the inset legs of the C clamp portion 27. By this arrangement the trunnions 28-29 for the

pulleys

32 and 33 move as a unit about an axis-a-parallel to the rod 26 and relative to the C clamp portion 27' secured thereto (FIGS. 5 and 6).

In operation the base 19 is adapted to be secured to any part of a bed B. It is best suited for mounting on the adjustable back rest of a hospital bed as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In FIG. 7 it will be noted that the channel clamp 20 of the base 19 is preferably secured to the back rest of the bed B in offset relation to longitudinal center thereof. This is done to place the

pulleys

32 and 33 in the pulley mount in alignment with the fixed pulley on the head stead of the bed. With the

pulley mount

17 or 17 thus disposed the cable 11 easily trains over the pulley l5 and in line with either lower or

upper pulley

32 or 33 on the pulley mount.

A patient P is ordinarily required to lie horizontally upon a bed when traction is applied to the neck. In such position the sling 13 fits the chin and neck of the person as shown. The cable 11 would normally be trained over the fixed pulley 15 only on the head stead of the bed so as to create a pull upwardly upon the patients chin and neck.

With the pulley mount 17 or 17' of the present invention applied to the adjustable back restas previously explained the traction applied would be the same. The cable 11 would be trained through the pulley mount between the upper and

lower pulleys

32 and 33 as shown. The entire mount 17 or 17' would be secured upon the rod 26 at such an elevation as to cause the uppermost pulley 32 to bear downwardly upon the cable 11 as shown in FIG. 7. This would create a direct line pull along the spinal cord in the neck upwardly as shown.

Should the patient wishto sit up or have the back rest raised to an inclined condition as shown in FIGS. 1 and- /or 2 no readjustment of the traction rigging need be made. The base 19 and rod 26 remains secured to the back rest and the cable 11 transfers automatically from the upper to the lower pulley 33 in the pulley mount. Thus the pulley mount 17 of FIGS. 1 and 4 accommodates such change of position by the patient without any change in mounting of the traction'device 10.

To enable the patient to roll from a position flat on his back to a position wherein he lies on his side, the modified fonn of pulley mount 17' of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is employed. With this mount 17' the trunnion portion thereof will swing to one or the other side about the axis-a-of the bolt 36 (FIG. 7). This is a self adjusting movement created by the angular position of that portion of the cable 11 extending from the sling 13 to the pulley mount 17. While this self adjusting feature is illustrated in FIG. 7 with the back-rest of the bed disposed in an inclined position, the action is the same when the latter is lowered to horizontal position as in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.

Having thus described the traction twice in specific detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it may be susceptible to variations, alterations and- /or modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention therein as defined in the following claims.

Iclaim: 1. In a traction device of the type having a sling adapted for connection to the extremity of a patient in a bed support and the like on which a pulley is affixed to a bedstead and over which a cable secured to such sling is trained and having a weight at its opposite end for creating traction beneficial to such patient:

A self adjusting feature including a base adapted to be secured to the adjustable backrest of such bed for movement therewith between its inclined and horizontal positions; between the sling and fixed pulley of such traction device and comprising in combination therewith:

a. a rod fixed to and extending upwardly from said base;

b. a pulley mount arranged for up and down movement on said rod and having a pair of pulleys journaled one above the other on axes perpendicular to said rod whereby a lowermost one of said pulleys engages said cable when the backrest is inclined and the uppermost pulley engages the cable when the back rest is horizontal;

c. a C clamp for said pulley mount for securing the same to said rod in a position to afford in-line traction to the extremities of the patient connected to said sling; and

' d. a pivotal connection between said C clamp and said pulley means facilitating swinging movement of the latter about an axis parallel to said rod to compensate for change of position of the sling end of said cable within the bed by reason of movement of the patient therein.

2. The traction device in accordance with that of claim 1 in which said pivotal connection includes on said C clamp a pair of leg portions extending laterally therefrom, a pair of anns formed on the trunnion portion of said pulley mount; and a bolt extending through the arms of said trunnion portion and the leg portions of said C clamp in parallel, offset relation to said rod facilitating swinging movement of said pair of pulleys on said pulley mount in accordance with the angular disposition of the sling end of said cable relative thereto.

Claims

1. In a traction device of the type having a sling adapted for connection to the extremity of a patient in a bed support and the like on which a pulley is affixed to a bedstead and over which a cable secured to such sling is trained and having a weight at its opposite end for creating traction beneficial to such patient: A self adjusting feature including a base adapted to be secured to the adjustable backrest of such bed for movemeNt therewith between its inclined and horizontal positions; between the sling and fixed pulley of such traction device and comprising in combination therewith: a. a rod fixed to and extending upwardly from said base; b. a pulley mount arranged for up and down movement on said rod and having a pair of pulleys journaled one above the other on axes perpendicular to said rod whereby a lowermost one of said pulleys engages said cable when the backrest is inclined and the uppermost pulley engages the cable when the back rest is horizontal; c. a C clamp for said pulley mount for securing the same to said rod in a position to afford in-line traction to the extremities of the patient connected to said sling; and d. a pivotal connection between said C clamp and said pulley means facilitating swinging movement of the latter about an axis parallel to said rod to compensate for change of position of the sling end of said cable within the bed by reason of movement of the patient therein.

2. The traction device in accordance with that of claim 1 in which said pivotal connection includes on said C clamp a pair of leg portions extending laterally therefrom, a pair of arms formed on the trunnion portion of said pulley mount; and a bolt extending through the arms of said trunnion portion and the leg portions of said C clamp in parallel, offset relation to said rod facilitating swinging movement of said pair of pulleys on said pulley mount in accordance with the angular disposition of the sling end of said cable relative thereto.