US728082A - Combined wheel-chair and hammock. - Google Patents

Description

No. 728,082 PATENTBD MAY .12, 1903.

IL. 0. BULLOCK, JR.- 7 COMBINED WHEEL CHAIR AND HAMMQGK APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 18, 1902.

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Q vihmoow I No. 72s,os2.- PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

0. BULLOCK, JE- COMBINED WHEEL CHAIR AND HAMMO K,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18,1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 1l 903. v

ATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED WHEEL-CHAIR AND HAMMOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,082, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed June 18,1902.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, LEWIS C. B ULLOCK, J 1 a citizen of the United States, residing at Milesburg, in the county of Center and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Wheel- Chair and Hammock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toacombined Wheelchair, swing, and hammock; and the primary purpose of the same is to assemble in a single organization a number of elements which are both movable and partially separable to adapt the device to be quickly and practically converted from one use to anotherand also to utilize a minimum number of contributing elements, whereby the several distinct devices set forth may be formed and materially reduce the expense incident to the construction of several individual similar devices.

A further purpose of the improved device is to lighten the weight of the several contributing elements without detracting from their strength and durability and avoid a cumbersome and clumsy organization of a complex nature.

With these and other objects and purposes in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed, and subject to a wide range of modification in the form, proportions, dimensions, and minor details'of construction within the purview of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device arranged as a wheel-chair. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved device arranged asa wheel-chairand showing parts adjusted at a different angle of inclination. Fig. Sis a transverse vertical sect-ion through the rear portion of the'd'evice as;

shown arranged by Fig. 2 and broken away at points in addition to show the connection between several of the parts. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the improved device having the wheels and rolling devices separated therefrom and suspended-toserve as aswing. Fig.

:5 is a side elevation of the improveddevice with the wheels and rollers detached and adjusted to serve as a hammock. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through Serial No. 112,204. (No model.)

' a-portion of the device. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a part of one of the trailerposts'and thefnlcrum support orconnection therefor.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding partsin the several views.

The numerals 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, designate back, seat, guard, and foot sections, which form the main elements of the improved device. The back-section has thin sheet-metal end bars 5, of L-shaped form, to provide inwardly-projecting flanges 6, having wooden slats 7 terminally fastened thereto and spaced apart, as clearly shown. The seat-section 2 likewise has end bars 8, of L- shaped form and also constructed of suitable thin sheet metal, and to the inwardly-projecting flanges 9 thereof wooden slats 10 are terminally secured; The guard-section 3 and foot-section 4 also have similar end bars 11 and 12, respectively, bent in to shape from suitable thin sheet metal andhaving inwardly-projecting flanges 13, to which slats 14: are terminally secured, the ends of the inner slats 14 of the foot-section being spaced from the adjacent outer flanges of the bars,12 for a purpose which will be hereinafter fully set forth. The rear ends of the bars 8 are pivotally connected to the inner ends of the bars 5, and the forward ends of said bars 8 are pivotally at tached to the bars 11, and likewise the inner ends of the bars 12 are movably secured to the outer ends of the said bars 11. The inner extremities of the bars 11 have straps 15 riveted thereto and also engaged by the pivot 16, connecting the bars 8 and 11, the said straps when the device is arranged as a wheel-chair extending above the plane of the upper edges of the bars'S and pivot-ally connected to armrests 17, also movably secured to the bars 5 of the back-section and" having outwardly.- projecting extremities 18 in rear of the points of movable attachment to the said bars 5, said extremities 18 being provided with eyes 19 for the application of suspending devices in a manner which will be presently set forth. Between the ends of the straps 15 and'th'e armrests 17 securing-bars 20 are attachedby the roo pivot-bolt orrivet 21 passing throughthesaid straps and arm-rests, and extending in a plane approximately parallel with the end bars 8 of the said sections 2 are resilient clamping-bars 22, which are engaged by the pivots 16 at an intermediate point and project forward beyond the said pivots. The rear terminals 23 of the clamping-bars 22 angularly extend inwardly and loosely bear upon theouter sides of the said end bars 8. Passing between the clamping-bars 22 and the vertical flanges of the end bars 8 are hooked bolts 24, having their inner hooked terminals caught over the inwardly-extending horizontal flanges 9 of the end bars 8 and their outer screw-threaded extremities projecting through the vertical flanges of the end bars 8 and the said clamping-bars 22, said screwthreaded extremities 25 being engaged by clamping-nuts 26,which are adapted to be forcefully brought into engagement with the outer sides of the said clamping-bars. The securing-bars 20 have their free extremities passing between the clamping-bars 22 and the vertical flanges of the end bars 8 of the seat-section and are adapted to be secured in immovable relation against said end bars 8 by the clamping-bars to hold the several sections in adjusted position when changing the same from a wheelchair to a swing or hammock or to vary the angle of the back-section and guard and foot sections and maintain such angle to accommodate the ease and comfort of the person using the device when adjusted as a wheelchair or as a swing or hammock.

The end bars 12 of the foot-section 4 have compensating bars 27 movably attached thereto and standing out in advance of the guard-section and also movably connected to the forwardly-projecting extremities of the clampingbars 22 and the arm-rests 17, the purpose of these compensating bars being to adjust the guard-section proportionately to the angular movement or adjustment of the back-section and invariably maintain the foot-section 4 in a horizontal plane in all the adjustments. The arm-rests 17 project beyond or in advance of the front edges of the compensating bars 27 and are formed with eyes 28 for the reception of suspending devices, which will be attached at said points and also to the eyes 19 at the rear ends of the said arm-rests when the device is arranged as a swing, as shown by Fig. 4, and in some other adjustments it may be desired that the eyes 28 be engaged by suspending devices when the parts are flattened 0utsuch, for instance, as in the production of a hammockand in such adjustment the compensating bars 27 will have the extremities there of attached to the arm-rests brought close to said armrests, and to avoid interference with the terminals of the suspending devices engaging the eyes 28 said compensating bars have recesses "29 formed in their front edges adjacent to the points of movable attachment of said compensating bars to the arm-rests. To the inner ends of the vertical flanges of the end bars 28 suspendingdinks 30 are movably secured and have eyes 31 formed in their opposite free ends for engagement therewith of the terminal devices of suspending ropes, cables, or the like, and when the said suspending-links are not in use they are turned down inside of the vertical flanges of the end bars 12 and fit in the spaces between the ends of the slats 14 and said vertical flanges, as clearly shown by Fig. 1.

The improved device also includes in its organization an axle 32, having bicycle or other light wheels 33 rotatably applied to its opposite extremities, and inwardly a suitable distance from the said Wheels 33 the axle is formed with vertical openings 34 to removably receive the smooth shanks 35 of bolts 36, secured to the front portion of the seatsection 2 and held in immovable relation to the latter by securing-nuts 37, interposed between the upper edge of the axle and the said seat-section. The shanks 35 are freely removable from the axle 32, and said shanks are also long enough to prevent accidental disengagement thereof from the axle when the device is arranged as a wheel-chair. The seat-section 2 also has secured thereto adjacent opposite ends fulcrum-bars 38, having sockets 39 depending from the rear ends thereof to removably receive the upwardly-projecting posts 40 of trailer or steering wheels 41, which are also of light structure similar to bicycle-wheels. The posts 40 have shoulders 42 thereon to bear against the lower ends of the sockets, and the portions of the posts above the said shoulders are longer than the sockets 39, so as to project above the upper surfaces of the fulcrum-bars 38 to removably receive linchpins 43, which are passed through suitable openings in the upper extremities of said posts. The function of the trailers or steering-wheels is obvious, and it will be seen that they may be quickly detached from the sockets 39 by simply removing the pins 43, and likewise the bolts 36 may be withdrawn from the openings 34 in the axle 32 to permit the device to be adjusted for use as a swing, as shown by Fig. 4, or as a hammock, as shown by Fig. 5. Conversely, the device may be quickly converted from the uses illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5 to the Wheel-chair shown by Fig. 1, and instead of adjustment of the sections to the angles shown by said latter figure the back and guard sections may be adjusted to the angle shown by Fig. 2 for accommodation of the person using the chair. Other angles may also be adopted at will and the chair be conveniently used for conveying or transporting invalids from one point to another, and by the application of suspending devices to the different points provided therefor, as heretofore explained, the several sections, with theinvalid reclining therein, may be elevated from the axle and trailers or steeringavheels for disposition in an ambulance or to any other point desired.

When the improved device is used as a swing, the eyes 19 and 28 are engaged by terminal hooks or analogous attaching means i4, to which suspending cords, cables, or analogous strands 45 are secured, and-the same devices 45 may also be used in suspending the improved chair when converted into a hammock, as shown by Fig. 5, and in this adjustment of the chair such suspending devices will be caused to engage the eyes 19 and 31, respectively, at the rear ends of the arm-rests 17 and the free ends of the suspending-links 30. WVhen the improved device is adjusted in the form ofa hammock, as before indicated, similar suspending devices may be attached to the eyes 28 in view of the variation of weight of different occupants.

The adjustment of the several sections to different angles when converting the improved device from one use to another or Varying the inclination, particularly of the back and guard sections, is positively maintained by the firm impingement of the clamping-bars 22 against the securing-bars 20, and in view of the connection of the several parts as set forth it is only necessary to use one of the said securing-bars at each end of the seatsection in View of the fact that the strain or force that may be exerted on the several sec tions by the weight imposed thereon and which would otherwise have a tendency to be concentrated on the securing-bars is distributed through the medium of the arm-rests 17, straps 15, and compensating bars 27 more evenly to the several sections, and thereby relieve the said securing bars from direct pulling strain.

The improved device can be cheaply manufactured, is light in construction, and in view of the capability of conversion thereof from one use to another will be found exceptionally convenient for general purposes.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of back, seat, guard, and foot sections, a portion of said sections being adjustable to change theinangular position, means for maintaining the adjustment of the sections, an axle freely removable from the sections,and steering-Wheels likewise detachable from the sections, the several connections also having means for suspending the same to form a swing or hammock.

2. In a deviceof the class set forth, the combination of back, seat, guard, and foot sections, a portion of the said sections being adjustable to vary their angles, an axle having wheels and applied to and freely removable from the seat-section, and steering-wheels also removably connected to the seat-sections, the several sections having suspending means to form a swing or hammock.

3. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of back, seat, guard, and foot sections having end bars with slats terminally se- :cured thereto,a portion of the said sections being adjustable to vary their angles in relation to the remaining sections, arm-rests, compensating bars and connecting-straps secured to the several sections, yielding clamping-bars attached to the opposite ends of the'seat-section and having clamping devices engaging the same, and securing-bars pivotally connected'to the arm-rests and connecting-straps and movable through the clamping-bars, the said securing-bars being adapted to be immovably held by the clamping-bars, and the terminals of the arm-rests and the foot-rest being provided with means for attaching suspending devices.

4. In a'device of the class set forth, the combination of back, seat, guard, and foot sections, the back and guard sections being adjustable in relation to the seat-section, armrests movably attached to the back-section, compensating bars connecting the foot-section and the arm-rests, connecting devices between the guard-section and arm-rests, securing-bars movably attached to the arm-rests and clamping means for holding the securingbars, the arm-rests and foot-rest having means for application of suspending devices.

5. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of back, seat, guard, and foot sections, part of said sections being adjustable in relation to the remaining ones, yielding clamping-bars at opposite ends of the said section, arm-rests movably attached to the back-section, and securing-bars movably and operatively connected to the arm-rests, and inserted between the clamping-bars and the ends of the seat-section, and means for clamp-' ing the said securing-bars.

6. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a back, seat, guard and foot sections, a part of said sections being adjustable to vary their angles of inclination in relation to the remaining sections,arm-rests connected to back and foot sections, suspending-links movably attached to the foot-section, and su spending devices adapted to be removably attached to the arm-rests and links.

7. In a device of the class setforth, the com-- yielding clamping-bars secured to the opposite ends of the seat-section and having their inner extremities spaced apart from the ends of said seat-section, securing-bolts passing through the said clamping-bars in advance-of In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

the inner ends of the latter and supplied with elztmpingmnts, and securing-bars movahly attached to parts of the several sections and inserted between the clamping-bars and the LEvvI-S BULLOCK ends of the seat-section, the said seeuring- \Vitnesses:

bars being adapted to he held in adjusted po- W. W. KLINE,

sition by the clamping-bars. C. M. BOWEN.

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